andychrist

Placed an order with BLUENERGY Official Store on AliExpress 15 March that still has not been fulfilled, although delivery was advertised as 1-5 days. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001469946015.html

Repeatedly contacted the vendor who kept blaming the logistics company and asking would I like them to resend the package, grr. Jay finally messaged me a FedEx tracking number last Friday, 16 March, which never appeared on my AE Orders page but did have my location in Germantown NY correct and a scheduled delivery date of Wednesday, 21 April.

Then this past Monday, 19 April, the parcel was delivered in Maryville, TN.

Contacted FedEx who said my name and address did not match that on the parcel and the case was closed, refusing to provide any further information.

Vendor finally got back to me today blaming the logistics company and asking me once again if I’d like to have the package resent. Replied I am reporting his store to VISA for fraud.

Item was on sale when I purchased it so assume BLUENERGY Official Store is employing these delaying tactics to close the order by its expiration date without ever shipping, forcing me to accept a refund and having to reorder the item at a higher price.

Won’t be from them!

2old

I know others have had success with the "alis (baba and express)", but not me. The couple of times I've tried to order something the password or some other aspect kills it. Have stopped trying since it's always been possible to locate what I needed elsewhere for almost the same price.

speedy25

ALi is sort of hit and miss. Communications with vendors is difficult at best. I have had a few that never arrived despite being told it was shipped. The item also never showed up at my doorstep either.
A previous large order of items had everything but 1 item show up within 2 weeks!! A new record.

-SP

2old

SP, were you able to reverse the charges on your CC for the items that didn't arrive?

veganbikes

You bought bargain bin stuff on sale from the bargain bin on the internet and it came with bargain bin service? Caveat Emptor!

andychrist

Please stop being such a jerk all the time Mr. Griswold. Casting aspersions on every other vendor and what they stock does not make you and your own store come off any more the finer.

I’ve bought LOTS of quality merchandise on AE and rarely had problems regarding delivery. Just the other week I ordered a couple TSDZ2 replacement gears and 860C displays at rock bottom prices, all of which were shipped within 24 hours and made it to US customs in a matter of days.

Bafang is not bargain bin and I’d purchased two hub motors from this merchant before. Just this time they raised the price after I ordered and guess then decided not to honor the original deal, employing blatantly deceitful practices. Pretty stupid of them to pull this on a repeat customer.

Thus I posted here as a warning to others specifically about this vendor, not to blown off by you.

cat0020

Consider COVID, the global shortage in raw materials, shipping traffic issues, in additional to tariffs & other political issues between China & US; I have no doubt that purchases from China is getting delayed constantly.

An order that was placed in MAR, I probably wouldn't expect to receive the item until JUL or AUG with surface shipment.
Air shipment pricing is constantly on the flux, daily; I've seen many suppliers from AE change their pricing due to shipping cost increase.

Sometimes, I use Google Translate to message the supplier in Chinese so there is less miscommunication, also helps that I can read Chinese.
I adapt to the ways of trade..

veganbikes

So sorry to offend I know for a lot of people places like Alibaba and his 40 thieves are sacrosanct. I don't understand it, it is not a place where you know people and are there all the time it is a place to buy cheap stuff at cheap prices and caveat emptor as I said. I guess for some quality means it ships quick and is cheap and if that is how you redefine it go for it but I don't subscribe to that personally.

The store I work at has nothing to do with what was stated here and wasn't even mentioned at all.

As far as being a jerk this is the internet, welcome to it. It is text on a page with no emotion attached but yes people can be harsh on it sometimes.

andychrist

Merchant never responded to the dispute I initiated so AE just issued me a full refund.

Now problem is trying to find another 500W 48V Bafang 20” front hub motor any place, because AE seems to be the sole source and the the only other vendor there who offers that configuration is Greenenergy Electric Bike Store, which I’m guessing is just another front for BLUENERGY Official Store aka Bluenergia.

