Notes on buying from AliExpress and Temu itself — separate from individual product reviews.
Reading a listing
Listing photos are marketing, not documentation. Treat “reference images” disclaimers in the fine print as a warning that the box contents may not match what’s pictured — several reviews on this site cover exactly that gap.
Shipping and returns
Cheaper shipping options can take three to six weeks. Faster tiers exist on most listings at a modest premium if the wait matters. Keep photos of anything that arrives damaged or wrong before opening a dispute — both platforms want evidence up front.
Judging a seller
Store rating and review count matter more than the star rating on any single listing, since listing reviews get recycled across near-identical products from the same factory. A seller with years of history and thousands of orders is a safer bet than a 4.9-star listing with twelve reviews.
More detail gets added here as it comes up in individual reviews.