Information AliExpress parts

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Birchall

Dick Chown Award 2016
I have bought a few auto headlight switches in the past from China and I was just browsing when I had a look at the AliExpress app.

Some of the prices were ridiculously cheap and so I thought that I would “test the water”.
I ordered
Key fob shell
Mirror adjust switch
4 window switch unit
Two temperature sensors
Chrome pedal rubbers
A metal A2 badge (just to see what it was.
Two of the artificial chrome (plastic) door handle covers
A very good phone holder (a vent one) that opens and closes electrically and charges the phone wirelessly even if your phone does not have wireless charging. (It was around £10!)

The total including everything above was £60 including shipping and arrived after 10to15 days.

Ok so some of the stuff I ordered was a bit tacky (handle covers) but everything was so cheap!

I am not recommending anything particularly. But it was a pleasant surprise when you look at the cost.
The switches and phone holder were worth most of that anyway.

I will reserve total judgement until I have fitted everything. It was just interesting to see how they can produce stuff like this so cheaply.
IMG_2027.jpeg
 
How does a phone charge wirelessly if the phone doesn't have wireless charging? Unless of course if the holder is plugged into a charging socket and the phone is connected via a plug when in the holder.
 
I have bought a few auto headlight switches in the past from China and I was just browsing when I had a look at the AliExpress app.

Some of the prices were ridiculously cheap and so I thought that I would “test the water”.
I ordered
Key fob shell
Mirror adjust switch
4 window switch unit
Two temperature sensors
Chrome pedal rubbers
A metal A2 badge (just to see what it was.
Two of the artificial chrome (plastic) door handle covers
A very good phone holder (a vent one) that opens and closes electrically and charges the phone wirelessly even if your phone does not have wireless charging. (It was around £10!)

The total including everything above was £60 including shipping and arrived after 10to15 days.

Ok so some of the stuff I ordered was a bit tacky (handle covers) but everything was so cheap!

I am not recommending anything particularly. But it was a pleasant surprise when you look at the cost.
The switches and phone holder were worth most of that anyway.

I will reserve total judgement until I have fitted everything. It was just interesting to see how they can produce stuff like this so cheaply.
View attachment 108442
How does a phone charge wirelessly if the phone doesn't have wireless charging? Unless of course if the holder is plugged into a charging socket and the phone is connected via a plug when in the holder.
You get a tiny connector that slots into the charging slot in your phone.
So when you place it into the charger it connects with that magnetically. Quite neat actually.

image.jpg
 
I have bought a few auto headlight switches in the past from China and I was just browsing when I had a look at the AliExpress app.

Some of the prices were ridiculously cheap and so I thought that I would “test the water”.
I ordered
Key fob shell
Mirror adjust switch
4 window switch unit
Two temperature sensors
Chrome pedal rubbers
A metal A2 badge (just to see what it was.
Two of the artificial chrome (plastic) door handle covers
A very good phone holder (a vent one) that opens and closes electrically and charges the phone wirelessly even if your phone does not have wireless charging. (It was around £10!)

The total including everything above was £60 including shipping and arrived after 10to15 days.

Ok so some of the stuff I ordered was a bit tacky (handle covers) but everything was so cheap!

I am not recommending anything particularly. But it was a pleasant surprise when you look at the cost.
The switches and phone holder were worth most of that anyway.

I will reserve total judgement until I have fitted everything. It was just interesting to see how they can produce stuff like this so cheaply.
View attachment 108442

Interesting Steve, was that all from the same seller or various places combined?


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I do believe we should think twice before spending our pennies in China. Part of the low price is to get hold of "hard" western currencies.
There's little doubt in my mind, that the repressive dictatorship is not a regime that deserves support, at least not directly.
Mac.
But I didn’t buy them from the government in China, I bought them from a company that are just trying to sell items.
So I am happy to pay Chinese workers for doing what they do.

But I do take your point.
 
But I didn’t buy them from the government in China, I bought them from a company that are just trying to sell items.
So I am happy to pay Chinese workers for doing what they do.

But I do take your point.
I also think we should wean ourselves off cheap Chinese stuff where possible - sadly it is not possible for many things, e.g. electronics. I bought a Bosch hedge clipper recently thinking I was paying a premium and it was made in China - I wonder what the Germans think of that!

Bosch no doubt say they have strict QA. Chinese companies can copy the design and manufacturing process without regard to patents etc. Poor electrical products from China are causing at least one fire in London everyday and I'm sure lives have been lost.

I'm sure the Government in China subsidises in one way or another companies exporting to the West. E.g. cheap electricity from coal power stations and now cheap oil from Russia. On YouTube I've noted many comments from Chinese people that they want the collapse of the West.

As for Chinese workers. Many have been moved to the cities on the east coast to man the factories producing stuff for the west.

I do agree that it is astonishing how cheaply things can be made and shipped halfway round the world. And how slick their eBay retail chains are: order something and it's dispatched the same day in China with customs label on one side and a Post Office pre-paid label on the other, packaged with 100s other items in a bulk package, to a distributor in the UK (probably a Chinese student) who posts it to us within hours. All marketed as UK seller!
 
But I didn’t buy them from the government in China, I bought them from a company that are just trying to sell items.
So I am happy to pay Chinese workers for doing what they do.

But I do take your point.
Steve, I really respect you for everything to do for our forum and within the world of “our” cars in general. However - and please take this with that respect in mind - that is an incredibly naive statement.

The Chinese state is inseparably involved in industry in that country - not necessarily directly mind as @Alan_uk points out. Spending money on China 100% means it ends up enriching the state - and therefore the government.

Now you must do as you please with your money, I will always back you on that - but let’s not be under any illusion that anything we buy from China does not benefit their government in some way - and that government does not share our values on key issues facing the world today.

