Alibaba review: Online transaction – unexpected fees

I purchased a product on Alibaba with no information about import duties shown before payment. This information only appeared after the transaction, which is misleading and unfair.

I opened a refund request through Alibaba. The refund was processed within a few hours, but I received CAD $10.75 less than I paid. The seller later confirmed that they refunded the full amount, meaning the difference was likely due to a fee charged by Alibaba. This was a transaction that lasted only a few hours and involved no actual service, yet Alibaba still retained $10.75. This makes the situation even more unjustified.

I do not recommend buying from Alibaba due to unclear fees and a lack of transparency. Companies like Amazon and AliExpress usually show final prices with import fees included, avoiding confusion.

This is not about the $10, but about the lack of transparency. Charging hidden fees after payment and reducing the refund shortly after creates a poor experience and discourages future purchases.