Temu

ExDancer

I do find the 'slave labour' argument a difficult one. If we succeed in putting the Slave Employers out of business, the 'slave' (or child) labourer looses her/his job - and perhaps her family starve.
We can't change China's ethics unless we change the whole country - and yes, it does worry me.

I agree with this entirely.

We cannot approve of poor working practices, but unless we live in that culture we cannot know what happens if our actions in the west result in lost jobs. Do these people then starve?

They may be making a choice between enduring unacceptable working practices or starvation. We rightly do not approve of this one bit, but stopping trading with them may not be the answer for them.

I simply do not know ........

I do hand money ,and my card, over to local shops regularly. It keeps my High Street alive, people employed, and busy streets are safer streets.
Sometimes I like to see, touch, and consider a purchase before committing.
If I walk, or take the bus, it cuts down on the number of delivery vehicles.
I don't see these activities as a virtuous, more a matter of common sense

They are not one company.

It’s e-commerce company PDD Holdings, operating as an online marketplace and facilitating sales to customers by other companies.

ExDancer

I do find the 'slave labour' argument a difficult one. If we succeed in putting the Slave Employers out of business, the 'slave' (or child) labourer looses her/his job - and perhaps her family starve.
We can't change China's ethics unless we change the whole country - and yes, it does worry me.

It worries me too. Another worrying aspect is the use of child Labour in mining resources for the devices we use every day even to comment on GN.

I do find the 'slave labour' argument a difficult one. If we succeed in putting the Slave Employers out of business, the 'slave' (or child) labourer looses her/his job - and perhaps her family starve.
We can't change China's ethics unless we change the whole country - and yes, it does worry me.

BlueBelle

They are an umbrella of companies some have horrendous human rights we have no way of knowing that the item you buy has not been made in a sweat factory unsafe for humans, often using children and mostly woman who are tied to these dreadful companies If your are all comfortable with that then fine I m not
I bet none of you would knowingly buy make up tested on animals or clothes made out of animals would you ?

Well I do buy woollen jumpers and I used to buy silk shirts (so unkind to the silkworms).

I might buy cotton garments, but then I read this:

Working conditions in the cotton industry vary globally but often involve hazardous environments, including exposure to pesticides and cotton dust, leading to serious health issues like lung disease. Child labor, forced labor, and debt bondage are significant problems, with children facing violence and exploitation. Low wages, long hours, and unsafe factory conditions are common, while women are often relegated to lower-paying tasks.

I’ve even bought things made from recycled materials, except that,

Even recycled synthetic fabrics can contribute to microplastic pollution, a problem that requires ongoing innovation to solve.

End-of-Life Issues:
Once garments made from recycled plastics (like bottles) reach their end of life, they often end up in landfills, and clothing itself is challenging to recycle again.

Then again, there’s the problem of working conditions;

Factories that turn recycled plastics into garment fibres operate under a wide range of conditions, with risks including exposure to toxic chemicals, physically demanding labour, and potential labour exploitation, especially within the fast fashion supply chain. While the process involves sorting and melting plastic, workers in these processing plants can face health issues like respiratory problems and skin irritation from chemical exposure, as well as musculoskeletal injuries from manual handling and fatigue. For the garment manufacturing itself, conditions vary greatly, with some companies ensuring fair wages and safe environments, while others may engage in labor exploitation, including forced and child labour, to meet fast fashion demand

However, I wouldn’t knowingly buy Yorkshire Tea, from anywhere.

Would you anything from a UK firm like Lakeland which makes it difficult to find out where its products are manufactured?

They are an umbrella of companies some have horrendous human rights we have no way of knowing that the item you buy has not been made in a sweat factory unsafe for humans, often using children and mostly woman who are tied to these dreadful companies If your are all comfortable with that then fine I m not
I bet none of you would knowingly buy make up tested on animals or clothes made out of animals would you ?

Maggiemaybe

So do I. No, with the best will in the world we can’t know the working practices of every company on the market, but I’ve read enough about this one to know I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.

