A campaign has been launched by the Moray MSP to bring an end to the rip-off delivery surcharges the people in the North face.
The people of Aberdeen are being charged extra by retailers in parcel delivery surcharges. For some companies, Aberdeen, much like most of the north, is not considered to be part of the “mainland UK”.
A campaign has been launched to stop the rip-off delivery fees that customers across the north of Scotland face, despite belonging to the mainland.
Moray MSP, Richard Lochhead, launched the campaign on the 23rd of November and the petition already has over 700 signatures. He explains on the ‘Fair Delivery Charges’ site that most of the surcharges are “completely unjustified” and that the “delivery tax” can cost customers in the north millions more than others have to pay.
He also goes on to say that the idea that much of mainland Scotland not qualifying for the “mainland UK” rates is ridiculous, especially since some companies can deliver for free.
Last year Halfords were charging £50 to post two car towels priced at £5.99 each to Speyside. Llyods Pharmacy was also criticised for charging an extra £50 to deliver a mobility scooter to a terminally ill woman in Keith. Both locations are in the mainland UK but were treated as rural areas.
According to the Press and Journal, both companies have changed their delivery procedures since the backlash from their ridiculous surcharges.
Last week it came to light that Brewdog, based in Ellon, charges £9 to deliver to IV postcodes, but charges £5 to deliver anywhere else in the country. The BBC said that the company defended this surcharge because their online orders are shipped from Northampton, not Ellon.
However, Lochhead hit back at Brewdog by saying: “It is pretty astonishing that a company based in Ellon will deliver cheaper to England that they do to Elgin.”
Ofcom researched this and produced a map showing areas in the UK where at least one of the retailers they asked charges a higher price for the delivery of one parcel.
On the site, Lochhead urges the people of the north to sign the petition and share their own experiences. There are already testimonies from people who feel like they have been ripped-off.
One Aberdeenshire customer wrote: “I tried to order a vanity sink unit from Plumbworld which offered ‘free delivery’ & all was going well until I put in my postcode. Can you imagine my shock when they told me that because I live in The Highlands they imposed a surcharge of £70.”
A customer from Moray said: “I put my postcode in and suddenly it wasn’t free delivery as according to them I didn’t stay on the mainland. So the delivery shot up to £45.”
One shopper from the Scottish Borders wrote: “They said if I paid the extra £19.99 I could have my trampoline, and they charge was set by APC Overnight and not by them Ebay).”
Many people in the north are being affected by the surcharges and the MSP is pressing the authorities for action against them.
Visit the site to find out more, sign the petition and share your experiences: http://fairdeliverycharges.scot