Pro Tip: Check Temu

[myrdale]

Temu update. I just ordered a $16 swim fins and $2.99 shipping.

Are the fins just for snorkeling / kicking around the pool, or do you scuba dive? I just spent $200 on a set of fins from Amazon a couple of weeks ago myself.

[QuarterMillionMan]

The $16 swim fins with $2.99 shipping must have been an exception. I want to buy this $15.99 watch and willing to pay let's say $7.99 shipping but it only has free shipping with a minimum purchase of $25. I guess I'll buy one blue and one green.

[ua_guy]

I had to double check because who knows what's been tariffed, repealed, fired, rehired. The "de minimus" trade exemption so that Chinese goods under $800 can come to the US, duty free, when shipped from manufacturer to consumer. The exemption was eliminated on 2/5 and reinstated by 2/7. Hmm...

[QuarterMillionMan]

Temu update. I just ordered a $16 swim fins and $2.99 shipping. Used to be free shipping with minimum $20 purchase. Or Temu gave the option of free shipping w/$30 minimum purchase. I like this change of just paying for shipping rather than having to look for $2 items to add to my cart to fulfill the minimum $20 purchase for free shipping.

[disneysteve]

Even packs of trading cards you'd better be careful that the vendor hasn't weighed them ahead of time to pull the packs with foils.

There are also a ton of counterfeit trading cards out there. If the price is too good to be true, they're probably fake.

[myrdale]

Well it all depends.

Climbing gear for example, you should never buy from Amazon. Something as simple as a Petzl carabiner is a single forged piece of metal. But if you buy the "identical" item from China, you may end up with something that was cast. It's fine until it cracks and you fall 50 feet.

Similarly cryto wallets you should only order directly from the manufacturer.

Even packs of trading cards you'd better be careful that the vendor hasn't weighed them ahead of time to pull the packs with foils.

If I wouldn't buy those items from Amazon, I certainly wouldn't buy from Temu.

But for everything else it doesn't hurt to price shop. Thanks for the tip!

[ua_guy]

You may recognize this tactic from when the Air Force tried it a couple weeks ago -- "malicious compliance" ... It's an oldie but a goodie, forged in the fires of crusty NCOs & teenagers everywhere ... "Sure boss, we'll follow your wildly vague & imprecise guidance to the letter to ensure that nothing slips past us." ... Then sit back & watch as the world burns.

I think this one was more about true confusion and lack of clarity around process and policy. The decision to hold small packages was reversed overnight, citing increased cooperation from CBP to develop process around the tariffs.

Plan, develop, test, then implement.

[QuarterMillionMan]

James, I think you'll like this. I just got my lates Temu order, $7 XRP to the moon, and $5.99 BTC iron patch and $7 collard shirt.

[kork13]

Of course, in epic circus fashion, now the USPS is holding all small packages from China because, trade war, and nobody thought about how to levy and collect the tariffs.



If anyone had stuff on order from Temu, get ready to wait. Lol

You may recognize this tactic from when the Air Force tried it a couple weeks ago -- "malicious compliance" ... It's an oldie but a goodie, forged in the fires of crusty NCOs & teenagers everywhere ... "Sure boss, we'll follow your wildly vague & imprecise guidance to the letter to ensure that nothing slips past us." ... Then sit back & watch as the world burns.

[ua_guy]

Wow, that's fantastic. Though it sounds like that may only be a temporary step with Trump's tariff wars, vs. permanently changing the rule.

Of course, in epic circus fashion, now the USPS is holding all small packages from China because, trade war, and nobody thought about how to levy and collect the tariffs.



If anyone had stuff on order from Temu, get ready to wait. Lol

[kork13]

https://www.reuters.com/business/ret...le-2025-02-04/

Wow, that's fantastic. Though it sounds like that may only be a temporary step with Trump's tariff wars, vs. permanently changing the rule.

[ua_guy]

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/shein-temu-amazon-haul-set-price-hikes-us-shuts-trade-loophole-2025-02-04/

[ua_guy]

Yep. And honestly, it's the kind of trade loopholes that SHOULD be closed, because it's anticompetitive toward, oh, I dunno .... Legitimate American design/production, for example?

But instead, we contract a Chinese sweatshop to build our innovative new thing, then "coincidentally" another "totally legitimate" Chinese company just happens to start building a virtually identical copy & selling it back to Americans while ignoring international intellectual property rights law & American import regulations .... Meanwhile, the original designing company that got their product ripped off is getting undercut & out-sold, ultimately fails, and never creates another innovation again.

Yeah sure uh huh. Tell me again how supporting/promoting Temu & its way of business is definitely in the best interest of consumers?

We actually agree on a lot of things!

[kork13]

I believe the 10% additional tariff on Chinese goods is still real as of today, so watch the prices. Sadly, for you Temu enthusiasts, this kind of skirting import law and dumping of foreign goods in US markets is exactly what the current administration would like to target and curtail.

Yep. And honestly, it's the kind of trade loopholes that SHOULD be closed, because it's anticompetitive toward, oh, I dunno .... Legitimate American design/production, for example?

But instead, we contract a Chinese sweatshop to build our innovative new thing, then "coincidentally" another "totally legitimate" Chinese company just happens to start building a virtually identical copy & selling it back to Americans while ignoring international intellectual property rights law & American import regulations .... Meanwhile, the original designing company that got their product ripped off is getting undercut & out-sold, ultimately fails, and never creates another innovation again.

Yeah sure uh huh. Tell me again how supporting/promoting Temu & it's way of business is definitely in the best interest of consumers?

[ua_guy]

I believe the 10% additional tariff on Chinese goods is still real as of today, so watch the prices. Sadly, for you Temu enthusiasts, this kind of skirting import law and dumping of foreign goods in US markets is exactly what the current administration would like to target and curtail.