Temu does aggressive marketing and lures with the cheapest prices. (Image: anna.stasiia – stock.adobe.com)
What is currently the most downloaded app in the Apple App Store? Not Amazon, not Netflix and not chat GPT – but Temu. Don’t you know? His company is aggressively promoting the app on social media. The slogan: Shop like a billionaire
.
What is Temu?
In short: Temu is a shopping app. Anyone who downloads and opens them is bombarded with offers – so much so that one might think the seller is being cynical and that this is a fake shop.
Everything you see there can also be bought at the offered price.
From technology to clothing to absolute nonsense like slippers for hamsters, you can buy almost everything on Temu. The shop itself does not have a warehouse, but functions purely as a digital marketplace for retailers, primarily from China.
There is also a Chinese company behind Temu. Although Pinduoduo founded the shopping app in Boston, USA, in 2022, it comes from the Middle Kingdom itself.
How does Temu work?
Offers everywhere and for everything from technology to kitchen utensils to bathroom rugs.
There are several reasons why Temu can offer its goods so cheaply. On the one hand, of course, that it is often junk. Other factors are:
- Goods are sold ex works: Wish and AliExpress also build on this
- No warehouse: Goods in stock incur costs that Temu does not have.
- Shipping by Pinduoduo: There are intermediaries, but Pinduoduo bundles the shipping.
- Large network: Many manufacturers produce for Pinduoduo.
In addition, Temu has its own feature: The more often a product is bought, friends invited and discount codes used, the cheaper the shop offers its goods.
Does Temu have a catch?
The large selection and the absurdly low prices make you falter. You have to consider this when you order products via Temu:
- Cheaply produced goods: Sustainable production cannot be expected at these dumping prices. With its headquarters abroad, Temu is also not subject to applicable EU law.
- Psychological Tricks: Temu will keep trying to sell you more products; even after the purchase is complete, you can add goods to the order until it ships.
- Long waiting times: Shipping is from abroad, delivery can take weeks despite service providers such as DHL and Hermes.
- Additional costs: Customs and delivery fees may apply.
A look at Trustpilot, a website where you can rate services, reveals more details. 46 percent of the customers who rated it with five stars are satisfied or even positively surprised.
However, other customers complain about the poor quality of the goods, complain about the customer service and the language barrier or wait in vain for their order.
Can you trust Temu?
As for the website itself: Yes, Temu is a real shop with real goods.
As for the app: This requires access to photos, videos and the address book. Even WLAN data is queried – and that gives food for thought.
A rule of thumb: The more permissions an app asks of you, the more critically you should look at it.
Should you order from Temu?
Bild: Emre Akkoyun – stock.adobe.com
This is of course up to you. Note, however, that you should not expect quality goods at such prices. The circumstances under which the products are manufactured are also not visible to us. What is bought will not be sustainable either.
We’ll put Temu’s gadgets to the test ourselves and let you know if there’s a good bargain hidden among the many offers. You can read more about this soon on GameStar Tech.
Did you know Temu before? Have you ever stumbled across the ad? Or do you generally avoid such online shops? Write it in the comments.