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What is TEMU, is it safe to buy from them?

(146 Posts)
ExDancer Mon 04-Nov-24 11:33:52

Adverts for temu keep intruding everywhere but I've been told its a Chinese firm, and advised not to use them.
I'm currently searching for a size 5x (!) sweater for a family member, it has to have a Vee neck, and I just can't find one anywhere unless I'm going to pay £100+ for it (and he's not THAT close a family member).
Every time I post a request for vee necked sweaters - up pops Temu!

keepingquiet Mon 04-Nov-24 11:41:06

I buy very little on-line. If you can't find the right thing in a shop then why not buy a store voucher so they can find what they want themselves. They can make up the cost.

Most clothing stores will now order stuff in for you if they don't have it in stock. Next are particularly good at this.

Luckygirl3 Mon 04-Nov-24 11:41:23

I have not used it - but it is all over the place and very hard not to see adverts all the time popping up.

Try this: uk.trustpilot.com/review/temu.com

Reviews are either excellent or awful.

www.avast.com/c-is-temu-legit#:~:text=Temu%20is%20as%20safe%20to,and%20shared%20with%20data%20brokers.

Another assessment of whether it is safe to order from them.

Theexwife Mon 04-Nov-24 11:42:04

My niece is always on Temu, seems to have a delivery most weeks, she has never had a problem, when she needed to make a return it was quick and easy.

nanna8 Mon 04-Nov-24 11:42:18

Bigger than Amazon, apparently! I have bought tons of stuff from them. Some very good, some rather cheap and nasty. They always deliver pretty quickly and I have found them quite easy to deal with. I have had some lovely bedding and t shirts and their shoes are ok but you have to measure your feet exactly and not go on their numbers! Dresses- not so good but that might just be me. Sweaters were fine.

eddiecat78 Mon 04-Nov-24 11:44:30

Please don't buy from them, they are one of the most unethical companies

shysal Mon 04-Nov-24 11:50:39

I have bought a few cheap items from them with no problem. Quality-wise you obviously get what you pay for. My last purchase was a set of period/leakproof pants which seem fine and fit well, true to size. They give a delivery date and if the item is delayed they promise to reimburse some of the payment.
Chum's and Cotton Traders sell V-necks, but I'm not sure of their size ranges.
Good luck with your search.

BlueBelle Mon 04-Nov-24 11:57:24

Unfortunately although some of the stuff looks lovely, ethically it’s a terrible company for human rights If your conscience is ok with that then fair do s, loads of people use it I think quality is hit and miss but very very tempting

The workers are kept in awful conditions working 12/15 hour shifts with no rights at all hence the cheapness Read up on it and see if you are happy to buy of them
I believe there is also stuff about not paying taxes but I m not up on financial stuff
We are flooded with their adverts it’s hard not to fall for it

BlueBelle Mon 04-Nov-24 12:02:44

They are using the poorest of ethnic minorities in China as forced Labour do read up on it then you can decide if you want to be part of it or have a conscience about what they are doing

crazyH Mon 04-Nov-24 12:05:41

I have just ordered some towels from Temu - will let you know

Elegran Mon 04-Nov-24 12:11:58

It operates rather like Amazon - selling stuff on behalf of the same kind of firms who sell stuff on Amazon, and getting commission from the sellers - but it is based in China and so are most of the sellers and the goods are even more likely to have been made in Asia than the ones on Amazon.

As you can't tell what the quality is, or the size could be more suitable for a tiny Asian beauty than a bigger Western woman, you could want to return it. Returning stuff can be difficult if the seller is in China, and you are often expected to pay the carriage yourself to return goods.

Check up on return and complaint policies and customer service, and whether they have an office in your country, before you buy.

Marthjolly1 Mon 04-Nov-24 12:15:10

Definitely a no-no from me. I have bought from them clothes and shoes. Not impressed with the quality, or the customer service. I bought a great looking pair of shoes, measured my feet for sizing but they were about 2 sizes to small and very narrow. They refused to take them back so a total waste of money. They were put in tge charity shop. And then I read up on them and agree with everything Bluebelle has said. Never again.

petra Mon 04-Nov-24 12:16:50

Temu as such do not produce any goods. They are a platform for other companies. Companies that you buy from on EBay or Amazon.
Not many people question where those cheap goods come from.

petra Mon 04-Nov-24 12:24:34

Elegran
Returning to Temu couldn’t be easier. You scan the labels on the parcel you received. Cut out and put those labels in the parcel.
Go to post office produce the scan on your phone. Your money is in your bank a/c the next day.

Sarnia Mon 04-Nov-24 12:34:24

Very similar to Shein. They are not alone in using cheap labour and on the other side of the coin are providing jobs to those who may be unemployed otherwise.
I have bought items from both Temu and Shein and had a mixed bag. Some clothes are real value for money whilst others have gone straight to the charity shop.

aggie Mon 04-Nov-24 12:40:37

I got a new bag for my rollator from Temu , the bag was to be held on by big press studs , these were in the closed position when I got the bag .
Trying to attatch it to the frame should have been easy , but instead of the studs pulling apart they came adrift from the fabric
Temu told me to dump the bag after taking pictures and sending them I was told my refund was in the form of a token to buy more rubbish from them !
I didn’t use the tokens as I didn’t want anything else , so I’m not a fan of Temu

twinnytwin Mon 04-Nov-24 12:48:58

It's a definite NO from me. My conscience would not let me.

SpanielCuddler Mon 04-Nov-24 13:12:10

Lots of places online have a Big and Tall range. Jacamo and Marks and Spencer both do size 5xl, just examples.
I wouldn’t shop at Temu.

Summerfly Mon 04-Nov-24 13:24:11

I couldn’t buy from a company whose workers have no rights. As Bluebelle said, these workers have no rights whatsoever, and are paid very poorly.

Davida1968 Mon 04-Nov-24 13:37:52

Absolutely won't touch it with a bargepole.

Su22 Mon 04-Nov-24 13:47:10

Have you looked at the Premier Man website some of their jumpers go up to size 6xl. I used to buy from them a lot for my late husband.

HowVeryDareYou2 Mon 04-Nov-24 15:15:07

I've used Temu a lot. I don't use the app, I order everything on my computer.

Some of the stuff is tat, but the majority of the things I've had have been excellent, and the very same items are on Amazon for a lot more money. I've had clothes, cat toys and blankets (which my cat loves), as well as things for the garden and home.

BlueBelle Mon 04-Nov-24 15:58:49

Exdancer
Another way companies like Shein and Temu keep their prices low is by using garment workers, typically in Southeast Asia, who work long hours for low pay and typically without an employment contract

* When you look into where Temu gets its goods from, where in China it is producing them, you can see that these are areas where we know that there is the use of force Uyghur slave labour*

During peak season, they may work until 2 or 3 am in the morning to meet the fashion brand's deadline,” . “Their basic wages are so low that they cannot refuse overtime - aside from the fact that many would be fired if they refused to work overtime. In some cases, overtime is not even paid at all.

If you’re happy with this carry on buying

eddiecat78 Mon 04-Nov-24 16:03:49

They have no consideration for their workers or their customers or the environment. And the sheer volume of tat that they produce is destroying many companies who have better ethics. I'm saddened that so many here support them without educating themselves first.

sharon103 Mon 04-Nov-24 16:05:24

I've have bought three things from them. All arrived and good.
I would only buy from them if I couldn't find what I wanted elsewhere.