Alibaba review: Refund agreed but not paid for over 3 months

Trade Assurance refund stuck for 3+ months - and now support can't even reference the correct order number

Order #271140907001029804. Buyer and supplier reached a formal refund agreement through Alibaba's own Trade Assurance dispute system on May 8, 2026, for USD 1,725 (second installment; the first installment of $4,025 was already paid without issue).

Alibaba's stated policy is that refunds are processed within 10 working days. Over 3 months later, the case is still stuck at "Processing Refund" - the following stages, "Bank processed refund" and "Refund Sent," have never started.

I followed up by email on June 3, June 18, July 11, and July 28, receiving an identical generic template response each time from different named agents. On August 4, a live chat agent confirmed escalation with a promised response "within 1 working day," followed by an automated email promising feedback "within 1 to 3 working days." Neither happened.

A week later, a follow-up "escalation confirmed" email arrived - referencing an entirely different order number that has nothing to do with my case, suggesting the escalation itself may never have reached the right case at all.

This is not an active dispute - Alibaba's own system already confirms the refund was agreed and approved. The funds are simply not being released, and basic case handling appears to have failed. Sharing this so other buyers know what to expect, and in hopes that public visibility finally gets it resolved.