nickysneids Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 I'm currently looking to buy an MCM5! Super stoked about, been researching my balls off any although I'm a little apprehensive about the 14" wheel size, everything else seems on par with that I want and I figure if I end up needed to make some long treks in the future I'll just deal with the smaller size. But just found the Tesla on AliExpress with 16" and only $1,122 (sigh), I'm conflicted again... Anyway, as far as I can tell, eWheels offers a 1 year warranty that's pretty contingent on part availability and voided after any user attempts to repair or dissemble the wheel. Which is fair, but it's a $200 price difference and it doesn't cover accident protection. With AliExpress, there's no warranty or repair included but the price difference for the MCM5 is ~$200USD and for the Tesla it's ~$300USD. Does anyone know if it's worth saving the $100-$300 by purchasing through AliExpress and then either DIY repairing or finding a different repair service in the future? Or alternatively, are there any 1-2 year protection plans like this plan at SquareTrade that would be worth looking into? I'm trying to minimize risk relative to cost and as this will be my first big EUC purchase, any help is appreciated! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriull Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 1 hour ago, nickysneids said: Does anyone know if it's worth saving the $100-$300 by purchasing through AliExpress and then either DIY repairing You already inluded all taxes/tolls? If anything is "wrong" you'll have to do DIY repairing - in such cases the only thing is that the reseller sends you spare parts. Shipping costs for retourning the wheel would have to be paid by you. 1 hour ago, nickysneids said: or finding a different repair service in the future? Never heardof such a thing. Imho not enough EUCs around for a repair shop. Maybe in China - comined with bike/e-scooter/etc? 1 hour ago, nickysneids said: I'm trying to minimize risk relative to cost and as this will be my first big EUC purchase, any help is appreciated! If everything works out you can minimize costs with aliexpress (be sure with taxes/toll!), if not you can minimize risk with ewheels ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meepmeepmayer Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 There's no real reason to use one or the other. Do what you feel is right. Some people want more security and potential service, others have a "I can deal with a problem myself" attitude and enjoy the lower price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickysneids Posted May 4, 2019 Author Share Posted May 4, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Chriull said: You already inluded all taxes/tolls? If anything is "wrong" you'll have to do DIY repairing - in such cases the only thing is that the reseller sends you spare parts. Shipping costs for retourning the wheel would have to be paid by you. Never heardof such a thing. Imho not enough EUCs around for a repair shop. Maybe in China - comined with bike/e-scooter/etc? If everything works out you can minimize costs with aliexpress (be sure with taxes/toll!), if not you can minimize risk with ewheels ... Didn't include taxes and tolls, didn't know there were any! I doubted there was a EUC repair shop. I'll definitely see what taxes and tolls come out to be. I'm in the US so it seemed like shipping wasn't going to cost anything. 56 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said: There's no real reason to use one or the other. Do what you feel is right. Some people want more security and potential service, others have a "I can deal with a problem myself" attitude and enjoy the lower price. Alright thanks, that simplifies it a bunch! I think I was asking just to make sure that as a whole, no one was like "don't do aliexpress for this reason" sort of thing because I got the vibe that eWheels was much more secure. Edited May 4, 2019 by nickysneids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meepmeepmayer Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 For your candidates, the price savings might be worth it. A 2000+ wheel I'd probably buy on ewheels. But you're not making a mistake if you buy from ewheels (and shipping is a lot faster), it really depends on the prices, and it is nice to have the added certainty as a first time buyer. Usually, Ali prices should be the end prices, that's how it is here in the EU with more fees and taxes. Just a guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Smoother Posted May 4, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 4, 2019 4 hours ago, nickysneids said: I'm currently looking to buy an MCM5! Super stoked about, been researching my balls off any although I'm a little apprehensive about the 14" wheel size, everything else seems on par with that I want and I figure if I end up needed to make some long treks in the future I'll just deal with the smaller size. But just found the Tesla on AliExpress with 16" and only $1,122 (sigh), I'm conflicted again... Anyway, as far as I can tell, eWheels offers a 1 year warranty that's pretty contingent on part availability and voided after any user attempts to repair or dissemble the wheel. Which is fair, but it's a $200 price difference and it doesn't cover accident protection. With AliExpress, there's no warranty or repair included but the price difference for the MCM5 is ~$200USD and for the Tesla it's ~$300USD. Does anyone know if it's worth saving the $100-$300 by purchasing through AliExpress and then either DIY repairing or finding a different repair service in the future? Or alternatively, are there any 1-2 year protection plans like this plan at SquareTrade that would be worth looking into? I'm trying to minimize risk relative to cost and as this will be my first big EUC purchase, any help is appreciated! The day your Aliexpress wheel craps out and they ask you to ship it to them for inspection, you'll wish you had bought from Jason. When your two year old wheel still doesn't have any problems you'll wonder why you bought from Jason. It's a craps shoots. