How to Buy from Alibaba/AliExpress to Ghana
Alibaba and Aliexpress are sister companies under the Alibaba group. They are collectively ecommerce platforms that help bring sellers and buyers together in the online retail world.
Alibaba offers a business-to-business platform that allows businesses to make wholesale purchases from manufacturers and suppliers across Asia, while Aliexpress is business-to-customer oriented. That is why you will see more “Aliexpress” in this article.
On Aliexpress, you can get electronics, accessories, clothes, and more.
In a few steps, we will teach you how to buy from Aliexpress and have your item delivered to you here in Ghana. And in the latter part of this article, we will enlighten you on the merits and shortcomings of buying online and a few tips to make your online shopping experience pleasant.
Register/ create an account
The first thing you need to do to initiate your online shopping experience is register on Aliexpress by visiting their website on www.AliExpress.com and clicking “Join.”
You can create the account using your email address or join with Facebook. Choose one that will be most convenient for you.
Once you an in the market, start navigating. Go through the staff you fancy. Is it electronics? Pretty clothes or accessories? Whatever you need, they have got it.
If you think scrolling through items will take much of your time or compel you to buy more than you have budgeted for, you can go to the search column and input what you want.
Once you have decided on what you want, the quantity, check the price and its quality. Click “Add to Cart”
Communicate With the Seller
While your item is in the cart, take the time to communicate with the seller using the Alibaba Trade Manager application.
This can help you develop an element of trust for the seller, you can be sure of what is being delivered to you how the item works, and they might perhaps, recommend other items that will best suit you. You should also check their feedback section.
What are people saying about their items? How many orders have been fulfilled, and how long has he been on the site? Is this person reliable? You can never be too careful when purchasing online.
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Fill in Your Shipping Address
Once you are satisfied with the item and the seller, you can buy this item by going back to your cart and clicking on “Buy Now.”
You will see your total amount, including the amount of the item, tax, and shipping fee. You can apply for coupons to reduce costs. After this, you will be asked to fill out a form that includes the shipping address.
You should use Ghana’s postal address and your telephone number. You will also see the number of days it will take to get the item shipped to Ghana, and this usually takes between 20 to 60 working days.
Make a Payment
The website will ask you to select your payment method, and the best to use is a UBA master or Visa card. Complete your order and wait while your order is being processed.
If you have skipped any of the steps, you will be taken back.
Track Your Order
It is important to track your order from time to time. By locating the “my orders” option on the Aliexpress website, you can do that.
You will know when your order lives in China, when it is in transit, when it gets to Ghana and when you should pick it up. Tracking your order helps you know if your item didn’t arrive within the days, they had promised.
When this happens, you can receive a partial or full refund. The platform/seller can also refund your money if the item arrived was not what you had ordered.
Pick Up
When your item arrives, it will be sent to the post office, and you will be contacted to come and pick it up. If you think that will be inconvenient for you, you can hire the services of a courier, and they will bring your items to your doorstep.
Why Buy Online?
You have heard this numerous times already. Buying online is easy and convenient, and you don’t have to go through the hustle and bustle of going to the market and walking miles to find the item you want.
And going to the market is never cheaper. There are certain things you should not buy online, especially if you don’t trust the source.
The demerits of buying online are the wrath of fraudsters and thieves, and when you don’t get exactly what you want. The good ol’ “what you ordered VS what you got.” It is all about being vigilant. When you want to order online but do not know how to request the service of someone who can help you.
Buying online should not be a hustle. Make inquiries and try it now. Happy Shopping!
