Temu targets $4 Amazon Fire TV streaming gadgets with remote

Temu sells Alexa-enabled remotes that are compatible with Amazon’s Fire TV Stick for just $4. Similar generic versions cost about $10 on Amazon.com, while the official Fire TV replacement is about $25.

Since its launch in 2022, Temu has challenged Amazon’s fast delivery guarantees by offering deep discounts to shoppers willing to wait a week or so to receive their orders.

Secondary Fire TV remotes are selling fast, according to Temu, which has awarded the “best seller” badge to a product described as a “replacement Alexa voice remote” that’s compatible with Fire TV streaming devices.

Temu buyers have purchased over 75,000 units of the product, which has a 4.6 star rating from thousands of reviews. Many of the reviewers said that the replacement looked just like the remotes that came with their Amazon streaming devices. The devices are supplied by a Chinese company called “Cilcone,” according to the site.

“I was skeptical this would work, but for the cost I was willing to give it a try,” states an August 16 review. “All I had to do was insert the batteries, follow the instructions and within 30 seconds it was controlling my Fire Cube and TV.”

It’s unclear if Temu plans to carry other Fire TV-related gadgets.

“Products are sold by our independent third-party sellers,” a Temu spokesperson said in a statement. “Similar products are widely available on various online marketplaces.”

An Amazon spokesperson said the company is investigating the situation.

In August, Temu parent PDD Holdings Inc. spooked investors after warning that revenue growth would slow as it battles rivals chasing budget-conscious consumers in China. Challenges at home make PDD more dependent on overseas markets such as the US, where Temu is setting up its own delivery operation and actively courting Amazon sellers.

About 35 percent of all streaming media devices in use in the U.S. are made by Amazon, ranking it second only to Roku, according to Parks Associates, an Addison, Texas-based market research firm. Amazon launched the Fire TV line of media players a decade ago, and they’ve become the company’s best-selling products. Their remotes have a button that directs viewers to Amazon’s video streaming service, which helped it grow that business as well.

Amazon has long been criticized for hurting its brand partners by creating generic versions of their products and undercutting their prices. The Seattle-based company has launched its own batteries, clothing, luggage, home goods and more. Amazon favored its own products in search results over those sold by competitors, which violates antitrust rules, the Federal Trade Commission argued in a lawsuit against the company last year.

$4 remotes could similarly undermine Amazon’s Fire TV business, especially if Chinese factories start making other generic accessories. Some shoppers will bet on the Temu remote to save money, even if it’s just a few dollars, said Rob Volpe, a consumer behavior expert in San Francisco.

“Historically, the distribution channel for a brand is one of the key indicators for consumers of the premium nature or value of something,” he said. “Seeing Amazon products appear on Temu seems a little strange and out of place, but I’d say it doesn’t hurt the brand.”

(Updates with Temu’s comment in the seventh paragraph.)