Melbourne

My housemate has bought a few nick knacks and they've shown up pretty quickly. But he's the kind of twit that buys a $3 dash cam and thinks it's brand name. A few little house stuff that's been helpful, like glasses cleaners and a drain pull thing.

You know those Chinese knick-knack stores that sell cheap plastic crap? Temu is the pushy online version of one of those.

Proceed with caution, they'll try to convince you you are getting a bargain - that is their entire business model. Just know that the price they charge is probably always the price. You'll be given vouchers for $x off, assuming you spend $50 or something. This is also business as usual - you'll always be able to get that deal.

The psychology/manipulation of consumer behaviour of Chinese online retailers is worthy of a PHD study if it isn't already. It's honestly fascinating how they work.

Those caveats aside: if you understand what you are buying and how the game works, then Temu is reliable. You will receive your goods fairly quickly.

I have bought a fair bit. Everything I bought has arrived in a reasonable timeframe, and has been pretty much you would expect for the price point. Their returns policy is good - you can return at no cost, including for change of mind. I've returned a couple of things that were broken/not as described/ just didn't like and have had no problem. A couple of things I had to actually send back, others they just let you keep.

Once you sign up they will spam you constantly with offers, especially if you download the app (which I did, as one of their offers was a discount if I ordered on the app!). Their offers are blatant attempts to manipulate you to buy more, but some of them can save you a reasonable amount of money if used right. Most products also have multiple listings at different prices, so try to find the cheapest one before you order.