Temu vs Shein: What Is the Top Consumer Choice for 2024?

Does Temu have good quality?

So how is Temu quality? The responses through the Temu reviews on PissedConsumer.com can give us good insight into the products sold by the company. Among the many reviews, customers noted that the fabric of the clothes was not of good quality and some items were damaged. Other products are described as being “cheap quality” or “less than standard quality.”

One Temu customer ordered dressmaking scissors only to discover that the scissors are “very poor quality” and would not cut fabric. The pins she ordered were rusty, and this was not due to the packaging: 

They appear to be wrapped ok, but they were definately rusty when I tried to put them into fabric the pin actually bent.

The reviewer also noted that she is “usually very pleased with products” but was “so disappointed” this time. 

Of course, there are positive reviews that report “very good quality items” or items “of good quality for the most part.” In fact, one Temu reviewer made a note that despite her package being lost in the mail, the issue was “quickly resolved” and that every item she has “received has been very good quality items.” She highly recommends the company to others. 

Perhaps the best description of Temu quality is the way one customer described it: quality varies. This may be why the Temu return policy is so generous. 

Is Shein good quality?

Shein reviews also have a lot to say about the quality of the items sent by the company. According to reviews, Shein quality is “different from those in pictures.” The items apparently “look cheap” or have “poor material.” Some customers received damaged items or items that look as if they were worn by someone before being delivered to their home. 

One Shein customer noted that her daughter ordered a backpack and “on the second day of school the strap broke.” She recommends that others “do not order” from the site. As the item was used, it will not qualify for a return in the Shein return policy. 

Temu vs Shein: Shipping and Delivery

The official websites provide information that standard Temu shipping takes, on average, from 6 to 14 business days, while standard Shein shipping depends on the warehouse and takes, on average, up to 10 business days. However, the timing of Temu and Shein shipping often take customers by surprise.

Since both companies are located in China, Shein and Temu shipping may take longer than some customers are expecting. Both companies explain the time required to process orders in their warehouse and encourage customers to track delivery through the shipping notifications the company sends once the order is fully processed. 

This frustration about issues with shipping is shared in various Shein and Temu reviews. For example, shipping challenges are frequently discussed in Shein complaints. Many reviewers note that there are frequent items missing in Shein deliveries. In a video review a consumer asked Shein customer service for answers when she only received one out of eight items she ordered. The TikTok community chimed in with similar experiences in the video comments. 

Another Shein reviewer discovered that two wedding rings she ordered were missing from her package. Despite this, she had positive things to say about Shein quality. She noted that she had never had issues with her orders:

this is the first time I hope they solve my problem soon. I recommend you buy from them they are reliable.

Shein is not alone in complaints about shipping and delivery. Consumers also raise questions about Temu quality when it comes to sending orders. One of the Temu consumers complained that they “ordered a 2 piece jump suit” but only “received the jacket without the pants.” The reviewer is hoping that the company will send along the pants as well. 

In a similar situation, another customer complained about “missing two pairs of joggers”:

I have been waiting four days for a email back from you as to when theyre coming, or if youre just going to refund the amount of the two pairs of joggers to my cash app

Still, they also noted that they are an “avid Temu purchaser” and had not “had any problems thus far in my products or receiving my shipments.” 

Temu vs Shein: Return Policy

Perhaps because of the variation in quality and timing of delivery, the Temu and Shein return policy is straightforward. The Shein return policy allows returns of most items within 35 days of the purchase date, and the company covers the cost of the first return.

That isn’t to say that all Shein returns go smoothly. One frustrated Shein customer ordered “about $1,500” worth of merchandise but had trouble returning it. They discovered that there is no Shein contact number and that “it’s a BOT to chat with” to try to resolve their many issues. In the review, the customer claims that they have “really aimed to show all their FRAUD” in regard to Shein customer service due to the issues they have had with trying to make returns. At the end, they recommended:

Do NOT BUY ANYTHING as tempting as those cheap prices are - you’ll end up making huge orders that they’ll say weren’t returned and you’ll be stuck with junk

The Temu return policy offers customers more time to make returns than Shein. This might give them a bit of an edge in the Temu vs. Shein comparison. Temu allows customers to return most items within 90 days of the purchase date. Like Shein, the cost of the first return from every order is covered by the company. 

In the most discussed Temu review on the PissedConsumer platform, a customer explains her frustration with Temu customer service and her returns to the company. In her review, the customer explained that in “3 days I made 5 large orders totaling over$1000.00.” Then, when items arrived they were “packaged like untrained monkeys,” leading to otherwise excellent products being smashed or ripped. She then discovered that 

TEMU states they have a 90 return but with TERMS people who BUY A LOT cant keep up or obtain…TEMU makes it near impossible to get a refund for items that dont show up - damaged and not as advertised.

Despite speaking to employees when she called the Temu contact number, she has not been able to resolve the issue and claims her experience is “a true nightmare.” 

Temu vs. Shein: What’s the Best Option?

If you’re trying to determine which store is the best fit for you, you’ll need to consider the merchandise, quality, shipping, and customer service of each company. Even frustrated customers had positive things to say about both Temu and Shein, but those same customers noted that items go missing from shipments and returns can be a headache. 

Overall, Shein had more negative reviews than Temu, and even when complaining, more Temu customers noted that they had not had previous issues or that the quality was sound in most of the things they ordered.

Based on the lack of contact information for Shein, the praise and issue resolution on the part of Temu, and the overall higher percentage of positive customer reviews, it would seem Temu is currently in the lead as the best choice between the two for 2024. Have comments or concerns of your own with either company? Please leave a review to discuss your own experiences or get help to resolve an issue.

*Disclaimer: Ranking and statistics are based on our users’ review texts and PissedConsumer posters’ reviews. Also, a company’s rating is calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the profile, including users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company’s responses, etc. The algorithm is subject to change in the future.