Temu, Shein and AliExpress become less attractive to Romanian shoppers as fees reshape checkout costs

For some Romanian shoppers, the bargain disappears at checkout. Orders placed through Temu, Shein and AliExpress can cost substantially more after new charges are added, prompting users to cancel purchases or buy less.

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I had a 150-lei order in my basket. When I got to checkout, it was 230 lei.

One Reddit user said a 150-lei basket reached 230 lei at checkout. Another reported a 120-lei fee on a 300-lei order, while a third said taxes reached 160 lei for products worth 350 lei.

Shoppers also complained about several charges being combined. One user said the state added five euros on top of a three-euro fee, followed by value-added tax calculated on the combined charges. The user said the result was at least 46 lei in fees for a single product, including items that were difficult to find in Romania or sold locally at what they considered unreasonable prices.

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On my 300-lei order, I had a 120-lei fee. Almost half the order.

Another Romanian shopper said the impact felt greater in Romania than in Western countries because the fees were regressive relative to purchasing power. The platforms also serve buyers looking for specialized goods unavailable on the European market. One AliExpress user said ordering 10 different chips from different sellers resulted in 30 euros in fees, even though the items belonged to the same category.

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They have fallen because, on top of the three euros, the Romanian state asks for another five. And, as if that were not enough, the state then charges VAT on the total of the fees.

The shopper described the measure as poorly implemented but said there were few alternative sources for such parts. Others likewise said the new costs had reduced the appeal of the major Asian platforms.

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I order electronics from AliExpress, the only place where they are available, and if I order 10 different chips from different sellers I have to pay 30 euros in fees.