Temu’s Hungarian delivery crisis: Orders missing, customers losing patience
Temu, the popular Chinese online retailer, is attracting an increasing number of customers in Hungary. However, a recent delivery scandal has left many of them frustrated and out of patience. The company’s new courier partner, iMile Hungary, has failed spectacularly to meet customer expectations. Late deliveries, unreachable couriers, missing orders, and angry complaints are flooding social media. It appears that Temu may be jeopardising its own market position in Hungary with this partnership.
According to Economx, one of the most common issues is that parcels simply are not delivered. Couriers attempt to deflect responsibility by sending automated messages such as, “We tried to deliver but couldn’t reach you.” Yet, more and more customers claim the courier never contacted them—no phone call, no doorbell, no attempt—just the message, and no parcel. Some have received such messages multiple times in a row, even though they were at home and available. In several cases, after the second or third “failed delivery,” the order simply disappeared from the system.
Customer service and social media
To make matters worse, iMile Hungary’s customer service has become completely unreachable. They fail to respond to enquiries by phone or email. Several complainants have reported that the courier company has not replied to their complaints—even when they requested compensation for missing orders. This situation is not only frustrating but also erodes customer confidence. After all, reliable delivery is essential for any online retailer. When a courier service fails so dramatically, the reputation of the entire brand is put at risk.
Customer frustration has reached a peak on social media. On the iMile Hungary Facebook page, there are hundreds of scathing reviews, most of them awarding just one star. The courier company’s recommendation rate stands at only 24%—a critical figure for any e-commerce partner. Many of the comments express not just disappointment, but outright anger. “It’s not a courier service, it’s a bunch of amateurs,” wrote one user. Another complained that his parcel had been thrown over the fence in the rain. Some simply commented, “I think Temu is too big for them.” The common theme among the posts is that almost everyone feels deceived. Customers are not only angered by the lack of delivery but also by the fact that couriers allegedly do not even attempt to reach recipients, while the system automatically generates a “failed delivery” message.
A solution from China
The most surprising development is that, despite the total collapse of customer service in Hungary, Temu’s Chinese headquarters has been able to resolve some issues within days. For example, one customer escalated the problem directly to China, where a customer service bot named Hawk responded—using imperfect but functional Hungarian—and quickly issued a refund.
This discrepancy highlights the core issue: while Temu’s global system operates relatively smoothly, its Hungarian logistics are severely hindered. The question remains: how long will Hungarian customers continue to place orders when the fate of their packages is so uncertain?
The seriousness of the situation is reflected in the fact that many customers have already declared that they will no longer order from Temu unless it changes its courier service. This is particularly unfortunate for the company, as Hungary’s online shopping market has recently seen significant growth. Temu could have strengthened its position through competitive pricing. However, the background to this crisis suggests that Temu outsourced its logistics in Hungary to iMile Hungary in an effort to cut costs—an economy that may prove costly if customer trust continues to erode.
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