TikTok as an app is constantly adapting and reinventing itself in order to stay relevant. One of these many changes included the addition of the TikTok shop to the app which allows users to purchase anything from bottles of Prime to clothing.
The feature was rolled out in some countries back in 2021 although it’s only made its way to the U.S. and U.K. more recently. Even more recently, the app has brought about some big changes to the shop that have garnered the attention of brands seeking to market their products on one of the biggest social platforms there is. With an increased interest in e-commerce, it makes sense that TikTok would take hold of the opportunity in the market to get a piece of the action.
Is the TikTok shop actually safe to use?
As has already been mentioned, the TikTok shop has been going for a while in Indonesia, Thailand, and a handful of other Southeast Asian countries. Whilst the new e-commerce platform has seen success, the U.K. launch in 2022 saw a less enthusiastic reception to the TikTok shop.
The shop allowed users and brands to sell their own products via the app but TikTok itself had a very hands-off approach to the buying and selling of items. The sellers maintained control over their stock and were responsible for delivering the products and ensuring customers received what they paid for and TikTok was more like a middleman.
Naturally, this was a little more risky as anyone could set up a shop and sell products through the app. The customer service wasn’t great and in some cases, sellers even used tactics like getting customers to pay to spin a wheel to win prizes during live shopping broadcasts. Whilst the old TikTok shop worked for the most part, it certainly had its flaws and so the app has finally stepped in to make a change.
The TikTok shop won’t work the same way anymore.
Now it seems the shop will operate much like Amazon, Shein, or Temu. The plan is for brands to pay the company a commission to sell products, TikTok will also hold inventory, handle logistics such as delivery as well as deal with customer service.
By all means this seems like a much more sensible approach to allow for a better customer experience. TikTok will be much more hands-on with the handling and selling of products, although concerns regarding national security and e-commerce arriving from China persist.
The new TikTok shop seems safer than the previous version, with the problematic gambling and wheel spins that were frequently organized by rogue sellers gone. The company holding stock and handling logistics makes it easier for the customer to go through TikTok should they have any issues. However, as with most e-commerce sites, no matter how safe they seem, it’s always a case of “buy at your own risk.”