They are not one company.

Yorkshire Tea have succumbed to selling on the site.

www.temu.com/search_result.html?search_key=yorkshire%20tea%20bags%20bulk%20buy&search_method=suggest&sprefix=Yorkshire%20Tea

So do I. No, with the best will in the world we can’t know the working practices of every company on the market, but I’ve read enough about this one to know I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.

25BlueBelle

I will not buy from them on principle it’s a hideous group of businesses that use slave labour a lot of Uyghurs are used and are treated abominably They work 15 hours a day they have to work about six weeks before they get a day off it is modern day slavery
Read up about it and if you still think it’s ok to use then that’s up to you but I won’t.

100% agree with you.

KeepingQuiet
What is really necessary? To me that would mean different things from what it mean to you. 😅😅😅

My necessity was a replacement part for my UK made tap. I wasn’t impressed to find I couldn’t buy it at a shop, not even the local plumbing centre.

Most people would liek an air-fryer a necessity, but I don't own one.
So . . . That could be a new thread
What you don’t consider a necessity

If you did want one, I’ve already mentioned the difficulty of finding one that is UK made.

Sara1954

Amazon is definitely not always the cheapest option
You’re right.
That’s why Google is so useful. You can easily find the cheapest.

Amazon is definitely not always the cheapest option

Sara1954

Never have and never will.
Same with Amazon, I prefer to go without if that’s the only place I can find something.

I agree. I google around until I can find alternatives.

Boz

Great value on Mulberry silk vests and pillowcases. Never had a problem.
In view of the fact that people are suffering with the Cost of L. they offer a lifeline to cheap goods.
Slightly off-piste but I find it irritating that there is still a cohort of people - usually elderly - that see virtue in trailing round shops for stuff - food, clothes etc.. I don't. Rarely pass money across a counter these days.

What a peculiar and offensive point of view. Why would it irritate you that some people - of whatever demographic - would choose to go to shops? As far as I'm aware, we all have freedom to choose how and where we buy the things we need. I don't look forward to a future where we all sit in our homes and expect everything to be delivered. How boring and isolating that would be.

Mollygo

keepingquiet

That's because the firm/producers? paid their staff and decent wage and ensured good working conditions, and the big boy at the top wasn't creaming off the profit for his vanity projects?

I would have paid the extra £4- but probably have gone to the shop if there had been one...

It’s good to know that since they have their own website, that means the firm, who sold my duvet, paid their staff and decent wage and ensured good working conditions, whilst extending their advertising via Amazon.
(Do all UK firms pay decent wages and have good working conditions?)

Despite buying via Amazon, according to the delivery tracking and labelling, the package came direct from the firm, making it strange that they would have charged £4 for delivery to anyone happy to pay the extra.
Then . . . 😱😱😱
despite it being a UK firm, possibly paying a decent wage and ensuring good working conditions . . . the duvet was made . . . in China!

Dunelm, my usual go to place for non online shopping, without having to travel a long way, didn’t have what I wanted.

I did look at Nightlark, whose products are made in Estonia, though where some of the components come from is uncertain.
But they didn’t have what I wanted and
workers in Estonia are not considered "well-paid" in comparison to the average for the European Union.

In the end we all have our sticking points, sometimes driven by what we can afford, or whether we’re prepared to pay extra for the same thing, or how mobile we are, or if it’s really necessary and we can’t get it anywhere else. 😁

I think it's a given that most people buy their on-line stuff from Amazon. Not always what they can afford, but because it's cheaper. Yes, some people, a minority I guess, are paying more to source the same thing regardless of the price difference but because it has more value to them?
Yes, people use on-line shopping due to mobility problems I guess but that doesn't mean they only use Amazon either.
What is really necessary? To me that would mean different things from what it mean to you. Most people would liek an air-fryer a necessity, but I don't own one.
Can't get it anywhere else? Well, that was my point really- most people don't know there is anywhere else!!
Any this isn't my only rant of the day and it's wearing me out...

