Gearbest was once a respected Chinese electronics retailer but has severely curtailed its operations. Thousands of customers have been left without products or refunds. The website remains online but should not be used for new purchases. If you have an outstanding unresolved order, contact your bank for a chargeback immediately.
Gearbest was founded in 2013 as part of the Globalegrow group (which also owns Rosegal and Zaful) and for several years was a popular destination for UK tech enthusiasts looking for affordable Chinese gadgets, electronics accessories, and consumer technology. At its peak it had a reasonable reputation for delivery, with many UK customers receiving orders and finding good value. That period has clearly passed. From approximately 2020 onwards, Gearbest began experiencing severe operational problems.
Consumer forums, Trustpilot, and dedicated complaints threads document thousands of cases of UK customers paying for goods that never arrived. When customers attempted to contact customer service or obtain refunds, they reported either complete silence or automated responses that led nowhere. The company appears to have stopped processing many orders while continuing to take payments — a pattern that has led to widespread chargeback requests through banks and credit card providers. The company has no UK corporate registration, making any formal legal remedy extremely difficult.
The gearbest.com website continues to exist and may still appear functional — it may even still list products and accept payment attempts. Do not be misled by the presence of an active-looking website. Active trading appears to have been severely curtailed, and there is no reasonable expectation that a new order would be fulfilled. If you placed an order with Gearbest and did not receive your goods, contact your bank or credit card provider immediately and request a chargeback citing non-delivery. Do not place new orders.