Buying fashions on e-Bay, on Temu, and from sellers in China
Hi everyone. I've been buying a number of fashion items on Temu in recent weeks. I'm building a spring wardrobe.
I've been seeing virtually identical products here on e-Bay being listed by sellers based in China. I've also been reading comments from other e-Bay members stating that the products they've purchased from China are of poor quality and that e-Bay itself is becoming infiltrated by these foreign sellers. My experience has been that, if I buy a pair of sandals from a seller in China, or purchase a dress on Temu, there is a risk of receiving a clothing item that doesn't fit, being either too large or too small. Even though the foreign sellers may offer free shipping, some of the prices seem excessive.
As a result, I do everything in my power to steer clear of overseas sellers and stick with doing business exclusively with sellers in North America. In fact, I will try to help the 'small seller' of a slightly used clothing item or pair of shoes rather than buy new from sellers who have feedback scores of five or six figures.
The cardigan and the sandals I'm wearing in the attached photos, and wore last night, were purchased on Temu. So far so good as far as their fitting me is concerned, but I've received a couple of dresses that proved too snug on me and I've come across numerous comments from other Temu customers with similar complaints.
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simply-the-best-for-you
·5 months ago@mis76can Tired eyes today & I can't find the waving emoji. Miscan has been a dedicated buyer here for decades & it's great to see you here again. I remember you from easily 15-20 years ago if not longer. The beauty of eBay, as you well know, is that you will find everything under the sun, from beautiful high quality items to junk & hey, we all know one woman's junk is another woman's treasure! The boards have changed a LOT since I last saw you & the posting of photos is very rare these days. I remember all your lovely photos from back in the day, but if you mosey on over to the Fashion board, you will see it has changed dramatically! Photos are very rarely done here anymore except for those seeking authentification on the Fashion board. I know you used to share your finds in photo form all the time, back in the day, but it's not really common or probably welcome anymore, as the photos can be large & make it more difficult to find & answer questions.
@soh.maryl There are many videos on YT about clothing ending up in other countries. It's not just Ghana, it's many developing nations. The scale will truly blow your mind, it's heartbreaking.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoYes, thank you. I AM aware that a lot of clothing items end up in developing countries.
And, respectfully, why would the scale of this blow my mind? I tend to see it as tons of items that are not winding up in the local dump. What about it is "heartbreaking"? Other than the fact that we, as a nation, are heartbreakingly not thrifty or careful.
loose_goose_garage
·5 months agoBecause it would be better if it ended up in a local dump that is engineered for garbage/ waste disposal, vs. where it actually ends up in foreign countries:
simply-the-best-for-you
·5 months ago@soh.maryl Watch one of the videos & you'll find out. People live on giant piles of clothing garbage. The scale is uncomprehendable until you see it. There are entire islands & cities & literal mountains that are made up of old clothing that has been sent to developing nations. Knowing it's a problem & actually seeing it on video are completely different things. The massiveness of the scale is something most people can't even begin to imagine. Here's an example from the Atacama Desert in Chile right now & this is a small dumping ground. These 'piles' can be seen from Space. This is nothing compared to countried like Ghana.
https://www.wired.com/story/fashion-disposal-environment/
The scale is causing environmental disasters all over the world b/c the clothes have to be burned or wind up in the ocean. You really can't imagine the scale without seeing it. People & animals living on piles of clothing garbage the size of mountains. It's not healthy for humans to be living near so much garbage, much less living on it! It's causing full scale environmental disasters in several countries. I'm not saying you specifically couldn't imagine it, I'm saying no one can imagine the scope & scale until you see it. It's a real eye opener & it's heartbreaking b/c people are literally living on mountains made of rotting clothes from the US, Canada & Austrailia. They have a word for it in Ghana that translates to 'dead white man's clothes'. Of course they're not really from dead people, much of it is simply the result of fast fashion in the west. IDK about you, but it breaks my heart to see animals & children living on rotting piles of garbage that are made up of clothes that we westerners constantly buy & throw away or donate to thrifts, which is how most of it gets to these countries. With all due respect, simply watch one of the many videos & you'll understand. Many of these piles are so large they can be seen from space! Brings a whole 'nother meaning to the term 'death pile' as these are literal death piles. Here's a satellite image of the pile in the Atacama desert (which btw is super imporant place for research). Now image much larger ones in densely populated areas with children, families & animals actually living on them. Also, many of these piles are burning, which is what's happening to the Atacama one now. This is a satellite photo, a fair use photo of the Atacama desert pile/fire. This one is not as bad as many other countried b/c the Atacama is pretty barren, so no one, human or animal is living on it.
Maybe you have a better imagination than I do, but when I first read about this problem, years ago, I never pictured in my mind, piles that can be seen from Space.
buzzapparel
·5 months agoTemu sells the worst of the worst junk from China. It’s knockoffs of knockoffs that sits unwanted in warehouses. It’s absolute garbage, toxic, poorly made, poorly sized, etc.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoOnce again, you believe Temu is a business exclusively with North America?
le-5262
·5 months agoI haven't felt the same about fashion since watching something about that country
where a large part of the surplus clothes end up.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoYour message is intriguing -- care to expand on it?
