TEMU.com -- Better than Wish.com?

[Kasey Chang]

Hey Kasey....any idea how to turn off Temu notifications on my phone? I swear Ive turned them all off yet Im still getting home screen msgs when I wake up in the morning.

Pretty sure it's under You / Settings / Notifications, and turn off all four.

[hitbyambulance]

i do wonder how much unregulated lead some of these plastics have in them...

* 1 key folding carabiner $2.24

don't people have like several dozen of these around the house already?

[LordMortis]

It's likely just a coincidence but I'm getting spam texts ever since TEMU forced my to give them my number to make a purchase. Once I get my delivery, I'm going to go in and change that number.

[Daehawk]

I couldn't remember my password lol. I usually always write this stuff down but dont seem to have done that this time.. Was too lazy to change it last night.

[Kasey Chang]

* 1 key folding carabiner $2.24

don't people have like several dozen of these around the house already?

Well, this one actually folds INTO the device. It's basically a clone of this. I was a kickstarter backer of this when it launched years ago, but I don't really want to pay $35 to get a new one.

[Hrothgar]

Well, I tried an order. Most of the cheap stuff felt cheap but was functional. I ended up trying the Lenovo Bone Conduction headset. I don't think Aftershokz, now just Shokz, is quaking in their boots. The build quality is decent, but the hard plastic limits confort. The sound is better than I expected. It's pretty much all midrange. There's no high end and no bass. It does get pretty loud if you turn it way up. It doesn't have the vibration problem Shokz do if you turn it up too much. I guess that's the upside of losing the bass.

I wouldn't recommend them for you Kasey. They barely fit me with an average size head. Overall though, they're a pretty good deal for running or biking where you need to have some situational awareness.

Temu shipping was slow. Packaging was fine. Everything arrived with only minor dents to the boxes.

[Kasey Chang]

Yeah, I knew those are average sized so I didn't order those. I ordered regular neckband earbuds instead, as explained earlier.

Their stationery stuff is interesting. a combination precision cutter/folding scissors into a pen is only a few bucks, as are multi-function pens.

Fountain pens are so cheap it's almost criminal, as are the ink carts.

They also have a clone of a Lihit labs pen case that "telescopes" (search for "telescopic pen case") so you can see all the pens when you shrink it and leave it on a desk, but extended it and you can zip the top and take it to go. They have one that has animal on it, or plain. The plain ones are as cheap as $2.50, the animal ones and premium ones are $4.50, extremely cute. These are going for $8 on you know where. And they're clearly a clone of a Japanese one that goes as high as $35 in the US.

They also have pen rolls and pen boxes or other pen cases of various shapes and sizes, great for artists who need to carry around a dozen pens.

[Daehawk]

OMG OMG omg this Galaxy Light is SO COOL!!!! Why did I not have one before now....omgomomg

In day time its amazing. Cant wait to see it tonight.

Now to figure out bluetooth and get it to pulse to music. Its the 70s baby. I need to get some shag carpeting.

[LordMortis]

Package came early. Most of the junk was just $1 junk to fill out the order. The $5 Bluetooth ear pieces... I got what I paid for, which suggests I'd be hard pressed to order again. They work, which is a miracle of modern technology for $5. The sound is not great (not a big deal for $5). However, the bluetooth range from my ear to my pants pocket is apparently too much to handle. I also can't turn them off, so they are constantly in a state of charge or discharge and actually discharge way faster if you put them in their case and the case is not connected to a hot USB connection and I have to turn bluetooth off on my phone or keep them out of range because they don't turn off until they run out of juice.

So yeah, not my thing. Not likely to order again unless I'm looking for cheap clothes or need $10 in baubles at one time. Then I may re-examine. We'll see how crazy the spam gets in the meantime.

[Kasey Chang]

Latest shipment has arrived. I now have enough pencil lead to last me YEARS (100 x 0.5mm lead for mechanical pencil, $1.48, choose HB or 2B)

I bought one of those long pen-erasers for $0.88.

