The new Temu app is everywhere right now, and people want to know: Is it legit? Is Temu a scam? Are the products real? Will I get my order? Well, I have some answers if you are seeking the truth about Temu.

I was contacted by Temu to be part of their affiliate ambassador program. They sent me $60 to shop on their website, and I got a pretty good haul of things. Everything from a dress to an eyelash curler.

Then I actually went on to do several more orders from them to check out different things and see how the quality was. I discovered not everything on there is worth buying.

*As a side note, Temu dropped me as an affiliate after I posted this article. Apparently, I am not supposed to tell the total truth!

Wondering If Temu is a Scam?

I can honestly say Temu is not a scam… mostly. Some stuff is good, but not everything is legit.

There are some good things on there, but there is also some total crap! So while it’s not a total scam, you should also shop with caution. So read on to find out the good the bad parts of ordering on Temu in this very honest review.

Are the lower priced products the real thing?

Shopping on Temu is a bit of a gamble. It’s better than shopping on Wish, but worse than shopping on Amazon. I feel there may be some, “What I ordered, vs What I got,” posts coming soon. For example, I ordered the Bleame crystal hair remover on both Temu and Amazon. They came in similar boxes, the back looked the same, but upon close inspection there was a difference.

Amazon is on the left, and the surface is smooth like a crystal. Temu is on the right and up close, it looks like a fine mesh. So, it’s like removing your hair with a cheese grater. As a side note, both of these did actually remove hair, but both also left big red irritated areas, so I don’t recommend the Bleame method. (probably a future post there)

So while you may find the same products at deeply discounted prices, they may also be much cheaper imitations of the real thing! While this doesn’t exactly make Temu a scam, it does make it less than trustworthy.

If you find something at an insanely low price, just remember you will be getting something made with cheaper materials and it will probably not work as well as the real thing at the real price.

How long do Temu orders take to arrive?

Most of my orders have arrived in about two weeks. One was late and they gave me a $5 credit! So when ordering on Temu, just expect it to take a long time to arrive. Don’t order anything you need in a hurry. Expect it to take a long time and you won’t be disappointed.

The good part is that they keep you updated the whole way if you have texts activated on your phone. So you always know where your order is. One bad thing though, is that everything will come jammed in a plastic bag. Doesn’t matter what you order, it’s going to be wrapped in a bag. So sometimes delicate things get crushed.

I tried ordering tiaras from there and had to return every single once because it was squashed.

What is the clothing like?

The sizing on Temu has been pretty good so far. I have tried both a dress and a t-shirt. The dress was actually perfect. Great fit and material. I was totally impressed and even wore it for Easter. I also loved the shirt at first, but on the first washing it got all weird, pilled up and had a streak running down the front. So clothing is hit or miss.

Should I use the Temu app or website?

You’ll get the best discounts by using the Temu app. The app will also send you three “gifts” a day to open. The gifts are usually a $12 off $59 coupon, a credit of around five cents and a special shopping collection of things that are marked way down.

What should I avoid ordering?

I’ll be honest, it’s all a total gamble. I find most of the stuff priced under $2 is total junk. I’ve tossed out several random things and also been surprised by the tiny size of some things. The nail polishes I ordered have enough polish for maybe one set. The puzzle I got my son was so bad (loose pieces, very thin cardboard) that he asked me what was wrong with it and then we threw it away. All of the kitchen helper type things I’ve tried have been junk.

Jewelry has been particularly bad. I tried a few tiaras and necklaces, and the quality was pretty low. It looks nice in the photos and what showed up was a bad imitation.

Shop, but Shop with Caution

So in the end, yes, I do recommend checking out Temu because you never know what goodies you will find. But I also recommend using your brain- does it looks too good to be true? Then yes, it probably is.

PS – If you are wondering how the Temu ambassador thing went, I earned a whole $8 from my Instagram post. Not even enough to do another order really. So the next orders I did were all on my own, not free. And I didn’t follow up on doing any more posts on Instagram after that because it wasn’t worth the time I put into it.

Is Temu a Scam YouTube Review:

About the Author

Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.

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