Plans are afoot to make it clearer when you are ordering online if you are going to be charged more for delivery where you live.
The power to regulate parcel delivery surcharging is with the UK Government, however, the Scottish Government has taken action and on Monday 26th of November they launched ‘Fair Delivery Day’.
An online website called Resolver has been set up where you can register your views if you feel you have had to pay unfair delivery charges. This information will be collected and passed onto the Scottish Government to determine how big a problem this is for consumers in many parts of Scotland.
Resolver will also help you to submit a claim to the online retailer you wish to complain about by providing you with easy to use links to their complaints procedure.
Derek Mitchell, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Scotland said:
“We are delighted to be supporting Fair Delivery Day.
“Citizens Advice Bureaux from across our network along with our partners, including Trading Standards have been raising issues around parcel delivery charges for a number of years and they have played a vital role in lobbying for positive change for people affected by unfair surcharging, most often in rural communities.
An action plan has been produced, click on the link to access it: Fairer Deliveries For All
Jamie Hepburn, Business Minister in the Scottish Government said:
“Unfair delivery practices are not only frustrating and discriminatory for consumers, they are a barrier to small businesses operating in rural and remote areas.
“We have long called for an end to unfair delivery charges. This action plan reinforces our commitment to ensure the delivery market works for people across Scotland irrespective of where they live. It will empower online shoppers to recognise and act upon unfair or misleading delivery costs.
“We will also continue to call on the UK Government to take action as only they have the power to regulate parcel deliveries.”
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First step – is to buy local if possible! If that’s not possible, there have been times, when I have intended to order something from a catalogue, only to find that there is an excess delivery charge for the Highlands & Islands, or, worse still, the item is listed as “UK mainland only”.
If it’s a case of excess delivery charges, I contact the company concerned, saying that I had meant to order from them, but, due to the excess charge, I won’t be doing so. I point out that many companies deliver, without an excess charge, so it is possible to do so.
This hits them where it hurts – they know that they have lost a customer. I think it’s worth letting them know that.
I don’t know how much difference it makes, but – we can but try!