A Chinese woman who wore a fake baby bump to encourage train passengers to offer her their seats was rumbled after the silicone belly slipped out of her shirt and dropped to the floor of the carriage.

Incredibly, the woman – named as Zhang – then contacted her local commercial bureau, to complain about the poor quality of the false stomach, The Beijing News reported.

Zhang, who paid 300 yuan (£31) for the “very realistic” silicone belly, claimed the belt tying it to her waist came loose, leaving her “found out and mocked” by other passengers, The South China Morning Press said.

Yet the Liyuan Industrial and Commercial Bureau rejected her complaint saying Zhang had not “purchased or used commodities, or received services, as a consumer should for daily use".

Zhang has been blasted as “shameless” and “disgraceful” for the stunt in a country where more than 2.1 million people ride the subway.

China’s People’s Daily ridiculed Zhang in an editorial, asking “who exactly shows the poor quality?”

A report in Want China Times says fake pregnancy bellies have become a hot online shopping item in the country.

It said: "Shoppers use the items — among other reasons — for faking a pregnancy before adopting a child, to avoid being laid off at work, and to enjoy the privileges to which pregnant women are accustomed."

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• Baby Cage

  Does your baby take up too much space? Is it too stinky? Thankfully, there's <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1991915_1991909_1991746,00.html">this baby cage</a> that allows you to suspend it out your window! (Photo by Reg Speller/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

• Noodle Eater Hair Guard

  Ponytails are so passé. The best way to keep your hair out of your noodles: <a href="http://foolishgadgets.com/200901/noodle-eaters-hair-guard/">masks made out of paper plates</a>.

• Cigarette Rain Guard

  Because sometimes it's raining so hard that even your <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5039920/cigarette-umbrella-keeps-tobacco-torch-dry">cigarette needs an umbrella</a>.

• Self-Stirring Mug

  Can you get any lazier? Credit: <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/cf68/">ThinkGeek</a>

• Face Protectors for Snow Storms

  For all of those times when a hat isn't enough to keep you warm, you can look like one of those <a href="http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/coolest-the-maitlands-from-beetlejuice-costume-51.html">creepy monsters from Beetlejuice</a>? Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationaalarchief/4193509756/sizes/o/">Flickr</a>

• Dog Restrainer

  If you're not trying to cut your dog in half, you have no business using this device. What's wrong with a good, old-fashioned leash?

• Neck Cleaner

  "Five-year-old Tim Gregory wears, under protest, a brush that cleans a child's neck without the use of soap and water in Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 12, 1950. The plastic collar brush will dry-clean the youngster's neck thoroughly as he plays. The brush was developed by the Los Angeles Brush Corp. at a mother's suggestion." What ever happened to a good old fashioned bath? (h/t <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/50-awesome-inventions-2010-9?op=1">Business Insider</a>)

• Portable Record Player

  Sure, records player are bulky, but so are records! We're having trouble seeing the point of this one. Credit: <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ef06/?srp=1">ThinkGeek</a>

• Flexible Flyer Snowball Maker

  Because making snowballs is so difficult. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Flyer-Snowball-Maker-colors/dp/B000FJ4AD4/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1357234965&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=snowball+maker">Snowball Maker</a>.

• Baby Carrier

  "Jack Milford, player with the Wembley Monarchs ice hockey team, has invented a carrying device so that his baby can join his wife and himself on the ice." Ice skating is more important to this man than the safety of his child. (h/t <a href="http://byutv.org/seethegood/post/The-10-worst-inventions.aspx">ByuTV</a>)

• Personal Sauna

  An <a href="http://byutv.org/seethegood/post/The-10-worst-inventions.aspx">effective way</a> to roast yourself to death. (Photo by Yale Joel/Life Magazine/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

• Baby Mop

  At least the baby will have a great immune system after some time being used as a mop and <a href="http://www.betterthanpants.com/baby-mop.html">bathing in dirt</a>.

• Double Ended Pipe

  For when you and your friend want to <a href="http://all-that-is-interesting.com/bizarre-inventions">conserve tobacco</a> while also sharing a tender moment.

• QuikPod Handheld Convertible Tripod

  For the <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/selfie">"selfie"</a> addict with short arms. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quik-Pod-QP-EHHT-Handheld-Convertible/dp/B000NPCI9I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357233759&sr=8-1&keywords=quikpod">QuikPod</a> Handheld Convertible Tripod. (Amazon)