High Delivery Charges

[south view 7]

Chris Ferne of dornoch has launched a petition on the scottish parliament web site protesting against the high delivery charges in the highlands after beeing quoted £220.00 for a delivery of three sheets of perspex 3ft 6ins.x two ft.as i have seen a thread before complaining about these surcharges i would suggest it is worth sighting.As i don"t know how to post a link to another site the address is http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk

[balto]

do you not know we live on an island, well thats what a lot of them think, and they think they can justify it lol.

[Bad Manners]

We have challenged several companys regarding this and in all bar one case they reduced the postage to the same as the rest of the uk. In most cases they are just trying it on an example we had a item purchased from a business in London one item was to be shipped to Cornwall cost £12.00 the same item to Wick £22.00 in this case they were sent by parcelforce and both had the exact same postage lable £ 9.75 when we point this out we get a refund. the other option we use is to arrange our own courier we use AJG who charge us a local rate to uplift from a supplier and bring to us. not a lot of people know you can get a local courier to uplift packages anywhere in uk.

[bobandag16]

do you not know we live on an island, well thats what a lot of them think, and they think they can justify it lol.
this will not change unless the post office change kw for caithness this is kirkwall on orkney,firms use postal codes for location. try telling an india call centre where you are.

[pat]

Thanks for link.

I do live on an island - away from the mainland of Scotland - the charges for carriage to here are absolutely ridiculous, many firms will not send goods at all, others are selective as to what is sent.

Frequently there is no choice but to pay the horrendous charges - it is either that or take time off to visit the mainland to do your shopping which works out much more costly when you add up the time taken off, ferry, hotel costs etc.

[mccaugm]

If this is the case it will be another reason to put people off, moving to island communities. This is sad as their island populations are apparently dwindling an alarming rate.

[balto]

this will not change unless the post office change kw for caithness this is kirkwall on orkney,firms use postal codes for location. try telling an india call centre where you are.
dont you find it so annoying when you phone these people and they dont hve a clue what they are saying and vice versa.

[mccaugm]

dont you find it so annoying when you phone these people and they dont hve a clue what they are saying and vice versa.

And then claim that they are in the UK when its patently obvious they are not.

[Housewifie]

My OH has just order something that the postage was £1.30 for all non island areas and the highland. The postage for that was £7.00

[Bad Manners]

It's about time this was sorted out. If I post a package to one mile down the road it is the same price as sending the same package four hundred miles down the road this is because the postal cost is averaged out and is based on weight. It is time the postal service and couriers got to grip with the fact that prices should be for all the UK. If this means a small increase for all then fine as then it would be fair practise for all.
It does not cost me anymore to send a package from wick to inverness than it does for a package from Wick to London so why the increase for items sent the other way?
I urge everyone to join the petition its in all our interests whether we send or recieve gooods on a regular basis as businesses have to pass on these costs to their customers . End of rant over to you

[Punk_Bassist]

Hello,
Like most others in this area I am frustrated at the high delivery costs because solely to our postcode being KW1 .Most companies inflict unreal costs as they treat it as not mainland,you can talk till your blue in the face but it makes no odds.At the moment I purchased a patio circle from Wales and gave an Inverness postcode and saved almost 170.00 on delivery costs,admittedly I will have to get a courier to pick up in inverness to take to home address but hopefully it will not cost that much.The other matter that I purchased the patio circle somewhat 230.00 cheaper than I can buy locally including delivery to inverness.

[Valerie Campbell]

I think there should be a universal price to cover all the UK so that those in the H&I don't have to pay over the odds and the cost is swallowed up. I know that'll never happen. However what annoys me is when the companies put that the KW1 is Offshore! Don't they do geography any more??!!

[Welcomefamily]

Transport routes have improved and we dont have mud roads any more dispite the films so I dont see the problem. e petitions site not working.

[liz19]

I had the same thing happen to me the other day just cancelled the order wouldn't mind so much but talk about taking advantage of people [evil] oh and forgot i signed the epetition


My OH has just order something that the postage was £1.30 for all non island areas and the highland. The postage for that was £7.00

[joxville]

Ask your local councillors to put pressure on the Post Office to change the codes from KW to something more appropriate to areas north of Inverness.

However don't expect it to happen anytime soon. The P.O. has probably known about this problem for years and are unlikely to change what for them is a money-spinner.

[changilass]

A lot of folks are now saying highlands and islands so that covers them.

At the end of the day, given the choice of joining the rat race doon south and getting cheaper postage or staying where I am and paying over the odds, I would choose to stay everytime.

[Stargazer]

Ask your local councillors to put pressure on the Post Office to change the codes from KW to something more appropriate to areas north of Inverness.

However don't expect it to happen anytime soon. The P.O. has probably known about this problem for years and are unlikely to change what for them is a money-spinner.


Maybe a word in the ear of the 'socio-economic' gurus looking into development opportunities for the post Dounreay era too. With increasing transport charges nationally having an island KW postcode may put off investment from businesses.

[Bad Manners]

Ask your local councillors to put pressure on the Post Office to change the codes from KW to something more appropriate to areas north of Inverness.

However don't expect it to happen anytime soon. The P.O. has probably known about this problem for years and are unlikely to change what for them is a money-spinner.

I dont think it's the PO that is money spinning it is the sellers of goods as they feel they can charge more also the courier companys they all want the easy local contracts but dont want to bother with the remote areas
one company we USED to deal with even class Aberdeen as a remote area neadless to say we have found a different supplier who charge same delivery for all of UK mainland.

[AfternoonDelight]

This is a motion currrently going through the Scottish Parliament, it's a start...

S3M-02401 Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish National Party): Highlands and Islands-Friendly Quality Mark (http://forum.caithness.org/Default.aspx?motionid=14577)— That the Parliament supports a proposal from Sanday Community Council in Orkney for the Scottish Government to award a Highlands and Islands-friendly quality mark for those mail order companies and couriers that do not charge extra for delivering goods to postcodes in the Highlands and Islands; considers that the extra charges that some firms impose for customers in remote and rural areas are unfair, unjust and effectively treat those residents as second-class citizens; welcomes the idea of promoting firms that practise a "one price for all" policy, and calls on those firms that impose extra costs for deliveries to rural areas and islands to follow best practice examples such as Amazon and the Royal Mail.

[stekar]

I've been looking to buy some bedroom furniture. I have looked locally, but can't find what I want.

Had a trip down to Inverness at the weekend and visited a few shops.

Sterling furniture would charge me £60 for delivery! I would have bought it and took it away with me but they have to order it in for me.

They have an on-line shop, but they charge more for Highlands and Islands. I emailed them to ask why seeing as they are based in Tillicoultry!! I wouldn't buy from them out of principal.

[Rheghead]

I wrote to John Thurso MP about high delivery charges for the Highlands and I didn't even get a reply. I thought he represented his constituents?:confused[disgust]

[Torvaig]

I wrote to John Thurso MP about high delivery charges for the Highlands and I didn't even get a reply. I thought he represented his constituents?:confused[disgust]

He is usually pretty attentive and his secretary writes when he is unavailable. If he has been away and unable to reply, he does so when he returns. He has been back from his latest holiday for a few weeks now.....

[Bad Manners]

Whilst Chris Ferne has launched his e petition to the Scottish Parlement could or should be not have a org petition that could be presented to our local MPs to show the strengh of feeling regarding this matter. It may or may not help but would certainly do no harm. I have signed Chris Ferne petition and would willingly sign any other that would bring about a change.