I hope this isn't perceived as advertising.. I'm quite apprehensive about making this purchase and will absolutely update with my progress if/when the console arrives.
In the meantime, if anyone out there has any experience buying through AliExpress I would love to hear from you. This is my first purchase and I feel like it's a total gamble.
If this is somehow perceived as advertising, mods please delete immediately. I do not want to violate any rules. This community is too awesome to lose!
I've seen a few YouTubers buy AliExpress 3ds consoles, and all of those have been refurbished, often with after market shells which, while often not terrible, aren't Nintendo quality. If the console shows up, it'll probably be fine, but you're still not necessarily getting an amazing deal. I got my New 3ds LL (Japanese version) in excellent condition from a seller on eBay based in Japan for about $25 less and I got one with an upper IPS screen - but mine is in black. If you really want a special 3ds and you're okay with a decent reshell, buying through AliExpress might be an alright option.
To be fair, Nintendo 3DS shells aren't exactly very high quality either.
I have an original Majora n3DS XL. After a few months, the golden paint started disappearing around the borders, where my palm/fingers would rest.
To their credit, I could get a free replacement shell (with the right colour and pattern) from customer service when I asked about it. But after this I just resorted to using a clear rubber outer case to keep the paint from rubbing off again.
Tell me about it. Got a red used unit and it was paint flakes everywhere.
Thankfully, someone on Ali sells matte replacement backplates. The one I got is fantastic.