Have never shopped with Temu or Shein. I avoid anyone shipping from China, so many cisterns/taxes/tariff problems nowadays. I believe Temu have had to stop trading in the US as it’s no longer worth their while.

DollyRocker
Nearly everything is made in China, how do we know which suppliers are ethical out of the 100s or 1000s of factories?
Which is more ethical? Admitting your goods are produced in China, like Ninja or making it almost impossible to find out where your goods are produced like Lakeland?
Trying to buy a UK airfryer I hit a brick wall with Lakeland until . . .

It is not publicly known where Lakeland air fryers are manufactured, as Lakeland is a retailer that sells products under its own brand. . Like many brands, Lakeland outsources its manufacturing to third-party factories, likely in Asia, to produce its air fryers.

keepingquiet

That's because the firm/producers? paid their staff and decent wage and ensured good working conditions, and the big boy at the top wasn't creaming off the profit for his vanity projects?

I would have paid the extra £4- but probably have gone to the shop if there had been one...

It’s good to know that since they have their own website, that means the firm, who sold my duvet, paid their staff and decent wage and ensured good working conditions, whilst extending their advertising via Amazon.
(Do all UK firms pay decent wages and have good working conditions?)

Despite buying via Amazon, according to the delivery tracking and labelling, the package came direct from the firm, making it strange that they would have charged £4 for delivery to anyone happy to pay the extra.
Then . . . 😱😱😱
despite it being a UK firm, possibly paying a decent wage and ensuring good working conditions . . . the duvet was made . . . in China!

Dunelm, my usual go to place for non online shopping, without having to travel a long way, didn’t have what I wanted.

I did look at Nightlark, whose products are made in Estonia, though where some of the components come from is uncertain.
But they didn’t have what I wanted and
workers in Estonia are not considered "well-paid" in comparison to the average for the European Union.

In the end we all have our sticking points, sometimes driven by what we can afford, or whether we’re prepared to pay extra for the same thing, or how mobile we are, or if it’s really necessary and we can’t get it anywhere else. 😁

Boz

Great value on Mulberry silk vests and pillowcases. Never had a problem.
In view of the fact that people are suffering with the Cost of L. they offer a lifeline to cheap goods.
Slightly off-piste but I find it irritating that there is still a cohort of people - usually elderly - that see virtue in trailing round shops for stuff - food, clothes etc.. I don't. Rarely pass money across a counter these days.

Elderly people see trailing round the shops as a virtue!! What a patronising and offensive comment. I am old and I shop almost exclusively online. I no longer drive so in the interest of getting out and about I often take a bus and ‘trail’ around the shops. It is good exercise for me.
Surely, if people choose to shop in person rather than ordering on line that is their choice. Without them more shops would close and people would lose their jobs. Our town centres are already in decline without more closures.

I have used Temu. Out of around 20 items, 2 have been disappointing. I left negative feedback and as I didn’t want to return the items to China was immediately offered a credit for one item and a refund for the other. I use them for yarn in particular and have always been happy. As others have said items can take a long time to arrive, though they are improving.
The worst thing is the never ending adverts for ‘offers’ with impossible conditions. Also the claims that something has been reduced from a very high price are ridiculous. If you can get your head round that Temu is worth a look. I’d also recommend TikTok shop. I got 2 excellent waterproof jackets which I really couldn’t fault and some good value yarn too. TT deliver faster than Temu but have a limited range. Like Amazon you have to be wary.

No. Better to be employed than unemployed and they use many,many different companies- how do you know which are bad ones ? They are communists, they look after each other.

Do you worry about the labout conditions Nanna8

They have warehouses all over Australia and are quicker than Amazon as regards delivery. Certain things I have had from them have been excellent value, others trashy and not so good.

Why the arguing over how people prefer to shop? Some like going into shops, others prefer online. Neither is morally superior, is it? It comes down to preference, how comfortable people are with IT, how much time they have (or are willing to devote to) shopping, how close they live to a decent range of shops and more.