Launched in September 2023, TikTok added a new section to the addictive social media app, the TikTok Shop. With hundreds of thousands of products at unbelievably cheap prices, and TikTok handing out coupons anywhere from $5 to $100 dollars like it was payday, I didn’t know if I could believe it.
With that being said, last February, my friend George’s package arrived: the infamous chamoy pickle from TikTok Shop. A blood red pickle surely filled with Red 40 came with an assortment of different candies, from sweet to spicy and sour. After stuffing the pickle with the candies, we took the first bite. It was an odd mix of spice, pickle, sour, and sweet, and it dyed my mouth red. This led me down the rabbit hole of how this shop is so cheap, who sells on this website, and where did this food come from (and should I be eating it?).
TikTok Shop lets TikTok users create a business selling products and generating revenue, where you can buy from promotional videos, live streams, and, of course, the actual TikTok Shop tab. I first assumed that TikTok Shop was rife with scammers and hackers itching to steal credit card numbers, but after some research, I reached the conclusion that although there are some scams– as any social media shop– overall, TikTok Shop was generally safe. TikTok includes safety measures such as proof of identification, U.S. citizenship, and even a follower minimum for vendors.
The only glaring problem with TikTok Shop comes down to where the products come from. How is it so cheap? TikTok Shop products are mainly fast fashion, resulting in cheap exports from cheap labor (mainly in China). So when it comes down to it, yes, you can trust TikTok Shop, but you should exercise caution and keep in mind where these items originate.
