A controversy erupted in China surrounding French luxury label Saint Laurent when consumers noticed they were unable to place orders to an entire street in the Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou.
Several media organizations conducted tests on the brand’s official Tmall flagship store and found that over 20 distinct addresses within Yingfeng Subdistrict—such as residential complexes, office buildings, and government premises—were all barred from making purchases. It was reported that the system showed a notification stating the products were “unavailable for delivery to the chosen area.”
In contrast, switching the delivery address to other parts of Hangzhou enabled normal purchases. Tests carried out with various Taobao accounts yielded the same outcome, which aroused suspicions that the restriction was specifically aimed at the entire Yingfeng Subdistrict, rather than individual users or technical glitches.
The incident quickly sparked intense online debate after netizens pointed out that Yingfeng Subdistrict is not only a major hub for livestream e-commerce operations but also home to a large number of ordinary residents.
According to Chinese media reports, the area had previously been linked to a high incidence of “malicious returns” involving some livestream sellers and shoppers. Such practices included “wearing an item once and then returning it” or “using a product once and then asking for a refund.” The reports noted that some merchants had turned to “blacklisting entire streets” as a self-protection measure against abusive return behaviors.
When media representatives contacted Saint Laurent’s customer service pretending to be customers, the service denied implementing any purchase restrictions and recommended changing the account or delivery address instead. The company also stated that factors like network conditions, account history, and “shopping environment information” might lead to temporary purchase limitations.
Meanwhile, Tmall’s customer service offered several potential explanations, including regional sales restrictions, overseas product controls, changes in promotions, or store-imposed purchase limits. They also repeatedly advised users to get in touch directly with the merchant for further clarification.
This controversy has raised wider concerns about whether brands and platforms are secretly blacklisting entire communities or regions through automated risk-control systems.
Legal experts quoted by Chinese media cautioned that while merchants may be grappling with increasing losses caused by abusive return practices, refusing transactions based on geographical location could violate China’s Consumer Rights Protection Law by infringing on consumers’ right to fair trade. Lawyers also argued that platforms should refine their systems to target individual abusive users, rather than allowing entire neighborhoods to be collectively penalized.
