IRELAND’S CONSUMER WATCHDOG has joined with EU authorities to inform discount online retailer Temu that it is under scrutiny for potential breaches of consumer protection law.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in Dublin, along with Belgian and German consumer authorities, announced they’re taking the action through the European Commission action today.

Temu given one month to respond with proposals on how they will address issues identified in the investigation.

The platform – which has its European base in Dublin – is known for selling heavily discounted products manufactured in China.

Kevin O’Brien, Member of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, said that the investigation has found “potentially misleading practices including fake discounts, fake countdown timers, and missing or misleading information” about products, sellers and consumer rights.

“All of these could interfere with the consumer’s right to make an informed decision about how and where they spend their money,” O’Brien said.

In a statement outlining the key elements of the investigation, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission claimed that “several problematic practices have already been identified” by authorities.

They alleged that the company is potentially breaching of EU consumer protection laws. These allegations include:

• Giving consumers the “false impression” that products are discounted when they are not.
• Putting consumers under pressure to complete purchases using tactics like “false claims” about limited supplies of products.
• Displaying “incomplete and incorrect” information about consumers’ legal rights to return goods and receive refunds.