Mum buys bookshelf from Temu and can't believe eyes when it arrives

A woman has been left howling with laughter after she ordered what she thought was a stylish bookshelf, only to realise what she had really bought when she opened the package. Mary Jane, 50, ordered the item from Temu but couldn't believe her eyes when the online order finally arrived.

Mary had selected the bookcase as part of a free giveaway on Temu, the budget shopping app which offers shoppers a wide range of items at discount prices. While the mum-of-three was expecting a piece of furniture as part of her order, when the parcel arrived it was not what she had in mind. Mary has since shared pictures of the parcel she received, and people have been left in stitches.

The order was not a fancy new bookshelf at all, but a picture of the piece of furniture. Though Mary says she had been thorough in the past when checking item descriptions, she had acted fast to beat the timer on her free promotion offer.

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Mary, speaking to JamPress, said: "When I opened it, I just started laughing.

"It took me a second to realise it wasn’t a real shelf at all – just a flat tin sign with a picture printed on it. I genuinely thought it was a mistake at first, but then I looked back at the listing and saw it did say '2D.'

"I’d just completely missed it. It was so funny that I immediately grabbed my phone to take a video. It looked so convincing in the picture – like it had depth and actual shelves. But when I held it up, it was thinner than a baking tray and completely useless.

"I didn’t have time to look closely. The photos made it look like an actual bookshelf – something you’d put against the wall to hold books or plants.

“It wasn’t until I had it in my hands that I realised it was just a decorative sign. I wasn’t angry, just shocked it was that bad."

Temu has since offered Mary a replacement item if she returns the tin sign, though it does not seem the mum-of-three is interested in exchanging the hilarious item.

Mary, from Columbus, Ohio, has said returning the item is "more trouble than it was worth" and instead will keep the picture of her bookcase. She added: "I'd rather just chalk it up to experience.

"They told me to post it back to get a replacement, but I thought – why am I spending time and effort returning a free tin plate I never wanted?

"They know how to make something look more than it is. I do think it's misleading." The experience has put Mary off using Temu in future for her furniture purposes.

She shared: "I won’t be ordering from them in future; I just don’t trust it anymore. There are some decent things on there, but it’s a gamble. I just threw the item away.

"My advice to others is to slow down, read the full description and check the measurements. If you don’t, you’ll probably end up with something you didn’t expect – and not in a good way."

Temu has been contacted for comment.