I spent $18 for 7 items from TikTok's new 'Shop' feature. Here's what the process was like, from shipping to product quality and fit.
Marta Biino
- TikTok began testing a shopping feature in June that allows you to order directly from the platform.
- When I saw how cheap things were, I wanted to test it out. I spent about $18 on seven items.
Although my fellow Gen Zers seem to love fast-fashion chains like Shein or PrettyLittleThing, I rarely shop online.
When it comes to clothes, I like to try on the items in person and see the fabric quality before committing.
But I also write about influencers and social-media platforms for a living — so when I saw that TikTok was starting to sell products directly from the app, I had to test the service.
The new feature is called "Trendy Beat" in the UK, and it's reportedly going to launch in the US as well, although TikTok hasn't provided details on that yet.
Trendy Beat looks like lots of other online-shopping websites or apps. You can scroll through a catalog, put items in a cart, and check out, all within the app.
I tried out Trendy Beat in June when it was brand-new, so TikTok was offering major discounts, free shipping, and free returns to incentivize users to shop.
Here's what my experience was like, from ordering to shipping to the quality of the items.
The shopping tab looks similar to Chinese e-commerce websites like Temu or Shein, with discount coupons and offers at the top, flash sales, and a lot of clutter.
The items were incredibly cheap. I ended up buying seven things for £14, or about $18. TikTok was offering free shipping at the time to incentivize new customers to buy.
The prices displayed here are before discounts. When I went to check out, I automatically received £6 worth of "coupons" and £5.03 of "seller coupons," which brought the total down from £25.15 to just £14.12, or roughly $18.
My email confirmation included a link to the TikTok Shop Terms of Use and Sale. The document is hefty, but I gave it a read to understand where the products come from and what the return policy is.
The terms explain that the sellers are third-party merchants, not TikTok itself, which "may facilitate the promotion and sale"of products.
For UK returns, the terms specify that buyers have 14 days after delivery to return it, with the exception of cosmetics and other beauty products, underwear and swimwear, audio or video software products, personalized items, and perishables.
The package arrived in eight days — four days earlier than expected, which surprised me.
The email confirmation for my order said the items were shipped from Guangzhou, China, so I was impressed that the package arrived as quickly as it did.
Each item came in its own plastic bag. The phone case and makeup dish were wrapped together. The bags were all different, which made me think the products were probably manufactured in several factories.
Only the skirt and the crop top came with a brand tag. The tag on the skirt said "Tehe Fele." I Googled this brand, but I couldn't find any information about it.
The crop top was from "Rusttydustty," a Chinese brand also sold on Shein and Temu.
I was most worried about the lounge set because the pictures online didn't look real — the string on the shorts looked like it had been Photoshopped. But when the clothes arrived, they were strikingly similar to the pictures.
Even though they came without tags, these items have labels on the side saying "ZGA." A quick Google search didn't yield any results, so I'm not sure what this brand is.
When I tried it on, the set fit me well. The shorts were smaller than I would have wanted, but the top was the perfect size, and I'm definitely going to wear it to go out.
The shorts don't have pockets, which is a bit of a bummer.
Overall, I'm satisfied with this. I washed the set once already, and it didn't lose shape, shrink, or stain my other clothes pink.
The skirt was also true to the photos, though I ordered it in a different color. It seemed less fitted than it appeared online.
The crop top was probably the highest-quality garment. It had a nice feel to it and was thick enough that I would wear it confidently.
I was surprised to see that both the top and skirt fit, though the cups in the top were slightly too big — if I moved around, it gapped on the sides.
Figuring out how to put on the top took longer than I would have liked. The straps slip out of their holes and it wasn't clear where I should put my arms.
Personally, I didn't like how either of these items looked on me. If I had been in a physical store, I wouldn't have bought them after trying them on.
But for an outfit that cost about $5, I can't complain. Neither of the items is see-through, and the fabric quality exceeded my expectations.
I was impressed by the fabric quality of the crop top. Despite being 93% polyester, it was soft to the touch.
The fabric of the skirt, on the other hand, was very thin and I worried it might be see-through.
I ordered this T-shirt out of curiosity. I wondered what the print would look like in real life. It was true to the picture, although it was definitely made using a heat-press machine and I'm not sure what will happen when I wash it.
I ordered this T-shirt in a medium, and it was definitely bigger than the other clothes, which all ran small. It was also branded as ZGA.
This was 100% polyester, but it unexpectedly felt quite soft to the touch.
The phone case looked exactly like in the photos, but it fit quite loosely. I doubt it would protect my phone if I dropped it.
The makeup-brush cleaning bowl also looked like its pictures. I had never seen one before, so I didn't know what to expect, but it gets the job done, and the material is very easy to clean and dry after use.
I found a matching product on Amazon UK from a brand called Auauy for £5.99, or about $7.67. That one also comes with a drying basket to put your brushes in after cleaning them.
I think this was good value for money but something I could live without — I've spent years cleaning my makeup brushes without using a special dish, and they've always turned out fine.
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