4 Reasons I’ve Started Buying Stuff Through Temu

Temu has exploded as a popular online shopping site all over the world, but at the same time has raised many concerns. I’ve been wary of using it myself, but over time I’ve become a regular customer, and there are a few key reasons why.

4

It’s Been Reliable

A few years ago, I tried ordering something from AliExpress as a test, and I’m still waiting for that package to arrive. Sure, I did get my money back eventually, but I never bothered to order from them again. It was a bad first experience, and I’d rather pay more and use a trusted online retailer.

When Temu became available, I decided to roll the dice again, and ordered a few cheap geeky figures. Not only did it arrive on time, I was able to pretty much track it all the way and the goods were exactly what was advertised. This was an experience closer to what I was used to with established retailers, and this is how Temu crept onto my list of options when I wanted to shop for something.

3

The Process Is Easy

The other reason I’ve started using Temu more often is that the whole purchase process is pretty simple considering that it’s an import purchase. I just put stuff in my cart, pay for the order, and then a little while later I’ll get an additional bill to pay any duty or taxes on the items. It’s the simple process of paying those customs duties that I appreciate.

It’s not as good as importing something from a foreign Amazon site, mind you, since Amazon includes the estimated shipping, tax, and customs duties in the total price, and I’ve never seen them get it wrong. So there are rarely if ever any nasty surprises.

2

I Found Out I Was Buying the Same Stuff Elsewhere Anyway

One of the reasons I started buying stuff from Temu, is that I realized many of the local stores I was buying from were selling me the same products found on the site. These included decorative figures, but most importantly for me, tabletop gaming accessories. I’d recently gotten back into Magic: The Gathering and noticed that the play mats, deck boxes, dice, and card sleeves sold at my local stores were identical to the ones Temu stocked.

Now, I prefer to support my local venue when I can, but they didn’t have the colors and print variations I was looking for—but Temu did. So I took a chance, and got my card boxes and and other accessories without any issue.

1

Most of the Stuff Has Been Fine

One of the big problems I’ve had with cheap items from various online sellers, is that what you see in the photos isn’t what you get when the package is delivered. So far, that hasn’t been the case with Temu. I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, but everything I’ve bought up to this point has matched the description.

Related

I Bought Computer Peripherals on Temu, Here’s How It Went

Temu’s hardware selection is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

Perhaps more importantly, the reviews seem to be genuine, including negative ones which have made me avoid some products. To be fair, I have restricted myself to buying inexpensive things. If they turn out to be unusable it wouldn’t be a huge financial hit. I also haven’t needed to make use of the refund and return facility, so I have no idea whether that experience is any good.

I am now tempted to take a chance on some electronic items on the site, such as emulation handhelds, but again, these are going for such low prices that I’m still comfortable with the risk.

You Get What You Pay For

To say that I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the things I’ve bought on Temu isn’t the same as saying the quality of these items has been great. Some of the figures I purchased are in fact very nice, but it’s a coin-flip for many of them. At $10-$20 a pop I can’t complain too hard though.

As for things like trading card storage boxes, or other similar accessories—they’re adequate, functional, and “good enough”, but Temu won’t replace my time spent on local retail sites, which is absolutely where I will buy big-ticket items, even if there’s a price premium involved.