Think twice before shopping on fast fashion sites, consumer groups warn

Consumer groups are urging shoppers to think twice this holiday season after a new study into fast fashion websites found a number of safety concerns.

Consumer groups are urging shoppers to think twice about what they buy this holiday season after a new study into fast fashion websites found a number of safety concerns.

With Black Friday and Christmas around the corner, for many it’s the season to spend.

According to the Retail Council of Canada, Quebecers plan to spend 20 per cent less than last year and that could mean turning to Shein and Temu, Chinese-owned sites where items can sell for next to nothing.

“It’s ultra fast fashion. When you have the possibility to develop and to sell and to produce more than 7,000 products a day, it’s huge,” said Damien Siles, director general of the Quebec Retail Council.

Some of those items were put to the test. A study done by international consumer research and testing tried out 162 products from both sites, including toys for children under three years old, USB chargers, and necklaces.

Out of the toys, 30 percent from Temu had a major defect and only one was deemed passable. When it came to Shein, 37 percent had a major issue and not one of the tested toys passed.

Marie-Eve Shaffer, a journalist from the consumer publication Protegez-Vous, says during testing some small pieces broke off and presented a choking hazard.

They also found one of the toys could emit a noise of 515 decibels, equal to a jackhammer.

Nearly all of the USB chargers from both sites had a problem. One of the major issues there was overheating.

And for the necklaces, the vast majority passed with only one issue from Temu, with Shein being more unreliable.

The tests were done in Europe, but many of the safety standards are close to Canada’s.

Shein responded to CTV News saying the products were sold through its website by a third party vendor. It says it removed the items and commissioned its own testing.

“As soon as we were informed of the testing agency findings, out of an abundance of caution, we immediately initiated our standard protocol to ensure that these items were removed from sale globally,” a Shein spokesperson wrote in an email to CTV News.

“Two of the affected products had already been removed from sale earlier this year as a result of our own safety screening efforts. In line with our protocols, we also commissioned our own testing on certain products. Those independent tests found that half of the items identified by the testing agencies passed testing by another internationally accredited laboratory. We look forward to working with the testing agencies to better understand the discrepancies in these results.”

Temu also responded with a statement from a spokesperson:

“The products highlighted in the European tests are no longer available on Temu, and we removed all of them from sale worldwide — including in Canada — by October 2025,“ the statement reads. ”Temu does not allow third-party sellers to list products that fail to meet applicable regulations. Our approach includes seller checks, ongoing monitoring of listings, and the removal of items that are non-compliant. We also work with independent testing organizations, and we conduct on-site warehouse inspections and laboratory testing as part of our efforts to strengthen product safety."

The findings come as more Quebecers turn to these low-cost websites.

A recent survey found in the latter part of last year, one out of every five Quebecers bought something on Temu. Now, it’s 34 per cent.

As for Shein, it went from 16 to 25 per cent.

People have tight budgets and want to get the most bang for their buck, says Shaffer. But if it poses a risk, is it worth it?

“Maybe we have to wait and have an accident … to see something coming from the government. But right now, nothing,” said Siles.

Consumer groups urge shoppers to be careful with their giving so that they really know what they’re getting.