Since launching last year, Temu has quickly become one of the most popular online marketplaces in the UK.
From car accessories to clothes, the site offers shoppers just about any product you can imagine – at bargain prices.
Now, an investigation by Which? has revealed a darker side to the site.
The consumer champion has discovered several illegal weapons being sold on the site for as little as £4.48.
Worryingly, many of these weapons – including knives and axes – have no age checks in place, meaning anyone can buy them.
Which? has discovered several illegal weapons being sold on the site for as little as £4.48
Since launching last year, Temu has quickly become one of the most popular online marketplaces in the UK
Temu launched in September last year, and has since been downloaded over 38.8 million times worldwide.
‘Temu is an online marketplace that connects consumers with millions of sellers, manufacturers and brands around the world with the mission to empower them to live their best lives,’ Temu explains on its website.
‘Temu is committed to offering the most affordable quality products to enable consumers and sellers to fulfill their dreams in an inclusive environment.’
However, an investigation by Which? has revealed illegal weapons being sold on the site.
Researchers were able to find illegal weapons such as batons, folding knives, knives disguised as keyrings, and batons.
Worryingly, many of these weapons – including knives and axes – have no age checks in place, meaning anyone can buy them
Researchers were able to find illegal weapons such as batons, folding knives, knives disguised as keyrings, and batons
In total, Which? found six weapons they believed to be illegal, but also spotted dozens of listings with products that looked like they could potentially cause harm
In total, Which? found six weapons they believed to be illegal, but also spotted dozens of listings with products that looked like they could potentially cause harm.
To find them, all the researchers needed to do was to search ‘weapons’, ‘hidden knives’, and ‘hidden weapons’.
And it seems that despite being illegal to own, these weapons have proved popular on Temu.
For the three listings that stated how many of the products had been sold, sales had hit a staggering 102,000, according to Which?.
What’s more, the buying process was easy, with many items that legally need to be age-restricted requiring no verification.
When Which? received the items, it found that several were delivered with inaccurate labelling.
To find them, all the researchers need to do was to search ‘weapons’, ‘hidden knives’, and ‘hidden weapons’
When Which? received the items, it found that several were delivered with inaccurate labelling
For example, one of the axes arrived with a label saying it was a ‘knife for preparing vegetables’.
Based on the findings, Which? is calling on Temu to step up its checks and monitoring, and to remove any dangerous items from its marketplace.
Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection Policy at Which? said: ‘Temu has had a surge in popularity in the last 12 months but our research shows that it appears to be allowing illegal weapons, including folding knives and batons, and age-restricted products to be made easily available to shoppers using its platform.
‘Problems with dangerous products are only going to get worse if new tech giants like Temu continue to be held to weaker standards than high-street retailers.
‘The online marketplace needs to improve its checks, monitoring and takedown processes, and ensure third-party sellers cannot list these dangerous items – particularly to young people under the age of 18.’
MailOnline has contacted Temu for comment.