Moray SNP News

MORAY MSP RAISES PARCEL DELIVERY CHARGES CAMPAIGN WITH NEW UK GOVERNMENT

MORAY PAYING £4.3M POSTCODE PENALTY, SCOTLAND PAYING £43.8M 

Richard Lochhead MSP has written to the new Labour government to highlight the need for the UK Government to step in and legislate to end unfair parcel delivery charges.

The Moray MSP, who has led the long standing campaign to tackle the unfairness of many parcel delivery surcharges that are full of anomalies, has invited the UK Government minister to join him at the AB-IV postcode boundary, the point in which fees for deliveries often jumps for shoppers, to see and hear for himself about the absurdity of the postcode lottery and additional charges.

The latest research published by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) revealed that the total additional cost to Scottish consumers impacted by parcel delivery surcharges was £43.8 million in the last year, with online shoppers in Moray forking out an additional £4.3 million.

Despite support for the fair delivery charges campaign coming from MSPs, MPs, the media, and people right across the country, figures continue to rise year on year, and Mr Lochhead claims consumers and businesses across Scotland are running out of patience at the inaction from the UK Government on this issue.

Commenting, Richard Lochhead MSP said:

“After repeated failures from the previous Conservative UK Government to act and end the unfair practices people in Moray are experiencing day in, day out, I am calling on Labour ministers to listen to consumers and businesses in rural Scotland who are treated unfairly and often face frankly ridiculous charges for parcel deliveries.

“A cause of real frustration for my constituents and people in other parts of Scotland who are affected is the fact that there’s no consistent approach to charging for delivery and there is often no rhyme or reason as to how they’re calculated, something that has previously been highlighted by the regulator Ofcom.

“Over the years I’ve challenged businesses and couriers who are guilty of these practices and I continue to receive examples of people being ripped off by companies and couriers who are adding whopping delivery charges onto their order simply because they have an AB or IV postcode.

“Just recently, a constituent was quoted £72 to deliver a strimmer to Elgin, while another was asked to stump up £21 to deliver a £13 door lock despite the website advertising free delivery.

“While we should all shop local as much as possible, sometimes shoppers have no option but to buy online so it’s high time UK Ministers intervened more forcefully and I hope the new minister listens and accepts my offer to meet here in Moray.”