What Is Temu? Read Before You 'Shop Like a Billionaire' (2024)

FAQs

Is Temu safe to buy from? ›

Temu is a legitimate company and a functioning e-commerce site, but it lacks accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which is the standard for major retailers. Many of the tech items being sold on the site look like those manufactured by major companies like Dell or HP, but they're not authentic.

Why is Temu so cheap? According to Temu, the items on the site are so cheap because the supply chain runs directly from consumers to sellers. Without a go-between, Temu can slash prices. However, the exclusive use of third-party sellers raises questions about Temu's ethics.

History. Temu is owned and operated by PDD Holdings, which also owns Pinduoduo, a common online commerce platform in China. PDD Holdings was initially registered in the Cayman Islands before moving its place of incorporation to Dublin in 2023. The Temu platform first went live in the United States in September 2022.

Temu is owned by Chinese giant PDD Holdings - "a monster in Chinese e-commerce," according to Shaun Rein, founder of the China Market Research Group. "Throughout China, everyone buys products on Pinduoduo, from speakers to t-shirts or socks," he says. Can Stockholm keep its edge in the music industry?

The Times previously reported that Temu has been accused of using malware in its app to harvest the data of users. Its parent company, Pinduoduo, was also removed from the Google Play store after being found to contain malware, with the US government warning of the data risks.

Here are some best practices to help ensure safe purchases on Temu. - Never give your full credit card number, tax identification number, or password in an email, Temu Message, or over the phone. - Check your credit card statement regularly to track your spending and card activity.

The Class Action Suits

In both class action suits, plaintiffs allege that the Temu's app is designed to embed a spyware and malware on user's phones to collect sensitive personal information.

The Third Party Code of Conduct mandates that anyone doing business with Temu must strictly comply with all regulatory standards and compliance requirements." "The use of forced, penal, or child labor is strictly prohibited.

But there has been backlash, including a federal class action lawsuit filed last year accusing Temu and its parent company of collecting "user data beyond what is necessary for an online shopping app, including biometric information and data from users of the app."

Across the internet, there have been widespread claims of the app collecting user data. In addition, due to concern over data privacy, Temu faced a class action lawsuit filed in September 2023. The lawsuit claims Temu collects private data using “deceptive” and “unscrupulous” methods.

Is Amazon safer than Temu? ›

It's too new. While Chinese shoppers are very familiar with Temu's parent company, PDD Holdings, English-speaking countries aren't. Because of that, Temu hasn't built up the same trust level Amazon enjoys. Even if the products come from the same place.

As of the time of writing, the site has just a 2.5/5 rating from visitors to the US Better Business Bureau (BBB) while one-third of reviews on Trustpilot are one-star. Users frequently criticize Temu for inbox spam, difficulty receiving refunds, and items arriving in poor condition or not at all.

They share many of the environmentally and socially damaging practices that make Temu a fast fashion company. Both maintain shockingly low prices of items while selling vast amounts of items, at low quality, through the use of exploited or forced labor.

It offers a broad range of quality merchandise across 29 categories, including women's and men's clothing, beauty and health, home and kitchen, sports and outdoors, appliances, tools and home improvement, pet supplies, and toys and games, among others.” Temu's name means “team up, price down.”

Most of the products you see on Temu are directly shipped from Chinese suppliers and factories, while some can be shipped within the US. Some third-party suppliers have set up warehouses to facilitate the timely shipping of many products.

In essence, Temu allows customers to find virtually any product they can imagine. Shein, on the other hand, is a more dedicated fast fashion shopping destination and it is one of the top choices when it comes to apparel.