The Temu shopper tried to order a personalised blanket with images of his beloved dogs on but when he opened the parcel, there was something completely unexpected inside it
A man ordered a custom blanket from discount retailer Temu but was amazed by what he received instead. The budget-friendly online marketplace specialises in heavily discounted products spanning a range of departments from clothing and homeware accessories to cleaning supplies, wedding decor and much more.
Stock is usually shipped directly from China but in March of 2024, Temu launched its Local Seller Program to allow shoppers to buy from local sellers and retailers. It aimed to improve shoppers’ experiences by ensuring the selection and relevance of items alongside their availability.
Temu shopper Charlie Victor got a shock when he ordered a custom blanket from the site, made up of a collage of “nine beautiful pictures” of his dogs. Instead of the item he ordered, he received something clearly meant for another shopper.
Rather than images of his greyhounds, the blanket that was delivered was made up of family photos of people Charlie didn’t know and had never met. In some of the pictures, the family members appear to be wearing matching black T-shirts with ‘Jiare’ printed on the front.
Charlie shared a series of photos of the blanket on Facebook and penned: “Now I’m very aware that you take the risk of an ‘expectation vs reality’ moment whenever you shop on Temu, but like… who are these people?
“Did they get a blanket covered in greyhounds? One look at my profile will tell you this is NOT my family.
“They’re all wearing a shirt that seems to commemorate someone’s passing and honestly I feel kind of bad that I have their blanket??? RIP Jiare??”
Charlie confessed one of his dogs has “taken a shine to the blanket” and now uses it each day. He and his partner jokingly refer to the people pictured on the blanket as their dog’s “real family”.
In an update, Charlie shared they had “made contact with Jiare’s family” but they actually received their “correct blanket” so the one sent to Charlie appears to have been a “duplicate”.
He added: “They accept my dog, Mayonnaise, as family and much joy and love has been shared thanks to the internet.”
Charlie confirmed he won’t be returning the blanket to Jiare’s family as he’s based in Australia and to send it to them in the US would cost more than the blanket is worth.
He also said Temu refunded his order and didn’t want the blanket to be sent back, so he’s kept it and it’s “being loved and used here”.
Charlie added: “Jiare’s family has indicated that as a jokester, Jiare would have loved this.”
The post was shared hundreds of times and racked up thousands of comments from fellow social media users who enjoyed the story.
One person shared: “This post made my morning,” while someone else said: “This is a great story! I love it! Comedy of errors.”
A third commented: “Love that they appreciated the randomness.”
Someone else added: “This post is so heart warming and brilliantly put together. Over here with mixed emotions and don’t know whether to chuckle or cry. This story is definitely one that brings us together. RIP Jaire… prayers to the family.”
