I got scammed by Temu.
There. I said it.
I know that sounds dramatic, but I have spent weeks going back and forth with Temu over a paddleboard, and at this point I really do not know what else to call what happened.
I ordered a pink paddleboard.
Temu sent me a cheaper green one.
Then they tried to tell me I had ordered the green one.
Except I had a screenshot.
Because of course I did.
I Know I Ordered The Pink Paddleboard
This whole thing actually started out kind of funny.
I ordered this ridiculously cute pink paddleboard on Temu for $118.85, and when the box showed up, I opened it and there was a giant neon green and yellow paddleboard inside.
I even wrote about it at the time because I thought it was hilarious. I was basically like, okay, this is absolutely not the pink paddleboard I ordered, but look how cute this stupid green thing is.
I used it. I liked it. I went paddleboarding on it.
None of that changes what I ordered.
When I bought it, the Temu listing showed me a pink paddleboard. I know this because I took a screenshot of the listing, and I published that screenshot in my original story when the green board showed up.
You can still see that original paddleboard post here.
Then Temu Tried To Tell Me I Picked The Wrong One
When I started pushing Temu about the order, customer service told me the green paddleboard probably appeared on my purchase page because I had selected a different SKU during checkout.
Basically, they tried to tell me I ordered the wrong one.
No.
I did not.
I had the screenshot.
The listing I bought from showed the pink paddleboard.
So now I am sitting there looking at Temu telling me that I must have selected the green product while I am literally holding proof of what the listing showed when I ordered it.
Come on.
And Then I Found The Pink Paddleboard Again
This is where I stopped thinking this was just a color mistake.
I found the pink paddleboard on Temu again.
The pink one I thought I was buying.
And now it was listed for more money.
The green paddleboard attached to my order was $118.85. The pink paddleboard I found later was listed at $155.93.
So I did not just receive a product that looked different.
I received the cheaper product.
I was shown a pink paddleboard when I ordered. A green and yellow board showed up at my house. My order now shows that green board. Then I found the pink board being sold for substantially more.
You can call that whatever you want.
From where I am sitting, it feels like a bait and switch.
Then Temu Agreed I Could Get A Refund
Once I showed them what happened, suddenly this whole thing was not just me supposedly choosing the wrong SKU anymore.
They started talking about a refund.
Great.
Refund me.
This should have taken about five minutes.
Instead, I have now been through what feels like every department Temu has.
Support tickets. Supervisors. Emails. More support tickets. More promises. More waiting.
Sometimes they even sent replies in Chinese, which I do not read, so that was a fun addition to an already ridiculous customer service experience.
At one point they told me I could return the paddleboard, but I would have to pay the shipping cost myself first.
This is a paddleboard.
It is not a pair of earrings I can stick in an envelope.
Then they said they would reimburse the shipping cost in Temu credit.
Not back to my card.
Temu credit.
Nothing makes me want more Temu credit quite like spending weeks fighting Temu over a Temu order.
Then They Offered Me 30%
The seller eventually offered me a 30% refund if I would just keep the paddleboard.
No.
They sent me the cheaper product.
Why would a 30% refund suddenly make that okay?
I did not change my mind about what I ordered. I did not accidentally buy something and regret it.
I bought the pink paddleboard shown to me.
They sent me something else.
Temu PR Even Told Me I Was Getting A Full Refund
And somehow this gets even more ridiculous.
I had also been talking with someone from Temu PR.
On September 16, I got an email saying, “We’ve secured a full refund for you.”
Perfect.
Except apparently nobody told the rest of Temu.
Because customer service just kept going.
More tickets. More replies. More explanations. More refund nonsense.
Meanwhile I have an email from Temu saying they secured a full refund for me.
So where is it?
This Is Why I Feel Like I Got Scammed By Temu
I have bought plenty of things from Temu.
I am not claiming every order placed on Temu is a scam.
I am talking about what happened to me.
I ordered a pink paddleboard.
I have the screenshot showing the pink paddleboard in the listing when I bought it.
Temu sent me a cheaper green paddleboard.
Then Temu customer service told me I had probably selected a different SKU.
I found the pink paddleboard still being sold for more money.
Temu eventually acknowledged the problem and started offering refunds.
The seller offered me 30%.
Temu PR told me a full refund had been secured.
And I am still dealing with it.
So yeah.
I feel like I got scammed by Temu.
Screenshot Everything You Buy On Temu
If you are going to order from Temu, especially something expensive or bulky, screenshot everything.
Screenshot the item. Screenshot the color. Screenshot the price. Screenshot the pictures in the listing. Screenshot the order page. Screenshot the seller information. Screenshot the customer service messages.
Because if I had not saved that original picture of the pink paddleboard, Temu could tell me all day long that I ordered the green one.
Instead, I have receipts.
A lot of them.
And since Temu apparently cannot figure out how to give me the refund they already told me I was getting, I figured I might as well show everybody what happened.