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty an import wheel would be worth a punt, but if not the safe route would be best. Think of the extra $200 as insurance. and peace of mind. I own two wheels and both have needed work in the first year. My cracked axle elicited the usual "return it to us for inspection " from my dealer in Germany. I elected not to because of the expense and the doubt that a satisfactory outcome would result (based on research). That wheel is still broken (over a year later). My second wheel needed some soldering on the control board, my dealer in Poland (someone who knows my mechanical ability, through previous engagements) asked me to return the board only; which I was able to do, at relatively low cost. But international shipping over Christmas meant I was walking for over a month. That wheel is working fine again. So in my example I have had 100% need of dealer assistance within first year or so. Others have not. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal2000 Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 My advice would be to always buy local from a respected dealer. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriull Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 2 hours ago, nickysneids said: Didn't include taxes and tolls, didn't know there were any! I I don't know either - i am not from the US. But you are in some kind of a a toll war with china by now? So my advice to double check this! The inbetween mentioned shipping fees should be clearly shown by aliexpress? One more thing i remembered in favor of ewheels was @Jason McNeil's mentioning (ewheels owner/"chief") mentioning of their specially employed ?shipping agents? doing extra quality controll in china for them. So one has a much better chance to get a good wheel at first try, because the are "presorted". Beside this he is a ?big? reseller getting the better quality stuff - and any outlier he probably gets by bad chance is rejected by internal/"chinese shipping agents" quality control or if it slips through quickly replaced. But as said, i am neither from the US nor did i ever have any relationship/personal experience with ewheels - all i know is "just" from their engagment here and customer reports. Maybe @Jason McNeil wants to chime in about the advantages he can offer for the increased price compared to aliexpress (if all taxes/tolls/shipping was included in your numbers) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rehab1 Posted May 4, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Smoother said: The day your Aliexpress wheel craps out and they ask you to ship it to them for inspection, you'll wish you had bought from Jason 6 minutes ago, Chriull said: But as said, i am neither from the US nor did i ever have any relationship/personal experience with ewheels - all i know is "just" from their engagment here and customer reports. After working with Jason and his company for almost 3 years I can express my strong satisfaction when it comes to his excellence in customer service! A true gentleman as well! 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 22 minutes ago, Chriull said: Maybe @Jason McNeil wants to chime in about the advantages he can offer for the increased price compared to aliexpress (if all taxes/tolls/shipping was included in your numbers) I don't think Jason would find it appropriate to blow his own trumpet in this thread. Besides, he doesn't have to. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planemo Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 For that sort of difference in dollar I wouldnt even consider buying from Ali/Gearbest. When I bought my V5F, the UK dealer price was 77.5% more expensive. Which made buying direct from China a consideration. And I was still apprehensive. Thankfully the wheel hasnt missed a beat to date. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post houseofjob Posted May 4, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 4, 2019 I second @Planemo, a mere 100-200 difference in price, I'd rather buy from eWheels, not worth the headache you have to go through getting support/parts, as I've been in that boat plenty in the past. AFAIK, there is still no tax/shipping fees for the US customer when buying wheels from anywhere. Also, FYI AliExpress is a seller's market like an eBay or Amazon, not a singular store entity you buy from. There are many many sellers, thus all varieties of poor to excellent customer service. And just like an eBay and Amazon, there are built-in buyer protections. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litewave Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 7 hours ago, nickysneids said: I'm currently looking to buy an MCM5! Super stoked about, been researching my balls off any although I'm a little apprehensive about the 14" wheel size, everything else seems on par with that I want and I figure if I end up needed to make some long treks in the future I'll just deal with the smaller size. But just found the Tesla on AliExpress with 16" and only $1,122 (sigh), I'm conflicted again... Anyway, as far as I can tell, eWheels offers a 1 year warranty that's pretty contingent on part availability and voided after any user attempts to repair or dissemble the wheel. Which is fair, but it's a $200 price difference and it doesn't cover accident protection. With AliExpress, there's no warranty or repair included but the price difference for the MCM5 is ~$200USD and for the Tesla it's ~$300USD. Does anyone know if it's worth saving the $100-$300 by purchasing through AliExpress and then either DIY repairing or finding a different repair service in the future? Or alternatively, are there any 1-2 year protection plans like this plan at SquareTrade that would be worth looking into? I'm trying to minimize risk relative to cost and as this will be my first big EUC purchase, any help is appreciated! One (big) reason to choose eWheels: free telephone tech support. