Cooling sleeves and balloons: the items off-limits to Hong Kong-based Singles’ Day shoppers
- Some products could not be delivered; others could not be found on Taobao during the biggest online shopping day of the year in China
Lynn scoured the site for a deal on a pair of cooling sleeves – protective arm covers often used by hikers but also worn by protesters in the city to shield themselves from tear gas.
But every time she tried to order, she could not complete the transaction.
“At first, I used transhippers that can direct the items to Hong Kong, but I could not proceed. Then I changed the address to one in mainland China, and that didn’t work either,” Lynn said. “I gave up.”
Cooling sleeves were among a number of common items that were available on the site but could not be delivered to a Hong Kong address.
“This item cannot be delivered to your jurisdiction based on local regulatory laws and Taobao policy,” a notice said, as one customer tried to buy children’s non-slip gloves.