I bought a tiny label maker with 3 rolls of tape (plus one in the printer) for $20.38. On Amazon, the printer with one roll of tape is $24 ( minus $4 coupon), but each roll of tape is $12(!). (Niimbot D110)

I bought a couple Mechanical keyboard switches as I need to replace one that died in one of my keyboards (10 for $2)

I bought 2 floating frames to display my challenge coins for $0.78 each.

I also bought 2 tiny coin stands for $0.79 each.



(the B5 coin is on the stand, and the Wing Commander coin is in the floating frame. The Discovery one is actually not a badge, but a USB Drive, one of those Kickstarter things)

I bought a "drop tray" made of PU leather for $1.88

I bought a set of cute "rolling stamp pens" for $2.78, but they didn't work too well. May be useful for people who journal or such.

[LordMortis]

Heh, I found another thing to buy. I got an external DVD player for 11.88 and then I picked up a pair of carabiner buckles so I can hang saddle bags when I walk and shop, and a USB A to B cable (believe it or not I don't have one, I threw them away when I worked, I has so many and was told to purge, and stores want ten bucks for them) for $1.98.

No ETA on arrival yet. I ordered on Monday.

I was none to impressed with my last purchase but for cheap crap that should cheap but functional, they serve a purpose.

After I lose enough weight to need to shift my wardrobe, I might look for some cheap clothes to see if they can compete with the dollar store/costco for cheap clothes like working TShirts, etc...

[Kasey Chang]

Their T-shirts are not too impressive, at least for my big and tall sizes.

On the other hand, I decided to find my old videomaker and made this video in a couple hours:

[Daehawk]

I found out last night watching videos on galaxy lights that the one I got with no name brand on it for like $14 is actually the exact one that IS a name brand and runs about $25.

[Kasey Chang]

That's tip number 3 in my video.

* Fad Item -- aren't you glad you didn't pay more for a meme item you'd use only three times?

[Daehawk]

Fad item? I use this baby every night. I LOVE it!

[Kasey Chang]

Latest Temu shipment includes:

* A couple nosepads for my glasses ($2.50)
* A Bluetooth "headband" (mainly for sleep) $6.50
* a wrist pad for my mouse-wrist (it's a bit smaller than expected) $1
* a writing pad (shitajiki) for placing under a piece of paper for proper writing $3.58
* a small 15 mL bottle of fountain pen ink (green) $3.48
* a set of gel ink pen roughly $1 each ($7 total)
* an electric eraser FOR $3.68 (never had one)
* an "eternal pencil" for $1.50

Altogether, roughly $30. There was a $3 coupon, so that's why I order exactly enough to use the coupon.

[Kasey Chang]

My subsequent Temu shipments have also arrived, another 60 or so.

* A "hand blower" for blowing dust of of small crevices for $3.48
* An ultrasonic cleaner just big enough for glasses, $8.78
* A blue bottle of ink (only 15 mL) for $2.98
* A microphone acoustic filter for $15.38 (equivalent stuff in the US is $175 (!?)

-----

* A tiny neck pillow $3.49
* A plastic combo spatula / tong for $2.49
* a 32-in-1 screw driver set for $3.99 (and the bits fits an existing electric screwdriver I have)
* an EDC pouch for $3.39 (with strap) for $3.39
* A universal should pad for bag straps ($5.49)
* a digital angle finder / ruler $9.49
* a micro folding nail clipper for $1.49 (that's more clever than the $10 version I can find on Amazon)

[LordMortis]

My external DVD player didn't work. For the price I can't be bothered to return it. That was strike one. For me the game is over. Underwhelming quality is one thing. Useless is quite another. I won't gamble on functionality.

[Kasey Chang]

Just report a return anyway. It's so cheap they'll just give you credit, won't ask you to ship it back.

[hitbyambulance]

My external DVD player didn't work.

what exactly doesn't work about it?

(i too was doubtful a $12 DVD player was going to function)

[LordMortis]

My external DVD player didn't work.

what exactly doesn't work about it?

(i too was doubtful a $12 DVD player was going to function)

powers up and spins fine. tested 3 CDs. They all read as corrupt. They all work fine in other players.

[hitbyambulance]

My external DVD player didn't work.

what exactly doesn't work about it?

