TEMU - Consumer Site?

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MrWasabi65
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TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by MrWasabi65 »

I've been looking for alternatives to Amazon for many items and have been reading about Temu - so I checked it out - website and app - and for less expensive consumer items it seems to have a large price advantage and shipping - well, now that Amazon has been taking longer to ship items to me, that erases that advantage.

Temu return policy does not seem as generous, however. Knowing this, I might not order some categories of items such as shoes, etc.

I was wondering if anyone here has any direct personal experience with ordering from them? and can vouch or offer any details regarding their experience?

My sister orders from a similar Asian retailer - Shein and says she has had good luck.

Thanks
mkc
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by mkc »

Temu items primarily ship from overseas (generally China) and any product returns generally have to be shipped back overseas. It's basically an aggregator for Chinese vendors to sell direct to US customers. Wish is a similar aggregator. Neither have a good reputation for product quality/authenticity, on-time shipping, or returns process based on the hobby/craft forums I belong to.
dukeblue219
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by dukeblue219 »

It's going to be a roll of the dice. You're buying not Chinese manufactured items sold by American companies (or major Chinese brands) like you would on Amazon, but directly from the wholesale manufacturers in many cases. Do not expect easy returns or surprisingly good quality.

It's an absolute race-to-the-bottom retailer. Legit, yes, but truly zero concern other than price.

I'll stick with Amazon or Target.
stoptothink
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by stoptothink »

We've had two separate orders from Temu. In one case, the sizing was way off on two items (this is a common problem when ordering from China) and we had to return. It was pretty straightforward, although it took bit longer than an Amazon return would. Depending on the item it is definitely worth it to us to go with Temu over Amazon; in some cases the items we purchased were 1/5 the price for the exact same item (we have both Amazon and Temu versions).

My daughter just had to have this specific toy for Christmas and wife and I both agreed the price was outrageous for what it was. I think it was like $85 on Amazon. We bought it and it was there for Christmas...and then we saw it on Temu for like $8 a few days later :oops: We're almost certain it was the exact same product, the $85 Amazon version was incredibly cheaply made.
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celia
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by celia »

I would not knowingly load a Chinese app on my phone. Although temu is headquartered in Massachusetts and their customer data is supposed to be secure, there can always be future data leaks.

If nothing else, some peorson(s) in China know your name and address and what you ordered. I have no way of knowing how secure my data is in China.

About 10 years ago I bought some cheap things (musical greeting cards, origami paper) on eBay that came from China. They appeared to be a loss leader since the shipping alone had to be more than the product value. I kept seeing the customs labels telling what was inside and thinking this is a waste of time for Customs officials to look at. But the sellers were apparently building up a large positive reputation in eBay’s rating system before they started selling more expensive things.
Last edited by celia on Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
bighatnohorse
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by bighatnohorse »

Yes, I've made a couple of purchases One was an endoscope and app for my cellphone - works like a charm and cost under $4.00
Temu is basically cutting out the Amazon mid-man by selling direct. It's probably a contributing factor to the Amazon price drop.
Temu wasn't mention by name on the Consuelo Mack "WealthTrack" show interview with a big fund advisor but I knew immediately what the speaker was referring to.
I think that the big funds have already piled into the PDD Holdings Inc. ADR stock (Temu), so I wouldn't rush out an buy into it now.
runner3081
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by runner3081 »

Ordered a bunch of stuff earlier in the month. No issues, decent shipping speed, met deadline, decent quality.
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rob
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by rob »

It's the IDENTICAL quality as Amazon (meaning not great)... just cutting out the middleman. I have not yet ordered but have been collecting a few smaller things that I will try.
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WaffleHouse
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by WaffleHouse »

Just FYI, temu has order minimums. They hide it in small text within the popup that shows up when you click on the "free shipping on all orders" text at the top left of the screen.

The exact minimum required seems to vary and doesn't show up until after you create an account.

I was interested in buying one of their super cheap items for new time buyers (it was just a couple dollars). It was so cheap, so I thought why not? So I added the item to my cart and tried to checkout. The website then needed me to create an account, which I did. Then I go to the checkout page and after entering all my info, including payment info, I try and click on the order button as the very last step but then a popup showed up saying I hadn't met the order minimum and wants me to add suggested items to the order.

It was annoying, not going to lie. I didn't see any easily visible mention of an order minimum along the way. I ended up not buying and left.

Apparently, the shopping cart page does show the exact minimum you need, but only if you're already logged in. Since, as a new customer, I only created an account when it prompted me to do so after the cart page, I never got to see the order minimum.

