Choosing online retailers

sonearandyetsofa

This goes way beyond possible property damage.

I buy craft materials and bits of cheap tat on Aliexpress, but I have a personal rule that I never buy anything if it's going to touch my skin unless I can coat it in something, and I don't buy electrical products that would ever be left unattended, nothing that would touch food and absolutely no kind of cosmetic. There's been many cases of things such as jewellery containing unsafe levels of lead, shoes containing unsafe levels of phthalates, hats containing formaldehyde, sandals containing lead... basically zero health and safety or quality control or even basic common sense. That's before you even get to the unsafe chargers, lights etc that come with risks of fire or electric shock. Unsafe products are supposedly removed once reported, but as more are added all the time and no checks are done when they're added this means very little.

If a seller on Amazon or eBay or wherever sells you something that is actually dangerous, like a power bank that melts when you use it, or eyeshadow that contains cadmium, you have recourse to UK law. It's not legal for them to do these things, and even if the seller disappears without consequence the platform they sold on can be held responsible and will take action to prevent the same item being sold again. If your health or your property is damaged as a result, you can sue. If a seller in China or wherever on Aliexpress, Shein, Temu etc sells you something highly toxic or dangerous, there is little you can do.

geriann

most of the stuff i've bought from Temu has been great. Occasionally i've had items that have been inferior or parts missing. When that's happened i've contacted Temu & got a refund.

I have used Amazon, but i've found they're not always the cheapest option. Especially as i'm not a Prime member, so the P&P is usually £4.95p.

I always check Ebay for whatever item i'm looking for. The prices are decent & i've very rarely had any problems. If you like the look of an item click to add it to your "watchlist"...that's great because you can easily find the items you're "watching" & sometimes the seller will give you a discount.

So far i haven't tried AliExpress, but i'm tempted, so i'm interested in reviews too.

ButterCheese

My experience with Temu so far is that yes it's great, but often you have to spend £15 to get free delivery.  I'm ok with that.  I just add more stuff to my basket (that I know I need and would buy at some point anyway).  And if you're prepared to wait a bit for delivery then it's fine.

e.g. I needed a little tool for tightening the nut on a guitar jack.  Doesn't need to be made of gold, just needs to fit.  Temu 72p.  Amazon £4.95, eBay £4.95.  Will probably take 10-14 days to arrive but if I was desperate for next day i would pay 6x the price to Amazon!

sheramber

molerat said:

sheramber said:

Temu are selling items made in sweat shops.

Think how much a person was paid for making that item you bought cheap.

And the identical cheap Chinese carp sold by other retailers - especially by the marketplace sellers on the likes of Amazon and Ebay - is made where ?

Don’t buy cheap Chinese crap from Amazon to EBay either.

JadedAngel88

I have bought quite a few bits from temu and most of it has been garbage. I think the only things that were decent were some t shirts I bought for my daughter. I really expected flimsy rubbish but they are better than the ones in Primark. Fairly thick material and don't lose there shape when washed. 

I bought some freezer bags clips that all broke after being in the freezer. 

I think the reviews that are left are mostly fake. I bought one of those pocket bags sealers that was highly reviewed as being brilliant. Mine arrived and did absolutely nothing but fall apart. But I have noticed that Amazon have introduced a section of cheap Chinese stuff I suppose to compete with temu. I think I'm just going to steer well clear of it all. 

ButterCheese

JadedAngel88 said:

I have noticed that Amazon have introduced a section of cheap Chinese stuff I suppose to compete with temu. I think I'm just going to steer well clear of it all. 

Amazon have had cheap chinese tat on there for years.  See especially LED bedroom lights, there are 100s to choose from, from multiple sellers.  Some will be ok, some will burn your house down.  But one assumes that because they are on Amazon and not particularly cheap (compared to other online retailers and shops) then they must be ok.  But it probably came from the same shipping container as the Temu stuff.

It is wise to steer clear of anything that you think will be put under stress i.e. heated, frozen, plugged in etc, and also to have the mindset of "if it works, great.  If it doesn't, I haven't lost much".  And even then, I hope you did return your broken items to Temu because in my experience they do deal with refunds well.

ButterCheese

sheramber said:

molerat said:

sheramber said:

Temu are selling items made in sweat shops.

Think how much a person was paid for making that item you bought cheap.

And the identical cheap Chinese carp sold by other retailers - especially by the marketplace sellers on the likes of Amazon and Ebay - is made where ?

Don’t buy cheap Chinese crap from Amazon to EBay either.

All very well saying that, but few people these days can afford to buy bespoke handmade items for £60 at a local beard and artisan basket fair, when plastic things are available online for £4!

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

ButterCheese said:

All very well saying that, but few people these days can afford to buy bespoke handmade items for £60 at a local beard and artisan basket fair, when plastic things are available online for £4!

I disagree, if people can afford to buy 10 bits of tat for £60 they can afford to to buy 1 or 2 quality items for the same. 

The affordability aspect is a poor excuse and the reality is people choose to buy cheap tat, mainly because they are addicted to dopamine and can't afford to fund their habit with more expensive purchases. 

ButterCheese

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

ButterCheese said:

All very well saying that, but few people these days can afford to buy bespoke handmade items for £60 at a local beard and artisan basket fair, when plastic things are available online for £4!

I disagree, if people can afford to buy 10 bits of tat for £60 they can afford to to buy 1 or 2 quality items for the same. 

The affordability aspect is a poor excuse and the reality is people choose to buy cheap tat, mainly because they are addicted to dopamine and can't afford to fund their habit with more expensive purchases. 

I don't think that example works though.  If they need 10 bits of tat, 1 or 2 quality items will still leave them 8 or 9 items short of what they need.  I agree that some people buy stuff they don't really need, but that's another issue.  If you can only afford cheap stuff, you probably have a limited budget, thus would only buy stuff if you really needed it.

My shopping suggestions on these sites centre around tools, hardware, guitar strings etc, all of which I buy because I need them, and they are much cheaper on Temu than anywhere else.  It is not all plastic throwaway items.  In the spirit of this cost saving site, I see no advantage in buying a handmade wall-mounted helmet holder for £50, when one that does the job perfectly can be had for £6.  I can then spend the remaining money on cheap tools which enable me to make stuff (like garden furniture, chopping boards etc) myself and not buy it!

flaneurs_lobster

ButterCheese said:

In the spirit of this cost saving site, I see no advantage in buying a handmade wall-mounted helmet holder for £50, when one that does the job perfectly can be had for £6. 

Maybe buy a cheap Chinese cushion for a couple of quid and stick it on the floor to catch your helmet when the £6 holder breaks.