(i too was doubtful a $12 DVD player was going to function)

powers up and spins fine. tested 3 CDs. They all read as corrupt. They all work fine in other players.

have you tried any DVDs? this might be a case (like with the Playstation 4//5) where the CD laser is not included. (a weird edge case, but totally feasible considering the cost-cutting involved.)

try both single-layer and dual-layer movie DVDs (commercially pressed, no DVD-Rs or DVD-RWs. i also have a couple old CD players that don't read CD-R/Ws.)

[LordMortis]

My external DVD player didn't work.

what exactly doesn't work about it?

(i too was doubtful a $12 DVD player was going to function)

powers up and spins fine. tested 3 CDs. They all read as corrupt. They all work fine in other players.

have you tried any DVDs? this might be a case (like with the Playstation 4//5) where the CD laser is not included. (a weird edge case, but totally feasible considering the cost-cutting involved.)

try both single-layer and dual-layer movie DVDs (commercially pressed, no DVD-Rs or DVD-RWs. i also have a couple old CD players that don't read CD-R/Ws.)

It said CDs right on ad page and using the player to rip CDs was a primary purpose. To me it doesn't serve its function at all and that's enough to be done. I don't have the will to fight for $10, a full 40% of all money spent so far nor the desire to gamble in the future. $10 won't destroy me, so it's just the end of purchases, even as I have a $5 credit on my account already for delayed delivery (which I was actually no hurry for).

[Kasey Chang]

As I said, request a refund ANYWAY. They usually just give it to you.

[Punisher]

As I said, request a refund ANYWAY. They usually just give it to you.

I have read elsewhere that Temu is pretty forgiving in regards to returns and make it easy for refunds. At least until you start abusing it.
I agree with Kasey. Ask for a refund. Worst case they say no or want you to jump through hoops in which case you bail as originally planned. Best case is a refund, not credit. Middle case is you have a defective one and they send you a new one.
If the $10 isn't a big deal request a refund anyway and if you get it, send it to me.

[gilraen]

Temu is losing millions of dollars to send you cheap socks

[T]he reason that prices on Temu seem impossibly low is that they are. An analysis of the company’s supply chain costs by WIRED—confirmed by a company insider—shows that Temu is losing an average of $30 per order as it throws money at trying to break into the American market. The financial company China Merchants Securities has calculated that Temu, which is also operating in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, is losing between RMB 4.15 billion and RMB 6.73 billion ($588 million to $954 million) per year. At the same time, the company is squeezing small manufacturers in China, pressuring them to cut prices to levels that make it almost impossible to turn a profit.

[Blackhawk]

So... Amazon 15 years ago. Or Walmart in a new town.

[TheMix]

Or Walmart in a new town.

That was my first thought. Though I'm not sure it even matters if Walmart is trying to break into a new town/market. Isn't that pretty much how it functions normally?

[Blackhawk]

No, Walmart opens in a new town by operating at a loss (usually through sales) until they have a loyal (captive) customer base and the competition is out of business. Then the sales stop. Amazon did something very similar on a larger scale.

The way they pressure manufacturers is similar, too. They use their size to create a market in which the manufacturers are dependent on them for sales, then force terms on them that they have no choice but to agree to.

That's why it's so off when people complain about how cheap and junky the manufacturers have gotten. It wasn't them. It was the retailers forcing them to cut corners to stay in business, and it was us insisting on our $3 jar of pickles.

[LordMortis]

Or Walmart in a new town.

That was my first thought. Though I'm not sure it even matters if Walmart is trying to break into a new town/market. Isn't that pretty much how it functions normally?

WalMart does leverage its supply base unto bankruptcy but it does not business model rooted in loss leader. They used to fill their stores with cheap Chinese junk but AFAIK they have reduced that. I don't shop there, so I don't know if that is a true fact or not.

I never returned the DVD player. Just too much hassle for a good chance at $10. I ordered some other cables figuring they couldn't go wrong but they were about 1/8th the price of buying them on the cheap locally. They didn't work right. Example, $3 Apple USB charging cable charges from included wall outlet with included 110 adapter but not directly from a USB slot on a computer. So yeah, against my better judgement, I went strike two. Trying to save not a small amount of money to sacrifice a small amount of quality (which I am wont to do), just doesn't work for me here anymore.

