Status: 15.01.2024, 19:16 PM
By: Stella Henrich, Romina Kunze
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The online marketplace Temu entices with low prices. But "shopping like a billionaire" also has its pitfalls. Above all, buyers' rights are neglected.
Boston – With the slogan "Shop like a billionaire", the retailer Temu wants to compete with the big player Amazon in the online market. Technical devices, decorative items, furniture or funny gimmicks can be found in the assortment of the newcomer; often at a conspicuously low price.
But the accusations against the online retailer are increasing. The Boston-based company is accused of supplying low-quality products to its clientele. The customer reviews in the in-house Temu app often look rather meager. Both the quality and the rights of the buyers are criticized. Entrepreneurial sense of sustainability is also missing. Consumer advocates therefore warn against careless shopping at the up-and-comer.
Returns of Temu products free of charge only on first order
Despite the criticism, Temu's business model seems to be succeeding. With offers such as smartwatches for around 17 euros, five pairs of socks for around 1.80 euros and small electronic devices for around 2.50 euros, the online shop attracts many customers. According to an insider report from storymaker.de, the founder's personal fortune grew to $20 billion within a year (as of November 2023).
The often poor quality at online retailer Temu starts with the packaging – and thus becomes a cost trap for buyers. (Symbolic photo) © Nikos Pekiaridis/Imago
Rapid growth and success in e-commerce often have their downsides. As a result, it is becoming increasingly common for cheap products to arrive damaged at customers in Germany. Temu does offer free shipping on all orders and free returns within 90 days. But: According to chip.de, customers who want to return their delivered goods should be aware of some pitfalls.
- The 90-day return period only applies to the first order. If customers purchase multiple products and return some or all of them within the deadline, they will not pay anything for return shipping.
- If customers want to return the goods they ordered from this order later, they will have to pay a shipping fee of three euros for each subsequent return of this first order. Even if there are defects or damage. Often, the return shipping is more expensive than the product itself.
- The goods are often shipped in poor packaging. Consumer advocates advise customers to open the packaging carefully so as not to have to spend additional money on new packaging in the event of a return.
- In addition, there are often long waiting times for the refund. The online retailer informs on its website that the credit note "can take five to 14 business days". Alternatively, customers can be reimbursed for the value of the goods as a Temu voucher; And much faster.
Cheap shop Temu: Not all items in an order can always be returned
However, a return is not always possible. For example, the online marketplace does not take back worn or washed garments. Anyone who has removed labels or hygiene stickers cannot return the ordered goods either. The merchant will also exclude items marked as non-refundable from return.
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Temu - The business with cheap products
The online retailer has been active in the USA since the end of 2022, and in the European market since mid-2023. Unlike Amazon, Temu does not have its own products and is an online-only platform. The goods often come directly from the factory, and prices can be significantly reduced without intermediaries, as digital expert Jörg Schieb explains. In addition, most of them are no-name products. Many manufacturers of the goods are based in China and rely on copies of branded manufacturers, consumer advocates criticize. Often, there is also a lack of quality control.
Consumers should also shop carefully on other platforms, as very few of them have a good eco-balance. But even the online giant is not immune to scams. In one case, a Black Friday customer was holding chocolate in her hand instead of an expensive tablet.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model to optimize at her own discretion. All information has been carefully verified. Learn more about our AI principles here.