AliExpress Group Buying is one way of getting great deals. Newcomers to AliExpress may not be familiar with group orders, but experienced customers actively use it to get the lowest prices. In this article you’ll learn how to save money on Group Buying.
Organized Group Buying
AliExpress has plenty of products which are sold at retail and wholesale prices. Naturally, wholesale prices are lower because sellers aim to sell as many products as possible, reducing processing and shipping costs.
To purchase a product at its wholesale price, one important condition must be met: you need to buy a certain number of items.
Here’s an example: Below, you can see that an additional 3% discount applies to the following product when 2 or more pieces are bought, indicating a wholesale price. In addition, there are other applicable coupons you can use:
- $5 off on orders above 49$ in this store
- additional 2% off if you buy 2 pieces or more
This means that if you buy more than 2 pieces of this product for $50, you can significantly lower the price by combining the wholesale price with store coupons.
A solo customer doesn’t usually need that many identical pieces. However, you can find others who also need this product. This is why some users organize group buying to benefit from low prices.
Purchasing an Item through Group Buying
I’ll to explain everything in simple terms. There are groups and chats dedicated to group buying, where you can connect with “buyers”, who take on the following responsibilities:
- Finds products that can be of interest to prospective customers and offers to purchase them as a group. Once the needed number of customers is found, they clarify the details and then place and pay for the order, which will be shipped to their address.
- Once the package is received, the buyer carefully checks the items for defects and damage, quantity, and characteristics. If needed, they are the one to open a dispute.
- If there are no issues with the order, the buyer notifies every group member. Once payment is received, the buyer notifies every group member of the final price and arranges shipment or personal exchange if members live in the same city.
For Group Buying, living in one city is the best option, as you can avoid costs associated with shipping.
How to Participate in Group Buying
First, you need to find reliable social media groups and join them. You can also check forums to find buyers.
Be careful and don’t fall for scams! Before joining any groups, you should:
- read the terms;
- read other users’ reviews;
- reach out to group members and ask them if they had already participated in group buying. If the answer is “yes”, ask about their experiences in detail;
- decide for yourself if you can trust the buyer;
- only pay for the items once they are received, never upfront. In the future, if the buyer proves to be reliable you can pay in advance.
But the best part is that you yourself can become a buyer and organize group purchases. Of course, you’ll have to put in some effort and create a group. Ultimately, you can earn money from it through:
- buyer’s commission can reach as up to 5-20% of the total order price.
- purchases can be made through the cashback service, which will give you back around 5-7% of the total price, or through an affiliate link (which ranges from around 3 to 90% depending on the product type);
- you can buy popular products with a good discount, and then resell them online.
While the profit is advantageous, there are certain difficulties to keep in mind, such as:
- There is always a chance that one of the group members may refuse to pay in the end. In that case you’ll have to keep the product until you find a new customer.
- You’ll likely encounter customers who are permanently dissatisfied and will complain about the product, its quality, or size.
- You’ll have to open disputes in case a parcel is lost or if the product is damaged.
