Cheap product, space-travel shipping
Alibaba gives the impression of affordable prices… until you ask for shipping. I was quoted €1,000 in shipping for a €250 outdoor garden chair. At that price, I assume the chair is travelling first class, escorted by customs officers, possibly dolphins, and maybe doing a short detour through space. Jokes aside, this is extremely misleading. Shipping costs are not visible upfront and completely change the reality of the purchase. What looks affordable at first becomes absurd once the real costs are revealed. If Alibaba is intended only for bulk B2B orders, this should be made clear from the start. For private customers, this setup wastes time and creates the feeling of being misled.