There’s a deal floating around TikTok promising new Temu subscribers a Starbucks gift card. But is this a legitimate offer? Or are folks just trying to hoodwink viewers into downloading Temu on their phones?
User @starbucksbroes uploaded a video showing a screengrab of what looks like a tweet posted on May 14 from the official Starbucks Twitter account. The tweet said the coffee chain partnered with Temu, a popular online marketplace, for a promotion.
“We have officially partnered up with the @Temu app to deliver everyone a special promotion! Those who Downloads Temu and uses our promotion code will receive $25 in Credit! Lasts until Redemptions run out,” a portion of the tweet read.
The image instructed viewers to download the Temu app, search GET2044 on the app’s search bar in order to claim their credit.
But this wasn’t the only video advancing the “promotion.” A number of other TikTok accounts have posted videos recently touting free Starbucks for people who download Temu and enter a promotional code.
@_lauracortez Dont sleep on hurry & get yours!! #temu & #starbucks #collab !! 💪🏼 #fyp #foryoupage #viralvideo #foryou ♬ Collide (more sped up) – Justine Skye
So is the partnership legit? No. A Starbucks spokesperson told The Daily Dot that the videos are false and “in no way associated with Starbucks.”
Thankfully, a number of users said that they didn’t fall for the gambit.
“Aint no way we got Starbucks x temu,” one user quipped.
“Starbucks did NOT collab with temu,” another said.
Temu is currently one of the most downloaded shopping apps in the world. The online retailer lets consumers purchase things like car accessories, clothes, small home appliances, outdoor furniture, power tools, baby clothes, and more.
But the app has come under fire as of late. Some users said that their orders arrived “badly damaged” or “torn.” Others said items arrived looking different from how they were advertised.
There are also concerns about the app’s data mining practices. The discount shopping site gathers a plethora of data from its more than 100 million users—from personal information like names, addresses, phone numbers, and birthdays, to technical data such as operating systems, IP addresses, and GPS locations (if given permission). The app also collects information from third-party sources, including sellers on its platform, public records, social media, data brokers, credit bureaus, and marketing partners.
So it looks like the collaboration with Starbucks was a bust. But if you still want a free drink, consider joining Starbucks’ Rewards Program and earning free coffee the normal way.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Starbucks and Temu via email.
