Q: WTF is "TEMU"? A: Just another scam

[AverageOldGuy]

A couple of weeks ago my email inbox and email trash inbox started receiving 10 to 20 messages per day, something about "you have won a TEMU pallet". All I had to do to claim my "TEMU pallet" was click on . . . . and I stopped reading at that point.

The TEMU emails continue to roll in, so, today I asked Google "What is TEMU?" Here's the answer from Time magazine.

https://time.com/6243738/temu-app-complaints/

The most downloaded free app on both the App Store and Google Play for much of the last two months wasn’t TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram, but a shopping app that didn’t exist just four months ago.

Temu offers steep discounts on a slew of products, mostly shipped directly from Chinese factories or warehouses. In addition to incredibly low prices, Temu can no doubt attribute its popularity to its strategy of giving free stuff to users who promote the app on their social networks and get friends and family to sign up. (My highlight)

But the company—the U.S. offshoot of Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo—is also starting to develop a reputation for undelivered packages, mysterious charges, incorrect orders, and unresponsive customer service. Temu has already been subject to more than 30 complaints to the Better Business Bureau, and has a BBB customer rating of less than 1.5 stars.

So looks as though people are piling onto TEMU for free or cheap stuff. Please keep it out of my inbox.

Note: The parent of TEMU is "Pienduoduo". I have not seen the Chinese characters, but I'm fairly certain that the Chinese "Pienduoduo" means "cheap much much," or in English construction "Very, Very Cheap".

[Maru Kitteh]

1. And what generation would that be?

[AverageOldGuy]

2. Any generation . . .

. . . who falls for this crap.

[obamanut2012]

9. I am in my 50s, and older GenXer and use Temu with ZERO problems

Fewer problems than with many bigger, well-known US companies.

They are fine.

[tavernier]

30. I'm in my 70's and Temu is awesome!

I been purchasing for months and never had a problem. I got some great bargains and all the items were as advertised and pictured.

[obamanut2012]

31. Right?!

Especially kitchen gadgets, some cosplay pieces, and a few things for my mead making.

I just turned notifications off on the app.

[tavernier]

32. Good idea. They do drive me nuts.

On several of my orders, I have gotten five dollars back because they said they did not arrive on the date they were scheduled to arrive… However, they did arrive on time.

I can see where Amazon might not be thrilled about this newcomer because my Amazon orders went way down since I started Temu.

[obamanut2012]

33. And.... I just found out my wife ordered a bunch of "draft snakes" for the doors

We got four for literally what one cost on Amazon, and it looks like the same exact ones Amazon sells.

Folks keep thinking it's Wish, but it isn't.

[Maru Kitteh]

13. Well then that would be *all of them. All the generations are vulnerable and

so the reason for that vulnerability must transcend any generational issues.

[chillfactor]

3. I bought a TEMU laptop

and I love it!

[kimbutgar]

4. I've ordered from them about 4 times and have had no problems

Some of the stuff is cheap but I’ve been able to use them anyway. I wore one of the items I brought from them yesterday it was comfortable for the long drive I had from Palm Springs to Phoenix.

[Thermo]

5. I use Temu all the time.

Never had a problem so. Considering how many people use it now, there is bound to be unsatisfied costumers. Theres never any mention about unhappy Amazon costumers or the like. Seems like Temu is the new villain. More like Amazon is worried.

[womanofthehills]

6. If they have probably sold millions of items

But have 30 complaints- doesn’t sound too bad. They offer free stuff to get you as a customer.

Look at TEMU once - and the offers will roll in. Whatever you looked at - they will then offer that for almost nothing if you buy other stuff. I downloaded their app - I can get 20 kitchen scrubbies for the price of one at my local store. 🙃🙃🙃

[JI7]

7. People that work in mail delivery say they are seeing so many orange packages

and those that deliver to homes are saying places that usually didn't have much starting to regularly get these these packages.

[hildegaard28]

22. Yeah

One Sunday I had more Temu than Amazon. It was a cart full of orange. It's crazy how it just suddenly exploded.

[obamanut2012]

8. I also occasionally buy stuff from it, and it is fine

No issues at all.

And, what generation are you talking about, because I am an older GneXer in my 50s.

[SheilaAnn]

10. I completely re-did my bathroom (shower curtains, towels/washcloths, rugs, etc.) and loved it all. No problems except

with mail delivery that took way too long. Thanks DeJoy.

[Polybius]

11. ...

[redqueen]

12. Scam or not, it's disgusting. Consumerism on steroids.

I wouldn't buy from them if you fucking paid me

"I'm shopping like a billionaire"

Fuck alllllll the way off

[Army Brat]

36. Lower prices are consumerism on steroids?

So it's okay if I pay 2 or 3 times as much on Amazon?

[GuppyGal]

40. I'm so glad you have your principals!!! But I don't and ordered quite a few neon lights ...which I'm loving !!

[Thermo]

14. Art supplies.

Also love the choices of art supplies watercolors and pastels. puzzles, crafts list goes on. After Radio Shack left I had a hard time shopping for affordable transisters, capacitors and the like including project cases. Temu has helped tremendously.

