Temu is a new online marketplace that promises major bargains for shoppers, on everything from trainers to smartphones. But with prices that often look too-good-to-be-true, is there a catch and is Temu legit?
You may have seen Temu’s orange adverts on social media, flaunting the ecommerce platform’s ludicrously low prices and bizarre array of products.
The opportunity to bag a cheap pair of sunglasses or blender may seem tempting, but Temu has been accused of selling fake products, unreliable service, data misuse and even of employing slave labour.
Here, we investigate how Temu works and what you consider before using the platform.
In this article, we cover:
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What is Temu and how does it work?
Temu is an online marketplace that offers a vast array of heavily discounted goods. It uses a mixture of aggressive social media advertising, referral offers and constant clearance sales to attract customers to its platform.
You can start buying on Temu by signing up via its website or app, which is available on iOS and Android. But be careful, especially when downloading the app; we look at whether or not Temu is safe.
To give you an idea of how cheap some of the products on Temu are, here are some examples currently available on the site:
- Massage gun – £11
- Viral garlic crusher – 74p
- Rubber sliders – £1.49
- Sunglasses – £2
- Trainers – £6
Temu also offers customers the chance to earn “credits” which they can redeem against future purchases, along with free gifts. If you’ve signed up to Temu, head to its “Games” section to see available offers.
Thanks to its ultra-low prices and heavy-handed advertising practices, Temu has become incredibly popular. It’s the UK’s most-downloaded shopping app, and has over 100 million users in the US.
Read more: Consumer rights UK: what you need to know
Why is Temu so cheap?
Temu’s affordability can be largely attributed to its business model. The site employs vendors who ship directly from China to customers all over the world, eliminating the need for middlemen who take profits and therefore drive up costs that are passed on to consumers.
China is notorious for its low manufacturing costs in comparison to Europe. By essentially buying from Chinese vendors more or less directly, European customers can access far lower prices than they’re used to.
Temu’s business model works because it lures in so many customers with its low prices. This means that even though its profit margins are slimmer than those of domestic retailers, its sales numbers are high enough to still make it money.
It’s worth noting that UK customers choosing to shop with Temu will have to wait a while for goods to be delivered. The free “standard shipping” takes six to 14 business days, while the £9 “express shipping” option can still take up to eight days.
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Does Temu work in the UK?
Yes. Temu launched in the UK in April 2023. It has rapidly grown in popularity, becoming the nation’s most downloaded shopping app. It is estimated to have already amassed around nine million UK users.
Our consumer rights expert Martyn James has been looking at why so many retailers are not following consumer rights rules. Read his comments about Temu below.
Is Temu legit and are the products it sells genuine?
Temu is a legitimate online store and items you purchase will generally be shipped out to you.
However, some users have reported that items they ordered either never arrived, were damaged or were not as described.
For example, some items may arrive much smaller than advertised, or break easily due to poor quality of manufacture.
Will I get a refund if something goes wrong on Temu?
According to Temu’s website, you can return unwanted goods within 90 days for a full refund. If an order arrives after Temu’s estimated delivery date, you’ll normally receive a credit in your account to use against a future order.
If an order doesn’t arrive, you can contact Temu and ask for a refund. It can take refunds up to 30 days to be received by your bank or card provider.
Read more: Can I get a refund on a faulty item after the 30-day returns period?
Is it safe to shop on Temu?
The safety of using Temu is still unclear.
The retailer has been accused of concealing a vast array of malware and spyware within its mobile app by Grizzly Research, which compiles reports about major companies. This could “potentially give bad actors full access to almost all data on customers’ mobile devices”, it said.
Temu has also been accused by the American government of possible data risks. Its after its parent company, a Chinese online store called Pinduoduo, was removed by Google from its app store for containing malware.
If you’re concerned about the possibility of your data being harvested and sold by Temu, but still want to make purchases on the platform, you could use a web browser rather than downloading its app. Accusations of hidden malware have been levied towards the Temu app, rather than the website.
However, given the allegations against Temu regarding its data storage practices, you may want to think twice before handing yours over. If you want to err on the side of caution, it might be best to steer clear of the platform entirely.
To make an order, you’ll need to provide a name, address and payment details, which you may not want to risk being compromised.
That said, there is no conclusive evidence that Temu is a scam, or that it has definitely shared its customers’ data.
Is Temu ethical?
There are questions surrounding Temu’s ethical status. According to reports by US lawmakers, there is a high risk of Temu selling goods that have been manufactured using forced labour.
These allegations have not been definitively proven. Nonetheless, you may choose to factor this into your decision to use the platform or not.
It’s worth noting that Temu isn’t alone in facing scrutiny for its ethical practices. Other popular outlets operating in the UK, including Shein and Nike, are also being investigated by US lawmakers over claims of slave labour in their production chains.
All of the companies deny the claims.
Read more: How ethical are your savings?
The view of our consumer rights expert, Martyn James
“If it’s that cheap, how good can it be?”
If ever an adage were true in 2023, it’s that one. Particularly when you apply it to the world of social media retailers.
Over the last year, I’ve heard many complaints about ecommerce platforms like Temu, which sell a dizzying array of items online at prices so low that they are barely conceivable.
These retailers are masters at targeted sales, flooding social media sites with bright and snappy adverts to catch the attention of those prone to impulse buys. After all, if something looks interesting and is less than a tenner, what do you have to lose?
Well, quite a bit, if you take a cursory glance online and discover the many dissatisfied customers of these sites. It’s not only the quality of goods that are being complained about but the process of how to return them when things go wrong and getting a refund.
Temu is a ‘third party online marketplace’, meaning that it doesn’t supply or make the majority of what it sells on its website. Instead, it’s acts as a conduit between buyer and seller.
On its own, this isn’t necessarily an issue. From Etsy to Amazon, some of the world’s biggest brands offer a similar business model.
“Temu’s business model becomes problematic if you want to make a complaint”
Where this becomes problematic if you want to make a complaint. Laws like the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 – which give us our shopping and refund rights – mainly apply to UK-based businesses that you buy directly from.
Using a third-party marketplace leaves you at the mercy of the businesses own buyer dispute policies. The only right of appeal open to you if that fails is the courts.
Ultimately, it is down to you if you choose to shop at Temu. If you are not that bothered about the items appearing exactly like the advert, or being of a poorer quality when they arrive, then carry on. After all, you’ve probably not forked out a fortune on most of the items on the site.
Here are my top tips:
- If you want a real bargain, don’t let yourself be distracted by crazy prices and discounts
- Think what you’d do if something went wrong
- Read the sites buyer dispute policy before you buy
- Always check out a “contact us” page for a phone number that you can call if something goes wrong
- Do some research online before you commit, to ensure you are getting a deal
Read more: How to stay one step ahead of fraudsters
Important information
Some of the products promoted are from our affiliate partners from whom we receive compensation. While we aim to feature some of the best products available, we cannot review every product on the market.
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