The short-lived shared umbrella scheme recently returned to Shanghai streets after a debut that ended in all the umbrellas going missing. Pictures indicate that about 50 colorful umbrellas were attached to sidewalk railings with combination locks near a bus stop in the city's Pudong district.

The shared umbrellas made their first appearance in late May. Users can rent the umbrellas after installing an app and paying a deposit of 20 RMB.

As a newcomer to China's sharing-economy boom, the umbrellas quickly attracted public attention. However, few citizens had the chance to take part in the scheme because all the umbrellas quietly vanished overnight. According to the Shanghai Morning post, some were likely removed by city employees due to a lack of government approval. Meanwhile, the company denied ever receiving a notice that banned the umbrellas.

A major factor behind the disappearances is that the umbrellas don't contain GPS devices, meaning they cannot be retrieved from users like shared bikes can, the company explained.