I do not want to swerve the thread - I actually think there’s some good products there and I thank you for sharing this.
 
I didn't look to see who posted. Yes, Steve @Birchall has introduced up to some innovative products like the coming home light switches.

I've also bought innovative Sonoff devices for my home automation. The company seems active in designing and launching new products. But only after first checking forums etc for expects have stripped them down and said the design and build quality is safe to use. And I do try to find a UK distributor with a full UK address and vat number even if it costs a few pound more.
 
I do believe we should think twice before spending our pennies in China. Part of the low price is to get hold of "hard" western currencies.
There's little doubt in my mind, that the repressive dictatorship is not a regime that deserves support, at least not directly.
Mac.
Fully agree with you Mac,
Ami
 
Steve, I really respect you for everything to do for our forum and within the world of “our” cars in general. However - and please take this with that respect in mind - that is an incredibly naive statement.

The Chinese state is inseparably involved in industry in that country - not necessarily directly mind as @Alan_uk points out. Spending money on China 100% means it ends up enriching the state - and therefore the government.

Now you must do as you please with your money, I will always back you on that - but let’s not be under any illusion that anything we buy from China does not benefit their government in some way - and that government does not share our values on key issues facing the world today.

I do not want to swerve the thread - I actually think there’s some good products there and I thank you for sharing this.
I respect you and your views and thank you for your honesty and calm discussion.
I can see all that you are saying and I am likely to not buy from China again, apart from items that I can’t buy here such as the Auto headlight switch which I find to be of acceptable quality and a product I can’t buy elsewhere.

Thank you for your input. It is appreciated.
Steve B
 
I respect you and your views and thank you for your honesty and calm discussion.
I can see all that you are saying and I am likely to not buy from China again, apart from items that I can’t buy here such as the Auto headlight switch which I find to be of acceptable quality and a product I can’t buy elsewhere.

Thank you for your input. It is appreciated.
Steve B
Steve, how much was the Headlight switch from China & did you pay import duty etc ?
Cheers
Ami
 
As there is a guy who refurbishes them to like new condition for £45 but long wait though.
 
I think the latest one that has the sensors built into the swivel rather than on the end of a cable was £19 approximately. No customs duty.
 
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Politics and everything else aside, what about just plain quality?

Why would anyone buy poor quality inferior items from China and lower the quality of your Audi, it just doesn't make sense to me?

I will only buy items that are oem quality, or better if at all possible.

The world has sold it's soul for money and profit, Dyson, Bosch even Hugo Boss is made in China now for goodness sake.

All we have done is make China rich enabling them to buy the best, driving Range Rovers, Bentleys and Rolls Royce's whilst we accept the derisory junk they send here and on the whole now pay a premium for.

The British (and Germans) have always been revered and admired for having the best engineers and manufacturing in the world and with technology the way it is now, everything could be made to perfection to almost last forever but instead of investing in ourselves, our economy and our offspring we choose to invest in China!

Mind boggling really and not something I for one will intentionally ever do regardless of how 'cheap' it may be because I know for sure that the quality will definitely be 'cheap' too!

That is not meant to be directed at anyone personally and to each their own I suppose👍
 
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I usually stay away from chinese stuff, but I bought a drivers window switch assembly to test it, because I did not want to spend 100+ EUR for genuine one. I also checked non OEM parts on Autodoc and the photos were almost identical to those on aliexpress, just the price was x3. So I said, whatever, let me test for a few EUR.
It is not exactly to OEM spec (the windows sign is slightly different and the click is not 100% there, but far from bad), but it still works after 1.5 years, so I will just leave it there.
I just bought also the fuel filler strap, I need to install it yet.
And I suspect that Bluemusic BT adapter is also made from chinese parts, though engineered and bough in Germany.

PS: I was astonished that Mahle oil filter for my Twingo RS was made in China. I did not expect that.
PS2: I would not buy anything regarding batteries or connected to the engine from aliexpress (for example filters, hoses, etc.). The same goes for brakes, tires, etc.
PS3: china can produce great stuff (they produce a lot for oem brands) but you also pay for that. The cheap stuff is worth the price ;).
 
But I didn’t buy them from the government in China, I bought them from a company that are just trying to sell items.
So I am happy to pay Chinese workers for doing what they do.

But I do take your point.
All Chinese companies are Government owned. Or have some 2nd tier Government financial backing. That includes all of them 'investing' in our UK companies.
 
Politics and everything else aside, what about just plain quality?

Why would anyone buy poor quality inferior items from China and lower the quality of your Audi, it just doesn't make sense to me?

I will only buy items that are oem quality, or better if at all possible.

The world has sold it's soul for money and profit, Dyson, Bosch even Hugo Boss is made in China now for goodness sake.

All we have done is make China rich enabling them to buy the best, driving Range Rovers, Bentleys and Rolls Royce's whilst we accept the derisory junk they send here and on the whole now pay a premium for.

The British (and Germans) have always been revered and admired for having the best engineers and manufacturing in the world and with technology the way it is now, everything could be made to perfection to almost last forever but instead of investing in ourselves, our economy and our offspring we choose to invest in China!

Mind boggling really and not something I for one will intentionally ever do regardless of how 'cheap' it may be because I know for sure that the quality will definitely be 'cheap' too!

That is not meant to be directed at anyone personally and to each their own I suppose👍
I can fully support that view, but I have never had a problem with any of the parts from China. But you can’t get an OEM auto headlight switch, for example and I have been using these switches for many years.

Yes OEM is likely to be better quality. But I don’t mind risking £19 for auto headlights (for example)

Each to their own I guess.

I must admit I expected a more even split between people who are surprised (pleasantly) at the price and quality of these items. But it looks like I was wrong.
Steve B
 
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