Think Twice Before Buying these items from TEMU
TEMU is an Online Marketplace where everything is sold at a ridiculously low price. The company claims that the low prices are due to mass production, while some reports state that they use slave labor (particularly from the Uyghur province) to keep the prices of the goods affordable.
Most of the items from this website are a HIT, with a few occasional misses. I have compiled a list of some items that you should read the caption very carefully before committing.
1. Anti-Odor Trash Bin with Lid
This looks like a very cute hand-free trash can. But if you read the very long description carefully, you will find out that this is a very small item that is supposed to go on a mini study or dressing table!
In the general pictures and videos, it looks like a decent-sized bin that you can put in your toilet but if you look carefully at the dimensions, it is only 12 inches tall (that is the size of a ruler!
Moreover, the product videos give the impression that its lid has sensors that detect the movement of your hands but if you look very carefully in one of the videos, you will see that it has a fingerprint-sensor type BUTTON, that you have to Press for the lid to open.
2. Smartwatches
A decent smartwatch (even the older models) typically costs upwards of $100. You can get a smartwatch (WITH A LOT OF FEATURES) from TEMU for under $30. They look just like the Apple or Samsung watch.
They measure your steps, distance walked, calories burned, blood pressure, and Oxygen level pretty accurately. They connect to your smartphone very easily and you can conveniently make and receive calls on your watches.
If you have never owned a smartwatch before, this might be a good place to start. The only DOWNSIDE to the TEMU smartwatches is that THEY DO NOT STORE DATA. These smartwatches reset after 1 week.
If you want to keep track of your health data for a longer period of time, and want to compare your number of steps, calories burned, etc over the years, you need a proper android (or apple) smartwatch that connects with the health app on your phone!
For starters, Fitbit is a great option and on sales, you can find a basic, older version for less than $50.
3. Hand-Held Car Vacuum
These very pretty hand-held vacuum cleaners seem very enticing at first, but note that they are the size of a hair dryer! They can be very conveniently used to clean extremely hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of your car, but it will take days to clean your whole car with this type of vacuum cleaner.
In short, this small vacuum cleaner can be a nice addition to your vacuum collection, but it cannot replace your regular vacuum cleaner for your car or home.
4. Wall Art
The wall art from TEMU initially seems quite appealing due to its price. However, it's important to note that these attractive pieces come as canvas prints or Posters, requiring you to frame them yourself at an additional cost. You might find better deals at HomeGoods or, even better, at local art and craft fairs.
Recently TEMU has added options for wall art with frames included, but they start in price from $40.
5. Plastic Food Storage Containers
These food containers are not very large and can’t contain a lot of product. Secondly, they are cheaply made, so they don't work as smoothly as one would like. Lastly, Let’s face it, They do not look very pretty on your kitchen counter. In Fact they cheapen out the overall look of your kitchen.
The most important thing to note is that They are not as affordable as most other items here on Temu!
6. Glass Food Containers
These food containers are very nice actually. They are decent quality, properly air-tight, and easy to clean (as opposed to plastic Tupperware).
However, you need to be wary of the size! They look much bigger in the pictures on the website. In real life, they are TEENY TINY. Mostly they come in 2 sizes, and YOU CANNOT FIT A WHOLE SANDWICH IN THE BIGGER CONTAINER!
In my experience, you cannot fit the leftover dinner or lunch in one container. Moreover, you will need at least 2 Containers to carry your lunch to work.
7. Air Humidifier
Temu is an excellent place to buy humidifiers, especially if you live in a dry climate. These humidifiers have been a game changer for us, increasing the humidity in our studio apartment from 30% to 50% in less than an hour (measured with a small humidity meter also purchased from Temu).
The pastel colors look just as lovely in person as they do on the website. However, there is a small catch: these humidifiers are not battery-operated and need to be plugged in at all times while in use, which can slightly detract from their aesthetics.
8. Air Purifier
Air purifiers on TEMU seem really nice. Most of them do the job pretty much. But the thing is, they are extremely small. Some of the product descriptions mention their capacity (which is about 200-300 square feet on average) which is hardly enough to purify the air in your whole room, much less in your whole house!
Moreover, the filters on these things do not last very long. So you have to spend time and again on replacement filters as well.
However, if you have an open kitchen (in the living room), you can use this air purifier as a deodorizer. For the price, it works great in eliminating the very strong smell of spices, etc in no time.
9. Waxing Strips
At first glance, it may seem very tempting to buy wax strips from TEMU. They are priced at less than $2 for 100 or more strips. But there is a catch. They are extremely small in size!
In the pictures, they appear to be standard size (3” x 9”), while in reality, they are MINISCULE (1” x 3”).
I am also left with 100s of these tiny strips, having no idea where and how to use them!
If you manage to find some decent-size strips on TEMU, they are priced at $10 or more, which is the same as that on Amazon.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while TEMU offers a wide range of products that might catch your eye, it's essential to approach certain items with caution. The products (especially those mentioned above) might seem like a great deal at first, but you should always read the product description very carefully and pay special attention to the sizes.
TEMU has all the features of other major online marketplaces like Amazon and Target, including return policies and short wait times. The only thing it lacks is AUTHENTIC CUSTOMER REVIEWS. So I recommend always leaving honest product reviews (and pictures) of whatever you buy from there, to help out your fellow shoppers!