Not sure if they're doing this on purpose to be sneaky or if they just have a bug with their cart page.

Also, be aware that they include shared shop reviews with their individual product reviews. So each product looks like they have way more reviews than they actually do.
prd1982
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by prd1982 »

bighatnohorse wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:26 pm
I think that the big funds have already piled into the PDD Holdings Inc. ADR stock (Temu), so I wouldn't rush out an buy into it now.
I wonder if this "US company" will try to maximize the profits of this company and shareholders, or the profits of the Chinese manufacturers.
Topic Author
MrWasabi65
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by MrWasabi65 »

Thanks for the feedback, appreciated.

Much of lower end consumer items sold on eBay and Amazon are Asian manufactured - so I don't worry that for many simple items, the quality will be any less than eBay or Amazon, or even Walmart for that matter.

My primary concern is actually returns, since Amazon made that so crazy easy.

I will proceed slowly with items where quality is not a big issue since they all come from the same place. Thanks again
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bogleblitz
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by bogleblitz »

Temu is trying to take on amazon/ebay. So for now, prices are low with free shipping. It is safe to shop with them while they are new and have low prices.

I bought a few times from them with no issues.
TravelforFun
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by TravelforFun »

MrWasabi65 wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 3:21 pm I've been looking for alternatives to Amazon for many items and have been reading about Temu - so I checked it out - website and app - and for less expensive consumer items it seems to have a large price advantage and shipping - well, now that Amazon has been taking longer to ship items to me, that erases that advantage.

Temu return policy does not seem as generous, however. Knowing this, I might not order some categories of items such as shoes, etc.

I was wondering if anyone here has any direct personal experience with ordering from them? and can vouch or offer any details regarding their experience?

My sister orders from a similar Asian retailer - Shein and says she has had good luck.

Thanks
I ordered a drone from Temu once and it took forever to get it, and the drone is so different from the description on the website. I didn't try to return it and haven't gone back to Temu since.

TravelforFun
andypanda
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by andypanda »

"Temu is trying to take on amazon/ebay. So for now, prices are low with free shipping."

Do they offer a Temu credit card with 5% cash back on Temu purchases?
xpy1999
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by xpy1999 »

MrWasabi65 wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 6:26 pm Thanks for the feedback, appreciated.

Much of lower end consumer items sold on eBay and Amazon are Asian manufactured - so I don't worry that for many simple items, the quality will be any less than eBay or Amazon, or even Walmart for that matter.

My primary concern is actually returns, since Amazon made that so crazy easy.

I will proceed slowly with items where quality is not a big issue since they all come from the same place. Thanks again
They offer free returns. It is not as fast as Amazon who refunds on the dropoff, but they did refund me after receiving package.
brandy
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by brandy »

I'd like to look at their "catalogue" before registering, but can't see one. I get the registration page. Is there a way to see what they have before signing up?
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nisiprius
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by nisiprius »

I just took my first quick peek, and the first impressions are that to my surprise, the prices on items I actually want are not notably low... and that my, oh, my, does their search feature need work.

We need an outdoor dining table and chairs, and are looking for dirt cheap. By the time I typed in "outdoor di" it autocompleted to "outdoor dining table and chairs," suggesting that that's an appropriate search term, and it proceeded to show me...

a card seatback organizer, four baby chairs and eating tables, pillowcases, a furniture corner protector, and a dollhouse dining table. And believe me, it doesn't get better if I scroll.

How does "outdoor dining table and chairs" match pillowcases? What are they using for the search, ChatGPT?

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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

Temu: Risk popular website sells forced labour goods

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65990529
US lawmakers are warning of an "extremely high risk" that products sold on the Chinese online shopping site Temu have been made with forced labour.
bberris
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by bberris »

Cheez-It Guy wrote: Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:26 am Temu: Risk popular website sells forced labour goods

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65990529
US lawmakers are warning of an "extremely high risk" that products sold on the Chinese online shopping site Temu have been made with forced labour.
And Amazon does not? Who does the due diligence to visit China manufacturing sites?
stoptothink
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by stoptothink »

bberris wrote: Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:35 am
Cheez-It Guy wrote: Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:26 am Temu: Risk popular website sells forced labour goods

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65990529
US lawmakers are warning of an "extremely high risk" that products sold on the Chinese online shopping site Temu have been made with forced labour.
And Amazon does not? Who does the due diligence to visit China manufacturing sites?
+1 MANY of the world's largest consumer products companies are in this category. If that is a legitimate concern to you, than don't shop at TEMU, but you may want to take a look in your closet and start Googling how they are manufactured too.
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

I made no claims about Amazon or any other retailer.
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

I have ordered twice from TEMU, received goods within their stated time frames.

