(Yicai Global) May 13 -- Chinese consumers lodged more than 3.3 million complaints about goods and services between April 30 and May 5, according to the China Consumers Association’s online public opinion monitoring system.

Covid-19 accelerated the shift toward online consumption of goods and services relating to daily life, the CCA said in a report published yesterday, adding that e-commerce livestreams and online booking for offline services like tourism attractions are becoming popular channels for purchasing.

This rise in online consumption has created an increase in complaints, with most of the 60,000 grievances about e-commerce concerning delivery, quality and after-sales services. These issues were particularly rife in live sales broadcasts.

Over 30,000 complaints related to tourism, with problems including scenic spots being at capacity, traffic jams, and taxis overcharging. The period complaints were tracked included the Labor Day holiday, which ran from May 1 to May 5 and saw 115 million domestic tourists taking trips and spending CNY47.6 billion (USD6.7 billion).

Nearly 15,000 people complained about children spending their parents’ money on online games without permission and the difficulty of getting a refund or setting restrictions on purchasing.

Some 1,417 people complained about the vouchers issued by cities to spur consumption in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, including those in Hangzhou and Wuhan.

Editor: James Boynton