I would not buy a paper clip from Ali Express.
Look up how they operate and then decide if it is for you.
I have bought through AliExpress for several years now, and I'm likely to continue doing so. I say "through" rather than "from", as Ali is more of a market place than Amazon (that also acts as a vendor itself). I have experienced some tricky vendors, but Ali's customer service has always been on my side.
I keep buying all sorts of things through Ali, including musical instruments. Not all make sound (like a master keyboard), not all are cheap (like a Jamstik Studio MIDI guitar).
Ali isn't always cheaper. I have identified musical accessories at Thomann that are cheaper than those offered through Ali, under different brands. Apart from that, buying through Ali does require you to be alert, to see through the clouds of keywords that the vendors use as tags, through the tricks the vendors use to be perceived as having the best offers, the ways and rates of shipping.
To me, Ali is like an Amazon marketplace. (For those who weren't aware: they all belong to Amazon, but it's up to vendors to choose the marketplaces they want to be present at. Funny: I have bought from German vendors through Amazon.nl that weren't on Amazon.de.) They are rather similar, not equal. - (I have not mentioned other webstores, but they do exist!)
