Best way to pay Convoy Aliexpress??

I am looking to get a few Convoys and have read many threads about fakes, service, etc. So, I’d like to buy directly from Simon. But what is the easiest, most secure way to pay? No offense to anyone, but I’m quite wary about putting my credit card or bank account info on a Chinese website. Too much bad press and very little recourse if things don’t go as expected.

What do you do? I have one coming from Mtnelectronics in the meantime, but I’d like full customization.

Simon does take paypal. Since aliexpress does not support paypal, you need to message Simon and he will direct you how to submit your order and pay.
Aliexpress does ask for payment info only after submitting an order. So Simon may direct you to make an order on aliexpress then contact him to get a paypal payment request.

I just use a prepaid visa gift card on aliexpress.

What do you mean, “very little recourse”? If it’s a fraudulent charge, you call up your credit card and they’ll reverse the charge. You probably will have to sign a form stating you’re not lying, etc.

The benefit of paying with a credit card is that the credit card company reimburses you for fraud. This is different than paying with a debit card, where getting your money back is probably much tougher. I would never give my debit or bank info to any website, with the exception possibly of Paypal (where you sometimes have to).

IIRC, Paypal will only guarantee your purchase if you make it to a commercial vendor. i.e., no direct transfers to an individual. But otherwise, you’re protected by Paypal as well.

I have my credit card linked to my Paypal account, so anything I buy on Paypal ultimately gets charged to my credit card.

Do I message Simon through his webstore or does he have a separate email address?

Why are you all scared about aliexpress payment system? That Chinese web site is the biggest in the world for that matter, so don’t worry, its way safer than you think :slight_smile:

You can send him a message through his aliexpress store. He does have an email he uses for convoy business / sales but I don’t know it off hand. I would wait till his store is back up and running before contacting him though. He is currently moving his physical location and not taking orders at the moment.

I use a Mastercard Debit card to pay Aliexpress. I only deposit into the card account when I need to pay so there is never any excess money in account. If someone tries to use it fraudulently Mastercard should reject the payment because there is no money in the account.

Be sure you have stated in writing that you do not want any “overdraft protection” on the account. Banks often do it even if you don’t want it because they make tons of money on fees if an overdraft hits. Hell, banks will re-open accounts you have completely closed if they have any excuse, like if any credit or debit comes in. Just so they can charge fees. It’s called “zombie accounts”. You would think such things must be illegal but unfortunately it’s not. Depending on the country of course.

Yes, you’re a lot safer paying with credit than with debit. If you get defrauded with debit, you’ll likely be out your money plus bank charges and fees, plus interest. With credit, all you’re out is a phone call (to the get the charges reversed).

That said, I really doubt you’ll get defrauded by a big company like Aliexpress. They’re not going to risk their business doing criminal stuff like that. But, there’s always the chance they get hacked, and your debit info is stolen. Then, all bets are off.

I always emailed Simon when ordering. He as always provided me with his Paypal account.

I prefer PayPal myself. But when it’s not an option I’ve used Revolut.

It’s handy because it acts like a pre-pay credit card, so you can only spend what is on it. It’s also handy for me, because I’m in the UK and use £ sterling. But most online buying like this is USD$. Revolut makes it very easy to convert.

I think if you do it that way, you don’t get Paypal’s refund guarantee if there’s a problem with the order (such as you never get it). Unless it’s a vendor account, but if that’s the case, why wouldn’t Paypal be an option up front?

I’m not quite sure how that works really. I can choose if I am transferring to a friend or paying for items.

In any case, Simon is someone who I trust as he has gone beyond what can be expected when I have had inquires.

Check if your bank provides that service. Mine does, so I can do this without any additional costs. Can choose amount and expire date, and there is no limit to how often or how many cards I can create.

Because Simon runs his store on Aliexpress, so payment methods are set by Ali, not Convoy. Simon accepts paypal because we ask him to, but he has to kinda circumvent the Aliexpress system to do it.

Personally I just pay him through Aliexpress. Its easier for me, probably easier for him, and I think its as safe as any other large website. I wouldn’t put my checking account debit card in there (then again I don’t use it online much at all) but I’m very comfortable using a credit card.

Aliexpress does not like paypal. Simon can’t just add the paypal button to his aliexpress store checkout because payments done through the site they are processed by aliexpress.
When paying Simon via paypal you can select the Pay for items or services option.

One problem with Aliexpress which only impact a few is that they will not accept payments from or ship to Washington State, US. It has something to do with state politics and requiring some special registration by Aliexpress. The are considered as an escrow activity since they accept payment and hold funds before paying the vendor. Aliexpress refuses to comply with doing the proper paperwork, thus preventing Washingtonians from using the service. Thankfully, Simon allows the use of PayPal, circumventing the restriction for me.

O well I have paid AE with credit card (Visa) and after (now let me check) 309 orders all is well
Check out your bank, I can create a virtual mastercard with a specific amount and a period that this card is valid, i use that when I do not trust a vendor but not for AE

Order in progress. Screenshot of order sent. Awaiting response from Simon. :+1:
Update
Simon responded via AE messaging with his PP info and total.
Paypal funds sent G/S**+transaction fee**
Transaction ID number sent via AE messaging, Transaction ID stamped on copy of order, image sent.
Message included my shipping info.
Waiting for Simon to accept Paypal payment.

That’s odd. I live in Washington state, and have ordered through them within the last couple of months without any problem.