Temu’s Super Bowl ad, in which the company spent millions of dollars on advertising, has sparked controversy. So, is Temu safe to shop from?
Temu is known for selling items at cheaper rates and for its infamous tagline, “Shop like a billionaire”. Items are available in the price range of $0.20 to a maximum of $100, which is too cheap compared to other websites. Due to such a low price range, it has created suspicion among shoppers, ‘Is Temu a legit site?’.
Many people also wonder whether it tracks your phone activity and sells customer’s data. Let’s talk in detail about the safety of the site and whether all these allegations are true or not.
Temu is known to sell a wide range of cheap products, you can easily find branded shoes under $20 and clothes under $10. Electronic products such as earphones, tablets, speakers, mobile phones, and accessories are available for under $100.
If you compare the items with other largest e-commerce websites such as Amazon, you may find Temu lists all the knockoff cheap products rather than branded items. All the items on Temu are unbranded unless it has a blue tick mark.
But it’s worth noting that accessories such as phone covers are available between the price range of $5 – $10 and on the other hand on Amazon the same covers are available for $10 – $20.
Being so cheap even though items are not branded, many people have created rumors related to Temu stealing information. Let’s inspect the safety, the structure of Temu, and how it manages to sell items so cheaply while maintaining its profit.
Due to a lack of affiliation with brands, the website may seem fishy. Temu is infamous for its controversies and allegations, such as Temu credit card theft. Let’s uncover all the facts and controversies:
Many shoppers have complained about the quality of products that arrive at their doorstep. Even their after-service is regarded as poor, and people have to wait months to get their refunds.
All these claims have been neglected by Temu, and they consider themselves a safe place to shop.
They have the most downloaded app on the Play Store and App Store, but it has received a C-minus from the Better Business Bureau due to a lot of customer complaints. Let’s dig deeper to get more insights.
Many e-commerce websites keep your personal information such as name, location, email address, phone number, and bank details. E-commerce websites keep track of your shopping habits and then deploy that data to sell ads.
Temu doesn’t technically sell your information, instead, it passes it on to shipping and ad agencies. Your data is circulated under limits, and it’s not for misuse purposes, if you wish to safeguard such information then it is recommended to stay away from such platforms.
There are lots of questions that can be raised when you visit their website. It is surprising that Temu only uses a single layer of protection and the website doesn’t provide two-factor authentication. Shoppers should be concerned about how their data is being stored and protected.
There are a lot of concerns about whether Temu sells bank details or whether is Temu safe to use credit cards. Till now, we have encountered various red flags with the website, and it’s highly possible that your bank details are being compromised with the website. It accepts a wide range of payment options through PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
Each platform has its level of security, and it is technically not possible for them to access your bank details through these platforms. There is no conclusive evidence; only allegations and reports. However, if any of those articles are true, Temu shoppers should be concerned.
The term legit may differ from person to person, the company does provide cheaper goods but if you are ready to compromise your data to some extent then you can go for it. The quality of the product description and the actual product might differ, and you should consider that as well.
The allegations of Temu selling bank details or personal details are true to some extent, and as an online shopper, you need to become cyber-savvy. Every e-commerce website uses customers’ data to some extent for planning its sales strategy, deciding its targeted audience, and so on, but Temu is much more into the shady side.
So, does Temu steal your information? Nothing conclusive can be said about it, but multiple reports and complaints suggest that it’s not safe. Moreover, the choice is up to you whether you want to use such a website for cheaper goods or you want to preserve your personal information.
Items available on Temu are average-quality products, and the manufacturing cost of such items is quite low. According to a Forbes report, Temu is selling its items at a loss to directly compete with Shein in the US market.
Additionally, Temu relies on ‘di minimis exception’ which means some sellers don’t have to register with the state where they have minimal business. The shipment below $800 doesn’t require to be taxed.
Temu also removes all the middlemen in its entire process, it directly purchases from the manufacturer and sells to the customer. Many online reports suggest that they use child labor and cheap slavery to cut operational costs. According to the Los Angeles Times article, it says that Temu had been using forced child labor and children have also been sighted on their sites.
There are several controversies and allegations that Temu has been surrounded with. But nothing can be said officially regarding this allegation.
If you wish to continue shopping with Temu, you should consider these points.
In conclusion, they can use your private data to some extent because by signing up for an account, you are technically agreeing to their privacy policy.
Security tips on the website acknowledge the company’s responsibility to safeguard customer data. But, ‘Is Temu safe to shop or not?’ is still quite debatable. Overall, we won’t recommend it due to a lot of customer dissatisfaction, personal safety, and data theft.
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Yes, It is a China-based e-commerce platform. It provides items such as clothing, toys, electronics, sports items, tools, and appliances at a cheaper rate.
No, there are no such illegal items listed on Temu, but there are some self-defense items such as knives, batons, folding knives, and disguised knife key rings.
Temu is available for shipping across 50 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Belgium, Austria, etc.
Temu insists that it doesn’t sell bank information. However, many people have reported that Temu indeed sells their personal information, including bank details. It all started when a woman posted her video on TikTok claiming to get alerts from the bank regarding suspicious activity.
Yes, Shein and Temu are different e-commerce websites, Temu is taking over the US market share and is considered a direct competitor of Shein.
