European complaint against online store Temu: ‘Manipulative and unfair’

This article was last updated on May 16, 2024

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European complaint against online store Temu: ‘Manipulative and unfair’

The Chinese online store Temu has received a joint complaint from seventeen European consumer interest groups, including the Dutch Consumers’ Association. The popular online store is relatively new, but according to the organizations, it does not comply with European law. The company is said to use dark patterns, prohibited techniques used online to influence consumers.

“Temu is extremely popular in Europe, but does not operate in an honest manner. The company withholds so much information that consumers cannot make an informed purchasing decision,” says Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumers’ Association.

“In addition, customers have no idea whether the product they buy is safe. And finally, Temu is also full of manipulative techniques to get consumers to spend more money on the platform.”

Customers on Temu are shown a more expensive alternative after clicking on an item. That is not allowed, says the Consumers’ Association. According to the association, it is also too difficult for customers to close their accounts. The complaint has now been submitted to a supervisory authority in the 17 countries, in the Netherlands this is the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).

The online store says it takes the complaint very seriously and will study it thoroughly. Temu sees itself as a newcomer in Europe and says it constantly listens to feedback from customers and consumer organizations. “We want to be transparent and comply with all applicable laws and regulations,” a spokesperson said.

Not for the first time

The complaint from the seventeen organizations follows previous objections from consumer interest groups. The Italian Altroconsumo purchased thirteen cosmetic products via the platform at the end of last year.

Nine of them contain none or only a few of the ingredients on the packaging. The German consumer association, Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband, stated this year that Temu misleads customers with false reviews and discount promotions.

Temu says it is keen to engage with affected parties to rectify shortcomings and improve its service. It says it is also working on a system to detect unsafe products in its range and remove them from sale.