An app you will have heard folks discuss just lately is Temu. It’s turn out to be one thing of a darling on TikTok and is shortly establishing itself alongside Shein because the go-to place for style bargains. The query is whether or not Temu is legit and secure to make use of.
What’s Temu?
Temu is a procuring app that provides merchandise at such low costs that they appear too good to be true. Its tag line – Store like a billionaire – could also be a bit of optimistic, however there’s little doubt that loads of the products discovered on Temu can be inexpensive to most individuals.
There are just a few catches, in fact. Whereas you should buy, for instance, a pack of 5 hair clips for only a few pennies, there’s a minimal order worth (£10 for these within the UK).
One of many causes Temu is so standard with children and teenagers is its gamification, providing even cheaper costs and free merchandise once they share on social media and get pals to enroll. You’ll be able to’t use the app for very lengthy earlier than seeing mini video games (spin the wheel, for one) to win Temu credit score, making it extra alluring for these on pocket cash finances.
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Is Temu secure to make use of?
As long as you’re joyful coping with suppliers which are based mostly in China, with the potential delays to deliveries and the problems this would possibly carry with returns, then Temu is far the identical as different on-line retailers.
It’s usually in comparison with the likes of Want, AliExpress and Shein, different Chinese language procuring portals. Temu does provide all kinds of merchandise although, protecting a way more different number of classes than the fashion-focused Shein.
On the time of writing, Temu had an total ranking of three.9 (out of 5) from 276 buyer critiques on Trustpilot. Many are optimistic in regards to the cheap nature of the merchandise, whereas others complain of a disparity between the pictures on the location/app and what they really obtain. Others complain in regards to the high quality of the products themselves.
It stands to purpose that in case you’re paying rock-bottom costs, you’re not getting a premium product by way of your letterbox. A part of the issue is that so lots of the merchandise are knock-offs of pricey Western manufacturers, resulting in disappointment for those who don’t realise they’re not the real merchandise.
Should you’re sad, Temu says you possibly can return items totally free and obtain a full refund in case you achieve this inside 90 days. Temu additionally presents credit for deliveries that take too lengthy. You’ll be able to verify the small print on the Temu Buy Safety web page.
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Does Temu take my information?
Once more, like most on-line retailers, the apps will retain sure information about you. This will embody cost particulars (to will let you shortly check-out the following time you store), your app actions and your system ID. Each of the latter may very well be shared with third-parties as a strategy to service advertisements to you. That is fairly normal stuff although. The dad or mum firm PDD Holdings did get in bother with Google a short while again, on account of one other of its procuring apps, Pinduoduo, wanting an excessive amount of data.
This led to it being quickly faraway from the Play retailer. Temu doesn’t have the identical drawback, with its permissions deemed ‘much less aggressive’ by analysts.
The place is Temu based mostly?
The origins of Temu are a bit of sophisticated. Its dad or mum firm PDD Holdings was initially referred to as Pinduoduo Inc., and situated in Shanghai, China. This was modified to PDD Holdings, and the registered places of work moved to Dublin, Eire. This isn’t unusual, as many abroad firms register in Eire as a strategy to reap the benefits of the low taxes they must pay, plus having a gateway into the EU market.
There are additionally places of work in America and Canada, as the corporate continues to develop. It appears doubtless that the oversight and selections of PDD Holdings stay in China, as do nearly all of the merchandise it sells, however the official paperwork says in any other case.
Are merchandise bought on Temu moral?
Let’s be lifelike. Low-cost merchandise, bought in bulk and shipped the world over are by no means going to be excellent news for the surroundings. That’s as true for Amazon as it’s for Temu. Whereas firms can positively attempt to scale back their influence on the world, there’s solely a lot that may be executed with this enterprise mannequin.
Nonetheless, the surroundings is maybe not the largest concern. A Channel 4 documentary aired in October 2022 uncovered the inhumane working situations in factories that provided Shien with items. These sweatshops are one of many most important methods merchandise will be bought at such a low price, and it’s uncertain issues are any totally different at Temu’s suppliers.
Temu does have a Third Get together Code of Conduct doc that outlines how any companions should be sure that its staff are handled with respect, paid pretty and may work safely. There are additionally bans of firms utilizing hazardous supplies in merchandise or in the course of the manufacturing course of.
In fact, Shein has comparable insurance policies, however they don’t cease poor working situations or, certainly, from poisonous chemical compounds ending up in clothes and different merchandise.
In addition to this, you solely must look on the Temu app to see how designers and types have their merchandise copied, nearly sure with out permission or credit score.
How do I get Temu?
It comes primarily as an app for Android and iOS, however you may as well entry the location by way of an online browser once you go to www.temu.com.