[AverageOldGuy]

18. "affordable transisters (sic), capacitors and the like including project cases"

Try Mouser Electronics. You can buy one of any item, best prices around, and they sell name brand stuff as well as no-name. Buy from them from time to time for my amateur radio projects.

mouser.com

[obamanut2012]

34. Why Mouser instead of Temu? Same exact stuff

[RockRaven]

15. TEMU is like Amazon Marketplace, they facilitate sales and delivery between

myriad different manufacturers and online customers, with all the products available under one roof.

Their prices are so low because a) it's all cheap crap manufactured in China, and b) they are temporarily operating at a loss on every sale on purpose to build marketshare/name recognition in the western online retail space.

TEMU isn't a flat out scam per se, but there are a couple things to know about them. Unlike Amazon, they allow "astroturfed" product reviews (I'm no Amazon booster, but that particular policy of disallowing is good). TEMU doesn't make anything, they just deliver it, so the characteristics of what you are buying depend on who you are buying it from, and it is virtually impossible for the average customer to know anything about these vendors. And TEMU's super low prices won't last forever; some day they will have to start breaking even and making their prices reflect their true costs.

[meadowlander]

24. c) they're avoiding import duties and undercutting retail stores by shipping directly to customers from China.

Technically you should be paying taxes on what you're buying from them but they know that the government doesn't have the resources to go after people for millions of micro-transactions.

Meanwhile, the planet slowly roasts while millions of people to save a dollar or two ship goods halfway around the planet that could just as easily be manufactured down the street in non-slavery conditions.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/22/shein-temu-evade-us-tariff-and-human-rights-law-on-imports-house-report.html

[AverageOldGuy]

16. Well . . .

I drove from the shores of the Chesapeake Bay to New Orleans to visit cousins and back in a pair of Wrangler jeans and a no-name
T-shirt both of which I bought from WalMart six years ago, all without a problem.

My laptop purchased from Amazon has never had a problem for five years.

Built my 3,200 sq ft waterfront home with materials purchased from local building material supplier, furnished it with the stuff I have had for decades.

Been buying occasionally from Amazon for ten years, no problem with shipping, no problem with the occasional return.

Don't use tik-tok, instagram, Facebook, or any other social media . . . I guess my life is very unfulfilled.

[obamanut2012]

26. You are using social media right now, DU is social media

Temu is not social media.

The clothes you wore were made in China, Pakistan, wherever, not the US. Many of the home materials you sued also came from China. You have a threadful of folks, NOT YOUNG FOLKS, who use it and we've had no problems.

But, you do you.

[orleans]

39. i remember when walmart had signs all over the store "MADE IN THE USA" but that was in the 80s or 90s

for the last thirty years or thereabouts they really don't sell anything made in the usa. it's all china et al.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

17. Their ads pop up all over Facebook. I swear they make almost everything look like a sex toy.

Or maybe I've just got a dirty mind.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

19. I think they just sell a lot of sex toys nt

[haele]

20. Temu, like TicToc, What'sAp, and WeChat is not allowed on Government devices..

These apps, no matter how useful, are cybersecurity risks, as they subsidize much of their losses through some serious data scrubbing on devices that access those apps.
There have been worms and Trojans found on Temu and TicToc, so like a lot of apps, YMMV.

Not saying don't use these sites, but just be aware that if a service selling products at a loss, or is provided free, you're probably the product, not the service or the products they're selling.

Haele

[milestogo]

21. I uninstalled it from my phone - I don't know how it got there in the first place.

But their ads keep showing up on my phone all the time.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

23. It's a stupid ad for junk that keeps popping up on my cell phone

Amazon for the Walmart crowd.

[obamanut2012]

35. "Amazon for the Walmart crowd" -- it is Temu for the Amazon crowd

[sorcrow]

25. I use it. Turn off app notifications.

I use it. It's strangely compelling. Cheap fishing gear. Cheap shoes for the grandchildren. Kitchen gadgets galore. An occasional tool or bit or blade.

I just turn off app notifications. So no more popups for
You ordered...
Your order is being processed.
You order is on the way.
Your order arrived.
How did you like your order.
Order now for a discount.
etc. ad infinitum.

I've returned items. No problem.

Best regards,
Sorghum Crow

[captain queeg]

27. They offer bounties, or gifts or whatever, for referrals. I've gotten a couple texts from people I know

They don’t hide that they will get something from the referral. So far I’ve just deleted anything like that that I’ve received.

[Croney]

28. I bought a beautiful shirt from Temu, and when I had to return it

because I'd bought the wrong size, they paid for return shipping and promptly sent the new one. So I ordered same shirt in two more colors. Under $10 each and they're very nice. I don't doubt that some people have had problems though.

[exboyfil]

29. I have had good luck with them

Have a pair of bluetooth headphones (external speakers) that I use constantly for under $10 if I remember correctly.

[Oneironaut]

37. A symptom of end-stage capitalism.

It’s a step away from just being an open scam, which Wall Street would approve of.

[vercetti2021]

38. I buy stuff on there to sell on my ebay store

Just can't pass up on certain items. Just sadly part of our capitalistic society. But being a manager at a coffee shop isn't getting into the fortune 500 for me. So its my side hustle. Never had any issues with them.

[ProfessorGAC]

41. Just Don't Download The App

If you do want to buy from them, it can be done online, as a guest.
No notifications, no scams.