TEMU Is TRASH (and so was their Response to Our Exposé)

With gamified shopping and low low prices, TEMU has quickly become the biggest ultra-fast fashion powerhouse. But it's not just fast fashion, it's every product you can think of. Literally!

So how unsustainable and unethical is TEMU? Why do people keep shopping their cheap throwaways? And what can we actually do about it?

We go deep into the major issues with this business, how they responded with blatant greenwashing to the article we published on SJ about their practices and what our response was.

00:00 Intro
01:02 What is TEMU?
02:30 How Cheap Are TEMU Products?
03:50 How TEMU Gets You to Buy Buy Buy
05:18 Who is Behind TEMU
06:38 Is TEMU a SCAM?
08:45 TEMU's Response to our Exposé
10:25 TEMU's Sustainability
13:25 TEMU's Ethics
14:35 The Undeniable Appeal of TEMU
16:10 Outro

Resources:

[veronicalyons]

One of the immediate things I noticed about Temu was how they just want you to download their app, which I'm glad you mentioned it here. I'm convinced that they can sell everything so cheap is because they make their real money off of selling YOU via data collection.

[nickmatthaes]

I've never shopped at Temu, but one of my employees is seriously hooked on it. What for me is more disappointing is the vast number of dropshippers who have taken over Etsy. It used to be a great place to get handmade gifts for loved ones, but it's hard to find anything handmade anymore.

[Areeane]

The first time I saw their "shop like a billionaire ad" it showed so many red flags. Their catch phrase itself is borderline dystopian. What I really hear is "Shop like the ones who have immorally hoarded and amassed more wealth than they could ever use at the expense of the planet and everyone else, and buy our unethically and cheaply made products and stolen designs that billionaires would never even touch, and that result in even more waste and exploitation! But don't think of that, think of the catchy song!"

[PikaJess]

It really makes me angry when parents buy childrens toys from there. They have no idea what is in those toys and whether they're safe. It's negligence

[Astermints]

I used to buy from temu pretty often. I quit buying from them because I realized how wasteful it is. So much plastic, and the products are poorly packaged and end up getting to you broken, warped, the wrong size, etc. I was throwing out so many things because they are hoping that we'll say "oh well it was only a dollar I'll buy a new one" and into the landfill it goes. I've gotten some nice things from temu here and there that I still use, but I don't plan to ever shop there again.

[pinkmonkeybird]

I’ve never even opened the temu website, let alone downloaded the app or purchased anything from them. It was pretty clear to me that it was a very problematic brand from its inception, so I’ve stayed clear. But I don’t think I’m their target audience, as I’m old and am more interested in getting rid of stuff than acquiring it at this point in my life.

My college age children have also rejected the site and all the sites selling fast fashion and cheap plastic objects that no one needs, which is who temu is targeting, I think. But one child loves thrifting and upcycling and the other just isn’t a consumer of much beyond books and pens. I guess we’ve taught them well.

I am also concerned about the rampant consumerism that’s overtaken so many people now. Do people really believe they need to buy a new wardrobe every few months? Do they really need to buy dozens of candles made by children or prisoners in “education camps?” Does anyone stop to think why products are so cheap on temu? Do they not wonder about the app they install on their phone? Who are they listening to that tells them this is the way to live? It’s all so alien to me.

[Mischievous_Moth]

How is anyone surprised? I took one look at Temu when it came out and immediately went "This is just Wish 2 electric boogaloo."

[asteroidrules]

It's kind of amazing how basically every e-commerce business in China is exactly the same: platform that relies heavily on a massive blitz of false advertising, sells cheap knockoff products that use stolen IP, hazardous materials, and slave labor, and embeds malware/spyware in their app and website. That basically describes Temu/Pinduoduo, Alibaba/Aliexpress, Shein, Wish, Tiktok, and now its infected Amazon, Etsy, and eBay as well. Every one of them makes another argument for decoupling.

[ZPerpetua]

I mean, the app permissions ALONE should be a deterrent, it can access ALL your info and you have to agree to those permissions to download it. Gross.

[lmzolkosky]

Here's what really worries me. When I find something on Etsy, I often do an image search to make sure it's really handmade and not from a drop shipper. But with Temu ripping off designs, I can't tell if I'm looking at a stolen design on Temu or a mass-produced item on Etsy. It's infuriating.

[UnfundedFanatic]

It’s interesting, the appeal is limited for me because I’ve seen the low quality that comes from sites like this- is it a good deal if it ends up being garbage? On top of that, it really freaks me out that they’re selling things with batteries in them - lithium ion battery fires are really serious and a super big hazard.

[aaronorear]

The first I ever heard of Temu was the ads here on YT. Those alone convinced me to never even visit their site, let alone shop there! The line "Now I believe I can have it!" just threw up so many red flags - consumerism as some sort of self-fulfillment. Really wretched.

[elainelouve]

Agreed on the temptation. I'm pretty much good with avoiding cheap polyester clothing, because it just makes me sweat and feel icky. Also would never buy stuff like a knockoff Stanley cup, as there's no guarantee it would be safe to use, and also I don't see any point in the Stanley cup mania.

However I decorate my planner with stickers and washi, and both Wish and Temu offer like 100 stickers for very little money. They have nice designs - probably stolen - so I've deffinitely been tempted. I also assume stickers wouldn't be such a huge health hazard, as you handle them fairly briefly.

What stopped me from ordering were the shipping costs on Wish, and then I started to also think how overwhelming it would be with a huge load of stickers, but how many of them I'd really be using? So I figured buying locally from small businesses and artists can give me exactly what I want to use, and despite being able to purchase less stickers, there's a chance a lot in the bunch of 100 would go to waste anyway, or I'd need to sell them, which is always a hassle.

[anneagura]

Thanks! I learned so much after accidentally finding this video. I’m going to check out more of your shows and have liked AND subscribed!

[Annie.]

Every time I see a Temu haul video on YouTube I comment about how the app has access to everything in your phone.

[PraveenSr]

Thanks! 🙏 I’m closing my Temu account after watching this video. You made some excellent points

[dirremoire]

Don't people know this is the exact same crap sold on Amazon, only without the middleman?

[spinni]

When the first ads for Temu popped up my first reaction was "this has to be scam or just crap, probably both".

[amarynthiaa]

I never trusted Temu from the start. To have prices that low they're either making them with very suspicious materials and/or the employees who make them are getting paid next to nothing.

[bigmclargehuge]

I bought from Temu once, when they first came out. It was a pack of like 50 stickers for something like ¢.46. I was already suspicious cause of the price, but then the stickers arrived and I recognized some of the art on a few of them, and immediately was like "ah, so its stolen." Have not purchased from them since.