What? It’s not cuz of looks lmao
They’re worth the extra $1 or 2
You forgot to explain what your issue with a matrix code is.
It’s not different from adding a string of numbers/characters to the wrapping, just easier to scan for a machine.
UPDATE:
AliExpress eventually refunded all 12 of the batteries 12 batteries.
Because of this sour transaction I’m going to curtail my AE orders and pay a little more to get items I need through reputable sellers like Amazon.
A search of the internet seems trade between western nations and China is entering rough seas and it may become more common to be cheated by Chinese sellers when they have complete control over trans actions.
Granted, I have had MANY successful AE transactions in the past, but it’s true if you follow global events that things are changing and China is not as Western commerce friendly as it once was.
Out of the fire and into the frying pan. Amazon is not a reputable seller of liion cells. Buy liion cells from reputable distributors who have a reputation to maintain. (while they still exist)
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The big question is why is anyone still buying li-ion cells from AliEx in 2023?
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@Zebretta
I see that you’re in the U.S.
I usually order cells from liionwholesale.com
They have a good reputation, and they frequently have good prices even after you include their shipping fees. 
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Agreed.
In the PAST…
You could actually get some really good deals. I have many that I got there that were very good and dirt cheap.
That has changed and I think it has to do with China’s relationship with Western nations degrading.
I will not be buying batteries there anymore. I’m also going to try my best not to use AE at all.
AE never was a truly reliable service, it always depended on the particular merchant you were dealing with. Could be good, could be bad or anything in between.
The conclusion that this somehow has geo-political reasons is not valid IMHO.
Call your CC company and dispute.
I had to recently for a 80$ watch, got refunded, still have my ali account.
I don’t play games. broken logic / english may work for some sellers but i don’t tolerate that.
I’m definitely biased. I don’t even like to buy re-wraps anymore unless necessary, like for example in order to get my hands on a Samsung 50S, I bought the Vapcell T50.
Theoretically you should be able to get cells from AE and everything’s AE OK, if as Valynor said, you are dealing with a particularly reliable merchant. As we know, from lesser sources, there is the possibility of the ol’ rewrap switch-a-roo, or B grade cells sold as A grade, imitations and fakes, etc., and we know how bad it can be when you buy from non reputable sources: used and recycled cells being sold as new, cells filled with sand, and so on.
Paying a few bucks per cell to get name brand cells from domestic distributors, to me seems inexpensive considering how long they last, many years and hundreds of cycles. I think I paid $18 each for the Vapcell T50 direct from Vapcell, so it’s nice to now be able to get Molicel P45B cells for <$10 each stateside. And of course 40T and P42A are half that price. Liion wholesale has some 18650s as cheap as $2.29 right now.
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They refunded the first two batteries first, then a day or two later refunded the other 10. They were in 2 separate orders.
I had felt really bad about AliExpress but now I feel better. I’m glad there are some fair people in charge.
I would advise to never buy from any AliExpress seller with a store name that starts with “SHOP” because that indicates they change names frequently.
I don’t know if I said this but…
I recently ordered some 20Ah LiFePO4 pouch cells from AliExpress seller and they were both good to go. I tested the capacity and both were at the advertised capacity.
There are some good sellers on AliExpress as well.
The vast majority of my orders have been a good experience.
I never buy cells from AE or Amazon, etc. Only a very few reputable businesses here in USA that have a long history of honest service. Lithium ion batteries are like playing with fire; extra care is called for.
This doesn’t mean what you might think it means. It’s not free from your address to the seller, it’s free from the warehouse, if any in your country, to the seller. It’s the buyer’s cost to ship them to the warehouse.
I had to look into this when a guy went nuts over a Sofirn sale last year. It wasn’t to doing with a fault, but that he purchased a light 2 weeks before Sofirn had a sale, and was determined to get a free return/refund in order to buy the same flashlight again on sale.
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If something doesn’t mean what most people think it means, I call that false advertising.
A company offers “free returns,” but the returns AREN’T free? Gimme a break! 
Actually, this may have changed since last year. Before, there was a help page all about the T&Cs, now I can’t find this info. Seems like AliExpress covers the local label costs now. That’s good news.
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“Free returns” will only appear if there’s a local warehouse in your country, so that makes more sense.
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