China shopping websites on Facebook

Radiance

Hi, I have bought a top from a Chinese website displayed on Facebook. Lotimena which is connected to more websites such as she chic is based in China however my top was posted from an address in the UK. The top does not fit and I don’t like the material so tried to find an address to send it back to for a refund. On the package the special instructions say, Customers MUST NOT return to the above address which is of course a UK address. I couldn’t find a return address on their website or their packaging so emailed customer enquiries. They have told me that their returns depot is in China and I must return it there which will cost me an arm and a leg. They have offered me 15% refund and advised me to sell the top in the UK. I have no hope of selling the top and making up the money I paid for it. 

Could you please make this an item on your programme? Can you warn consumers of this as it really does seem very wrong to me. I thought if it didn’t fit I could return it to the UK address and get a refund that way and as you see that is not so. I am guessing that the address in Middlesex will be a Warehouse for the company in China to send these products to so UK customers can get them quicker through the post than they would if they came direct from China but surely it should have a system there for returns and refunds????? 

It also does not say on the website that returns and refunds will be done via Their Chinese address and not their UK address. I feel like I have been well and truly mislead... Val... 

Pollycat

So many threads from people who buy from Facebook ads...

The website you purchased from clearly has an address in China.

It also states that you cannot return unwanted items to the address the item has been shipped from.

It's always sensible to do a check on 'About us' and 'Returns' on any website you are considering buying from.

MSE have an article about buying from China:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/buy-from-china-aliexpress/

You have few consumer rights, so don't spend more than you're happy to lose

Let's be straight – buying online from China is a relatively new and untested concept, so don't spend more than you can afford to lose.

If you buy online from a seller in the UK or EU, the Consumer Contracts Regulations mean you can cancel the order within 14 days of arrival for any reason (apart from perishable or personalised goods). You've then 14 days to send it back. So you've the comfort of knowing you can return it regardless of the reason. See our Consumer Rights guide for more.

This is in stark contrast to buying from China, where you've often no legal right to return an item, even if faulty. Many of the sites listed here have their own buyer protection policies (as described in the top sites section above), but these are not the law.

Even if sellers let you return orders, the postage costs are often so high that it's not worth it.

It might not say on the website that returns and refunds will be done via Their Chinese address and not their UK address, but it also doesn't say that you can return unwanted items to the UK.

I buy stuff from China occasionally but only on the understanding that I won't be returning them and the items I buy are unlikely to be faulty.

MothballsWallet

Facebook is a waste of time - they will sell ad space to anyone and they aren't set up to act as a marketplace as that would require expense and effort, 2 things Zuckerberg doesn't like to do as it takes money away from his bank account and his investors (imo).