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Sacristan Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 Two years ago I bought two electric longboards from a Swedish reseller. I had to return the for repairs twice. He was obligated to handle the repairs, etc. Last year I bought two electric longboards from China. They are faster and have almost twice the range. I haven't had any problem with them at all. I wouldn't have been able to buy them in Sweden. Last year I bought an NB1 from a Swedish retailer. Got a good deal and have had zero problems. I also bought a Onewheel+ XR from a Swedish shop. Zero problems. Then I bought my MSX from Ali for $1500. The price from a european shop would be $2100 so there was quite a big price difference. I chose Ali and the wheels has been working perfectly (I have 1800km on it). It could have gone the other way though. If I would have a local retailer with a good reputation like eWheels I am pretty sure that is the route I would take unless the prices difference was so huge that I could buy 3 of one wheel for the price of 2. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelr Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 1 hour ago, houseofjob said: I second @Planemo, a mere 100-200 difference in price, I'd rather buy from eWheels, not worth the headache you have to go through getting support/parts, as I've been in that boat plenty in the past. AFAIK, there is still no tax/shipping fees for the US customer when buying wheels from anywhere. Also, FYI AliExpress is a seller's market like an eBay or Amazon, not a singular store entity you buy from. There are many many sellers, thus all varieties of poor to excellent customer service. And just like an eBay and Amazon, there are built-in buyer protections. 100-200 usd over a number of purchases adds up to a brand new wheel Some Ali sellers like the Green Fashion Shop and the Rockwheel shop do have a good reputation. But I do see your point, with ewheels you are paying upfront for the convenience of having "local" support. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickysneids Posted May 5, 2019 Author Share Posted May 5, 2019 20 hours ago, Smoother said: The day your Aliexpress wheel craps out and they ask you to ship it to them for inspection, you'll wish you had bought from Jason. When your two year old wheel still doesn't have any problems you'll wonder why you bought from Jason. It's a craps shoots. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty an import wheel would be worth a punt, but if not the safe route would be best. Think of the extra $200 as insurance. and peace of mind. I own two wheels and both have needed work in the first year. My cracked axle elicited the usual "return it to us for inspection " from my dealer in Germany. I elected not to because of the expense and the doubt that a satisfactory outcome would result (based on research). That wheel is still broken (over a year later). My second wheel needed some soldering on the control board, my dealer in Poland (someone who knows my mechanical ability, through previous engagements) asked me to return the board only; which I was able to do, at relatively low cost. But international shipping over Christmas meant I was walking for over a month. That wheel is working fine again. So in my example I have had 100% need of dealer assistance within first year or so. Others have not. I see what you're saying. Thanks for the response, seems like in almost all case scenarios the excellent customer service provided by eWheels makes any future issues much easier to deal with! 18 hours ago, Rehab1 said: After working with Jason and his company for almost 3 years I can express my strong satisfaction when it comes to his excellence in customer service! A true gentleman as well! This is good feedback! Thanks, I'll be going with eWheels if I end up with MCM5. The Tesla price difference is like ~300 so might be worth it to go with AliExpress at that point. 18 hours ago, houseofjob said: I second @Planemo, a mere 100-200 difference in price, I'd rather buy from eWheels, not worth the headache you have to go through getting support/parts, as I've been in that boat plenty in the past. Yeah this seems like the move, thanks for weighing in! 17 hours ago, litewave said: One (big) reason to choose eWheels: free telephone tech support. Yeah damn this could help with literally anything... great point thanks for the reply! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 9 minutes ago, nickysneids said: This is good feedback! Thanks, I'll be going with eWheels if I end up with MCM5. The Tesla price difference is like ~300 so might be worth it to go with AliExpress at that point. Think Customer Service. You’ll sleep better. