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How to get your money back from a Chinese supplier (2026), incl. Alibaba Trade Assurance

Last updated: · By Sarah Liu, Thornfield Resources

Short answer: act within days, because the refund routes have short deadlines: if you paid on Alibaba.com, open a refund claim under My orders within 30 days of delivery (60 days for Enterprise and Enterprise Pro buyers); otherwise ask your card issuer for a chargeback (generally within 120 days), or open a PayPal dispute (within 30 days of delivery for goods not as described). A bank transfer to China can only be recalled if the receiving bank and supplier agree, and the UK APP fraud refund scheme does not cover international payments. After that, the options are negotiation in Chinese, a China debt collector, or a claim in a Chinese court or arbitration, which only makes sense if the supplier is real and has assets.

What should I do in the first 48 hours?

Stop further payments, preserve evidence and contact whoever processed the payment, in that order.

  1. Stop paying: do not pay a balance, "customs fee" or "release fee" until the problem is resolved. Be wary of any request to pay a new account.
  2. Preserve evidence: save the contract or order, invoices, proof of payment, product photos, inspection reports and every message. Export WeChat and platform chats now; platforms are not obliged to keep them for you.
  3. Check the supplier: confirm the company exists and is still trading on gsxt.gov.cn, and check China's court enforcement list. This tells you whether chasing is worth it.
  4. Contact your payment provider: card issuer, PayPal, Alibaba.com or your bank, depending on how you paid (see the table below).
  5. Report fraud: if you were deceived, for example by a fake company or changed bank details, report it. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025 (reportfraud.police.uk, 0300 123 2040). In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

Can my bank, card provider or PayPal get my money back?

It depends on how you paid, and the deadlines are short.

How you paidRouteDeadlineLimits
Debit or credit cardAsk your card issuer for a chargebackGenerally 120 days from the transaction, or from the expected delivery date, up to 540 daysCard scheme rules, not a legal right; try the seller first
PayPalOpen a dispute in the Resolution Centre, escalate to a claimItem not received: 180 days from payment. Significantly not as described: 30 days from delivery, and within 180 days of paymentDisputes close after 20 days unless escalated. PayPal lists industrial machinery, items intended for resale and "not as described" claims for custom-made items as ineligible
Bank transfer (SWIFT) to ChinaAsk your bank to send a recall requestAs soon as possibleNot guaranteed; needs the receiving bank's cooperation and the account holder's consent. Often takes weeks
UK bank transfer to a UK accountAPP fraud reimbursement claim with your bankWithin 13 months of the last paymentOnly for individuals, microenterprises and charities, up to £85,000, for scams. Excludes international payments and genuine supplier disputes
Alibaba.com checkoutTrade Assurance refund claim30 or 60 days from deliverySee the next section

How do I make an Alibaba Trade Assurance claim?

Open a refund request in My orders, under Order details, within 30 days of delivery, or 60 days if you are an Enterprise or Enterprise Pro buyer. Trade Assurance only applies when you order and pay through Alibaba.com.

  • What it covers: orders not shipped, missing, or arriving with product issues such as defective, incorrect or damaged goods, judged against the terms in the online order.
  • Paying correctly: online checkout (cards, PayPal and other listed methods) or a bank transfer to the official bank details Alibaba.com gives you. Alibaba.com's guide says never pay outside the platform. A transfer to the supplier's own account is not protected.
  • Quick cancellation: cancel within two hours of payment, before shipment, for a full immediate refund.
  • Easy Return: for eligible orders under USD 3,000 in listed countries including the UK, return goods to a local warehouse within 30 days of delivery.
  1. Apply: open the refund request with photos, videos, inspection reports and the agreed specifications.
  2. Negotiate: the supplier responds and you try to agree a refund, replacement or discount.
  3. Escalate: if the supplier does not respond or you cannot agree, ask Alibaba.com to step in. It decides on the evidence, mainly the online order and messages on the platform.
  4. Refund: paid once the case is processed.

The weak points are vague specifications, terms agreed only on WeChat or email, and missing the delivery-date deadline. Write quality standards, tolerances and the ship date into the Alibaba order itself.

Does negotiating in Chinese actually work?

