Former customers of Temu in Hungary will receive cash refunds as part of the Hungarian Competition Authority’s (GVH) decision to penalize companies operating the platform for unfair business practices. GVH stated that the company operating the Temu online platform needs to refund at least 882 million forints to consumers and pay a fine of 437 million forints to the Hungarian central finance, for a total amount of more than 1.3 billion forints. All Hungarian consumers who shop through Temu between November 2023 and September 2024 will receive a one-time cash compensation of HUF 2,000.
GVH initiated competition supervision procedures against Temu's European operator Whaleco Technology Limited in March 2024, suspecting that it had implemented unfair business practices and misled consumers in many aspects. During the investigation, GVH determined that Temu had a series of problems: creating the illusion of "price reduction" by crossing out the original price; being unable to prove the authenticity of large discounts such as "up to 95% off" and admitting that such discounts could not be provided in some cases; still labeling products as promotions when there are no actual discounts; publishing information with a sense of urgency and exerting psychological pressure on consumers through content and visual presentation; and using misleading statements related to environmental protection and sustainability.
According to GVH, Temu’s operating companies have chosen to cooperate with regulators during the process, have stopped a number of business practices that were deemed illegal or improper, and have committed to implement a comprehensive consumer protection plan. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to pay HUF 2,000 in cash compensation to all Hungarian consumers who shopped at Temu between November 2023 and September 2024. Relevant consumers will receive an email with an activation link, through which they can fill in their bank account information or choose another safe and widely used payment method to receive their refund.
If the total amount actually refunded to consumers does not reach HUF 882 million, the Temu operator must pay the difference to the Hungarian central finance in the form of a fine. In addition, GVH imposed a separate fine of 437 million forints on the company, which will also be turned over to the state treasury. GVH emphasized that this case reflects that regulatory agencies will continue to pay close attention to the marketing and pricing strategies of online market platforms, especially in areas such as false discounts, excessive pressure and "environmental protection" propaganda.
This is not the first time GVH has taken similar actions against large online retail or platforms. As early as November 2025, the online fashion retailer About You was required to pay compensation to hundreds of thousands of customers for using deceptive promotion methods and influencing consumer decision-making by creating psychological pressure. According to GVH, the Temu case continues the trend of strengthening supervision of e-commerce platforms and also sends a signal to the entire industry: false offers, emotional manipulation and unfounded sustainability promotions may incur high economic costs and mandatory consumer compensation obligations.