Even if you’ve never ordered anything from Temu, the online shopping site is all around you. Maybe you’ve seen its orange bags on your neighbor’s doorstep, clicked on an Instagram ad for something in its shop, or been bombarded by discount codes from someone you follow on social media. Its app was, after all, the App Store’s most downloaded of 2024.
Temu is doing so well that Amazon launched a rival service, called Haul, which offers ultra-cheap prices on products that are drop-shipped from China.
If you’re thinking of filling up a cart on Temu, but don’t know exactly what it is, let us explain. Below, you’ll find answers to all your questions.
What Is Temu?
It may seem like Temu emerged out of nowhere. Ever since its Super Bowl ad—which featured a song that wouldn’t stop playing in our heads and factory workers who looked like they had abandoned ship from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou to work for Temu—we’ve been told we could shop like a billionaire. But the company got its start in September 2022, when it launched a barrage of Facebook and Instagram ads.
How Do I Shop on Temu?
Temu is on the web at temu.com and also accessible via free apps for Android and iOS.
Why Is Temu So Cheap?
Temu’s prices are indeed shockingly low. So low that they can’t help get your attention and cause you to throw things in your cart. It seems that Temu is trying to attract shoppers as fast as possible, but it’s likely selling items at a loss to get that done.
Temu might say on its website that it was founded in Boston, but it’s owned by PDD Holdings, which has money to burn and moved its official headquarters from China to Ireland so it can keep doing business even if US scrutiny of China-based apps continues. Temu’s low prices and sending purchased items directly to consumers allow it to bypass tariffs, saving it a ton of cash.
More concerning is the issue of forced labor. Temu does not manufacture products itself, instead shipping them from factories in China to consumers. A report from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party stated, “Temu does not have any system to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). This all but guarantees that shipments from Temu containing products made with forced labor are entering the United States on a regular basis, in violation of the UFLPA.”
Are Temu Products Dangerous?
Twenty-one attorneys general have sent a letter to Temu about the potential violations above, as well as consumer protection issues, including “products sold exclusively on Temu’s website that fail to adequately warn consumers of dangers associated with their products and fail to notify consumers the products are subject to safety recalls.”
The Information discovered listings for banned padded crib bumpers on Temu, while Australian consumer advocacy group Choice found multiple toys that posed a choking hazard with easy-to-open button battery compartments.
A South Korean governmental group, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, tested children’s clothes from the retailer and found that a child’s jacket contained 622 times the legal limit for toxic substances, including phthalate plasticizers, lead, and cadmium.
UK investigative news show Dispatches also performed tests on Temu items and found similar results for a child’s jacket, as well as high levels of lead in a silver necklace. It also found safety certification labeling on tools, medical equipment, and carabiners used for climbing had been faked.
British consumer group Which? examined several space heaters from Temu and found that the majority were unsafe. Among the issues were faulty wiring, fake fuses, and illegal plugs.
Is Temu a Scam?
It’s all fun and games (Credit: Temu)
It’s a legitimate website, but watch out for lightning deals that promise extra savings. Temu has gamified its site. Pop-ups with wheels to spin for discounts, tokens to collect, and countdown clocks make it seem like time on offers is running out, but they’re designed to push customers toward purchases. Sellers on Temu, meanwhile, often steal designs so they don’t have to pay to develop intellectual property of their own.
What Designs Do Temu Sellers Steal?
There are too many to list, but one example is this mouthful of a product description: “Gorgeous Vintage Dragonfly Zircon Pendant Necklace – Perfect Bohemian Jewelry for Women’s Holidays.” The owner of the online shop Godly Nature’s Jewelry took to TikTok to complain that Temu stole her Champaign Dragonfly Sunflower Necklace design and even her photos.
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Does Temu Sell Legit Products?
Temu has an intellectual property policy and told PCMag in a statement, “We strictly require all the sellers to comply with our policies and provide the necessary licensing agreements to list their products on our platform.” But browsing through its site, it does not appear to be strictly enforced. Lots of products will be “discontinued,” only for similar items to pop up under new listings.
There are a lot of generic products on Temu but also a fair amount of fakes. Some are obvious, like these little jars of WNPL lip balms that are not Vaseline Lip Therapy but at first glance are not not Vaseline Lip Therapy.
You’ll also see flat-out designer knockoffs on Temu, such as the (now-discontinued) Mini Glossy Solid Color Shoulder Bag, which was a poor imitation (but likely a copyright violation) of Jacquemus’ Le Chiquito Moyen bag.
(Credit: Temu)
(Credit: Jacquemus)
Even a video on top-selling bags that Temu produced itself prominently features a knockoff Marc Jacobs tote.
If I Order Something on Temu, Will It Ever Arrive?
This is not Amazon Prime’s two-day delivery. Temu says orders ship in six to 22 days with standard shipping and four to 11 days with express shipping, but that’s not always the case. You’ll probably receive credits for future orders the more your order is delayed. When you get a message about the delay, you’ll see a button to “urge shipment.” Clicking it probably does nothing, but remember: this site is gamified.
Temu now has a way to filter its results to items that are closer to you. At the top of the page is a Local Warehouse option. This would have you believe that you’ll get your order faster, but that is not always the case, as many complaints on Reddit attest to.
Does Temu Accept Returns?
There is a return process on Temu, and shipping is free within 90 days of purchase. Note that’s within 90 days of purchase, not receipt of your order.
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About Chandra Steele
Senior Features Writer