Today I returned an order of picture frames, I ordered 4ea 5x7, received 4ea 6x8. The return was as simple as an Amazon return, and PayPal has already acknowledged the return and given date funds will be returned to my credit card. And, like some of Amazon returns, return of the order was not required.

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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by nisiprius »

Cheez-It Guy wrote: Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:41 am I made no claims about Amazon or any other retailer.
I feel that you did implicitly, by talking of "extremely high risk that products sold on the Chinese online shopping site Temu have been made with forced labour" rather than talking about "extremely high risk that products imported from China have been made with forced labour."
Last edited by nisiprius on Fri Nov 24, 2023 11:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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delamer
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by delamer »

celia wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:18 pm I would not knowingly load a Chinese app on my phone. Although temu is headquartered in Massachusetts and their customer data is supposed to be secure, there can always be future data leaks.

If nothing else, some peorson(s) in China know your name and address and what you ordered. I have no way of knowing how secure my data is in China.

About 10 years ago I bought some cheap things (musical greeting cards, origami paper) on eBay that came from China. They appeared to be a loss leader since the shipping alone had to be more than the product value. I kept seeing the customs labels telling what was inside and thinking this is a waste of time for Customs officials to look at. But the sellers were apparently building up a large positive reputation in eBay’s rating system before they started selling more expensive things.
Realistically, I know it’s impossible to totally avoid doing business with Chinese manufacturers and retailers.

But I’m not going to knowingly give my personal and credit card information directly to a Chinese company. (I already did it once inadvertently.).
One thing that humbles me deeply is to see that human genius has its limits while human stupidity does not. - Alexandre Dumas, fils
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

nisiprius wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2023 11:00 am
Cheez-It Guy wrote: Fri Jun 23, 2023 6:41 am I made no claims about Amazon or any other retailer.
I feel that you did implicitly, by talking of "extremely high risk that products sold on the Chinese online shopping site Temu have been made with forced labour" rather than talking about "extremely high risk that products imported from China have been made with forced labour."
I posted a link to and a direct quote from an article from an international news publication.

I'm not here to be a defender of Amazon, but I think an important distinction is that Amazon doesn't sell EXCLUSIVELY made in China items. Through careful selection, you can get OEM products that aren't cheap Chinese counterfeits.
Macaroni2314
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by Macaroni2314 »

I bought pickleball shoes for around $25 when every other site was selling pickleball shoes for $45+.

I waited a little over a week, and they arrived no problem. I don't have complaints except I got spammed with a lot of ad emails afterwards. I just unsubscribed to the ads.
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CenTexan
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by CenTexan »

I've placed 4 or 5 orders. All ok.

I do not use the app/phone - only from desktop.

I also use a virtual credit card.

Minimum order has always been $10 for free shipping.

Takes about 10 days to arrive.

With a few clicks, they will give you credit for any price drops once your order arrives. I usually get $2 to $3 credit on my $10 - $12 orders.

It is mesmerizing (and a time kill) to browse/shop on the site - so much, so cheap, so strange. You end up buying stuff you didn't realize you need (ie, raincoat for the dog, silicone lids for your beer can, etc) :wink:
prd1982
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by prd1982 »

I prefer that the people who stock, pick and package the merchandise to pay US income taxes.
stoptothink
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by stoptothink »

prd1982 wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2023 8:08 pm I prefer that the people who stock, pick and package the merchandise to pay US income taxes.
That doesn't preclude using Temu. Much of the stocking, picking, and packaging takes place in the U.S. as Temu connects customers directly to suppliers (many of whom are located in the U.S.), it's just a Chinese-based company.

We've now had several orders from Temu without an issue, including one (completely successful) return. I bought a maternity pillow off Amazon a month or so ago to use after my shoulder surgery. Kids liked it so much that they asked if they could each get one for Christmas. Literally the exact same product, less than half the price than from Amazon (plus 18% cashback from Rakuten) and package was on our doorstep in 6 days. If I am not looking for a specific high-quality product or name brand, I always check Temu before Amazon.
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TheRoundHeadedKid
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by TheRoundHeadedKid »

++++1
Last edited by TheRoundHeadedKid on Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TheRoundHeadedKid
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Re: TEMU - Consumer Site?

Post by TheRoundHeadedKid »

++++1
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