No partner for Valentine’s Day? No problem.
Rent-a-partner services provide a quick but expensive solution to young people pressed by families to bring home a partner. Such services increase in demand in China, with prices starting from RMB100 per day and running to as high as RMB3,000 daily.
Websites offering “professional” rental services of girlfriends or boyfriends demand a commission of up to 15 percent of the daily charge from the pretend partners, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
“We will find you a partner according to your career and height requirements. We can also show you a picture first. We do not have any inexperienced workers; those we recommend are very good at getting along with the elderly, and they know how to speak and behave in different situations,” an employee told the newspaper.
Rented girlfriends can sleep in the same room with customers, but no bed-sharing. The employee also warned that the website does not guarantee the safety of either party.
According to Beijing-based lawyer Chang Sha, contracts for the rental services are valid as long as no laws are violated and morality is upheld. Chang also noted that websites providing such services should shoulder the responsibility of checking users’ identities and protecting their personal information.
Rent-a-partner services have been gaining popularity in recent years, but their popularity typically peaks in the weeks before Spring Festival.
