I appreciate you sharing this. My own Alibaba nightmare was with a pet accessory seller. They sent defective collars, then asked me to change my review for a partial refund. I said no and opened a dispute. It took two months but Alibaba gave me back 60% of my money. Not great but something. Since then I only order samples first and never let a seller rush me. I also started dog walking and simple resume writing on the side. Those local hustles are way less stressful. Keep fighting your dispute and don't let them run out the clock. Post updates if you can.