Is TikTok Shop legit? Safety explained and why it’s so cheap

MANY TikTok users will find themselves scrolling through short videos for hours on end.

But that’s not all you’ll find on the app as there’s also TikTok Shop which sells anything and everything. Here’s everything we know.

1

What is TikTok Shop?

TikTok shop is an e-commerce feature of the video app TikTok.

If you head to the app, you are sure to be able to get your hands on a wide range of products.

You can get yourself a whole new wardrobe in the fashion section or you might want to buy some kitchen supplies.

There are a range of prices available on the mobile store but you’re sure to grab yourself some bargains.

Popular TikTok creators often advertise products from the shop as they are given affiliate links which means they make money from referring followers.

Entrepreneurs can upload their products onto TikTok Shop for others to purchase.

When was TikTok Shop created?

TikTok Shop officially launched in September 2023.

However, it was announced in October 2020 that TikTok was partnering with Shopify for a feature called TikTok: For Business.

This eventually led to TikTok Shop becoming a separate section of the app.

Is TikTok Shop a legitimate store?

TikTok Shop is a legitimate store in terms of buyers receive the products that they have ordered.

However, it is important to stay vigilant when it comes to scams.

But if you make sure you are purchasing from reputable sellers then you will receive your intended goods on time.

Possible scams on TikTok Shop include:

Counterfeit products

Scammers may create listings for branded products but when the pucrhaser receive it, it could be fake.

To avoid this, you can avoid prices that seem too good to be true and look for sellers with plenty of good reviews.

Payment fraud

Scammers may ask buyers to make payments outside of the TikTok Shop app.

Ensure that you pay for your product within the app and don’t use unverified payment links or bank transfers.

Non-Delivery Scams

You may find that you order a product and never have it arrive – this is a non-delivery scam.

You can try and avoid this by making sure you have an order conformation and don’t buy from sellers with poor reviews.

Is TikTok Shop safe?

There are several ways that you can ensure you stay safe when buying on TikTok Shop.

Here are some tips to stay safe:

• Protect your personal information – don’t give out your information to strangers.
• Be cautious of unrealistic offers – don’t jump into buying a product when it seems too good of a deal.
• Reverse image search – verify authenticity of products by doing a reverse image search.
• Stick to messaging on TikTok – if you are speaking to the seller, make sure you stay on TikTok rather then speaking via another means.

Why are products on TikTok Shop so cheap?

Some buyers have noticed that many products on TikTok Shop come at a decent price.

This is due to new customers often being offered discount codes for their first purchases.

It has also been reported that TikTok charges a smaller commission rate than other sites which some sellers pass onto their customers.

A spokesperson from Which? said: “This is partly because the social media app funds promotions to lure in customers and boost new sellers’ sales.

“New customers are offered special deals, coupons and free delivery on their first order. It’s also a marketing tactic: users often post videos about their amazing bargains.

“TikTok also charges a lower commission rate than Amazon and eBay and some sellers pass this saving onto their customers.”

“Lots of brands and retailers do flash deals or sales that are exclusive to TikTok in the hope of attracting customers and going viral.”