[loves2plan]

I buy from AliExpress for my business all the time and use my Halifax Clarity card for the best exchange rate. Basically, Ali Express hold the payment from the supplier until you confirm you've received the goods and are happy with them. The supplier only gets their money once you do that, so it's in their interest to send your order. If there's an issue with the order that the supplier won't resolve to your satisfaction, then you can tell Ali Express and get a full refund. I've only had to do that once when I was sent something in the completely wrong colour and the supplier wouldn't fix it. Other than that I haven't had any issues.