I realize that I may be dating myself when I say this, but I honestly think that Temu has become the modern version of Harriet Carter, a catalog known for its unusual and practical household items. l remember getting Harriet Carter catalogs in the mail on occasion, and there were times when I would thumb through it, and even made a few purchases. I recall seeing nifty things like strainers which you could prop up on the edges of your sink so that you could wash vegetables right in the sink basin. Harriet Carter would often feature As Seen On TV items in their catalog, which always meant that the products were either quite revolutionary or complete duds. 

Now we have Temu, which has continued the tradition of offering affordable and unique household items. Catalogs like Harriet Carter were known for their eclectic selections, featuring everything from clever gadgets to unconventional solutions for common problems around the house. Temu also features similar quirky items, but the odd thing I have noticed about Temu is that very few of their items feature brand names. I would venture to say that Temu’s pricing strategy is even more enticing than Harriet Carter’s, because some of the gadgets they sell are incredibly cheap. But you get what you pay for, and I can speak from personal experience and state that many of the items which Temu sells are pure junk and don’t even work. 

A case in point is a hair trimmer which I ordered from Temu which was a mere $1.29. I received the item, put batteries in it, and of course it did not work. Temu issued a refund within minutes of my request to return the item. Another time I ordered three cabinet lights which I wanted to use on my stairs to provide illumination, and when I received them, I made sure to charge them completely before using them. Six days later, all three lights ran out of charge, so I recharged them fully once again. Six days after that, the lights stopped working again. It was at that point that I requested a refund, then promptly ordered lights from Amazon which were just like the ones I had purchased from Amazon for my other set of stairs, and which had been proven to hold a charge for approximately 1-1/2 to 2 months. 

Temu gives me the same impression that Harriet Carter once did, that it offers a plethora of nifty and sometimes odd items that I never thought I would need, such as a mesh cover for the condenser unit for our HVAC system, and a telescoping duster specifically designed to clean ceiling fan blades. But there are limits to what I would be willing to purchase from Temu, just as there were limits with Harriet Carter. I won’t order anything which is either chargeable or battery powered from Temu ever again, and I would advise anyone to do the same.