AliExpress Buyer Protection: The 60-90 Day Refund Window (2026)

TL;DR

AliExpress Buyer Protection gives you 15 days after delivery confirmation (or 60-120 days from ship date if you have not confirmed delivery) to open a dispute for items that did not arrive, arrived damaged, or do not match the listing. The 4-step dispute flow: contact seller → open dispute → seller has 3 days to respond → AliExpress mediates. Most disputed items under $30 are refunded without requiring a return. Refunds take 3-20 business days depending on the payment method.

How AliExpress Buyer Protection works

AliExpress is a marketplace with millions of third-party sellers, mostly based in China. Unlike Shopify (which is SaaS for merchants), AliExpress provides a platform-level guarantee for almost every order. The guarantee is called "Buyer Protection" and applies automatically to orders marked with the "Buyer protection" label on the listing.

When you place an order, AliExpress holds your payment in escrow. The money is released to the seller only after you confirm receipt — or after the Buyer Protection window expires. This gives AliExpress the leverage to mediate disputes fairly.

What Buyer Protection covers

| Situation | Coverage | Typical refund | |---|---|---| | Item not received | Full | Full refund + original shipping | | Item not as described | Full | Full or partial refund | | Item arrived damaged | Full | Full or partial refund | | Wrong item | Full | Full refund or replacement | | Counterfeit / trademark violation | Full | Full refund | | Size or fit issue (apparel) | Partial | Depends on listing accuracy | | Buyer changed mind (no defect) | Limited | At seller's discretion |

Excluded items: digital goods, services, customized/perishable/hygiene items, anything you damaged yourself.

The 15-day and 90-day windows — exact rules

This is where most buyers get tripped up: AliExpress has TWO deadlines, and confusing them is the most common reason for losing a refund claim.

The "buyer protection" deadline

This is the date shown in your order details as "Buyer Protection" with a countdown. It is the date by which you must either confirm receipt or open a dispute. If neither happens by this date, AliExpress auto-releases the funds to the seller, and your protection effectively ends.

How the deadline is set

• 15 days after you confirm receipt of the item. If you click "Confirm receipt" in the app, the 15-day window starts on that day.
• 60, 75, 90, or 120 days from the ship date, depending on the seller's indicated shipping method, if you have not confirmed receipt. This is the most common path for buyers who forget to confirm.

The deadline is always much later than the estimated delivery date. A 30-day shipping estimate might give you a 90-day protection deadline. Knowing this means you don't need to panic when the delivery date passes.

What happens if you do nothing by the deadline

AliExpress automatically releases the payment to the seller. The case closes. Your ability to get a refund through AliExpress drops to near zero after this point. You can still contact AliExpress support and request an exception, but it's discretionary.

Tip: never confirm receipt immediately

If you confirm receipt as soon as the package arrives, the 15-day window starts. Wait until you've inspected the item and used it for a few days before confirming. For apparel, this means try it on and check seams. For electronics, this means test all the features. For fragile items, this means a few days of use to confirm functionality.

AliExpress does not penalize you for not confirming. The seller does not get paid faster. You lose nothing by waiting — you gain 90+ days of protection.

Step-by-step: opening a winning AliExpress dispute

Step 1: Track the package and check the deadline

In the AliExpress app, go to My Orders → find the order → look for the "Buyer Protection" countdown. If the package is past the estimated delivery date and the countdown is still active, you have time.

If the package shows "Delivered" but you have not received it, check with neighbors first. Porch theft accounts for ~30% of "delivered but missing" cases.

Step 2: Contact the seller first (1-3 days)

In the order page, tap Contact Seller. State your problem clearly:

• For non-delivery: "My order #XXXXXXXX is past the estimated delivery date of [date]. Tracking shows [last scan]. I have not received the package."
• For damage: "My order #XXXXXXXX arrived damaged. Photos attached. I am requesting a full refund."
• For not as described: "My order #XXXXXXXX does not match the listing. Photos of the actual item vs the listing attached. I am requesting a full refund."

Most sellers will resolve quickly if your evidence is clear. They want to avoid formal disputes, which lower their seller score.

Step 3: Open a dispute if no resolution

If the seller does not resolve within 3 days, or offers an unacceptable solution, open a formal dispute.

Path: My Orders → find the order → tap Open Dispute → choose one of:

• Item not received (for missing packages)
• Item not as described (for wrong item, counterfeit, or material difference)
• Item arrived damaged (for damaged or defective items)

You will be prompted for:

• A description (be specific)
• Evidence (up to 5 photos + 1 video)
• Refund amount you are requesting

Step 4: Seller has 3 days to respond to the formal dispute

After you open the dispute, AliExpress notifies the seller. The seller has 3 days to:

• Accept your dispute and refund the amount
• Offer a partial refund
• Provide evidence (tracking, photo of packed item, etc.)
• Decline and escalate to AliExpress

If the seller accepts: refund issued automatically. Most low-value items (<$30) are refunded without return.

If the seller declines or doesn't respond: AliExpress steps in.

