In the comments to the review Xiaomi Redmi 5A there were a number of questions that did not concern the device itself, but the peculiarities of buying it from Tmall. Let's try to consider what the nuances of this purchase are.
What is Tmall?
If suddenly you missed everything, then Tmall is a dedicated part of AliExpress, where they sell only those goods that are certified in the Russian Federation and have an official guarantee. Delivery also takes place only within the territory of Russia. No customs and border crossing.
Why exactly Redmi 5A
There was an option to pay a little extra and buy Swift 2 in the official Wileyfox store. But, firstly, it was just interesting to try the purchase in Tmall. And secondly, the smartphone was purchased in order to give it to a company employee as a worker. And, in my opinion, separate slots (2SIM + memory card) and a slightly more capacious battery in this case are more important than the presence of NFC.
Checkout
There is still no dedicated section for Tmall in the AliExpress mobile application, you can only navigate through the banner. Therefore, it is easier to place a purchase on the website:
And don't forget to check for the seller's coupons.
There is nothing fundamental here and now, but sometimes there are significant discounts. By the way, the usual AliExpress coupons for this purchase could not be applied.
Delivery
I placed the order on December 14 at a sale. Delivery was carried out by DPD. On December 21, in the afternoon, a courier called me and asked if there was someone at home, he was ready to bring the order. I decided to take a chance and did not accept the order myself, leaving it to the household. When I arrived home in the evening, they showed me a cardboard box, inside which a branded orange box with a smartphone dangled without any seal.
The seal was intact. Since the box is small, it will not work to open it without damaging the seals.
But if you buy a large smartphone, for example, Mi Max 2, then keep in mind that it has a much larger box and the lid opens without damaging the seal!
Warranty card
The warranty card for this unit comes blank. Given that it says: 'In the absence or incorrect execution of the warranty card, the warranty will not be valid.'
I have asked both the seller and Tmall support about this. The seller did not respond, and the support team gave the following clarification:
The warranty card may be missing or missing. The fact is that a warranty card is not required to carry out warranty service. Please do not worry, in the event of a warranty case, you can contact the official service center based on the sales receipt or the serial number of the product.
Also, upon the fact of each purchase, we send a sales receipt to the email address, which is an official document. In case it was not received or was lost, you can download it in the personal account of the order. To do this, please go to the 'my orders' section, find the order you are interested in and download the receipt by pressing the download purchase receipt button.
The link 'Download the sales receipt' was in place.
Let's hope that the printout of the check will be accepted at the ASC, if a guarantee is needed.
Additional questions
Q: Is the device certified by Google?
A: Yes, the Play Store settings indicate that the device is certified.
Q: Does the smartphone have a LED (notification light)?
О: Yes, there is a white color (located under the Home key). Since it is monochrome, there are no color adjustments.
conclusions
So is it worth the candle? What are the advantages of buying and what are the problems?
Obviously, the main plus of buying at Tmall is the price. If you have goods for the same money on a store shelf in your city, it's easier to buy there.
There can be two problems. The first is to open the box during delivery. This happened with one of the commentators. Therefore, upon receipt of the goods, it is necessary to make sure that the seal is intact in the presence of the courier.
The second problem is the lack of clarity in filling out the warranty card. It is quite possible that there will be no difficulties and the device will always be easily accepted in the ASC, but formally no one is obliged to do this.