[Blackhawk]

Or Walmart in a new town.

That was my first thought. Though I'm not sure it even matters if Walmart is trying to break into a new town/market. Isn't that pretty much how it functions normally?

WalMart does leverage its supply base unto bankruptcy but it does not business model rooted in loss leader.

To be fair, yeah - they don't do this so much anymore, but that's because they no longer have many new markets. They're everywhere. Before that was true, the 'take a loss until they have nowhere else to go, then crank prices' strategy was their bread and butter. It was why a few towns went to court to keep them from opening stores.

[Isgrimnur]

cheap Chinese junk but

Preceded by Taiwan and post-war Japan.

[Moliere]

This thread sent me into an hour long time sink browsing their website. I found 8 items that with all the various discounts, coupons, and free shipping went from $130 down to $27. We'll see how the quality is when they arrive in a week.

[Kasey Chang]

There are only a couple category of items I *would* buy on Temu

* "China only" items, like the Lenovo BT headset I bought for like $5. The equivalent stuff in the US are at least $20

* "They have this in China?" items, like single person washing machines, or soy milk maker. Sometimes someone will import them with a fancy name, like "Juice Vortex"... and sudden it's 2x to 3x the price.

* "China cheap" items, like fountain pens, fountain pen ink, pen cases, and stuff. You *can* get them in the US, but usually at 50-150% markups, because it's imported. You can in fact, find the same thing on Amazon at the marked-up prices. So, why not buy from China?

* "Oh, that looks cute AND cheap" items, i.e. "impulse buys", stuff you'd didn't think you'd buy, until you saw the price. I actually bought a set of dice, some fidget toys, and stuff even though I don't really fidget.

Everything else on Temu? Questionable. I think I bought like 1 t-shirt on Temu. The prices don't seem to be that competitive for stuff I'd wear.

[Moliere]

This thread sent me into an hour long time sink browsing their website. I found 8 items that with all the various discounts, coupons, and free shipping went from $130 down to $27. We'll see how the quality is when they arrive in a week.

Arrived today, so almost 2 weeks from order to delivery. The items were all included with an 8 for 8 in quality and accuracy. Pretty good deal for $27.

Included this t-shirt:

Spoiler:

[Daehawk]

I like TEMU. Cheap good items that arrive in 2 weeks. Not been disappointed in my 2 or 3 orders. Id use it more but dont have the money yet. I think though it has limited use as some stuff I just wouldn't buy there eat all and I would run out of things Id need or want to test. It is a great site to get an item you're not sure about because they are so cheap it doesn't matter.

[Daehawk]

[Daehawk]

Those nail files I got on TEMU are amazing. Usually I pay $1 each for ones like them here. They last maybe 5 uses then the rough part is too smooth to wrk. I got a 10 pack on Temu for like $3 and the first one is STILL working after 10+ uses. Im using it now and it may last another 10 or more. Then I got 9 more left lol. Its great.

[hitbyambulance]

Those nail files I got on TEMU are amazing. Usually I pay $1 each for ones like them here. They last maybe 5 uses then the rough part is too smooth to wrk. I got a 10 pack on Temu for like $3 and the first one is STILL working after 10+ uses. Im using it now and it may last another 10 or more. Then I got 9 more left lol. Its great.

just go for the glass nail file. they don't wear out: https://www.ebay.com/itm/385809721901?a ... R-rJ0Nu1Yg

[Daehawk]

Those nail files I got on TEMU are amazing. Usually I pay $1 each for ones like them here. They last maybe 5 uses then the rough part is too smooth to wrk. I got a 10 pack on Temu for like $3 and the first one is STILL working after 10+ uses. Im using it now and it may last another 10 or more. Then I got 9 more left lol. Its great.

just go for the glass nail file. they don't wear out: https://www.ebay.com/itm/385809721901?a ... R-rJ0Nu1Yg

What kind of witch craft is this?