AliExpress dispute evidence: capture it before the listing changes

What to capture on AliExpress

Why AliExpress disputes are won or lost on evidence

AliExpress disputes are decided on documents. The seller responds with their version, and if you cannot agree, AliExpress looks at what both sides have uploaded. A buyer who can show exactly what was advertised, what arrived and what was said in the chat usually has a much easier time than one who only describes the problem.

The difficulty is timing. Most people start collecting evidence only after something goes wrong. By then the listing may have been edited, the variant you bought may have disappeared, or the whole store may be gone. The most valuable evidence on AliExpress is the evidence you capture at the moment you buy.

Before you pay: capture the product page

It takes a minute and it is the single most useful habit for anyone who buys on AliExpress regularly. Before you complete an order, save the full product page, not just the photo you liked.

• The full title and all product photos, including the ones further down the description.
• The exact variant you chose: colour, size, capacity, plug type or model number.
• Specifications and material claims, for example 100 percent cotton, 2 TB, waterproof or original.
• The price, shipping cost, promised delivery estimate and any return or guarantee badges.
• The store name and store ID, plus the store page with its feedback and opening date.

When the parcel arrives: unboxing and inspection

The protection period on your order runs on a countdown, and confirming receipt can shorten the time you have to complain. Check the exact window shown on your order page and do not confirm receipt before you have looked at the item properly.

1. Film the sealed parcel first, showing the shipping label and tracking number.
2. Open it in one continuous take, without cuts, so nobody can suggest you swapped the contents.
3. Show the item next to the listing on your phone or screen, pointing out every difference.
4. Photograph defects, missing parts, labels, logos and serial numbers in good light.
5. Keep the packaging until the dispute is closed.

Opening a dispute without losing your evidence

AliExpress lets you open a dispute from the order page for problems such as an item not received, not as described or damaged. The seller gets time to respond, and if you cannot agree, AliExpress steps in. The exact time limits depend on the order and are shown in the order and dispute screens, so capture them too.

1. Before you click Open dispute, capture the product page again and compare it with your capture from the day of purchase.
2. Capture the order details page and the full message history with the seller.
3. Open the dispute, describe the problem factually and upload your photos and video.
4. After every step, capture the dispute thread: seller response, offers, your answers, the platform decision.
5. Do not accept a partial refund or return offer you do not understand. Ask for it in writing in the thread first.

When the seller changes the listing after you complain

This is one of the most common AliExpress complaints. You open a dispute saying the item is not as described, and the seller edits the page so that it now matches what you received: a smaller size, a different material, a note that the logo is not included or that the capacity is simulated. The seller then argues the item matches the description.

• Your capture from the day of purchase, with date and time, is the strongest answer.
• The item snapshot in your order details may show the listing as it was when you ordered. Capture it, but do not rely on it alone.
• Other buyers' reviews and photos that describe the original listing can support your case.
• A public archive copy may exist, but archives are incomplete and may not show the variant you bought.

If you did not capture the page at purchase, capture the edited version anyway and point out the change in the dispute. A documented edit made after your complaint is itself useful information.

How to prove what a page said before it changed →

Counterfeits: for buyers and for brand owners

If you bought something advertised as original and received a fake, document it as not as described: the listing claim, the product, and the visible differences such as logos, labels, packaging and serial numbers. Do not resell a counterfeit, and keep it until your dispute or chargeback is settled.

Brand owners and their representatives use Alibaba Group's IP Protection Platform (IPP) to report infringing listings on AliExpress. A takedown request is stronger when each listing, the store page and the store ID are captured with verifiable timestamps, because the listing will usually be gone once the report succeeds and you may need the evidence later for a claim or for customs.

Evidence workflows for brand protection teams →

Dispute rejected or seller gone: chargeback and next steps

Stores on AliExpress can close or be removed, sometimes in the middle of a dispute. If the platform rejects your dispute or the seller vanishes, you may still have options through your payment method.

• Card payments: ask your bank about a chargeback for goods not received or not as described. Banks have their own deadlines, so act quickly.
• PayPal or similar services: check whether their buyer protection covers your case and its time limits.
• Send the bank a tidy package: product page from purchase, order details, dispute thread and decision, unboxing video, payment record.
• Dangerous products: report them to your national market surveillance or consumer authority as well as to AliExpress.

In Czechia, you can submit a complaint about unsafe products or unfair practices to the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI). In Germany, the Verbraucherzentrale can advise you; in France, report problems via SignalConso. For cross-border issues, the European Consumer Centres network can sometimes help.

How to get your money back after an online purchase goes wrong →

The regulatory background, briefly

AliExpress is designated as a very large online platform under the EU Digital Services Act. In March 2024 the European Commission opened formal proceedings against it. In June 2025 the Commission made commitments offered by AliExpress binding, including on transparency of advertising and recommender systems, and at the same time issued a preliminary finding that AliExpress had not adequately assessed and mitigated the risk of illegal products being sold on the platform. In July 2026 the Commission announced a fine of 550 million euros for that failure. The decision can be challenged before the EU courts.

None of this decides your individual dispute. It does show that illegal and counterfeit products on marketplaces are taken seriously at EU level, and that clear, dated evidence from buyers and rights holders is exactly the kind of material that notices and complaints rely on.

How to capture it properly

A screenshot is an editable image. A seller or a bank can dismiss it easily, and it rarely shows the full page. A forensic capture records the whole page as it was served, together with proof of when it was taken.

• Public pages such as the product page and store page: paste the URL into the GetProofAnchor web app. You get a full-page screenshot, source HTML, network log, SHA-256 hashes, an eIDAS qualified timestamp and a Bitcoin anchor in one Evidence ZIP, from a one-time 9 euro starter pack.
• Pages behind login such as your orders, messages and dispute thread: use the browser widget on subscription plans. It captures what you see in your own logged-in browser.
• No time at all: Assisted Capture secures public URLs for you, usually within 60 minutes.

Only capture your own account and pages you can lawfully access. The result is much harder to challenge than a screenshot, although no one can guarantee how a particular bank, platform or court will weigh it.

How the browser widget captures pages behind login →

Frequently asked questions

This article is general information, not legal advice. Platform rules and deadlines change, so always check the current terms shown on your AliExpress order and ask your bank or a consumer organisation about your specific case.