Ever sit scrolling on TikTok and come across a video of a product that looks amazing? Maybe it’s a bouncy blow-dry heated hairbrush, or a de-bobbler for your clothes?
There are all sorts of weird and wonderful things to be found on TikTok Shop, and we’re here to give you the peace of mind to shop confidently.
We love a bargain here at TopCashback, but we also understand that worry when a deal just looks a little too good to be true. Maybe having products advertised to you on TikTok Shop has raised a few of these questions for you?
🎵 Who is this person telling me to buy this thing?
🎵 Why is it so cheap?
🎵 Is TikTok Shop safe to buy from?
In this guide, we’ll demystify all there is to know about buying products on TikTok Shop. We’ll explain what it is, how it works, and what you need to know in order to shop confidently.
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What is TikTok Shop?
Gone are the days when social media was just for reading statuses from friends, sharing memes and uploading a full photo album to Facebook after every night out. Social media is now a tool for shopping, and both big brands and small creators are getting their piece of the pie. We call this social e-commerce.
Social e-commerce isn’t a brand new concept, with the UK launch of Facebook Marketplace in 2016 and Instagram Shop in 2018.
However, TikTok Shop has redefined how we shop through social media. Products are advertised on TikTok through video posts and live streams, meaning shopping on TikTok can feel a little like old-school televised home shopping.
You can think of TikTok Shop as a marketplace: you’re buying from individual sellers and businesses, not directly from TikTok.
When it comes to the products themselves, these fall into two categories:
🎵 Businesses and creators selling their own products
🎵 Individuals selling products on behalf of other brands and earning a commission on sales (affiliate marketing)
There are two ways to buy products on TikTok Shop. One option is to buy through product listings, which can be found in the Shop tab or attached to videos on a seller’s page. The other method is via live streams, where you can add products to your basket as you watch.
Is TikTok Shop safe to buy from?
It’s understandable to have questions when it comes to shopping on TikTok.
With its blend of content and products, this platform can be a little confusing to get your head around.
And not only will you see lots of different TikTok sellers offering lots of different products, but you’ll also find lots of different sellers promoting the same product.
So, is TikTok Shop safe? Yes, in theory, TikTok Shop is safe to buy from.
It’s a completely legitimate shopping platform operated by TikTok, and you don’t need to leave the app to shop.
The structure of TikTok Shop means it can be manipulated by scammers, although this applies to influencer marketing in general, so similar goes for places like Facebook Marketplace.
Individual sellers on TikTok can vary in their credibility, and potential risks vary between sellers. At one end of the scale, less-than-credible influencers could be promoting low-quality products. But at the other end, there are plenty of independent businesses and individuals selling legitimate products (often their own products) directly.
What are the risks?
As with many online marketplaces, shopping on TikTok Shop can come with a certain level of risk. Here are a few important things to consider before you shop.
⚠️ Limited customer service support - a lot of it is automated
⚠️ It’s not always clear where your products are coming from, which means you may be ordering from abroad (and that’s a pretty unsustainable way to shop)
⚠️ Sellers may advertise fake items or have misleading listings
⚠️ Influencers are often paid to promote products, so you can’t always trust that opinions are genuine
However, TikTok Shop are aware of the risks outlined above and have put the following protections in place to make shopping on their platform safer:
✅ Verification and badges for highly-rated sellers, to help customers make informed decisions about who they shop with.
✅ Secure payments within the TikTok app. You can pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit or credit card or PayPal. The money won’t go immediately to the seller, as TikTok hold a portion back in case there are any issues.
✅ TikTok enforce refund policies and buyer protection. They will step in to help resolve the issue if the seller doesn’t respond to you within the allotted timeframe. They can also step in to help resolve disputes between customers and sellers if necessary.
✅ TikTok will shut down seller accounts if they’re thought to be fraudulent or in violation of any of their policies. Accounts can also be shut down if they have lots of negative customer reviews or fake/AI reviews.
There are lots of reasons you might want to buy from TikTok Shop, and a few downsides too. Have a read of the following pros and cons:
✅ You can buy directly from small businesses and creatives
✅ You can find genuinely well-reviewed products that people are sincerely recommending
✅ You might find the same thing on TikTok cheaper than you would elsewhere
❌ Delivery times can be slow, especially if coming from abroad
❌ Shopping can be an overwhelming and confusing process
❌ You could still find the same product cheaper elsewhere, depending on the product
✅ You can buy directly from small businesses and creatives
✅ You can find genuinely well-reviewed products that people are sincerely recommending
✅ You might find the same thing on TikTok cheaper than you would elsewhere
❌ Delivery times can be slow, especially if coming from abroad
❌ Shopping can be an overwhelming and confusing process
❌ You could still find the same product cheaper elsewhere, depending on the product
Tips for safe shopping on TikTok
Here are a few things to look out for to help you protect yourself when shopping on TikTok, including how to tell if a TikTok seller is legit. A lot of these tips apply when buying anything online, so trust your gut and don’t go ahead with a purchase unless you’re 100% confident.
⭐ Read the product descriptions and check ratings
Checking product descriptions thoroughly can help you avoid getting scammed on TikTok by untrustworthy sellers. Check for things like typos, poor formatting, overuse of keywords and vague details.
