[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” module_id=”main-header” module_class=”et-fixed-header” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#F0B800″ sticky_position=”top” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_fullwidth_menu menu_id=”13″ fullwidth_menu=”off” active_link_color=”#000000″ dropdown_menu_bg_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” dropdown_menu_line_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” dropdown_menu_text_color=”#000000″ dropdown_menu_active_link_color=”#000000″ mobile_menu_bg_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” menu_font=”||||||||” menu_text_color=”#000000″ menu_font_size=”20px” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” text_orientation=”center” filter_hue_rotate=”48deg” sticky_position=”top” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_menu][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” admin_label=”Intro” module_id=”home” module_class=”et-fixed-header” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/jmsc6110a.com\/capstone2025\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_7631-1-scaled.jpg” parallax=”on” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_fullwidth_header header_fullscreen=”on” background_overlay_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_video_mp4=”https:\/\/jmsc6110a.com\/capstone2025\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WHEN-Free-isnt-really-free-4.mp4″ background_video_pause_outside_viewport=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||||false|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|100px||100px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|–et_global_body_font_weight|||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”20px” ul_font=”Times New Roman||||||||” quote_text_align=”justify” quote_text_color=”#000000″ quote_font_size=”24px” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n“I was like talking to a robot,”\u00a0said Lau Lok-hung, an experienced Taobao user.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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L<\/span>au is struggling with communicating with Taobao\u2019s\u00a0 robotic customer service again to prove that she had never received a lost parcel – which is a common situation encountered by many cross-border online shoppers in the after sales process.<\/span><\/p>\n
Under the technological era, the development of cross-border e-commerce has created a global platform for businesses to break through geographical restrictions and efficiently expand into overseas markets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Taobao, a prominent Chinese e-commerce platform under Alibaba, announced its market expansion to Hong Kong in 2024 by introducing a free shipping service to the city. The other two major mainland e-commerce giants, Pinduoduo and JD.com, have also quickly followed suit by introducing free shipping to Hong Kong services to seize the Hong Kong market.<\/span><\/p>\n
For example, since the expansion of its free shipping service in Hong Kong last October, Taobao Hong Kong has seen double-digit year-on-year growth in both gross merchandise volume (GMV) and order numbers.<\/span>
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<\/span>Taobao users now make up half of Hong Kong\u2019s total population, said Ye Jianqiu, general manager of Tmall Taobao World, a unit of Alibaba\u2019s International Digital Commerce Group, while the number of new users has more than doubled compared to the same period last year.<\/span><\/p>\nZhuang Shuai, the founder and chief analyst at e-commerce consultancy Bailian<\/span> said, <\/span>\u201cListing on Hong Kong\u2019s e-commerce platforms can help their brands boost their popularity among Hong Kong and foreigner.\u201d<\/span>
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<\/span><\/i>From the customer\u2019s perspective, the free shipping allows them to conveniently purchase items at a low price from mainland e-commerce platforms when staying in Hong Kong.<\/span>
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<\/span>Although they can enjoy the lower price to purchase different items, their consumer rights have not been guaranteed. According to <\/span>the Consumer Council, they received 1,088 cases related to cross-border online shopping in 2024 (including Hong Kong consumers shopped with non-local online platforms, and overseas consumers shopped with Hong Kong online shops):\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=”graph (consumer council)” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n