Sometimes it can happen that when you enter a tracking number it tells you that it “does not exist” or “is wrong”, why does this happen?
The first thing you should know is that AliExpress is a serious and reliable website, and it is quite rare that a seller gives you a false tracking number with bad intentions. Usually there is an explanation, so we'll tell you the most common causes of this.
Most likely causes of Alixpress tracking not working
Ordinary or cheap shipping
If the order placed is cheap, it is most likely that the shipment is made in an ordinary way, in which case the tracking only informs us of the movements of the package while it is in China. You will be able to distinguish this type of order because the tracking usually starts with R and ends with CN.
Tracking is in Chinese format
If the order is tracking shipping but still it has the Chinese format described in the previous section (starts with R and ends with CN), this tracking number will change once it arrives in your country because each company has its own tracking numbers.
Error when entering it
Make sure you have entered the tracking number correctly. It is possible that when you copied it you also copied some characters that do not belong to the tracking, such as a space at the beginning or at the end.
There is a delay
Sometimes it may take a few days to display the correct tracking number due to the carrier. We advise you to be patient, because some tracking numbers can take up to 15 days to display information.
On Chinese holidays such as Chinese New Year, which brings the country to a complete standstill, this delay can be even longer.
It is a provisional number
Some sellers do not have stock of the product and will give you a false provisional number to gain days until the stock is replenished.
The only way to find out if this is your case is to ask the seller. If he admits to you that they're doing this, I recommend that you ask them for a deadline when they will have stock and will send you the order so that you can see if it is worth the wait or if you should cancel the order and order the product from another seller.
If that date arrives and the tracking is still false, you have to start assuming that you have been dealt with a bungler seller and that maybe it might be a good idea to cancel the order.
You can read our article about canceling orders on AliExpress.
The seller hasn't shipped the product yet
This is a similar case to the previous one. The best thing to do is to talk to the seller.
The number is false and/or copied from another buyer
The least frequent case, although not impossible, is that the seller has actually given you a false tracking number. This only happens with new sellers who try to trick the buyer, and usually what they do is give you another buyer's number to mislead you.
The most common way to notice this is to see that your order has been delivered in a city that is not yours.
If this happens to you, it is very important to take a screenshot of the tracking in another city to attach to your dispute. Without this proof you risk that AliExpress will not agree with you.
What do I do if I don't trust them or they don't respond to me?
The first thing to do is to stay calm: buyer protection is designed for these cases and, as long as it is in force, you have nothing to fear.
If the seller does not respond or their response does not convince you, you can open a dispute or contact AliExpress customer service via chat.
In the dispute you must provide all the evidence you have to verify if, indeed, something is wrong. If it is proven that this number is false, your money will be refunded within 3 to 15 days. If after this time the refund appears on the AliExpress website or app but you have not received anything in the bank, contact the bank because sometimes they can withhold the money.
In short, the key is to be patient: it is absolutely normal for the tracking to have some delay, and 99.9% of the time the package will arrive home without any problem.
Go to My Orders on AliExpress.