‘I’ve been duped’: Customer says you may be getting ‘scammed’ by Temu products at markets

Photo by@jennay4399/TikTok Freer/Shutterstock

‘This is the IRL version of Etsy.’ One woman is absolutely fed up with market vendors trying to sell her goods they bought online from cheap retailers.

Jennifer (@jennay4399) shared her frustration in a recently trending video discussing the issue, which has garnered 403,000 views and more than 28,000 likes.

“I feel scammed right now because we just went to a town art fair, and I usually try to discern what vendors are making things homemade,” the woman began in the clip, “and which ones are just selling things they got off of AliExpress.”

Even though she tried to be careful, the woman ended up buying something she could have gotten much cheaper from online.

“I saw this for my mom,” she said while holding up a crocheted flower pot.

The artwork had a price tag of $30.

Jennifer also found another crocheted piece and thought it would be a great purchase for herself.

“But let me show you what the f*ck I found with a very quick and easy Google search,” the woman said.

In the next frame, the woman shared Google images of similar products being sold for way cheaper.

“Are you kidding me?” she asked. “This is like the same f*cking thing.”

Ultimately, the woman said the purchase made her feel “dumb.”

“I thought you made this, and you just f*cking bought it online,” she lamented, addressing the items’ seller.

She also imagined that buyers are frequenting numerous art shows across the country selling cheap goods.

Resellers duping consumers online and IRL

A lot of people have started using social media with increasing worries about websites such as Etsy being utilized to sell low-priced items purchased on the internet.

Etsy was initially designed for independent sellers to market their homemade products, but there are concerns that it's being exploited in this way.

One woman claimed that many are getting duped by sellers who are buying cheap goods in bulk and then reselling them on the platform.

The practice even prompted a question on Reddit about whether or not reselling on the platform is appropriate.

Some individuals have criticized other vendors at art fairs for reselling items from Temu.

On another Reddit thread, users doled out tips on how to tell real artwork from pieces bought on Temu. Some recommended asking the seller more about their creative process and what their goods are made of.

Viewers respond

In the comments section, some viewers agreed many art vendors may be guilty of the practice.

“I recently went to a craft fair and not a d*mn thing there was handmade,” user callie:) wrote. “It’s so so disappointing.”

“This is the IRL version of Etsy,” user MH added.

Others also offered advice for spotting real artists.

“If you come at a time that isn’t very busy, a lot of crochet vendors will crochet between customers! Look around and see if there are any unfinished pieces they are working on!” user Ace said.