Temu fails: from baffled mums to lamps made of croissants

A mum of two from Melbourne, Australia, bought blinds from Temu that were… just a picture of the blinds. At least she didn’t end up with a lamp made of a real croissant, as another bargain-hunter did.

Bron Galic waited two weeks for her $10AUD ($6.5) bamboo blinds that she ordered from Temu to arrive. In pictures, they looked a perfect fit for a kitchen window in her new apartment.

In reality, they were sent straight to a trash bin as it turned out the trendy blinds were only a picture printed on what appeared to be a novelty plastic tablecloth, according to What’s The Jam, a website covering viral trends.

@tash_galic Thought she was getting blinds.. got a tablecloth instead 😅 #funny #temu #fail #foryou #fyp ♬ Jet2 Advert - ✈️A7-BBH | MAN 🇬🇧

“When I opened the package, I couldn’t believe what I was looking at,” Bron told the website, adding that she was annoyed but also had “a good laugh.”

“I didn’t think it was a mistake – I thought it was typical for Temu,” she said.

From the screenshots Bron shared with reporters, it does seem like what the Chinese e-commerce giant was selling were the blinds, even though the exact type that she was looking for typically sells for a higher price.

The product was described as a “bamboo roll-up blind” by the retailer and is no longer available.

Temu said in a statement that it removed the product because it did not meet the platform’s rules. The company also noted it appreciated “the good humour” Bron brought to the situation.

Bron said she did not go through the trouble of returning the purchase and received an app credit instead.

Too good to be true?

There’s an entire sub-genre of social media dedicated to Temu fails, with things that turn out to be just a picture apparently a particularly common occurrence. As the old saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

One Reddit user was less humorous than the Australian mum and appeared to be livid at the fact that they were sent a picture of a clock instead of an actual clock. “For the first time, I was outright scammed on Temu, all over a $6 projection clock for the bedroom,” they said in a recent post.

They complained that Temu agreed to get their purchase price back, but not the $2.99 local seller shipping charge. “To add insult to injury, Temu is making my refund contingent on me returning this piece of paper to them via UPS or FedEx!” the Redditor said.

Temu's Scammy "Local" Sellers Send Me Picture of a Clock Instead of the Clock!
byu/dampier inTemuThings

Temu operates by connecting shoppers with third-party sellers, who write their own product descriptions.

One TikTok user shared a video clip teasing his sister for buying a pair of cheap headphones on Temu that were actually just a flimsy piece of material wall decoration.

“Read guys!!!” the TikToker said in a caption, suggesting his sister did not read the product description.

@peacemaker_the_third Read guys!!!!😭#viral_video #makemefamous #kennytok #fypシ゚ ♬ original sound - ♱

However, some of the product descriptions on Temu appear to be deliberately misleading, with key details like dimensions often buried in small print. Because the prices are so low, many customers don’t bother returning items or requesting refunds, making it a potentially lucrative scam.

One size fits all

Another popular Temu fail is the mismatch between the product size customers wanted and the one they actually got. Sometimes, it’s the difference between an actual product and a toy model of the product.

“[B]ro my mom ordered a cooker from temu thinking it was a huge deal… and this is what we got,” one X user said in a post with a picture of a tiny model of an appliance that they were after.

bro my mom ordered a cooker from temu thinking it was a huge deal… and this is what we got ffs😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/9EgYQJNsIq

undefined 🌶️ (@07Cheesecake) June 16, 2025

On the opposite end, a woman said in a post on TikTok that she bought a cat bed without checking its size first. Upon arrival, she realized it was big enough to fit all her cats and herself – a fail so wholesome that Temu reshared it on its own account.

@ffpet.shop XXL SPACE BED – YES, YOU CAN FIT TOO Big enough for 3+ cats… or just you and your furry gang for a nap, a binge-watch, or a full-on cuddle party. It’s not a bed — it’s a lifestyle. ✅ Reversible, dual-sided cushion ✅ Orthopedic memory foam = max comfort ✅ Neutral pink/beige/grey tones for a modern vibe Warning: your cat may refuse to share. #ffpetshop #humansizedpetbed #multicathaven #luxurypetfurniture #temufinds #catsofinstagram #catnapzone #petcomfort #catbedgoals #modernpetdesign #cozycorner #catparents #catcuddles #seniorcatcare #meowzone #interiorstyle #catbedluxury #petgear #aestheticpetbed #memoryfoamcatbed #catloversunite #catreels #happypets #petbedgoals #snuggletime ♬ suono originale - FF PET SHOP

A lamp made of croissant, however, was a much more bizarre experience for a woman who bought it and only realized it when her new purchase started attracting ants.

@froginahatgirl

Pls explain temu

♬ original sound - froginahatgirl

An ant infestation may seem bad, but Temu has been in trouble for selling much worse on its website. A consumer rights group Which? claimed it was able to buy age-restricted knives and axes without any checks from sellers on Temu.

The company was also under investigation by the EU for selling illegal products on its platform.