an unpleasant experience - Alibaba.com
I am sharing an unpleasant experience with Alibaba.com as a sourcing platform regarding a purchase from a Chinese manufacturer, Wuxi Maifeng Furniture Co., Ltd. The order was for a dinner table and 4 chairs, which cost me USD 608, plus an additional shipping cost to my UK address of USD 280. Once the proforma invoice was issued, I transferred the total amount of USD888 to a bank account (verified by Alibaba.com) provided by the above seller. However, on 26 Mar 2026 (2 weeks later), I was informed by the seller that the shipping cost was not valid anymore due to the Iranian War, and I was asked to pay an additional USD 240. My request to cancel the order and for a full refund was refused by the seller. The seller also asked for USD 10.00 for the storage fee during the mediation period. This was my first experience with Alibaba, and I was directed by the seller through an offline order (payment to the seller's account directly). I thought that the biggest problem was that I was not provided with adequate information about my the right to pay through the Alibaba online. As such, I was not protected by Alibaba.com. I had requested to pay through Alibaba online the additional USD 240 but was refused by the seller. It was certainly a very unpleasant experience with Alibaba.com and I think that I would not receive a refund (even partially) because the storage fee would exhaust the paid amount.