I have no idea where "a large part of the surplus clothes end up". Have seen huge bundles of clothing being shipped somewhere overseas, but have no idea where they are going.
grann-4629
·5 months agoProbably going to some third world country who will declare it as garbage and send it back.
le-5262
·5 months agoI was referring to Ghana...
but they, apparently, aren't declaring it as garbage and sending it back.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoWhat about shipping clothing to Ghana changed your views on fashion?
le-5262
·5 months agoWell, I guess seeing the photos of the end result...
made me a little more mindful to not be so wasteful.
...Much like the time I reviewed my views
when I saw the electronics waste that was ending up in another Third World Country.
Surely you've adjusted your views on something in your lifetime.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoWas not criticizing your post. There is, as you know, nothing wrong with it.
Just wondering why you "looked at fashion differently." By the time those bales of clothing are shipped to Ghana or other areas, can they really considered to be "fashion"?
mis76can
OP5 months agoWe, as a species, are a wasteful one. We've been pollution the land, the oceans, even outer space with our waste. I believe there's a section of the Pacific Ocean about the size of Texas that is cluttered with anything you can name.
grann-4629
·5 months agoIn May, 2019, the Phillipines sent 69 containers of supposed plastic for recycling back to Canada as trash. I think we had to pay the shipping both ways!
le-5262
·5 months agoCanada is probably my favorite foreign country...
I spent the better part of last year with Canadian wildfire smoke coming down.
...and we're in a Canadian bird migration path.
What happened to the trash?
grann-4629
·5 months agoWhat happened to the trash?
I don't know. The government would probably tell us it was recycled in Canada and turned into those bottles they use for water. But, like everything the government says about their recycling success, that piece of information should have been included in the next load of trash we try to dump on some other country.
msha3839
·5 months agoSure..**bleep** canadian geese pollute everywhere and everything…
le-5262
·5 months agoI can't recall all of the specifics...
but there is a Third World Country that has so many big name designer clothes being dumped there...
that it is a sea of wasted designer clothes
literally, a part of the ocean.
participatrophy
·5 months agoDude, seriously?
msha3839
·5 months agoMost likely the best post of the decade..…bravissimo..👏👏👏👏🥃🥂🍸🎻
roccotacodad54
·5 months agoThat's what I was thinking..........................
adamcartwright
·5 months ago@participatrophy
10-4.
Thanks.
💀
adamcartwright
·5 months ago@participatrophy
P.S. I've also stumbled upon "dude, seriously" photos in Amazon clothing reviews.
participatrophy
·5 months ago@adamcartwright
Why am I not surprised...
This fad cannot be over soon enough. 🤮
laperlalady
·5 months agoYou got lucky if your purchase from Temu was the size you needed!
My daughter purchased 5 clothing items from Temu…all 5 were supposed to be size M. All 5 received were tagged size M but all were different sizes when measured.
At least on eBay you can ask a seller for measurements if needed.
mis76can
OP5 months agoAside from a couple of snug dresses, all of my purchases from Temu have fit me. They do provide measurement charts for their items. Since late 2024, I have purchased close to a hundred items from Temu, mostly dresses and heeled sandals. I've also purchased three cardigans and even some bow hair clips. When it comes to the dresses they sell, many have very beautiful floral prints, although the fabric may not always be the most comfortable to wear. They are not of the quality of American Living, Lauren Conrad, Maggy London or R.W. & Co.
Buying from e-Bay sellers based in China has been another story. On more than one occasion, I've received sandals that are too big. Also on more than one occasion, I've been contacted by a seller and told that the item in question is out of stock. They are then forced to send an immediate refund. It demonstrates very poor and sloppy business practice when a seller allows an out of stock item to remain listed for purchase.
I hope your daughter was refunded for all of her purchases. Five items and not one of them fit? That is ridiculous!
soh.maryl
·5 months agoWhere is Temu based? And aren't there clothing items made in China being sold in stores in the US?
lady_madonna
·5 months agoWhat is your question/issue regarding Ebay?
You should not be posting pictures of yourself on a public website.
mis76can
OP5 months agoThanks Lady-M. I came across another discussion in which some e-Bayers are claiming that E-Bay is getting like Temu. I'm just looking to compare notes more than anything.
I only posted the pics to show my recent fashion purchases. If it is not advisable, as you state, then I will refrain from it moving forward.
lady_madonna
·5 months agoYou can avoid many issues by not purchasing items from sellers located in China nor on Temu.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoNot sure how eBay could be "getting to be like Temu". Apples to oranges.
eBay is composed entirely of millions of individual sellers who list, sell and ship items to individual buyers.
No one employed by eBay actually sees, touches or evaluates any item listed for sale on eBay.
Temu is a selling venue. They presumably have a warehouse or warehouses where their items are stored and are shipped from.
As for the "clothing from China" topic, go into any higher end store, Macy's etc. (Not many left, are there?) and look at the tags on that clothing. What percentage are made in the USA?
grann-4629
·5 months agoHey @soh.maryl does that include their Authenticators, or are they a non-eBay
What percentage are made in the USA?
Or, to state this a different way 'What percentage of everything in your home came from China?'