Last September 8th, the Gearbest website was no longer available. Upon entering, a message appeared saying «Invalid URL The requested URL«[no URL]», Is invalid.». Everything seemed to point to the fact that the web had disappeared, which made sense considering the clues that the company was leaving.
For example, in social networks the company had without posting anything since July 7, when they posted the last message on Facebook. To this is added that, in June, the matrix of Gearbest, Global Top E-Commerce Co., Ltd (previously known as Shenzhen Globalegrow Electronic Commerce Co. Ltd), filed for bankruptcy. Many employees had already been laid off, and everything pointed to the end.
The web works, but there are many suspicions
However, the website has been operational again since Wednesday 29 September, but that does not mean by any means that the page will go back to how everything was before. If we look at it, there is no introduction of new products, and everything seems to indicate that the return of the web is, above all, to be able to check the status of active orders and try to request returns if they have not been received.
In addition, during the last months in which the web operated, the Internet was filled with complaints about high prices, orders that were not sent, or directly lack of stock in a multitude of products. The new one VAT law it had been the last straw on a website that had already plummeted for more than a year. The losses over the past three years have been enormous.
The domain appears to be correct, and there has been no theft or spoofing. The accounts work fine, and it is possible to consult the Orders history. However, the prices that appear are crazy, where the Mi Band 6 costs for example 45 euros, plus 5 euros of shipping costs; much more than it costs in Spain.
Do not buy on Gearbest
Therefore, it seems that the web is trying to make the unsuspecting fall for cheap products, but instead they are finding higher prices than on the rest of the Internet. Also, Gearbest has not updated its VAT collection policy in accordance with the regulations of the European Union, and on the web it says that “Gearbest is not responsible for any tax that is charged on received orders.”
In short, we recommend that you do not buy anything on Gearbest until at least several months have passed. It is necessary that, after that time, the web remains operational, the opinions of those who dare to ask begin to populate the network, and above all that the activity in social networks returns. Meanwhile, it is better to use alternatives to the online Chinese store such as Banggood, AliExpress, Tomtop, Geekbuying, Dealextreme or DHGate.