Temu has taken the UK by storm since the Chinese shopping giant hit our shores last year. The online marketplace offers an array of extremely cheap goods, from sunglasses to blenders and kids’ toys. But with deals that often look too good to be true, is Temu legit?
You might have seen Temu’s orange adverts on social media, flaunting the e-commerce platform’s ludicrously low prices and bizarre array of products.
The opportunity to bag a cheap goods may seem tempting, but Temu has been accused of unreliable service and data misuse. US lawmakers have also said there is an “extremely high risk” some products are made using forced labour.
Here, we look at how Temu works and what you should consider before using the platform.
In this article, we cover:
- What is Temu and how does it work?
- Why is Temu so cheap?
- Is Temu legit and are the products it sells genuine?
- Is it safe to shop on Temu?
- Alternatives to Temu
Subscribers to the Times can read more: Why is Temu so cheap? A day shopping on the popular but ruthless Chinese app
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 (£25.99 on Amazon, so a saving of 58%)
- Garlic crusher – 74p (£8.49 on Amazon, so a saving of 93%)
- Rubber sliders – £1.49 (£10.99 on Amazon, so you’d be saving 86%)
- Sunglasses – £2 (£12 on Amazon, so Temu would save you 83%)
- Trainers – £6 (£30 on Amazon, so a saving of 80%)
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.
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 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.
Grizzly Research, which compiles reports about large public companies, has accused the retailer of concealing a vast array of malware and spyware within its mobile app. 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, 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 your details 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. A spoksperson for Temu has insisted that it does not sell customers’ data.
Is Temu ethical?
There are questions surrounding Temu’s ethical status. According to reports by US lawmakers, there is an “extremely high risk” of Temu selling goods from third parties that have been manufactured using forced labour.
The investigation is still ongoing so nothing has been proven. Nonetheless, you might choose to factor this in when deciding whether to use the platform or not.
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. These 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”. This means 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 such as 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 up 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 site’s 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
Temu insists it does not sell customers’ information
In response to reports that Temu sells customers’ data, a spokesperson told Times Money Mentor: “Like other major consumer apps, Temu collects personal information from its users to deliver services and to improve the customer experience.
“As an ecommerce company, Temu collects necessary information that helps us to confirm who you are, process your payments, and deliver the products you buy. This includes details like your account information, home address, your past orders, and payment details.
“Temu also uses information such as IP address, frequency and duration of visits. [This is done] to make our service better and enhance your experience as a customer. This is in line with industry practice.
“For example, IP addresses enable Temu to serve the appropriate selection of products according to where the customer is located and to comply with the relevant laws and regulations. Temu does not sell customer information.”
You can read Temu’s data privacy policy online.
The best alternatives to Temu
Temu has the edge over some of its competitors due to its combination of low prices and fairly speedy delivery when compared to other Chinese marketplaces.
Nonetheless, it’s worth being aware of some of the other options out there.
Wish
Another popular online marketplace, Wish was founded in 2010. Like Temu, it has gone viral in the past due to its low prices and range of goods that are starkly similar to existing popular items.
If you look at the Wish website, you’ll instantly notice similarities to Temu. Major discounts are commonplace, as well as deals that may at first appear too good to be true.
While Wish is not a carbon copy of Temu, there aren’t many advantages or disadvantages of using one platform over another. Both sites feature an enormous range of items, much lower prices than you’d find with most British retailers and relatively lengthy delivery times.
Alibaba
Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce website, and the largest of its kind in the world. Like Temu, it offers items from sellers based predominantly in China for prices much lower than those available in the UK. Alibaba’s range of items and prices available are not dissimilar from Temu’s.
However, Alibaba is generally more targeted at businesses wanting to buy items in bulk than individual customers. Often, when buying more than one of a certain item, you’ll receive a discount. The more items you buy, the larger the discount.
Therefore, if you work for a business looking to buy items in bulk to use or sell, Alibaba may be a better bet than Temu.
eBay
One potential issue with Temu is that the items sold on it may not be as high quality as those you purchase from a UK-based seller. For certain items, this may not be an issue at all. However, if you’re buying tech or something you want to last you a long time, you may value the added durability you’ll get for a higher-quality version of an item.
Buying an item second-hand is a good way to get a high-quality branded item for less. You’re almost guaranteed to find what you’re looking for on eBay. Plus, you can search by “New” or find refurbished goods that can often be as good as new.
Amazon
Amazon* is one of the largest companies in the world, and boasts nearly 350 million monthly web visits to its UK site. The online retailer sells almost anything you can think of, from laptops to groceries.
While you’ll generally pay more for items on Amazon, you’ll benefit from:
- Faster delivery
- A larger range of items that includes authentic goods that are likely to be of higher quality and therefore last longer
- Ease of returning items
You can even accelerate the delivery to just one day with an Amazon Prime membership. Find out more about Amazon Prime, including the other benefits included such as music and TV streaming.
Read more: How to sell your stuff on eBay, Facebook Marketplace and more
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.
