Before you buy from Temu, you may wonder if it’s safe, if the items are real, or if the website steals your data. These are frequently asked questions, so let’s unpack them.
If you’re an avid online shopper, chances are you’ve probably heard of an e-commerce site called Temu. The Chinese-owned digital marketplace has exploded, with millions of Americans downloading and purchasing items using the mobile app.
Many online digital creators frequently post the items they bought from the site, and you might be wondering what the website is all about and if you should do the same. According to Statista, Temu sees over 30 million new downloads monthly, making it the number one shopping app in Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.
What is Temu?
Temu is an online shopping megastore offering almost any product you can imagine. You can buy car accessories, clothing, kitchen appliances, electronics, outdoor furniture, power tools, baby clothes, and everything in between.
Some people compare Temu to sites like Shein, Wish, and AliExpress, but Temu is slightly different. Shein primarily focuses on fashion and clothing items, while you can buy almost anything on Temu. Wish and AliExpress are known for having lower-quality items, longer shipping times, and a shorter item return window.
Temu launched in late 2022 and quickly rose to the top spot in the App Store’s and Play Store’s shopping categories. People found out about Temu from ads and were attracted to the site’s low prices.
Is Temu a legitimate website?
It depends on your definition of « legitimate ». Yes, most of the products on Temu are real; you will receive them, and it takes about 10 days for them to reach your doorstep.
However, any tech products you order on Temu are not name-brand unless there is a blue checkmark on their product listing. You can buy items like laptops, smartphones, and tablets, but they’re from lesser-known manufacturers.
Some customers have found that the items they ordered looked slightly different from those on the website or were lower quality than expected.
My colleague David Gewirtz purchased a few tech items from Temu and detailed the quality and value of each item. From my experience, you can find many good quality tech accessories on Temu, like phone cases, AirPods cases, and laptop covers. However, I would not recommend buying device charging cables, stations, off-brand, or « dupe » tech items from Temu.
Is it safe to buy from Temu?
I can’t definitively tell you that it’s safe or unsafe to buy items from Temu. However, here are some safeguards you should implement when purchasing from Temu and any other online retailer.
What can I expect when I place an order?
To buy items from Temu, follow the same formula for any e-commerce site. Find things you like, add them to your cart, and check out.
In other cases, the items can arrive on time, be decent or good quality, and be exactly how they look on Temu’s website. Product quality can be unpredictable, which is not so different from offerings in other online stores.
If your items don’t look like their online listing, arrive damaged, or don’t arrive at all, your order is eligible for Temu’s Purchase Protection Program. This program guarantees your money back with a full refund if you return your items within 90 days of purchase.
Item prices on Temu fluctuate constantly. If you buy an item and its price decreases after your purchase, you can request a price adjustment. The difference will be available on your account as a Temu credit within minutes.
Why is Temu controversial?
The US government accused Temu of potential data risks after Google suspended its sister site, e-commerce platform Pinduoduo, for containing malware. According to CNBC, analysts say Temu is less of a threat, and the risks associated with Pinduoduo were targeted at Chinese users.
