5 Red Flags About Shopping on Temu, According to Retail Experts
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Is Temu the hottest new “everything store” for online shopping ? The digital retail site was first launched in the United States in September 2022. Up until a few weeks ago, Temu was relatively unknown—that is, until they aired a commercial during the Super Bowl, urging consumers to “shop like a billionaire.”
It’s easy to understand why the Temu pitch—splashy products, a foolproof app, and most importantly, single-digit sticker prices—has generated such widespread buzz. So what gives? Is Temu the next big thing in e-commerce? Or is this just the latest fad? To help you decide, here are some red flags to watch out for when shopping on the site, according to retail experts.
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5 Red Flags About Shopping on Temu
1. The shipping can be excruciating.
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One of the top consumer complaints about Temu: It can sometimes take forever to actually receive your products. But this might just be the result of shifting consumer expectations, with shoppers conditioned to expect near-instant gratification from digital retailers.
2. Returns are reportedly a nightmare.
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The customer support woes are a recurrent sticking point: Once you get something, it can be a real pain to return it—if you even can at all. Temu’s return policy stipulates that you can’t return anything that’s been labeled as non-returnable or anything that was received for free. (Temu has attracted consumers by offering rewards, like free store credit and other goodies, through a series of easy-to-learn mini-games.) What’s more, the policy does not leave any room for exchanges “at the moment.”
“Some have criticized Temu’s return policy, stating that the company needs to make it easier for customers to return products and get refunds,” Tim Doman , an investment analyst and the CEO of Top Mobile Banks , says.
3. You might not get what you paid for.
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Alvarado points out that consumers have lodged complaints saying they didn’t receive the same object they paid for—particularly when it comes to high-end wares.
“If [you] see designer items on the website, they may simply be using the photos of another brand, but when you receive the items, the product will not have the brand logo on it,” Alvarado explains, adding that anything portrayed as a marked down listing of a luxury good “more than likely will not be legitimate.”
4. Third-party sellers’ items aren’t always verified.
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“Another red flag for Temu is its use of third-party sellers, which can make it challenging to verify the authenticity of the products being sold,” Doman said. “This has led to some customers receiving counterfeit items, which is disappointing but can also be dangerous in some cases, such as with electronics and cosmetics.”
5. You’ll have to proceed with caution.
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Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Temu was founded by two ex-Alibaba employees. The story has been updated to reflect this.
