By Giselle Alzate | 2025-02-18

BOGOTA -- Claudia Bustamante decided to wear her new necklace -- purchased from Temu -- to a restaurant with her husband to celebrate Valentine's Day.

But midway through dinner, the jewelry began to change color, prompting her to discard it.

The Chinese Temu online marketplace is known for its affordable products of questionable quality.

Many customers have reported issues such as rapid tarnishing in its jewelry and some items, advertised as made from genuine materials, were found to be composed of inexpensive alternatives like brass mixed with nickel.

"The necklace arrived on time, in perfect condition, and was very pretty... It was a scam because I bought a product, and the first day I used it, it was damaged; it didn't take days or months," Bustamante told Entorno.

This was her first and last purchase from Temu.

The platform engages users through in-app games like Fishland and Farmland, where participants can earn free items and account credits.

These games can become addictive, encouraging users to invite their contacts to join, she added.

Bustamante is not alone in her experience as numerous consumers across Colombia and Latin America have reported purchasing low-quality products from online platforms.

Mercedes Calle shared a similar story with Entorno regarding her purchase from the Chinese platform Shein.

"I bought a dress on Shein because it was very cheap and I thought it was very nice to wear. When it arrived at my house, I had the first disappointment: the quality of the fabric was not what was seen in the purchase image," she recounted.

"I felt helpless and angry when the elastic of the garment (located in the back) stretched during the first wash, showing that it is a poor-quality product. It was unusable," she added.

There have been numerous complaints about Chinese e-commerce platforms, often citing issues such as subpar product quality, data theft, non-delivery of items and double billing.

Disgruntled retailers

Colombian merchants, represented by the National Federation of Businessmen and Merchants (Fenalco), have denounced Chinese e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress, Temu and Shein for engaging in what they call "unfair competition."

In a mid-January press statement, Fenalco President Jaime Cabal criticized these platforms for exploiting regulatory loopholes that allow them to sell products in Colombia without paying customs duties, while local merchants are required to pay sales taxes.

"Chinese products enter the country through these platforms without paying taxes, tariffs or other regulatory charges, while formal merchants must bear the costs of legal and fiscal compliance," Cabal stated.

He described the situation as "unequal competition," arguing that these Chinese platforms can undercut local businesses by offering the same products at lower prices.

Cabal urged Colombia's National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN) to enforce stricter controls and regulations on these platforms.

"Many products are imported daily through these sites, and purchases under $200 enter Colombia without paying VAT or tariffs," he emphasized.

The executive also pointed out that these platforms reduce costs by bypassing intermediaries, but in doing so, they fail to generate employment or contribute to national economic growth.