US man orders drill from AliExpress, gets a photo and a single screw instead
Sylvester Franklin, 68, placed the order in November, confident he had found a great deal on the Chinese online marketplace
- Feb 4, 2025,
- Updated Feb 4, 2025 5:19 PM IST
A US man based in Georgia thought he scored a bargain when he ordered a drill and pressure washer for $40 from AliExpress. What he got instead left him stunned—a folded-up photo of the drill and a single screw.
Sylvester Franklin, 68, placed the order in November, confident he had found a great deal on the Chinese online marketplace. But when the package arrived in December, reality hit hard. “I paid around $40—all I got was a picture of the drill and a screw. I was very upset. I contacted them for a refund straight away,” Franklin told local media.
Franklin’s efforts to secure a refund have been frustrating. Despite reaching out to the seller, he’s had no success. “This is not good. This is real bad. All this is bad, you know what I mean?” he said. Calling out online sellers, he added, “Don’t scam nobody. I don’t like to get scammed because if you spend your money, you want to get what you paid for.”
Social media reacts
Franklin’s ordeal quickly went viral, sparking a wave of reactions online. One user joked, “At least they sent a screw—maybe they expect him to build the drill himself!” Another quipped, “AliExpress be like: ‘What more do you want? We sent the full drill… in 2D.’”
Others shared similar experiences, with one person commenting, “This is why I never buy from these shady online marketplaces. Lesson learned!” Another added, “Happened to me once, but I got a picture of a handbag instead. These sellers need to be held accountable.”
AliExpress under fire
AliExpress, often called the “Amazon of China” and a subsidiary of Alibaba, has a history of complaints about unreliable sellers and poor customer service. The Better Business Bureau gives AliExpress a D-rating, citing over 1,131 unresolved consumer complaints—highlighting the risks shoppers face on the platform.
A US man based in Georgia thought he scored a bargain when he ordered a drill and pressure washer for $40 from AliExpress. What he got instead left him stunned—a folded-up photo of the drill and a single screw.
Sylvester Franklin, 68, placed the order in November, confident he had found a great deal on the Chinese online marketplace. But when the package arrived in December, reality hit hard. “I paid around $40—all I got was a picture of the drill and a screw. I was very upset. I contacted them for a refund straight away,” Franklin told local media.
Franklin’s efforts to secure a refund have been frustrating. Despite reaching out to the seller, he’s had no success. “This is not good. This is real bad. All this is bad, you know what I mean?” he said. Calling out online sellers, he added, “Don’t scam nobody. I don’t like to get scammed because if you spend your money, you want to get what you paid for.”
Social media reacts
Franklin’s ordeal quickly went viral, sparking a wave of reactions online. One user joked, “At least they sent a screw—maybe they expect him to build the drill himself!” Another quipped, “AliExpress be like: ‘What more do you want? We sent the full drill… in 2D.’”
Others shared similar experiences, with one person commenting, “This is why I never buy from these shady online marketplaces. Lesson learned!” Another added, “Happened to me once, but I got a picture of a handbag instead. These sellers need to be held accountable.”
AliExpress under fire
AliExpress, often called the “Amazon of China” and a subsidiary of Alibaba, has a history of complaints about unreliable sellers and poor customer service. The Better Business Bureau gives AliExpress a D-rating, citing over 1,131 unresolved consumer complaints—highlighting the risks shoppers face on the platform.