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarpMudd Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 (edited) Jason was awesome last summer when I was trying to make a decision to buy my first wheel. Talked to him on a phone and exchanged a few emails. He usually bundles a freebie such as wrist guards with his wheels and also works to cut you a deal on a fast charger. My experience was excellent. I'm now getting ready to buy my next one and will surely pick eWheels. I wouldn't want to go through the hassle of a repair that I have to send to China and wait to get it back or end up spending money anyway to repair. Id rather pay a little extra for the awesome service, 1 year warranty and peace of mind. Edited May 5, 2019 by HarpMudd 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post trya Posted May 5, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 5, 2019 I bought wheels from both AliExpress and @Jason McNeil - and even though I didn't have problems with any wheel, I will buy my future wheels from eWheels unless the price difference will be higher that 10-20%. One of the reasons not mentioned above is to support our local vendor, even though all the other reasons (reliability, support, warranty and piece of mind) might look more important. 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanghamP Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 The prices are within equilibrium, whereby you can go either way. If they weren't, the choice would be so obvious you wouldn't need to ponder. Therefore there's no really bad (or really good) choice. My feeling is @Jason McNeil could simply offer three prices, one with nothing, one with warranty, and one with shipping and warranty, as a check out option(s) but I think that's violating consumer law. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 3 hours ago, LanghamP said: My feeling is @Jason McNeil could simply offer three prices, one with nothing, one with warranty, and one with shipping and warranty, as a check out option(s) but I think that's violating consumer law. No warranty? I don’t think Jason would consider changing his corporate name to Ali-EWheels. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jason McNeil Posted May 5, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 5, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, trya said: I bought wheels from both AliExpress and @Jason McNeil - and even though I didn't have problems with any wheel, I will buy my future wheels from eWheels unless the price difference will be higher that 10-20%. One of the reasons not mentioned above is to support our local vendor, even though all the other reasons (reliability, support, warranty and piece of mind) might look more important. There's various advantages & disadvantages to selling/buying either domestically & from abroad. On the one hand, the Ali-Sellers cost of shipping by UPS runs to $250-$300, because of the batteries, they have to be sent as Dangerous Goods. We have the advantage here, in that containerized freight is about a tenth of this cost. Where we're at a disadvantage is the 25% tariff, whereas Customs may not be scrutinizing single packages entering the country from AliExpress... Running a parts/service center isn't trivial, with two [currently] full-time employees, site, storage, etc runs into the low five-digits/month— there's still a lot to do to increase efficiency & capability of the facility. For stocking spare parts, our inventory is about $200k; from an Accounting standpoint, this is mostly unproductive capital, since turnover for parts is much slower, & these type of purchases are typically not very lucrative. Obviously there's recognition that we have to be in the same ball-park as the AliExpress sellers. With King Song there's confidence that we're getting fair pricing vis-a-vis domestic CN sellers, but with Gotway I'm not so sure. Edited May 5, 2019 by Jason McNeil 5 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Wow Jason, you have to sell a lot of stuff each month just to break even. How do you sleep at night? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrd777 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 I have bought from both, and there is no doubt going with ewheels is the better deal and comes with superior service. I have only bought wheels from Ali if Jason is out of stock, or not supporting a certain model. You can’t go wrong purchasing from Jason. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingOsmos Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 I have some experience with Aliexpress. I am from Czech Republic, located in the center of Europe. At the end of last year, I ordered an Inmotion V8 from the Inmotionstore on Aliexpress. Thankfully I only had to change the pedals as they broke under my father who is of a heavier weight. I did not feel like waiting for a long repair anyway so I just ordered the pedals myself from a store in Belgium, had the pedals in 3 days, changed them myself and no other issues. As far as the buying experience goes... you can tell they are Chinese as their English is a little worse, but I have to say that they are very attentive and respond super quickly and every time. I also did not pay anything extra fees, it was all included in the price. The only negative was, that it took almost a month to get here, other than that, everything was great. I got the wheel on Ali for 750USD and my local reseller sells it for ridiculous 1 260USD.... so the choice was clear and so far the risk paid off. My Inmotion V8 has over 1300km and it rides just like new. About a month ago I ordered the Gotway MSX 1600wh from Aliexpress for 1 700USD, its been exactly 35 days since the order and I am still waiting. Bought it from an EUC reputable store "Green and fashion travaling store." I am also pretty confident that everything will turn out ok. Although, I am suspecting that I may be paying some fees this time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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