Browsing and Ordering

Shopping on Temu can be done on the website or mobile app. Currently, there is limited-time free shipping on all orders, with a minimum order amount of R200. There are various products sold, from womenswear, jewellery to household items, electronics, make-up, wigs as well as kids and menswear. The website looks and feels similar to SheIn however, the range of products seems limited for clothing and with much higher prices compared to SheIn, even for the same exact same item. The site has several providers so you might see the same item showing with different prices and that is because it has different providers i.e. suppliers. Considering it is a fairly newer platform, there are not as many reviews or pictures from previous customers making it a bit tricky to decide if an item is worth purchasing or not, coupled with the fact that there is limited detail on product information such as fabrication etc.

ZA ULWAZI EXPERIENCE: As a first-time buyer, the cart had 4 items - 2 dresses priced at R123 and R264, sunglasses for R60, and a cardigan for R369. The overall total purchase price is R812, “discounted by” R846 where the “original price” would have been R1658. The size chart provided was also used to decide on the appropriate sizing to order.

Payment

If you download the app you get additional perks, such as coupons and offers, price drop alerts and of course the typical faster checkout, tracking notifications, etc. Payment options include Visa, MasterCard, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Ozo, Diners Club and AMEX. There is a purchase protection program that provides you with a refund if you receive an item that does not match the item description or pictures, if the item arrives damaged, item could not be delivered, was late or lost. 

You are required to provide an ID number or passport number as part of customs clearance information to complete the payment process. Before paying for your order, shipping information is shared, with the courier either being Buffalo Logistics or Fast Couriers. The estimated delivery date is also provided as a date range between one to three weeks.

ZA ULWAZI EXPERIENCE: Browsing initially started on the website then moved to the app to see what exclusive offers would be provided.  On the app, a spinning game popped up to win coupons to use on the next purchase, NOT the current one. R2000 worth of coupon codes were won after spinning the wheel however, you need to be able to pick four items to add to your cart and only products they show on that page. You also need to pay within 10 minutes to claim the R2000 worth of coupon codes and the codes can only be used for purchases made within two days after the current order. This is split into six coupons e.g., R300 off orders over R1000 or R50 off orders over R300. No coupon code could be found online to use for the current order so R816 was paid using a virtual credit card. The order date was 12 March with an estimated delivery date of 20 March - 3 April. One cannot choose the courier the shipment will be made with but in the interim, whilst the order is being processed, the delivery address can be changed but it has to be done before the status of the order changes to shipped. 

Shipping and Tracking

Order shipment should occur within 48 hours of the order placement. Temu offers a delivery guarantee, where you will be refunded if there is no tracking update for over 15 days or if you do not receive your order within 30 days. Another offer is free returns within 90 days for the first return for every order. A great perk is that you can request a price adjustment if the item(s) you purchased reduces within 30 days of the purchase but before you receive the item.

ZA ULWAZI EXPERIENCE: The order was shipped the next day. Email and SMS notifications were sent when the order was shipped and major other checkpoints such as customs payment, order out for delivery etc. The tracking number and courier details were shared, in this case, Buffalo Logistics and the estimated package size of 47cm by 38cm. The order could also be tracked via the app for more detailed information.

Customs and Delivery

As per the usual process with international purchases, a notification to pay customs will be sent and payment is required for the package to be delivered. Couriers do not deliver on Sundays or public holidays. Outside of the customs process, Temu offers a R20 delivery credit If you do not receive your order on, or before, the estimated delivery date provided by them.

ZA ULWAZI EXPERIENCE: An email and SMS notification were received to pay customs tax for R100.50 (12.4% of the order amount!). This was paid online based on the payment link sent and using a virtual credit card. The package was received with no issues exactly 2 weeks from the date of ordering and a signature was required as proof of receipt. The delivery timeline is as follows:

• Order placed - 12 March 2024

• Order shipped - 13 March 2024

• Customs invoice received and paid - 17 March 2024

• Arrival and clearance at SA customs - 18 March 2024

• Arrival at JHB warehouse - 22 March 2024

• Arrival at CPT warehouse - 25 March 2024

• Order delivered - 26 March 2024

Review
Overall, the order process and delivery were seamless with frequent notifications on the status of the order. A price adjustment was done with the Temu wallet being credited with R22 due to a price drop on 2 items before the order was received. The website, in terms of clothing options, should hopefully increase over time, including improved results from searching by keywords.

Regarding the items received, these were as expected according to the images on the website and the quality based on the price point (wearable but possibly not durable). The look and feel of the garments is good even though the material is not of the highest quality. Items are true to size and were purchased based on regular size for purchasing clothing in South Africa.

Will we purchase from Temu again? Possibly not, as from our perspective, SheIn offers significantly more variety at this point from a clothing perspective at a better price point. For everyone else who is a consumer, this is a welcome player in the e-commerce market, offering more touchpoints for people to make purchases that are suited to their budget and lifestyle.