Li Hao
MANY express delivery companies have suspended services to some provinces because of the approaching Spring Festival holidays.
Only S.F. Express and EMS said express deliveries to places outside Shenzhen would not be affected by the holidays, according to local Chinese-language media reports.
However, a shortage of staff had affected S.F. Express deliveries because many employees had gone home for the festival.
One resident said S.F. Express told him it would take seven days to send a train ticket from Luohu District to Bao an District, according to reports.
S.F. Express would charge an additional 10 yuan (US$1.5) for each delivery during the holidays.
Another popular domestic express service, Yuantong Express, suspended deliveries to places outside the Pearl River Delta yesterday, customer service told Shenzhen Daily.
Yuantong Express would also charge an extra 5 yuan for each delivery during the holidays.
A Shentong Express spokesman said his company would service only Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai.
The suspended services have taken a toll on online retailers and customers, who rely heavily on express deliveries.
Online shops stop delivering goods around 10 days before the Spring Festival each year, said a resident, Wang.
This year s suspension of deliveries is earlier than last year and many online shops have closed, said Wang, who ordered clothes one week ago.
