View Full Version : Caithness is not on the mainland??
I was looking for wellie boots online, on most sites the prices seemed fair until it came to delivery charges. This is where I discovered that the Highlands of Scotland are no longer part of the mainland. When did this happen? Wasn't aware I had taken a boat, plane or ferry to get up the A9??? I kept checking until I found a site that did not charge delivery. The wellies are now on their way, although I doubt they will be coming via a ferry though. This has probably been mentioned before but I just had to share as I was so hacked off. [evil]
Yes I had noticed that when reading the small print on things, KW1 post codes have additional carriage charges on some of the things I have been looking at.
I discovered a few weeks ago that Caithness was not part of mainland as i placed an order with screw-fix and was charged delivery as we are classed as remote. [disgust]
I find this with a lot of online shops. I remember ordering some toys etc for the kids, someone then phone me up telling me I was not on the UK Mainland and that I had to pay £12.99 P&P. It is totally ridiculous!!
Wonder how many people have agreed to pay over the odds for P&P. Normally I prob wouldnt mind that price but it just hacks me off too, when people say that we are not on Mainland, to me they dont deserve my business if they cannot get their facts right!!
Yip thats the problem with living so far north. Although I wouldn't live anywhere else.:)
I discovered a few weeks ago that Caithness was not part of mainland as i placed an order with screw-fix and was charged delivery as we are classed as remote. [disgust]
I find it ridiculous that I can post an item to my aunty in London, my mother in Tain or my mother-in-law in Wick for the same price but the same cannot be said of companies sending me items. Grrrr[evil]
That'll be because the KW postcode is the same as Kirkwall.....which isn't on the mainland.
About time all the software those sites use was set up to differentiate between numbers and not just letters!
But it beats me why the postcodes are the same....you'd have thought the powers that be would have considered the problems non-island folks would have!
grumpyhippo
26-Oct-07, 23:51
Been there, got the T shirt.
There are some companies who seem to think that the Highlands are the islands. I have pointed out to them that this is not the case!!!
I once took this problem up with trading standards who have outsourced their service to home workers. The person I dealt with was in Harris........ she was very nice but the attitude was ...................you think you've got problems try living in the Western Isles. Fair does I would have the same attitude.
But rememember when you eventually get something delivered how cheap it is it to insure........ the advantage of living in a wonderful part of the planet!!!!!!
Been there, got the T shirt.
There are some companies who seem to think that the Highlands are the islands. I have pointed out to them that this is not the case!!!
I once took this problem up with trading standards who have outsourced their service to home workers. The person I dealt with was in Harris........ she was very nice but the attitude was ...................you think you've got problems try living in the Western Isles. Fair does I would have the same attitude.
But rememember when you eventually get something delivered how cheap it is it to insure........ the advantage of living in a wonderful part of the planet!!!!!!
I see you have a long memory......sorry GH; couldn't resist! ;)
That'll be because the KW postcode is the same as Kirkwall.....which isn't on the mainland.
About time all the software those sites use was set up to differentiate between numbers and not just letters!
But it beats me why the postcodes are the same....you'd have thought the powers that be would have considered the problems non-island folks would have!
Aye at work, we used to have letters addressed, Wick, Highlands, Kirkwall or just Wick, Kirkwall. No wonder when I go out for a night and get bladdered I cannae remember where I stay! [lol]
I wrote to John Thurso MP about the problem with the KW postcode and he didn't even have the grace to reply. What sort of support is that for his own constituents?:confused
We'll just have to leave the postcode off in future.
I had a awful problem with this with Comet wanted a freezer etc delivered a few years ago then another company canna mind exactly who !!! I then
went on the phone and said hello I am on the Caithness mainland but look over at Orkney on a clear day the person on the end of the phone then asked me if I lived in Orkney and wanted my delivery to another island I said Yes Thurso !!!! she said oh !!! no extra charge WHAT !!!!
If it was just the KW post code mix up up it wouldn't be so bad. I have found it possible to deal with most companies.
