# Scams on Alibaba



## stubek (Aug 16, 2007)

Hello everyone,
Just a courteous warning to make sure you do your due diligence if buying name brand frames on Alibaba.

I looked up every seller on Alibaba yesterday who has a Scott Plasma TT bike for sale. Searching the Alibaba forums and also searching on Google for each company and the word scam, every single one had complaints of goods not received or receiving a box of pens instead of a computer. Each of these sellers was a "gold" member and each was "A&V" certified. Some of these companies were offering to sell the full bikes at just $100 less than places online such as trisports.com or others.

Alibaba also had an announcement yesterday that they plan on removing about 1,000 sellers for violations.

By no means am I saying Alibaba is a scam or that all sellers there are a scam, just saying make sure you do your homework.


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## Mount Dora Cycles (Aug 11, 2009)

so why not go to a Scott dealer and buy the bike? Am I missing something here?


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Mount Dora Cycles said:


> so why not go to a Scott dealer and buy the bike? Am I missing something here?


Because some morons would rather buy online for a few hundred dollars less, even if it's almost CERTAIN that they're going to get screwed.

Bike Shops are teh EVEEL, ya know...


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## BikeFixer (May 19, 2009)

Mount Dora Cycles said:


> so why not go to a Scott dealer and buy the bike? Am I missing something here?


Yeah I was thinking the same thing  
Unless you are a master mechanic and do all your own work and have your own tools you will be $$$ ahead in the long run by supporting your local shop


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

PlatyPius said:


> Because some morons would rather buy online for a few hundred dollars less, even if it's almost CERTAIN that they're going to get screwed.
> 
> Bike Shops are teh EVEEL, ya know...


I'm not so certain about the CERTAIN part. Seems as though there's quite a few happy campers on this very site who bought generic Chinese frames. What I don't understand is looking for a brand name frame from China. Now here I agree that it's just about CERTAIN that it's bogus at best and you get totally ripped off at worst. Even if by some unlikely occurrence it's a real Scott frame it's still bogus and not authorized. Easy to slap a decal on a frame that looks like a brand name frame and maybe even comes from the same factory. Chances are it's not the same frame because if Scott or any other manufacturer found out their designs were being sold on the side, with or without their name, that would be the end of their relationship with the manufacturer.

You are taking somewhat of a risk by buying generic Chinese frames but it can be done successfully. There are some pretty well known Alibaba dealers that are pretty reliable.


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

BikeFixer said:


> Yeah I was thinking the same thing
> Unless you are a master mechanic and do all your own work and have your own tools you will be $$$ ahead in the long run by supporting your local shop


I support my LBS. I buy a lot of stuff from them. I also buy online. I also build my own bikes and buy LBS bikes. I'm far from a master mechanic and it doesn't take many tools or expensive tools to build a bike. Sometimes you're dollars ahead by buying from your LBS, sometimes not. I enjoy building bikes. It's part of my biking hobby. I don't always do it to save money but I often do save money. You also have to weigh how much the enjoyment of building a bike is worth.


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## stubek (Aug 16, 2007)

I support my LBS as much as I can. I just happened to come across the sellers on Alibaba selling the Plasma LTD and thought it was funny that most were selling them for about half price while a couple had them just $100 or so less than other places.

The Scott was just an example. I was just curious about how Alibaba works. It started when one seller of the cheap frames also had several name brand bikes for sale including Scott, Cervelo, and Cannondale.


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## real stonie (Mar 30, 2006)

I don't host the same passion for my, or any, LBS as many of you do, but I'd rather get scalped by the local idiot with huge mark-ups than place any faith in a website called Alibaba (or the 40 theives).

Buy online from reputable cycling retailers and look for free shipping options. If you're desperate, visit the LBS and approach it like buying a car. Request to see dealer invoice.


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## timtak (May 16, 2009)

Many Aliexpress sellers are offering bicycles at a fraction of their normal cost using photos taken from ebay. 

All these Aliexpress pages
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com
De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com

Are using using the images and or words from this ebay auction
eBay
to offer a De Rosa Cinquanta Carbon Road Bike (on ebay at 11,900 USD) at between 600 and 900 USD. 

I have bought LED lights, toys and batteries at Ali-express cheaply but there are a lot of scams there too.


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## King Arthur (Nov 13, 2009)

stubek said:


> Hello everyone,
> Just a courteous warning to make sure you do your due diligence if buying name brand frames on Alibaba.
> 
> I looked up every seller on Alibaba yesterday who has a Scott Plasma TT bike for sale. Searching the Alibaba forums and also searching on Google for each company and the word scam, every single one had complaints of goods not received or receiving a box of pens instead of a computer. Each of these sellers was a "gold" member and each was "A&V" certified. Some of these companies were offering to sell the full bikes at just $100 less than places online such as trisports.com or others.
> ...


Why would you use a site where the name of the site is the same one as the "head of 40 thieves". I'm jut sayin!


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## svard75 (Jun 10, 2011)

I took the plunge and bought what I thought was FSA K-Wing bars from Alibaba. Cost me $160 with shipping which is fairly close to cost here. The photos on their website were legit and thought I was buying wholesale. WRONG! They sent me the crap from China with that F'in classic ergo bend in the drops which DRIVES ME CRAZY! I opened a complaint through alibaba and paypal and the vendor agreed to refund $60. So I sold them on ebay for $100 making all of my money back. In my ad I did post the actual photos of the bars so whomever was buying was aware and at $100 brand new the buyer should realize they aren't real FSA's. Anyway he received the bars and loved them. My point is I completely agree with the OP to be careful when buying. Use paypal when paying so you can reconcile if they rip you off.

BTW anyone seen MAD FIBER wheels for sale on alibaba? LOL


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Being amazed that Alibaba is nothing but a site full of ripoffs and counterfeiters is like being amazed that poking yourself in the eye with a hot poker will cause blindness...


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

PlatyPius said:


> Being amazed that Alibaba is nothing but a site full of ripoffs and counterfeiters is like being amazed that poking yourself in the eye with a hot poker will cause blindness...


Now that's sig worthy! Repped!!


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