Temu, an online marketplace by Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings is growing in it’s popularity in South Africa, with many people all asking the same question: is it safe and is it legit?
The online shopping site which consumers have seen heightened advertisements of on social media sites like Facebook, is gaining interest from consumers due to their heavily discounted prices.
The Temu site appears to be gaining a lot of interest from female consumers from the clothing to the shoes and household products. Prices on the site for dresses range from R57 to R3,668, while a pair of jeans can cost between R176 and R781.
The cost of blouses and shirts for women range from R49 to R1,325 while a pyjamas set ranges from R49 to R1,394.
Other items that are available on the site includes men’s clothing, accessories for your home and kitchen and heath and beauty supplies. The site also offers goods for the outdoor and supplies that can be used in the office or at school.
Temu reviews
Reviews on the site of the women’s clothing has been good with many buyers appreciating the quality of the material and the fit of the clothing. People have also been talking about the great service and quick delivery.
IOL senior journalist Se-Anne Rall wrote on her Facebook on Tuesday: “Guys! My Temu order arrived. l ordered on March 2 and paid customs two days later, R76, and today all the items arrived.
“Quality is also good, items individually packed and it didn't come in a giant box like I was smuggling gorillas into the country,” she wrote.
Some of her nervous friends, who have been exposed to the ads like most other people, said “wow that’s reassuring” and “thank you for taking one for the team”.
However, on consumer Hello Peter there has been mixed reviews about Temu.
Out of 19 reviews on the Hello Peter site, there have been nine reviews with five stars, one review with four stars, one review with three stars and eight reviews with one star. These reviews given Temu an average 3.16 rating.
Consumers that were happy with the service of Temu wrote that items were neatly packed, of good quality and they fitted properly. They also spoke positively about feature that allows people to track their orders and how quickly the orders were delivered.
Reviewers that were unhappy with the site said that had to pay money for their parcel even though they were promised free shipping and that were not able to track their parcels.
There were also complaints that the tax and duties were expensive and that there were hidden costs.
It is important to shop safely when buying online
If you are unsure about the safety of a particular website, like Temu, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your bank account from potential.
Ester Ochse, Product Head at FNB Integrated Advice, said that people should rather use their virtual card when shopping online as this will give you extra protection.
Virtual cards are a safer way to pay when shopping online because every virtual card will have its own unique card number, expiry date and card verification value (CVV) that is always changing.
The added benefit of having a virtual card is that people don’t have stress about losing the card because it is already stored within your banking app.
Carey van Vlaanderen, the chief executive of ESET Southern Africa, a digital security company shares to help people stay safe when shopping online.
Use strong passwords
For all of your online accounts, you should create passwords that are unique and complex. Make sure that you don’t include personal information such as your name, birthdate, or address in your passwords.
Try to create for different online accounts.
Enable two-factor authentication
Having two-factor authentication will add an extra layer of security to your online accounts by requiring a second form of verification, such as a fingerprint or a code sent to your phone.
Keep your software up-to-date
Constantly update your computer and mobile devices with the latest security patches and software updates to protect your devices against known flaws that cybercriminals may exploit.
Avoid suspicious emails and links
Be cautious of suspicious emails and links, as they may contain malware or lead to phishing scams. It is important that you verify the sender of the email and the link before clicking on anything.
Use anti-virus and anti-malware software
You can protect your devices against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software by installing anti-virus and anti-malware software.
Secure your Wi-Fi
Have a strong, unique password for your wi-fi network to stop people from gaining unauthorised access.
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