You’re getting items more or less as described for a few dollars at the most. Heck, when I got my ebike motor they even asked what power wattage sticker they should put on it. More reliable than Amazon, that’s for sure.

You’re not forfeiting any rights by buying something on Aliexpress.

US law doesn’t apply in China. Nobody is going to take your case because some Aliexpress seller has no reason to even respond to your threats to take them to court.

You're not legally forfeiting rights as in the laws saying "you lose these rights", but in common parlance of course you are as you explain in your second paragraph.

If the default situation is that when you buy faulty goods you have legal recourse against the seller, but when you buy direct from a foreign country you do so knowing that should there be a problem you won't have that option, you are de facto forgoing, or forfeiting, those rights by choosing to make that purchase.

It's nothing specifically to do with China, but it's how things work (except/until between countries who agree to mutual protection of consumers rights, which I think is the case between EU member states but I'm not sure about any other examples).

It’s the same for Amazon, at least in the US. By law, if a retailer sells you a thing, liability first goes to the manufacturer, and, failing that, the retailer.

Amazon isn’t a retailer, they’re a “marketplace” or some other BS the courts buy, so they’re not liable if they sell you stuff that’s negligently dangerous. Good luck tracking down SGVEEESQRTS or whoever built the thing.

in the case linked above amazons defense that they're just a "marketplace" did not work though.

If you buy from an American store, you can file your claims with the store under American law and everything is easy.

If you import from China, American laws apply to you and Chinese laws apply to the seller. If you get scammed or hurt yourself with a dangerous product, you can try two things: sue the Chinese seller in your home country (they won't turn up if the court even cares enough not to dismiss your case) or sue the Chinese seller in China under Chinese law (good luck with that as a foreigner).

You have rights, but your cheap products come at the cost of having to jump through many hoops to enforce them. I don't think many people will follow through on the paperwork required for a Chinese visa just so they can spend months or longer trying to sue a dropshipper in Shenzen, but you could!

As for gross defects and QC: keep in mind that QC on Chinese websites is done to comply with Chinese standards. What's considered carcinogenic or dangerous in one country may be completely fine to sell in another (see: importing American soda to Europe, if it contains any banned food coloring).

Do note that platforms like Craigslist, eBay, and Amazon are often not considered as the business you're doing business with. The same Chinese seller can be active on Aliexpress and Amazon, and you'll still have to go after the Chinese entity if you want your medical bills paid.

Don't buy foreign if you want to be able to enforce your local laws. Buying locally is more expensive, but at least you have an address to sue.

Yes, that's of how I see it too. The upcharge has to come from somewhere and I guess it's up to regulators on how much they would allow the public to take on that risk. My guess is that most people are completely ignorant about that gotcha and (understandably) only care about the price.