I order from it all the time, made 2 orders yesterday. I buy from them and flip on eBay for 100% minimum profit. As for spyware I doesn’t concern me, the entire www is a spy

 

I see ads for it all the time, but I've got no idea what it is. I'm sure this was very helpful. 🙃

 

++ Mods, if this is in the wrong area, please move it. I wasn't sure ++

I hear people talk about it, and I see the ads for great deals, but I have heard it's spyware laden.

Does anyone have any experience with it? Thoughts>

TIA

Funny. Someone on another forum just asked the same question.

Here's my take. Though worth mentioning, I don't use them anymore.

Do not use the app. Malicious data tracking. Potential backdoor to phone.

Use website only. It is legit, however I would recommend a couple things.

1: dont order anything you would care enough to try and return if defective.
2: use a gift card or separate online only CC when purchasing from them.
3: use your junk email only when signing up.
4: Generally, everything is direct from the China. Don't expect super fast delivery.
5: To get the good deals, sometimes there are minimum quantity requirements. Make sure you read the fine print.

 

My thoughts as well.

The website is safe to use. The app seems like spyware.

Additionally, I would be very hesitant about ordering anything expensive, anything that plugs into an outlet, or anything with moving parts you use for food.

Most of the things I've ordered on there are cheap little trinkets. I got some solar lights, some windchimes (excellent for the price - I paid like $3, same thing would have been $20+ on Amazon), etc.

One time I ordered this little non-electric hand blender - like a whisk that you when you press down on it, the whisk part spins and mixes. I ran it through the dishwasher before I used it... so glad I did. All kinds of brown gunk came out from inside of it and seemed to keep coming. I threw it out. I only paid like $1 for it.

I did get some silicon air fryer baskets for like $1 each, and some silicon bread pans for $2 each. Well worth it.

So it's hit and miss.

I've seen ads for bigger things - even one for a garden shed! lol! I would not buy anything like that from them.

 

From what I gather, the spyware is in the app and you give consent when you download the app, just like you do with the Facebook app. The browser website does not have that problem to my knowledge.

Temu is a Chinese company. Most things on there are shipped from China. That said, the deals are real, they do arrive on time or you get money back, some of the things look pretty nice, and they have a super handy 30 day price adjustment feature that is easy to use if the price of a purchased item goes down after you buy it. They offer free shipping to first time customers, too.

I've heard complaints about the clothing purchased through Temu looking nothing like it does in the pictures, but I have not purchased clothing from them, so I can neither confirm or deny this report. Their tablecloths, satin ribbon, and wedding supplies all look fantastic.

 

TEMU? Simply China's version of Amazon where the popular items are already in a US warehouse. The spyware is actually in your web browser that tracks what you click on and then picks the ads/pop-ups based on your browsing habits. Need proof? Use Chrome to search for products and suddenly you see ads all about that very same topic.

 

Don't use the app, order online. It's the same stuff that walmart, amazon and 100 other sites drop ship to you direct from the factories over seas. Lots of youtube videos on it specific products. If the manufacturer is going to make 5 dollars per item I'd rather pay 10 direct from them than 25 to give 3 other middle men cuts of the pie.

That said I probably wouldn't trust their QC. Things I wont buy from them includes meds and food items.

 

Order 2 sheath Knifes from them that looked like Gerber strong arms. They WHERE and even marked Gerber. BUT you pay to play and take your chance. Read the reviews before you order.

 

They are copies. I bought one to compare to my original gerber strongarm.

Plenty of youtube vids of them showing the differences.

Having said that , they are good copies and the steel seems to be decent and usable.

 

Look at the ad closely and pay attention. They have a habit of showing you pics of stuff that is not included or multiples of something when it is only one.

A knife and sheath, perhaps, when only the sheath is for sale.

Buying something that is breakable is iffy too, as they mostly ship in bags and no packing...

 

I used to ignore the links when they came - then I was looking for some white winter camo accessories - US sources were limited & $$$$ beyond reason >>> tried Temu - BINGO - bought several versions just to make sure the uber bargain $$$$ didn't give me garbage - everything was good to go

started looking around - found a bunch of stuff that I was looking for and either couldn't find at all or the $$$ was ridiculous >>> EXAMPLE - the caps for the water cooler jugs - great re-usable caps at uber cheap pricing ....

lengths of cotton wicking for kerosene lamps & lanterns - the mantles for the Coleman gas lanterns >>> just got IBC tote plumbing fittings .....

 

As everyone else has said don't use the app and don't pay directly from your card or bank. I buy bags for bicycles most are same as Amazon but half the price. Fishing line and tackle. Most of the stuff buy I an just cutting Bezos out of the middle. I wouldn't buy knives and stuff like that from them especially counterfeit stuff

 

I’ve bought from them a bunch of times. Never much of a problem, I’ve ordered shirts, shorts & 90% of them have been spot on. But read everything.

 

I have ordered from them multiple times. It is a gamble on some things, but mostly I have been satisfied. Sizing on clothes tends to be pretty off standard US sizes, so I probably won't order clothes in the future. Look and see if the clothing item you are interested has a size chart and go with that. I bought some pants and I needed a 3XL when I am a XL in American sizes.

 

Their return policy is very good. I bought a couple $1.50 t shirts for my son and they were a perfect fit, turns out to be a couple of his favorite shirts, got him some $4 pants coming and we’ll see how those fit

 

I never had a reason to buy from them. I hear its cheap stuff.

