Shopping on Chinese e-commerce giants Shein, Temu, and AliExpress promises impossibly low prices, but as one curious shopper found, the experience is a mixed bag of bargains, surprises, and ethical dilemmas. Clara, ahead of Black Friday, tested all three platforms by ordering 15 items from each site, including gadgets, clothing, and household items, and shared her findings with Mail Online.
Clara described the shopping process as “hellish,” noting the overwhelming number of options, confusing product descriptions, and countless promotional pop-ups. “The luxuries of a well-designed website, accurate product descriptions, and half-decent customer service simply do not exist in the Wild West of Chinese e-commerce,” she remarked.
Her total bill from each site ranged from £65 to £68, reflecting the surprisingly low prices. This is possible because these companies bypass UK-based distributors and avoid import duties by shipping orders under the £135 threshold, reported by the Mirror.
The first item to arrive was a toaster from Shein, priced at £19.99, which Clara found “pretty sturdy.” Temu’s toaster, slightly more expensive at £23.59, was “flimsier,” while AliExpress’s toaster was “far worse quality,” with Chinese-only labels adding to the confusion. Clara also received child-sized tennis rackets from Temu and Shein, both advertised simply as “youth games,” which she noted were identical.
Some items impressed her, such as rechargeable portable fans from all three platforms, which cost less than £4 and worked well. Highlighters and dog toys also met expectations. However, gym tops and trainers, while decent, lacked the quality required for exercise. Shein’s trainers were the best of the lot, but not supportive enough for running or gym use.
Clara observed significant overlap between the sites, noting that many products, such as lint rollers and desk lamps, were identical despite slight price differences. She explained, “These platforms are essentially marketplaces where different sellers list items, often on multiple sites.”
Despite the bargains, Clara concluded that “everyone is a loser.” The shopping process was exhausting, quality varied wildly, and ethical concerns were impossible to ignore. Reports suggest these products come from factories with exploitative labor practices, with a Channel 4 documentary uncovering allegations of workers making as little as 3p per item and working 18-hour shifts with one day off a month.
While the prices may be tempting, Clara’s experiment highlights the hidden costs of bargain shopping in the digital age.