Alibaba did not help when the supplier admitted making a mistake
I purchased table-tennis tables through Alibaba and specifically requested and paid for the outdoor model. The supplier's agent told me that the “indoor” wording in the documentation was only a writing error and confirmed that the actual tables being supplied were outdoor. I relied on this information and kept the tables unopened in my warehouse after receiving them couple month later, it took 3 months to arrive to my country. I started selling them, believing they were outdoor tables. Only after they were exposed to rain did I discover that they were actually indoor MDF tables, which became damaged. I contacted the supplier, and the supplier has now acknowledged in Alibaba's own chat that the indoor model was mistakenly produced. Despite this, they refuse to refund me or provide a solution. I contacted Alibaba Customer Service expecting help resolving a dispute where the supplier admits making a mistake. Instead, I repeatedly received essentially the same response telling me to “contact the seller and negotiate,” even though I had already done so and the seller was refusing to cooperate. I understand that Alibaba has a dispute deadline, but this situation involves a supplier admitting that the wrong product was produced and delivered. I asked Alibaba to escalate the matter and review the evidence, but so far I have not received meaningful assistance. I also suffered additional losses, including customer refunds, marketing expenses and logistics costs. Very disappointing experience. I expected Alibaba to provide meaningful buyer protection when a supplier admits that the wrong product was supplied. I would strongly recommend keeping extensive evidence of every communication and not relying solely on Alibaba's buyer protection to resolve such situations. UPDATE: Alibaba has now responded to my review asking me to contact their service team. I have already done this multiple times. I provided my order number, explained the situation in detail, and supplied the relevant evidence. Alibaba Customer Service repeatedly told me to negotiate with the seller, despite the seller acknowledging that they mistakenly produced the indoor model and refusing to provide a refund. So the issue is not that I haven't contacted Alibaba's service team — I have contacted them repeatedly and they have not provided a solution. I would be happy to provide my order details again, but Alibaba already has them: Order #279518623001024236. What I am asking for is actual investigation and escalation, rather than being repeatedly redirected to the same seller who refuses to cooperate.