I can even understand "remote" charges if they use a courier.
What really gets me is companies that offer a charge for "mainland" delivery and exclude the whole of the Highlands - that is false advertising pure and simple.
Yep Just yesterday I ordered a clothes rail 3m length & fittings etc...it was gonna cost £45 to deliver it through the companies delivery service(which didnt class us as mainland)!...Because I didnt need the full length I got them to cut the pole in half & they sent it via royal mail for £14!!
northener
27-Oct-07, 09:14
Aren't computers wonderful? The operator only goes on what the postal software tells them. I'm sure we've all had the "I live in Caithness" "Errr, wheres Cavenis then?" conversation.
Occasionally I've found moaning at them works. certainly Screwfix can be 'screwed and fixed':) on this matter. I think they're the sort of firm that will try to get away with overcharging until you complain loudly.
You get this a lot on e bay etc. The best thing to do is to arrange your own courier. I use AJG who are brilliant and charge half the price of the normal delivery anyway.
I had great fun (NOT) a couple of weeks ago waiting for my daughters passports. Having had the ID office already delay things by losing both their applications (would you believe because they misread the postcode on one, didnt occur to check the other!!!) further delays occured due to the southern attitude that anything beyond the Highlands is inaccessable by courier. The ID office had assured me that they only use a courier therefore avoiding the postal strike that was ongoing at the time. They sent the passports to the courier with instructions for priority next day delivery. Upon phoning the couriers to determine the current whereabouts of said passports, I'm informed that they do not deliver to KW or Highland/Island postcodes. So what had they done with these "priority next day" packages??? THEY SENT THEM THROUGH ROYAL MAIL IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLEEDIN STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (think i was fumin???!!! we got them 24 hours before our flight was due to leave from stansted, with still the drive to get there!!)
deep breaths, deep breaths..... rant over, feel better now!!!
cuddlepop
27-Oct-07, 10:55
Living on Skye is just as bad.
we've had the bridge for years but we're still classed as an island for deliveries.
Even with our Inverness post code it doesn't make a difference.
I'll join all with a commiserated Grrrr from Skye.:mad:
You're right, it's a postcode lottery/rip-off up here. My wife was in the process of ordering artist materials on line from a company in Bolton, clicked the section which said 'UK Mainland' carried on and put in the KW... and a red warning popped up; "YOU ARE IN THE HIGHLANDS" so went back and found that the 'UK Mainland' had a drop-down menu which gave the Scilly Isles, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight etc and Scottish Highlands. The difference in postage for 'the highlands' was 50% of the total order! So cancelled it and sent an email to them;
"Just ordered on your website some canvas boards costing a total of £17.90 (a very good price) which was totally spoiled by an additional £7.99 (almost 50% of the cost of the item) for postage to me up here 'on the UK mainland' but for some obscure reason being in 'the highlands' I am punished with high cost of postage?.
As you may see I have cancelled my order. You most certainly MUST be losing a lot of business. I cannot for the life of me see why you have no problem whatsoever in despatching from Bolton to Lands End at 375 miles, but charge considerable more to send from (let's say) Bolton to Newtonmore at 322 miles !
Royal Mail postage is the same all over the country and the sooner such companies as your own wake up to this fact the better it will be for you AND your potential customers.. Sorry if I am rather forthright but being treated as second class citizens does make my blood boil - we do actually have electricity and running water up here - incidentally just had a nice new road constructed (£3,000,000) we lost our horses and carts a long time ago.. "
No reply obviously. Just had a relation in the South to buy the items and send them up Royal Mail..
northener
27-Oct-07, 11:47
"Just ordered on your website some canvas boards costing a total of £17.90 (a very good price) which was totally spoiled by an additional £7.99 (almost 50% of the cost of the item) for postage to me up here 'on the UK mainland' but for some obscure reason being in 'the highlands' I am punished with high cost of postage?.
As you may see I have cancelled my order. You most certainly MUST be losing a lot of business. I cannot for the life of me see why you have no problem whatsoever in despatching from Bolton to Lands End at 375 miles, but charge considerable more to send from (let's say) Bolton to Newtonmore at 322 miles !
