Online shopping has continued to grow in recent years, as it provides convenience, a wide range of options, and, in some cases, much more affordable prices. Last year, Temu joined the ranks of popular online marketplaces thanks to its deep discounts and a hefty social media marketing push.
But some customers have been frustrated by delays in receiving their orders, particularly in a world where many of us have become acclimated to Amazon’s two-day shipping. And part of the reason for those delays has to do with where Temu products are coming from.
Where does Temu ship from?
Temu’s website boasts “a global network of suppliers and manufacturers,” although the majority of its items ship from China, where over 80,000 of its vendors are located.
Temu itself is based out of Boston, Massachusetts, but owned by PDD Holdings Inc, a China-based company that operates a similar e-commerce platform in China called Pinduoduo.
What does that mean for customers?
U.S.-based customers ordering from Temu are likely to face longer wait times for orders than they may otherwise be accustomed to. Once an order is placed, the company provides tracking information on its website, although customers have reported issues with the tracking not updating frequently enough. Others have had issues receiving their orders within the time frame provided by Temu—currently 6 to 20 days for standard shipping.
Orders tend to be packaged in bright orange bags, which prompted a customer who reviewed their experience for Insider in March of 2023 to express concern that a simple bag doesn’t necessarily provide adequate protection for long journey of international shipping.
Do Temu customers face additional fees for imported items?
Standard shipping to the United States is free on most purchases, while express shipping might set you back as much as $12.90, depending on your order size. So the company isn’t charging extra to recoup fees for importing goods—and that’s because they actually aren’t having to pay those fees in the first place.
Temu exploits the de minimis loophole, which waives tariffs for items shipped to individuals in the U.S. as long as the value remains under $800. This gives it an advantage over U.S.-based companies that sell products made overseas. These companies import all of their products, pay the appropriate tariffs, and ship them to customers and retailers from U.S. warehouses, whereas Temu can ship tons of small orders directly from vendors in China to individual customers.
While this helps keep prices low, it’s also prompted investigation in Congress, as some have worried exploiting this loophole undermines U.S.-based companies and opens the door to human rights violations.
What do people think of Temu?
TikTok has some animated discussion regarding Temu. Videos the Daily Dot has covered include a TikToker who claimed Temu “leaked” her information and led her PayPal account to be hacked, another who noticed a Temu-purchased air fryer had a setting for “deanuts,” and someone else who contended her Temu-purchased skincare product bleached her skin after she applied it to her face.