You’ve probably got a notification from a friend requesting you to open up a Temu app by now, or play a game. Or maybe you’ve made an order or two already. South Africans are ordering from Temu like crazy – but is it safe? Are the products any good? Let’s investigate.
So you want to “shop like a billionaire” with cheap stuff? Well, in life you get what you pay for.
In my experience, it’s win some, lose some with Temu. But fortunately it’s not too much money.
My experience with Temu
On 13 March 2024 I ordered these items:
-A face tracking tripod
-A gps for my cat
-Two remotes for the TVs
On 16 March 2024 I get an email from Buffalo Currier: “Your order cannot be delivered” – I needed to pay customs of R97.36
The items were delivered on 25 March 2024.
The face tracker was a lot of fun. I could move from side to side and this thing followed me around. I think it’s useful for if you are cooking or demonstrating something and you want the camera to follow you without getting someone to hold it. It does need to be charged though, and it will follow other people so it’s not infallible though.
The cat tracker has Apple written all over it, so I was doubtful if it would work with my Android device.
The best win for me has been the remotes. Nicky has this bad habit of holding the remote close to his face, basically breathing all over it so that the buttons don’t work. I keep telling him to give the remote some “social distance” but it seems to be a comforting device, so I’ve been on the hunt for some cheap other ones, specifically that I can label and hide as my own. The cheapest option on Takealot is R138 but here I got two at R55 each. The joy of not hunting for a remote in the couches that may or may not work, and having my own remote, well it’s just one of those mom joys.
I think there are some other cool things on Temu that I would like to try and would be really useful for us as content creators, especially for taking videos of food:
- An adjustable ring light that you can use to take videos or pictures of what’s on the table
- Gooseneck desk phone arm holder. This one you can also use for your webcam, which is quite cool.
Why we need to be careful of Temu
Temu is very smart with all its games and free items in exchange for harassing every last contact on your WhatsApp list, but consider being careful when using this service.
This post on IOL has some good tips, such as using strong passwords, keeping your software updated, avoiding suspicious emails and links and securing your WiFi.
There’s also reports of the Temu and Shein products being made with forced labour.
And this fair to our local retailers?
It’s a popular shopping app
Temu is the most downloaded shopping app after Takealot.
People differ in their reactions to Temu, but bottom line, it is here to stay with its clever gamified advertising.
What do you think?
What have you ordered from Temu?
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