Royal Mail postage is the same all over the country and the sooner such companies as your own wake up to this fact the better it will be for you AND your potential customers.. Sorry if I am rather forthright but being treated as second class citizens does make my blood boil - we do actually have electricity and running water up here - incidentally just had a nice new road constructed (£3,000,000) we lost our horses and carts a long time ago.. "
No reply obviously. Just had a relation in the South to buy the items and send them up Royal Mail..
Nice one, mind if I use it some time?
Aren't computers wonderful? The operator only goes on what the postal software tells them. I'm sure we've all had the "I live in Caithness" "Errr, wheres Cavenis then?" conversation.
Occasionally I've found moaning at them works. certainly Screwfix can be 'screwed and fixed':) on this matter. I think they're the sort of firm that will try to get away with overcharging until you complain loudly.
I agree, but you will be wasting your time with their website for making orders, the website has difficulty recognising mainland destinations. I just use their phone number now.
Living on Skye is just as bad.
we've had the bridge for years but we're still classed as an island for deliveries.
Even with our Inverness post code it doesn't make a difference.
I'll join all with a commiserated Grrrr from Skye.:mad:
Yep, i'll join in too, its an absolute joke, where possible if I feel I am getting ripped off on postage, I send the company an email, telling them they have lost my business due to the fact, they are being silly over their P & P.
Happened to me this week, was ordering a laptop and selected uk mainland delivery, £free. Then entered the postcode, and BOOM> You are in the highland, postage is £25.
For flips sake.....
I'm afraid I admit that I do take revenge on those living in the south of england and they all get charged my ebay offshore rate....
Its a case of .............oh yes it is!...........Oh no it isn't!
I get this all the time too,now if it asks for extra to deliver I just go elsewhere.I really don't see why I should have to pay extra when I live on the mainland!The PO don't charge extra so why should the companies?Yes granted some use courier services but even they are up here most days.I tried to buy a bed recently and when I put my postcode in they asked for £59.99 delivery on EACH item!It cost more than the bed did [disgust] x
[QUOTE=mccaugm;288776]I was looking for wellie boots online, on most sites the prices seemed fair until it came to delivery charges. This is where I discovered that the Highlands of Scotland are no longer part of the mainland. When did this happen? Wasn't aware I had taken a boat, plane or ferry to get up the A9??? I kept checking until I found a site that did not charge delivery. The wellies are now on their way, although I doubt they will be coming via a ferry though. This has probably been mentioned before but I just had to share as I was so hacked off. [evil][/QUOTE
when i ordered a mobile phone, i was told that they did not deliver to Orkney. I told them I definately did not live in Orkney, and gave them my works post code instead. the girl said, 'oh, that's coming up as Orkney as well!'
It appears Kirkwall is also KW hence the mix up. that's why the extra charges i would think. If you make it clear that you do live on the mainland, the charges should be dropped. Surely Wick should be WK?
northener
27-Oct-07, 13:33
[quote=katarina;288932 Surely Wick should be WK?[/quote]
You'd then get companies who say they don't deliver to Wick-registered fishing boats.:lol:
rockchick
27-Oct-07, 15:49
I discovered a few weeks ago that Caithness was not part of mainland as i placed an order with screw-fix and was charged delivery as we are classed as remote. [disgust]
When I first moved to Nottinghamshire from Caithness I went into the Screw-fix shop to buy some stuff for my new domicile. They wanted my account number, which I gave them, and they put through the items I was purchasing. (The set-up in the shop is similar to Argos where you pay up front and then they "pick" your order and you go to another counter to receive your items.) While I was waiting to pick up my items, I read the print-out they gave me...and sure enough, there was a £6.00 remote charge! even though I was in the shop and getting the items.
I went to the counter, and after alot of finangling they reversed the charge, but it was extraordinarily difficult to convince the computer of the logic of not charging me for remoteness when I was right there.
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