Counterfeit and/or sub par quality items are something to be expected and aknowledged by whover shops from Aliexpress and the likes. At least their dispute resolution is relatively good.
In any event, my point was that if you buy a genuine product from an unauthorized seller or distributor doing so may void the manufacturer’s warranty. I suppose the point is moot in this topic anyway as the OP plans to try his luck at the thrift store again and hope to buy a dongle that works for ADS-B.