When Sana Sara downloaded Temu, she was drawn in by the flood of promotional ads that followed her across social media platforms.
The app promised deep discounts on everything from clothes to electronic gadgets. With constant notifications for limited-time deals and a minimum order threshold of PKR 2,000, it didn’t take long for her shopping cart to cross PKR 15,000.
What began as a seemingly convenient experience quickly unravelled. Although the app marked her order as delivered, nothing ever reached her doorstep.
The only available support was generic automated messages offering no concrete solution. After days of silence, she gave up and submitted a refund request through the app.
Weeks later, she is still waiting. Not just for her order but also of her family members, fed up with which she took to her Instagram account to raise the issue.
Temu launched in Pakistan in late 2024 with a massive digital marketing push. Its arrival generated significant buzz, especially among younger consumers eager to explore trendy, low-cost products through a sleek and easy-to-use app.
However, the platform’s popularity has been accompanied by a growing volume of complaints.
Shoppers say they have been left stranded when orders are delayed, lost, or never fulfilled. In most cases, customers claim there is no effective way to get help, no representative to speak to, and no clear process for dispute resolution.
Frustrated users have been turning to public forums and social media groups to share their experiences. Screenshots of missing parcels, refund delays, and unresponsive support threads have become increasingly common.
These stories point to a consistent pattern—once payment is made, there is little recourse if the purchase goes wrong. Some users report waiting weeks for refunds, while others say they received partial deliveries with no explanation or compensation.
The problem lies in the platform’s operational structure. Temu currently does not maintain a formal presence in Pakistan.
There is no office to visit, no local helpline to call, and no dedicated team to manage escalations. While the app provides order tracking and a chatbot, users report that these features offer little real support when issues arise.
The burden is often placed on logistics partners, but they, too, remain unreachable or unresponsive when customers attempt to follow up.
In the absence of a local support ecosystem, the company’s operations are almost entirely one-directional—accepting orders and payments without a functioning channel for post-purchase accountability.
This is particularly troubling in a market where online shopping is still growing and where many consumers are exploring e-commerce for the first time.
When platforms fail to deliver or refund, the consequences are not just personal financial losses but also a broader erosion of trust in the digital economy.
Industry observers warn that without mandatory service standards, accountability, and dispute resolution procedures, such platforms operate in a vacuum, benefiting from sales while avoiding responsibility.
The lack of enforceable frameworks means that customers are left with limited options when things go wrong, especially when a company has no legal or operational base in the country.
For consumers like Sana Sara, the experience has been deeply discouraging. After losing money, time, and peace of mind, she no longer feels comfortable shopping online.
Her experience is not isolated. It reflects a growing undercurrent of dissatisfaction among users who feel they have no voice and no protection.
As Pakistan looks to expand its digital infrastructure and encourage wider adoption of e-commerce, there is a pressing need to ensure that platforms offering services to local users are also accountable to them.
Until consumer protection frameworks catch up, many shoppers will continue to take risks without the assurance that their rights will be upheld.
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