Aliexpress Joke Seller wants to give me $1 refund for broken keycaps

[dantan]

I recently saw a PBT keycap set going on sale on Aliexpress for real cheap.

Ordered, and when it came, I was reminded of why never to buy cheapo things. Came with 3 cracked and broken keycaps. A few also seemed a bit scratched, probably from friction with the broken keycaps.

WORST OF ALL, when I brought this up to the company, they offered... $1 refund.

They said I could still use the broken keycaps.

WTFWTFWTF.

Right now I'm not naming the company. I'm nego with them to see if they can satisfy me. I'm not really in the mood for filing complaint on Aliexpress, so I'll just take a few bucks partial refund (not $1!) and call it even. But damn it, should have known that cheap things aren't good things. I have never heard of thick PBT keycaps being broken, but there are bunch of cases of thin PBT arriving cracked and broken in the mail. And this set is real thin, cheapskate thin is what I'll call it.

If anyone knows how to tell PBT from ABS without a dangerous chemical test, do share. I'm also suspecting the keycap set is not PBT. It doesn't feel as rough as most PBTs.

If I can prove to Aliexpress that these guys were selling ABS keycaps as PBT, I'll have a strong case for full refund.

[SpAmRaY]

PBT caps tend to be more fragile than ABS.

You can generally toss them in water and see if they sink or float.



https://deskthority.net/wiki/Keycap_material

[dantan]

PBT caps tend to be more fragile than ABS.

You can generally toss them in water and see if they sink or float.

Never mind, i just read their current ad.

Their current ad now says the keycaps are ABS.

Their original ad, which I'd read totally, says they were PBT. Some more, as recorded in Aliexpress' system, my order is indeed for 'PBT keycaps'.

So they sold ABS to me wrongly described as PBT. It's like selling bronze stuff and calling it stainless steel! I should have a strong case with Aliexpress if these guys refuse to give me my full refund.

Alternatively I'd asked them to send a set of PBT keycaps to me, but I'm guessing like most Chinese sellers they'd rather fight tooth and nail to avoid responsibility, so probably have to escalate to Aliexpress. 

[dantan]

They agreed to give a full refund for the non-PBT ABS keycaps.

I wonder how long it will take for them to process said refund.

All the same, not posting name of seller anymore.

But my general opinion of Aliexpress is, pretty unenthusiastic. Prices are indeed too good to be true.

[klennkellon]

They agreed to give a full refund for the non-PBT ABS keycaps.

I wonder how long it will take for them to process said refund.

Good. And if for some reason they still don't refund just go to your bank and do a chargeback and don't buy from that seller ever again.

[evenlock]

Hi! I know there are terrible sellers on aliexpress. I always check feedbacks above 98% and at least 2years on the business. I try to find infomations on the web also before purchase things. I appreciate if more details in the in the descriptionm, but it's hard to evaluate competence and knowledge. For "big" orders I contact them asking technical details.

The name could help community I think, anyway can I ask the reputation, feedbacks and year of that sellers (without saying name)?

[tp4tissue]

Hi! I know there are terrible sellers on aliexpress. I always check feedbacks above 98% and at least 2years on the business. I try to find infomations on the web also before purchase things. I appreciate if more details in the in the descriptionm, but it's hard to evaluate competence and knowledge. For "big" orders I contact them asking technical details.

The name could help community I think, anyway can I ask the reputation, feedbacks and year of that sellers (without saying name)?

the name isn't helpful, because there's hardly any barriers to registration, and the site uses a scatter gun approach to earn by volume, rather than quality of service.

[dantan]

Hi! I know there are terrible sellers on aliexpress. I always check feedbacks above 98% and at least 2years on the business. I try to find infomations on the web also before purchase things. I appreciate if more details in the in the descriptionm, but it's hard to evaluate competence and knowledge. For "big" orders I contact them asking technical details.

The name could help community I think, anyway can I ask the reputation, feedbacks and year of that sellers (without saying name)?

the name isn't helpful, because there's hardly any barriers to registration, and the site uses a scatter gun approach to earn by volume, rather than quality of service.

Your mention of reputation feedback and year is the first time I have ever thought of it when buying from Aliexpress! I didn't even check.

TBH, for all my grouses, actually I have much more satisfactory purchases than not from China. It's just that satisfaction ratio is much lower than 98% or 99%...

[Targa-TV]

Your mention of reputation feedback and year is the first time I have ever thought of it when buying from Aliexpress! I didn't even check.

TBH, for all my grouses, actually I have much more satisfactory purchases than not from China. It's just that satisfaction ratio is much lower than 98% or 99%...

Wtf why a 1$ refund and not a change of caps? Couldn't they ship a new set to replace yours?
Tbh many people rate the aliex sellers poorly because of shipping times, which I think is unreasonable, so I tend to dismiss many complains. But I always use aliex as the absolute last shore because Italian customs and post office are crazy slow.
Some aliex caps look nice (the Nerv and Overwatch caps especially) but I don't trust them in the hands of Poste Italiane and paying double or triple the value of the keys in shipping... no thanks.

Can you post a picture of the broken caps? I'm curious about how they look.

[dantan]

Broken is just broken, nothing much to them. Anyway I've gotten refunded already.

Also my fault actually, for choosing to buy something too cheap to be any good.