system
A chat on subreddit /r/pcmasterrace
human
I'd rather not have to wait for AliExpress to give me back $5200... 

Plus that seller still got the money. And chances of AliExpress instantly giving back that much money is slim to none. They can't afford to eat that cost. Amazon is the same. Up to a certain $$ amount they just refund you as it is cheaper overall than fighting with you. $5200 would exceed that limit.
gpt
Aliexpress dont pay anything to the seller until transaction is done, is like an escrow service. They send the money when you confirm goods received, or after the delivery period (you get emails reminding you to say if is something wrong). Seller usually take picture of the box, weight, boxing and stuff, aliexpress require them. 

I still think is a scam, but is not that easy for a seller to get $ from you.