TEMU - Is it Legit or Scam???

TEMU is the latest buzzword, shaking up the North American ecommerce world!!!!

How many of you have been constantly receiving ads, notifications in your emails and all of your social media platforms about TEMU? Until a few days ago, I haven't heard the word "TEMU". If someone talked to me about it, I would have brushed off the conversation thinking it is just another scam. When I received the first email, that was my immediate reaction and deleted it. But after few more notifications, I got curious and started digging about it, only to realize that it is an ecommerce app similar to Aliexpress, Wish, Shein etc. selling products at lower prices. 

Since China is ruling the ecommerce market, I naturally thought TEMU should also be part of China's ecommerce ecosystem, and my guess was right. Though TEMU is headquartered at Boston, this online retailer is a subsidiary of Pinduoduo (PDD), Chinese ecommerce giant with close to 900 million users. So technically, TEMU is supposed to be a completely safe and a legitimate website to shop from. 

PDD has launched TEMU in the United States in Sept 2022, with an aim to take over the American market, despite the political unrest between both the countries. TEMU has entered into the Canadian ecommerce space too, on 3rd Feb this year and currently these are the only two geographies TEMU is operating. TEMU is selling leather jackets for $24.29, Lenovo earbuds for $7.98, sports shoe for $6.69, smart watch for as less as $1.99 etc. (All prices stated here are in USD). Continue to read this article to know more about how TEMU is offering goods at such low prices. 

TEMU stands for "Team Up, Price Down". 

• It sells products directly from Chinese workshops/ vendors to the consumers, thereby eliminating middlemen's involvement. Since the product is directly shipped from China to America/ Canada, there is no inventory and hence no warehouse cost and the related operating cost. That's how TEMU is able to offer such lower prices. 
• Unlike Aliexpress or Wish, they do not do drop shipping, and so they don't have to look out for inventory after receiving the order. This enables them to have greater control over their product listing and are promising faster deliveries unlike Wish and AliExpress, where the delivery could take weeks together and sometimes months. 
• In addition, TEMU is also offering the customer a credit of $5 if it couldn't meet the delivery time promised at the time of ordering.

TEMU has been the most downloaded app in the United States (24 million downloads) since its launch and has been implementing great strategies to spread its wings faster. It's picking up faster in Canada too. In just a month, the app downloads have crossed 10 million in the country. Attractive ads across all the social media platforms, up to 90% discounts as part of its grand launching in the US and Canada, free shipping and returns up to 90 days, $5 credit for missed delivery dates, additional promotional offers (coupon codes) through social media influencers etc. 

Its biggest and the intelligent move was its Super Bowl debut just a couple of weeks back. TEMU displayed a commercial during the game encouraging the audience to "shop like a billionaire", where you really don't have to be one😀CNN reported that a TEMU's spokesperson quoted “Through the largest stage possible, we want to share with our consumers that they can shop with a sense of freedom because of the price we offer”. 

It's too early to judge or conclude whether TEMU will be able to maintain the low prices, free shipping and other offers in the long run or all these just their strategy to capture the market early on. 

We find wide range of goods on TEMU's website - Home & Kitchen, Electronics, Sports, Toys and games, Bags and luggage, beauty and health, arts and crafts, gardening etc. all at very attractive prices. There had been mixed review from the customers though. While many are extremely satisfied with the products and prices, few have had not so good to worst experiences with respect to product quality, shipping and returns. Another catch is about shipping, we have to place a minimum order of $20 to avail free shipping. 

Every beginning, every new attempt will have to face a fair share of criticism and will be looked with raised brows initially. "These prices are too good to be true", "The product quality won't be good", "I doubt the goods will be delivered", "This is just another scam", "I don't want cheaper quality products" etc. are the likely thoughts that immediately flash in our minds looking at TEMU. 

I reserve my comment as I am waiting to receive my first order from TEMU and shall share my review about the products and process soon. So watch out this space. Until then, happy reading and happy shopping!!!

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Edited: On 8th Apr to include the below video.

You can check out my experience with TEMU in the below video. I have shown the products I purchased along with my review.