What if it’s not AliExpress?
Since the beginning of 2022, many companies, including electronics manufacturers, have left Russia or suspended the sale of their products in the Russian Federation. In this regard, some Russians began to buy on AliExpress more often, but, as many noticed, the market rate began to increase, so almost all goods became more expensive. At the same time, the Chinese market closed the possibility of making payments using QIWI – this was the only way to buy in dollars and overpay for the unfavorable ruble exchange rate.
Towards the end of 2022, the Russians discovered an alternative for themselves – a new marketplace from the UAE called Microless.com.
Enthusiasts gather in Telegram in private chats, create threads on forums and talk about their experience with this site – most of the reviews are positive. The delivery speed is especially noticeable – on average, the parcel “goes” to Russia from 4 to 7 days. This is much faster than what not only Chinese but also some domestic markets offer.
Why UAE?
First of all, it is worth noting that due to sanctions, some suppliers began to import goods to Russia directly from the UAE – the market in the CIS countries is similarly regulated. There, for example, local entrepreneurs buy equipment in Dubai and often sell it cheaper than official dealers and bring it home. But in most cases the UAE carries something that is not officially available on the market. One of the reasons for the low cost of equipment in the Arab country is the low VAT, which is only 5%.
For clarity, it is worth comparing the cost of goods from Microless with other market places available to Russians.
For example, the cost of a mini PC Mac mini M1 in the minimum configuration on Microless is 58.4 thousand rubles. In Russia, the minimum cost in Yandex Market is 67 thousand, in retail 78 thousand rubles in Citylink. The flagship Mac Studio with the M1 Max chip in the 32/512 GB configuration in the UAE costs 179 thousand rubles, and in Russia already 195 thousand rubles.
You can also save money by purchasing a laptop. So, the budget gaming solution Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6 with a 120 Hz display, AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4 GB video card, 8 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD in Microless is sold for 55.6 thousand rubles . In Russia, on the Yandex Market, a laptop of such an assembly is available for 84 thousand, and in Citylink – for 100 thousand rubles.
A more expensive ASUS TUF Dash F15 FX517Z laptop with an Intel Core i7 12650H processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD and a GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card in Microless costs 107 thousand rubles, and in Yandex Market – 134 thousand rubles.
And finally, a portable Steam Deck console from the UAE in a 256 GB configuration can be ordered for 45.6 thousand rubles. In Russian retail, for example, M.Video, this device is sold for 80 thousand rubles. Only “Avito” is cheaper – from 47 thousand rubles, but the seller is unlikely to give a guarantee. Also 50 thousand rubles. You can find the console in different stores on Yandex Market.
You can find Steam Deck on AliExpress for the same money as on Microless, but delivery there takes about three weeks on average. As for other products reviewed by socialbites.ca, it is almost impossible to find them on AliExpress. For example, among laptops there are mostly more expensive and less interesting Chinese models.
Arabic nuances and how to avoid them
Before buying, you should consider the delivery cost, which is calculated individually in Microless. As a rule, its average price is 2 thousand rubles. Also note that you will have to pay customs duty if the value of the goods exceeds 1000 €.
Also, when choosing a product, preference should be given to those whose seller is Microless – in this case all products are given a free 1-year warranty with the possibility of paid extensions. Other sellers have 1 month warranty.
When choosing a laptop and other devices with a keyboard, you should make sure that the Arabic layout is not printed on its keyboard.
As one of the recipients told socialbites.ca, there may be errors in the sending system. For example, in his case, the Xbox console was sent to another buyer and not to him, and the buyer mailed the order to our addressee. At the same time, marketplace support reimbursed the sender for shipping costs.
Also, according to reviews, if the buyer receives the wrong item, the store will bear the cost of returning it by post. In addition, before buying on the “Arab AliExpress”, it is recommended, first of all, to familiarize yourself with the availability and cost of goods in Russian stores – nevertheless, not all positions in Microless are cheaper than in Russia.
Microless.com with all these nuances. Seems like a useful resource for Russians.