JERUSALEM (JTA) — Target apologized for canceling orders to Israel, which surged following a free-shipping promotion.
The U.S. retail chain said it was overwhelmed by orders for packages to be delivered to Israel after the Borderfree shipping company’s brief promotion. The deal was for orders made Aug. 18-20 to be delivered by DHL.
“Due to the much higher than anticipated response to the Borderfree Free Shipping promotion, we are unable to deliver order [number] and had to cancel it. We apologize for this inconvenience,” read the letter sent last week to many Israeli customers, which included a Target logo and was signed by Borderfree.
According to Hebrew media reports, some 20,000 orders were placed during the three-day promotion. DHL told Haaretz that it delivered a few thousand packages, and that those are the only ones Israeli customers received.
The Israeli business daily Globes reported Sunday that many of the orders faced customs issues, since there are limits on the quantity of items, the kinds of food items and the amount of money that can be spent on such orders from outside of the country.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.