When you click on a product listing, you’ll see its star rating as well as how many of that item have sold since the item was listed. This is an easy way to see if other people are buying the product, which can be an indicator of legitimacy.
👍 Seller reviews
If you’re looking at a product listing, you can scroll down to see an About This Shop section. This will show a round-up of shop performance, including a star rating, average shipping time and average response time. You can also click through to the shop page itself for more details, like their number of followers and sold items.
Keep an eye out for the obvious red flags, such as poor reviews and slow response times, which may indicate a fraudulent seller.
✅ Check for seller verification
It’s not just businesses that can apply for TikTok Shop verification; individual sellers (also known as sole traders) can too. For a seller on TikTok to be verified, they must have provided a valid form of ID.
🏅 Popular TikTok badges
Reputable TikTok sellers can earn Silver Star Seller and Gold Star Seller badges, which are good indicators of their trustworthiness as sellers.
There are a few ways to earn these badges, including having a shop logo uploaded, a Shop Performance Score (SPS) above 90%, and a positive feedback rate of at least 80%.
❓ Cross-check items outside of TikTok
Whether you’re looking at a product listing or watching a live stream, always ask yourself whether the deal could be too good to be true. This is particularly important if you’re shopping for higher-priced products like tech or designer goods. Extremely low prices can suggest poor quality or counterfeit products.
Look up the item on a few other online retailers, and ask yourself the following questions:
Is the item listed at a similar price elsewhere, or is the TikTok listing dramatically cheaper?
Are there any differences between the product you see on TikTok and other online listings that suggest the one on TikTok could be fake?
It’s possible you may find better deals elsewhere too. Don’t assume the price you see on TikTok is the cheapest.
💸 Don’t get hoodwinked by TikTok Shop offers
If a deal looks too good to be true, it just might be. This not only applies to deals listed by sellers, but also the various coupons and deals you might be offered by the TikTok app.
For example, I was offered a ‘£150 TikTok voucher’ if I spent £15 on qualifying products. I immediately searched some forums for more info and found that the £150 voucher would likely only be eligible on a further £500 spend.
TikTok Shop put to the test
I love a challenge, especially if it involves shopping, so I decided to order a few Christmas presents for some friends on TikTok.
I typed ‘cosy colouring book’ into the search bar, as this is one of the TikTok trends that has always intrigued me. The results page was a mix of video content and static product listings, with lots of prices and discounts.
It was a pretty overstimulating experience; at one point, I could hear three different videos playing at once. If you filter to the Shop tab, this makes it easier to see what you’re doing. Just as scrolling on social media can be addictive, I could practically feel the dopamine flying around my brain as I added things to my shopping cart.
One annoying aspect of the process was the shipping costs. Because you can add items from multiple TikTok sellers to your basket, this means you may be charged multiple postage fees. To get around this, I switched out a few items to ensure I was only buying from sellers offering free shipping.
Of course, I got suckered into buying more than I had intended, but I did manage to snag a few Black Friday deals. And seeing as I was on the hunt for Christmas presents anyway, I didn’t really mind spending a little more. Here’s a rundown of what I bought:
📚 3x Coco Wyo colouring books = £12.08 total
🖊️ 3x Dual-tip acrylic markers = £9.24 total
🪀 2x Gonggi game sets (as seen in Squid Game) = £4.32 total
💸 Total spent = £25.64
Shipping was definitely slower than other online retailers I’ve shopped with. I placed my order on the morning of 27th November 2025 (the day before Black Friday), and it was delivered on the evening of 8th December.
If you do decide to buy from TikTok Shop, don’t forget you can go through TopCashback and earn a portion of your spend back as cashback. I bagged myself 8% cashback on my purchase, which meant I saved an extra £1.72.
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What to do if something goes wrong
As a consumer in the UK, you have a legal right to request a return and refund within 14 days for products bought online (with some exceptions, like perishable goods and personalised items).
You have a 30-day right to a refund for faulty, damaged or misrepresented products.
If you have an issue with your order and need to return an item, the first step is to contact the seller directly.
Go into the Order Centre on your TikTok account and click the relevant order, then tap Return. You’ll then need to select the item(s) from that order that you’re returning, and provide a reason.
If the seller doesn’t help to resolve the issue, you may need to ask TikTok to step in. You can start this process in the Order Centre by tapping the Contact TikTok Shop button.
You’ll be put through to the TikTok virtual assistant in the first instance, but they can connect you with a member of their customer support team from there if needed.
TikTok made me buy it…
So, is TikTok Shop legit? The simple answer is, yes, TikTok Shop is a legitimate e-commerce platform. However, it comes with a certain level of risk, just as other marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay, do.
Shopping on TikTok can be a little overwhelming and even confusing at times, but there’s no denying you can find some brilliant deals on everything from fashion to fidget spinners.
Keep in mind our tips for avoiding scams and shopping safely online, and don’t forget that TikTok Shop are there to help if you need them. Their dispute resolution and buyer protection policies are there to help customers, so get in touch with their support team if you encounter any issues.
Have you bagged any bargains on TikTok Shop? Have you got any tips for our readers about staying safe while shopping? Let us know your experiences in the comments.