AliExpress shipment cancelled; solved in 4 easy steps

You’re not exactly waiting for it. Yet it can happen that you suddenly find out: your AliExpress shipment cancelled. Bummer! Do you want to know what to do when your package is cancelled? I’ll tell you in four easy steps.

Get your money back or receive the package; 4 easy steps

Your long-awaited parcel wasn’t sent, but cancelled? That is unfortunate. That happens on AliExpress sometimes. But don’t worry. With my step-by-step plan you’ll at least soon have your money back, or a new shipment on the way. Then you can quickly order something new that does arrive in your mailbox.

Wondering what your rights are?

Step 1: What does ‘shipment cancelled’ on AliExpress mean?

Let’s first look at the meaning of the words ‘shipment cancelled’ on Ali. Because that too can have different reasons. Depending on the timing of the cancellation, you can already draw your own conclusions about the reason. Below is one common, and a somewhat less common situation:

Situation 1
The order is normally created, after which an order with an order number is created. As soon as this code is not scanned within 7-14 days at the AliExpress Shipment Center, they think the shipment will not be shipped. The result? Your shipment will automatically be cancelled by AliExpress, not the seller. Often you will see the following process in your tracking details:

1. Logistics order has been created. (You will receive an order number)
2. Product is waiting for pick-up or handover. (The AliExpress Shipment Center is waiting for the package)
3. Shipment cancelled. (AliExpress receives nothing at the Shipment Center, so it cancels the order)

Situation 2
The situation above occurs in the vast majority of cases with a cancelled package on AliExpress. But there are also exceptions. Sometimes a cancellation can take place after your parcel seems to have already been sent.

When this happens, something has probably gone wrong with your order. In rare cases, the seller may have found out that the package was sent to the wrong address. You can wait for a message from the seller, but you can also send a message yourself. If this is the case, follow the steps below.

Why does a seller on AliExpress cancel my order?
If your shipment has been cancelled on Ali, there can be several reasons. Although it often doesn’t matter for the result, you can assume the following possibilities:

1. The purchased item is no longer available.
2. You have purchased a product that is illegal to ship to your country (liquids or large batteries).
3. The seller has sent your package too late, so AliExpress cancels the package.

Step 2: Contact the seller

Okay. So your AliExpress order has been cancelled and you might not receive the product anymore. I deliberately say maybe. Because as you have seen in Step 1, there are several reasons why your package may have been cancelled. Who knows, maybe your package was prepared, but the seller was just too late sending it. For example because of the madness caused by Black Friday or an 11.11 sale.

In step two it is important to find out what the seller gives as a reason for the cancellation. So it is best to immediately send a message to the seller, to ask for more information. You can do this in English. Need help? You can customize the message below to your situation.

“Dear seller,
I just received a message from AliExpress that my shipment with order number *Fill in order number* has been cancelled.

Because I am looking forward to the arrival of my parcel, I would like to know what the reason of the cancellation was. Are you able to send me the shipment again, or is it cancelled permanently?

In case of a refund, how would it work? Please let me know what I should do, in order to still receive the product that I have ordered,

Kind regards,”

On the basis of the reaction – which sometimes takes up to a week – you often get two options:

Option 1: Your cancelled parcel will still be sent

The seller apologizes for not having the product in stock, or for being late in shipping. You will suddenly receive a new order number and the product will still be shipped.
PLEASE NOTE: even now it may happen that the product is not really shipped. So keep a close eye on the tracking information. Also the second time. Untrustworthy sellers can take their time to avoid a dispute or a bad review.

Option 2: You have to open a dispute on AliExpress

Some sellers will not resend your package. There is no stock, or they are not allowed to send the parcel to the Netherlands, for example. If your order is cancelled by AliExpress, and the seller tells you to open a dispute, you will get your money back. This is generally not done through the seller, because AliExpress always remains the intermediary in this area.

You can also open a dispute if you still haven’t had a response from the seller to your questions about the reason for the cancellation within one week.

Stap 3: Open a dispute on AliExpress

You often don’t get your money back automatically. In many cases of a cancelled order on AliExpress, you will have to chase your money yourself. Luckily the service of AliExpress is pretty good. Therefore you will often get your money back when you open a dispute.

Below I will show you how to open a dispute on AliExpress.

Step 3.1: look up the order in your account
Below is on the ‘My Orders’ page in your account. In the middle of the screen you can open a dispute. The screen below can be found here.

Step 3.2: Choosing between refund and return products
Then you see two buttons. When you cancel an order on AliExpress, you choose the Refund Only button.

Step 3.3: Fill in your order details
You are now going to contact AliExpress and not the seller. So you have to describe exactly why you want your money back, and which order it is. I already filled in the field with a sample message that you could send.

As you can see I filled in ‘reason for refund request’ that it is a logistic problem. That’s because there is no available box about canceling the order. I think this is the most appropriate reason, but it does show that you need to be very clear in your message, and that it is a cancelled package on AliExpress instead of a logistical problem. The customer service people are not always very good in English, so please be extra clear, rather than being too brief in your communication.

Stap 4: await the process

Is je AliExpress zending geannuleerd door de verkoper, heb jij een dispute geopend en ben je in afwachting van een reactie? Dan kun je weinig meer doen dan afwachten. Soms krijg je het geld al binnen enkele dagen terug, soms duurt het iets langer. Dat laatste kan gebeuren wanneer de verkoper het eigenlijk niet eens is met de annulering en dus de dispute.

However, is your AliExpress order cancelled by the seller, you don’t have to worry so much, even if the seller disagrees with your dispute. Few cases are known where a customer did not get money back from AliExpress.

Has your AliExpress shipment been cancelled, and do you need something new now?