D’oh!

mclewis1

Does it have to be the Bafang 500W motor?
Grin Technologies (ebike.ca) seems to have the smaller Bafang 311, the nice Shengyi SX1, and the more powerful new "MeZee" hub motors, all in fast wind front hub configurations in stock.

andychrist

Yeah it has to be the 20” Bafang, I already have the most expensive matching 52V battery pack and light sensing/auto dimming 860C display. Grin doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Doc_Wui

In 2019, I searched high and low for a set of Weinmann 20" fat tire rims. Only had 100mm rims on ebay. Finally bought a set of non branded 20"x80mm rims from China. They came in 2 weeks, both rims in plastic bag. One was slightly dented, but it was useable. SIngle wall rims though. Cost me $110 shipped. I built a wheel, but never used it. Motor too wide for my bike. Bummer.

Last year, I found out Grin sold the desired rims. Weinman double wall 20" x 65,mm. These were $40 each, but shipping for two was $75, Came well packed in a cardboard carton.

I have bought a lot of stuff off aliexpress. Got scammed once. My fault. ALiexpress would have refunded my money but it was my first dispute and I didn't know you have to ignore the friendly vendor's promises and just click on the refund option.

mclewis1

I run a nicely integrated and protected (temp sensor) SX1 front hub with a 52v 750w downtube battery (21700 cells), integrated (within the battery case) 55a BaseRunner controller and the Cycle Analyst display (which is also daylight sensing) with a MF thumb switch. The PAS power ramp up is smooth and well graduated in 5 levels up to 500w, and with the throttle up to 1000w. Top speed with 27.5" wheels is over 40km/hr (so probably equivalent to class 3 28mph limits).

I understand that it wouldn't make sense for you to get rid of the rest of the kit you already have but I'm honestly curious, aside from the very pretty 860c display what doesn't Grin have that's equivalent?

andychrist

You couldn’t pay me to install the Cycle Analyst and BaseRunner, I’ve seen Justin’s videos.

Bafang is all plug and play and a small fraction of the price of anything Grin offers.

Plus I need a 20” front wheel hub.

All a moot point because I can’t set up an account at Grin anyway with my Apple email address, their server sees it as spam.

andychrist

So once the delivery window closed on the order from Bluenergy I filed a dispute with AE to which the vendor did not respond, so got a refund promptly. Ordered the same kit again on 3 May but this time from GREENENERGY’s US warehouse, along with the shorter 90cm motor cable (necessary for the LWB recumbent I’m converting) which shipped from China. Coincidentally both arrived this afternoon, along with an unexpected bonus: they sent me not one, not three, but two 20” front wheel kits! Guess I’ll have to contact them to find out if they have any distribution channels on the east cost for which they can email me a FedEx return label. Because reshipping the extra package all the way back to CA from NY would be ridiculous.

Doc_Wui

They might just let you keep it.

I got a pedal bike ordered from China. Took two months to arrive in on the East coast, where Customs has had it for a week. Wonder if I'll have to pay an import fee.

andychrist

Well they can’t make me send it back, but unlikely they wouldn’t want me to, not at that price! Trouble for me is having run out of storage space and then some, otherwise I’d probably want to hold onto it as a spare.

Ordered a couple TSDZ2 blue nylon replacement gears that arrived in the US within three days and cleared Customs over a month ago, no further movement since then so am assuming the package has been lost. Funny thing but another item came in on the same flight and was delivered to me just a couple days later. Anyway, couldn’t wait any longer, ordered another pair of gears from a different vendor. Keeping my fingers crossed.

chas58

Looking for one of these?
https://www.greenbikekit.com/electri...kit/front.html

I've bought most of my stuff from them for ~8 years. Seemed to be pretty good for a Chinese shop. Its been a while since I purchased from them, but they are not a fly-by-night store.

2old

Looked at GBK; unbelievably it costs $200+ more to ship a kit with a wheel than just the motor kit.