Has anyone had success getting a refund from Alibaba?

I’ve been working with a new manufacturer for a new line in our business, and it involves different packaging. I’ve had good experiences with Alibaba in the past, but this time has been frustrating. The manufacturer refused to send a physical sample, saying they would send a video of the final product instead. They said it was too costly to create a sample with our specific design.

We provided a detailed tech pack with accurate color codes, but when they sent the video, the colors were wrong. The brown shade we requested is clearly off—it’s almost black. The seller is refusing to make changes, saying the color difference isn’t significant and that it’s too late to fix it. I’ve paid a 30% deposit but haven’t paid the full amount. The color code is even listed on the trade assurance documentation, so I’m wondering if I can get a refund through Alibaba.

The seller is being uncooperative and rude, and at this point, I’d rather move on than continue working with them. I used a credit card for the deposit, so I’m considering a chargeback if Alibaba doesn’t resolve the issue. Has anyone successfully gotten a refund in a similar situation?

Here are some of Alibaba’s refund policies:

https://tradeassurance.alibaba.com/ta/MoneyBackPolicy.htm

https://reads.alibaba.com/how-trade-assurance-protects-your-purchases-on-alibaba-com/

https://activity.alibaba.com/helpcenter/Trade_Assurance_Guide.html

https://tradeassurance.alibaba.com/

That sounds like a nightmare. Definitely file a dispute with Alibaba and your credit card company right away. Make sure you document everything. Best of luck getting your money back from this manufacturer.

@Cedar
Thanks, I’ve kept everything well organized, so I have plenty of evidence. Alibaba says we need to negotiate first before they can step in, but the supplier is refusing to refund or fix the issue. It’s frustrating because our other manufacturer got the color right for different packaging. I don’t understand how this one can’t even get the color close—it’s literally black instead of brown.

Alibaba can be tough to deal with when it comes to refunds. I’ve had my own struggles with them and ended up moving away from the platform. If you need a new manufacturer that can handle quick sampling, feel free to DM me.