Step 5: AliExpress mediates within 7-15 days

Once the dispute escalates to AliExpress, a human mediator reviews the case. They consider:

• Tracking and delivery confirmation
• Photo and video evidence from both sides
• The listing accuracy
• The seller's dispute history
• The buyer's dispute history (yes, AliExpress tracks this)

Decisions typically arrive in 7-15 business days. Approval rate for clear evidence cases is around 80-90%.

Refund tiers by situation

| Item value | Typical outcome | Return required? | |---|---|---| | Under $10 | Full refund, no return | No | | $10-$30 | Full refund, no return | Usually no | | $30-$100 | Full refund, return sometimes required | Sometimes | | Over $100 | Full refund, return almost always required | Yes |

The return-required threshold varies by category and seller. AliExpress weights the cost of return shipping against the item value. For under-$30 items, return shipping usually costs more than the item — refund without return makes economic sense.

What evidence wins

The strongest evidence for an AliExpress dispute:

• Photos with timestamps showing the issue — phone camera with auto-timestamp is fine
• Comparison photos with the listing — for not-as-described claims
• Tracking showing delivered but uncollected — for porch theft
• Packaging photos showing damage and shipping label — for damaged items
• Communication with the seller showing their response — screenshots of in-app chat

The weakest evidence:

• Stock photos or generic complaints
• "Item not as described" with no photos
• "Damaged on arrival" reported 30+ days after delivery
• Multiple disputes in a short window (AliExpress flags this)

When Buyer Protection fails: 5 escape routes

If AliExpress sides with the seller, or your protection window has closed, you still have options.

Option 1: PayPal dispute

If you paid via PayPal, file a dispute within 180 days of the transaction. PayPal's "Item not as described" or "Item not received" categories apply. The dispute is independent of AliExpress.

PayPal generally sides with the buyer when:

• Tracking shows delivered but the buyer's address is unconfirmed
• The item was clearly different from the listing
• The seller stopped responding after the sale

Option 2: Credit card chargeback

US federal law under the Fair Credit Billing Act gives you 60 days from the statement date to dispute a credit card charge. For cross-border purchases, this is your strongest tool.

Reason codes for an AliExpress dispute:

• 4855 — Goods or services not provided
• 4855 with subcode 3 — Significantly not as described
• 4863 — Cardholder disputes transaction

Provide the AliExpress denial message and your evidence as part of the chargeback package.

Option 3: SWIFT wire recall (slow, last resort)

If you paid via bank wire (rare for AliExpress), you can request a SWIFT recall up to 60-90 days after the transfer. The recall is discretionary and depends on the receiving bank. Success rate is low.

Option 4: Wise Transfer claim

If you paid via Wise, you can open a claim within 180 days. Wise investigates independently of AliExpress.

Option 5: Alipay dispute (China)

If you paid via Alipay (Chinese residents or cross-border Alipay users), you can open a dispute directly. Different rules apply — typically stricter evidence requirements but faster decisions.

The AliExpress dispute email template

Subject: Dispute request — order #【Order Number】

>

Hello AliExpress Dispute Resolution,

>

I am opening a formal dispute for order #【Order Number】, purchased from 【Seller Name】 on 【Purchase Date】. The issue is 【item not received / arrived damaged / not as described】.

>

What happened: 【Description — "The package was marked delivered on March 18 but I have not received it. Tracking #XXXXXXXX shows the last scan was at 2:34 PM in my city. I have contacted neighbors and the building reception; the package is not at my address."】

>

What I have done: 【List prior steps — "I contacted the seller on March 19 and March 21. The seller offered 30% partial refund as 'compensation for the delay' but did not address the non-delivery issue."】

>

Evidence attached: 【List photos and tracking — "3 photos of the empty delivery location, screenshot of tracking, screenshots of in-app chat with seller showing the partial-refund offer"】

>

I am requesting a full refund of 【$Amount, including shipping】 to my original payment method.

>

【Your name】 【Shipping address from the order】

Refund timelines by payment method

| Method | Timeline | |---|---| | AliExpress Bonus account | Immediate | | PayPal | 3-5 business days | | Credit card | 5-10 business days | | Debit card | 7-15 business days | | Bank wire | 10-20 business days | | Apple Pay / Google Pay | 3-5 business days |

Tips specific to AliExpress in 2026

• Do not confirm receipt before you have used the item. The 15-day window is shorter than you think.
• Open disputes early in the protection window, not at the end. AliExpress needs time to review your evidence. Late disputes get less attention.
• Photograph all packaging including the label. Damage claims without the shipping label visible often lose.
• For clothing size issues, attach the seller's size chart with your measurements marked. AliExpress is strict on apparel claims where the seller provided accurate sizing.
• Be concise in dispute descriptions. AliExpress mediators read hundreds of disputes per day. Under 200 words is ideal.
• Check the seller's dispute rate in the listing. A seller with 50+ disputes in 90 days is high risk — avoid them before purchasing.

How ParcelClaim helps

Writing an AliExpress dispute that wins on first review requires the right wording, the right evidence list, and the right policy citation. ParcelClaim generates your dispute text in under 60 seconds, citing the specific AliExpress Buyer Protection section that applies to your case. You submit the dispute yourself from the AliExpress app.