Avoid buying from Chinese sellers selling in Australia at any cost (very dodgy)

[astronaut_77]

My experience with Chinese sellers in Australia is very bad, especially when it's a high value item. This seller  listed a Xiaomi 14 Pro phone and in the description says that it has eSIM, when I received it, I found out that it doesn't have an eSIM, contacted him, he argued that the eSIM only work in Europe, although that it's not true (as per Xiaomi customer service themselves as Pro version is only for Chinese market and there is no eSIM in China), yet the seller still blame me for not contacting him first asking about eSIM!!! Told him that item description says it has eSIM, as well as he is selling in AU! He asked me to return it but not to say that the reason for the return is that I changed my mind, took him so long arguing about the return and asking me to return it using the cheapest way possible, although the item is sold for $1519.62, as well as to add a coverage value of $300 (of course if something happened to the phone on its way back it will be on me, and he is in the clear), then finally after the phone was received, he is still stalling to refund me, and eBay is stalling too, telling me that the refund approval needs to be handled by a secondary team that handles high value items, I bought the phone on the 24th/July, received on the 3rd/Aug, I requested the return then next day 4th/Aug after inquiring about the eSIM. And from the 4th/Aug till the 16th/Aug (the date I actually returned it via AusPost) the seller was arguing about the return cost and every step of the way when I contacted him, he was asking me to change my negative feedback, I was actually willing to change it if he was genuinely willing to help and refund me smoothly, but he didn't. Now he received the phone since 29th/Aug and today is 2nd/Sep, yet he hasn't refund me as kind of payback for not changing my feedback. And even when I asked him why the refund wasn't processed yet, and in order to stall, he asked me if the phone has any collision (his own word) instead of inspecting it (although I packed it and protected it very well)
So please avoid buying from any Chines seller sells in Australia. THEY WILL SCAM AND MANUPULATE YOU

Now after this terrible experience with this seller and eBay customer service, I will NEVER EVER buy any item over $30 from eBay again.

I tried Amazon in the last 2 month for about 9 items, and they were very good in everything, delivery time and item description and customer service, I will switch to Amazon for sure.

[shoppingbag*]

What was their feedback rating?  Did you check?  I would never buy a phone online, I want somewhere (a store) to take it back to if it is faulty.  Too many sad stories about people who buy phones online for me.  I buy lots of stuff from Chinese Sellers, but only every small value items, and I check their feedback first.  I wont go near anyone who has hundreds of negatives. I've had few problems.

[springyzone]

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@greywolf271 wrote:

I'm an electronics engineer and buy all my goods from china as far as possible. You seem to be a one off experience. I have never had any problems with the sellers I associate with. 

Rule one, communicating with a non english speaking seller - take time to ask the right questions.

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Half the stuff in our shops has been made in China, so I think lots of people just assume if they buy on ebay from a Chinese seller, they just cut out the middle man and get the same goods.

But when businesses import things in bulk, those things pass through customs and have to be up to Australian standards.

When you buy something direct from China though, it will probably slip into the country without having to pass those standards. It may not be the same quality as the identical looking items in the stores.

So I guess my question is-are you a fairly medium sized importer of products from China, where your items are made to conform to our standards by established Chinese companies, or are you just buying here and there from random Chinese sellers and not checking the quality of what you get?

[sandypebbles]

There is huge difference between what is sold in genuine retail stores that comply with Australian safety standards and the made for China for use in China and unbranded or knock off items that do not