Is Wish legit and why is it so cheap?

EVERYONE loves a bargain, which is why online marketplace Wish has grown so popular over the past few years.

Wish was the UK’s top shopping app in 2018, however, it has recently been knocked off its pedestal by rival retailer Temu.

WishGlobally, Wish has 12million monthly active users, including 5million from within Europe[/caption]

What is Wish?

Wish is an online-only marketplace that, similarly to Temu, hosts anything from socks to outdoor furniture.

Current trending items on the site include airpods, anime hoodies, bluetooth speakers, motorcycle helmets, plant stands, pop-it phone cases and swimming pools.

The retailer ships to over 60 countries via more than 250,000 merchants globally.

According to Wish, its merchants add new products to their stores every day.

Globally, Wish has 12million monthly active users, including 5million from within Europe.

When was Wish created?

Wish was founded in 2010, by Peter Szulczewski and Danny Zhang, who met while attending the University of Waterloo in Canada. 

Although it is based in San Francisco, US, Wish operates in offices all over the world including Amsterdam, Toronto, and Shanghai. 

Is Wish legit?

Despite the unbelievable prices – and often unbelievable products, like dog tutus or fake human tongues – Wish as a legitimate app and online seller.

That means the what you buy will be shipped to your home.

However, the item itself may not be legit.

In an investigation into Wish in 2020, consumer organisation Which? said: “Wish.com is a serious player in the world of online marketplaces, and is well known for offering an eclectic and often amusing mix of cheap, quirky items for sale online.

“But don’t be fooled – our research has shown that some of the products it sells can vary from misleading to downright dangerous.

“While there’s plenty of fun to be had with some of the quirky, cheap items on sale at Wish, those looking to make more serious purchases should be warned – our research has uncovered illegal and fake products for sale.”

Why is Wish so cheap?

Just like Temu, the reason why a lot of the items are so cheap is because many of the merchants ship products from China where there is cheaper labour.

As Which? discovered, some items on the marketplace are counterfeit.

“Wish boasts of selling at rock-bottom prices and claims huge discounts on some items, but we think you should take the prices on Wish.com with a veritable handful of salt,” the company said at the time.

“A smartphone called ‘P30 Pro’ that looked from the image to be Huawei’s flagship smartphone claimed to be reduced from £2,081 to £64.22 – the Huawei P30 Pro was launched at £899 and typically sells at £492 now so this is a huge claimed reduction in price.

“Similarly, a £20 pair of supposedly refurbished Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones that, when new, should cost around £259, claimed to be reduced from £470.”

The organisation had previously found dangerous smoke alarms, Christmas tree lights and USB chargers and travel adaptors for sale on Wish.

Wish states it has a “zero-tolerance policy against counterfeit, dangerous or inappropriate product listings”.

The company also provides an email address for customers to report any listings that appear suspicious.