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Richard Lochhead

Moray SNP News

LOCHHEAD IN DELIVERY CHARGES TALKS WITH DPD

10/04/2019  

Richard Lochhead MSP has met with courier company, DPD, in the Scottish Parliament to discuss his campaign to end rip off parcel delivery surcharges.

Mr Lochhead met with Steve Kington, DPD’s Regional Manager for Scotland, for talks on the role of couriers in tackling surcharges for deliveries to the north of Scotland.

DPD’s Regional Manager confirmed that the company charge different rate for Highland and Island deliveries, but these are agreed beforehand with the retailers they work for. The company is owned by the French Post Office and delivers 4000 parcels a night into the Highlands and Islands, employing around 1000 people across Scotland. The discussion focused on the role of online retailers and how they interact with courier companies.

Richard Lochhead’s campaign has received cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament and has been backed by online retailers such as eBay. The Advertising Standards Authority has also investigated two dossiers with over 200 companies referred by Mr Lochhead.

According to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe), additional parcel delivery surcharges cost Scotland an extra £38m a year compared to the rest of the UK.

Commenting the SNP MSP said:

“It was good to meet with DPD’s Regional Manager for Scotland to discuss my campaign to end rip off parcel delivery surcharges and to look at the role couriers have to play in tackling these unfair fees.

“We had a useful discussion around the key issues and it is clear that we must continue to focus on persuading retailers not to pass on ridiculous surcharges to customers in the north of Scotland.

“DPD have suggested that local parcel pick up and drop off facilities, that can be shared by multiple parcel carriers, could be a way to lower delivery costs but this would require industry wide cooperation. However it remains a possibility we should continue to explore, and I have asked DPD to do so.

“Whilst the UK Government refuses to intervene to end these discriminatory practices I will continue to put pressure on retailers and couriers to review their policies and to ensure that they are treating customers in Moray and across the north of Scotland fairly.”

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