Rented boyfriends keep parents at bay

Taobao.com, China's largest online marketplace, is never short of bizarre offers.

And here is the latest one: boyfriends for rent.

A rental boyfriend can do the following: accompanying the girl to visit friends and families, go shopping, having meals and even getting a kiss out of courtesy. The charge is by the hour.

The headquarters of Taobao.com in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo / China Daily]

The services became hot with the approach of Spring Festival, the most important festival for family reunions.

In China, parents especially worry about unmarried daughters.

Single women will have to face the same old question at the family dinner table: Have you got a boyfriend?

And for those who haven't found their Mr Right, renting a boyfriend emerges as a solution.

So, which men are willing to offer that service?

"I offer such a service only because I'm bored and know fewer female friends at work," said Ding Hui, 27, a salesman in the plastic industry in Shanghai, with a monthly salary of more than 10,000 yuan ($1,600).

He leased himself twice last year during Spring Festival and National Day.

His customers were two 28-year-old women.

He charged 3,000 yuan each, and the customer had to cover his round-trip tickets, accommodations and bought him clothes to make him look smart.

More than 260 rent-a-boyfriend services can be found on taobao.com, with the number climbing.

Online Shopping booms in China:

Online shopping in small cities boosts demand

Women leading online shopping boom

Singles' Day sees online shopping spree

Online shopping revenue to hit 800b yuan

Online retail sales forecast to double in 2013

Online retailers in spat with peers