Operators of online baby products shop arrested in Hong Kong after hundreds complain about non-delivery of diaper orders
- Customs says it received reports from consumers who alleged the online retailer was selling vouchers for diapers but failed to deliver the products in time
- Investigation led to the arrest of male manager and female director
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two operators of a popular online store for baby products after hundreds of parents complained they had not received diapers ordered despite paying for vouchers in advance.
Customs on Wednesday said it had received reports from customers who alleged the diaper retailer was selling vouchers through social media platforms but failed to deliver the products within the specified date or in a reasonable time.
No refunds were arranged either, a customs spokesman said.
Catherine Ho Ching-ting, deputy head of one of customs’ trade descriptions divisions, said on Thursday complaints emerged in March and that 216 had been received as of Wednesday, mainly about non-delivery of the goods and failure to get refunds.
About HK$230,000 (US$29,365) in payments was involved. In the single largest case, a customer paid HK$18,000 for 300 vouchers.
An investigation led to the arrest of a male manager and a female director, both 46, on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, for allegedly wrongly accepting payments. They were later released on bail pending further inquiries.
The shop involved was Baby-clan.com in Tuen Mun, the Post learned. Its website and contact telephone number were not working on Wednesday.