 

That's kinda the point.
I paid $4.99 for a auto trim kit.Came with a baziilon of those assorted plastic tabs,fasteners that hold the headliner,trim,plastic pieces,etc..and 3 of the tools to pop them on and off,in a little tackle box type box.
Try that at NAPA,it will last me a life time.

 

My wife orders from there every now and then. Luck has been pretty good other than clothing sizes can be a total crapshoot. Like @cook showed some stuff can be a really good deal. I probably wouldn't buy a knife or tool that's going to be used hard and expect it to last though.

It's like mail order Walmart and really people's opinions of it seem to be about the same as they were towards Walmart 25 years ago.

 

I purchased there many time over the years not so much any more, also Alibaba. I only used the web sites.
Bulk paper, printing/binding supplies, as well as craptastic items for my ETSY shop. Sometimes it was even better than expected for themed current items. But go in knowing its a roll of the dice on what arrives by slow boat, and returns are rarely done and or lost burned.

 

I like it better than Amazon, for whatever that is worth. They sell the same stuff as amazon, for 1/2-3/4 the price and they have more reliable shipping.

And obviously, only ever access through a web browser. I think everyone knows by now NEVER use an app to access something you can get to with a browser.

 

I purchase from them several times a month. Camp utensils, flashlights, some clothing (watch the sizing), small holiday gifts/stocking stuffers. Don't forget bandages/supplies for your first aid kits. They are the least expensive you will find anywhere.

 

Have used TEMU multiple times. As stated, direct ship from China so product quality is not the highest (you get what you pay for). Shipping has a bit of a long lead time, have had numerous items arrive broken do to poor packaging but refund is easy and usually if a low price item they don't want it back.
Cheaper than Amazon and my only true complaint that I find extremely frustrating is item descriptions are lacking as far as size or dimension or length (pants) for some items.

 

The wife is hooked on it, you could say she is addicted to it.

So far the stuff she has gotten has been ok. A drip system for the porch "garden" so far it works well. She got some cool paper clips in the shape of a cross for her father, She got me two pair of thin linen pants for the summer to work in, again seems ok.

I have yet to buy anything from there. It does take a bit of time to get the stuff.

 

What has surprised me, is that things are just thrown in a plastic sack most of the time, but I've gotten fewer broken Temu items, than amazon items. I don't know what happens to amazon boxes, but they usually arrive looking like they where run over.

One thing I really like, is that even though the product thumbnails exhibit typical asian honesty, there is always ONE that has exact dimensions, something amazon doesn't do. Sometimes the dimensions are overlaid over a picture that is radically out of scale, but the numbers are always actually the numbers.

 

I've been tempted a few times by ads I've seen online. I think Temu has been gunning for Amazon and perhaps is having some success. Amazon seems like it's gone downhill big time in the last few years. It used to be that Prime meant I'd have whatever in 2 days, maybe 3. Now, it's a week to two weeks, even if it's sitting in a warehouse less than 100 miles from me.

I've noticed that Temu seems to stick with the low dollar stuff. There have been times when I've had a look at certain items wanting a certain level of quality but they seemed to have nothing for sale that was "better". An example is the mixing board that I use for our band. I paid about $350 for the one I have and it works. But there are features I'd like to have that this one doesn't. And while I can find stuff on Amazon and other places for considerably more money that is of the quality I'm looking for, Temu seems to have a top end of maybe $200 or so and stuff that would be a big step down from what I have. Not that it's bad stuff, just not what I'm looking for.

All that said, I feel like buying from Temu is pretty similar to buying from Amazon anymore. I've had things coming directly from China when ordering from Amazon, too, though they often try to hide that. I've appreciated some of the ads on Temu that said that the product was "in a US warehouse".

 

...it's not just Temu,but the instructions really crack me up sometimes..the words,phrases,translations are priceless.
Saw a pic of a tag on a infants onesie,"remove baby before washing"...

 

That's their joke on us, notice it's in English!

 

I really have mixed feeling about TEMU. On one hand ebay/amazon/walmart/google that I affectionately call the "Internet Mafia" use monopolistic business practices to keep prices artificially high so the platforms that collect 15%-30%+ seller fees while having google artificially depressing smaller "Mom and Pop" websites that can offer better pricing but you can never seem to find them. This is not conspiracy....as an internet sellers I live this hell every single day.

When Ebay started selectively listings using what they call "We've chosen the best items for you" and then there is an additional click to see all search results....they literally drove millions of sellers from the ebay platform.

If you remember all of that super cheap Chinese product that used to reside on ebay for 99 cents and free shipping.....that is largely gone.

China's answer to all of this was to establish a real marketplace for Chinese product in competition to the companies mentioned above. Logically a good idea would be to allow US sellers onto this platform but when I emailed them to become a vendor to the site I got no response. So at the moment this appears to be a closed marketplace.

At the moment, small US based business has only a few small marketplaces where they can sell which includes Public Square and Mammoth Nation.

Hope this helps

HK

 

In the late 80s and 90s, China destroyed most of our manufacturing capacity by dumping cheap products in the U.S. Many people think Temu is Chinas attempt to destroying our own online shops/merchants...fwiw.

 

I'm okay with that. Our own merchants are selling the same stuff....with worse service. Amazon needs competition, it has become terrible over the past four years.