Local MSP Maree Todd, SNP, has described unfair delivery charges imposed on products to Orkney as “unacceptable” and “discriminatory.”
Maree Todd is backing a campaign launched by Moray MSP Richard Lochhead,
“to stop the rip-off parcel delivery charges affecting homes and businesses across Scotland.”
You can find out more about it here.
Online shopping can be a great boost to Orkney producers selling their wares to the rest of Scotland and for some it has made world wide sales possible.
For consumers in Orkney it is always best to shop local but sometimes the item you want cannot be bought locally. Royal Mail still uses Universal Postal charges although with privatisation that is always under threat. Some delivery companies charge extra for anywhere north of the central belt.
Research by Richard Lochhead has revealed that the total additional cost to Scottish consumers every year for unfair delivery charges is a staggering £36.3 million.
Maree Todd said:
“It is extremely unfair that some of the most loyal online shoppers in the Northern Isles and across rural Scotland, are the ones facing location discrimination and having to pay a postcode penalty to get their items delivered this Christmas.
“The Northern Isles and the Highlands take the top spots across the UK in terms of online sales.
“Yet, information obtained by my SNP colleague Richard Lochhead shows that online shoppers in Orkney are forking out a massive £1.39 million in delivery charges.
“No matter where you shop, you should not be punished because of your postcode.
“It is totally unacceptable that retailers are getting away with charging wildly different delivery fees for neighbouring postcodes simply because they can.
“Hopefully the campaign will force retailers to stop this discrimination and adopt set standards for deliveries to each and every corner of the UK, not least Orkney and Shetland.”
For more information
Fair Delivery Charges: @RipOffSurcharge
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