It is the cheapest route and often the most effective, especially when the supplier is a real factory that wants to keep trading. A clear, firm letter in Chinese setting out what was ordered, what went wrong, what you want and by when, is taken more seriously than English emails. A letter from a Chinese law firm adds weight. Settlements often take the form of a partial refund, replacement goods or a credit on the next order. Get any agreement in writing and signed or stamped by the company.

Should I use a China debt collection agency?

For a real, solvent company, a collector can add pressure without the cost of a lawsuit. Most work on a success fee taken from what they recover. One international platform advertises success fees from 7.5% for debtors outside Europe, with surcharges for debts over a year old and only basic steps for claims under USD 5,000. Harris Sliwoski warns that few agencies will take small claims against Chinese manufacturers. Ask exactly what the agency will do, who does it in China, and what you pay if nothing is recovered.

Can I sue a Chinese supplier, and will a UK judgment be enforced in China?

You can sue in China or start arbitration, and a UK judgment can now sometimes be enforced in China, but it is slow and uncertain.

RouteKey facts
Chinese courtCourt fees are set nationally: RMB 50 up to RMB 10,000, then 2.5% up to RMB 100,000, falling in steps. You can ask the court to freeze the supplier's assets before or during the case. Time limit for international sale of goods claims: four years (Civil Code Article 594).
Arbitration (for example CIETAC or HKIAC)Needs an arbitration clause or later agreement. China has applied the New York Convention since 1987, so foreign arbitral awards are generally enforceable there. China's revised Arbitration Law took effect on 1 March 2026.
UK judgment, then enforcement in ChinaChina recognises foreign judgments only under a treaty or on reciprocity. In March 2022 the Shanghai Maritime Court recognised an English commercial judgment for what is believed to be the first time, applying January 2022 Supreme People's Court guidance. Since 1 January 2024, the amended Civil Procedure Law sets out the grounds for refusal, such as lack of jurisdiction, improper notice or fraud. You generally have two years to apply.

China has not joined the Hague 2019 Judgments Convention, which came into force for the UK on 1 July 2025, so it does not help with China. A Chinese lawyer is needed for any of these routes.

When is it not worth pursuing?

When the cost and time exceed what you can realistically recover. Harris Sliwoski says that in claims of about USD 3,000 to 100,000, "at least half the time" there is no real company behind the seller. Walk away, or limit yourself to a platform claim and a fraud report, if:

  • the company is not registered, has been deregistered, or is on the enforcement defaulter list with no assets;
  • the deal rests only on a purchase order or chat messages, with no agreed specifications;
  • legal and translation costs would approach the amount lost;
  • you paid a personal account or a company other than the one you contracted with.

How can Thornfield help?

Thornfield Resources is a London company (Companies House 17162127) working in English and Mandarin for UK and European businesses buying from China. We help prepare Alibaba Trade Assurance claims, and offer a dispute assessment from £450 that checks the supplier's records and tells you whether recovery is realistic, followed by negotiation in Mandarin for a fixed fee or a 10 to 15% success fee. We are paid only by clients. Thornfield is not a law firm; court and arbitration work goes to licensed lawyers. See dispute help, supplier checks or contact us.

Common questions

Is Alibaba Trade Assurance a guarantee I will get my money back?

No. It is a set of protections for orders placed and paid on Alibaba.com, and the outcome depends on the online order terms and your evidence. Payments made outside the platform are not covered.

Can I still claim if I missed the 30-day Trade Assurance deadline?

Not through the platform's refund process, which runs from the delivery date. You may still have a contract claim against the supplier directly.

Will my bank refund a transfer I sent to a Chinese supplier?

Usually not automatically. The UK APP fraud reimbursement rules exclude international payments, so your bank can only send a recall request, which depends on the Chinese bank and the recipient agreeing.

Should I report a Chinese supplier to the police?

If you were deceived, yes: report to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud, or Police Scotland. A quality or delivery dispute with a genuine supplier is usually a civil matter, not fraud.

Can I take a Chinese supplier to the small claims court in the UK?

You can issue a claim, but the supplier will almost certainly have no assets in the UK, and the judgment would then need recognising by a Chinese court before it could be enforced in China.

Sources