Scots asked to report high postage costs as inequality soars north of the border

Scots have been asked to report delivery surcharges after a report found it cost more to get items delivered north of the border.

A briefing from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Spice) has put the extra cost at £44.8million, with the north and north-east most affected.

This means that those living in rural and remote parts of Scotland are expected to fork out more money for the cost of delivery following an online purchase.

Advice Direct Scotland, which runs a national consumer advice service is now asking shoppers to report high costs so that information can be collected and passed on to be investigated further.

Scots in remote areas rely on online shopping (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The north and north-east of the country are most impacted by the charges at a combined cost of £38.6m with those living in the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency having to pay the most in Scotland at an average of £9.1m a year.

Inverness, Nairn, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross were also among the hardest hit regions.

Marjorie Gibson, head of operations with Advice Direct Scotland, said:“This highlights the unfair treatment faced by many Scots living in remote and rural areas.

“We encourage Scots to report instances to us where they believe they have been unfairly treated, and we can collate and pass on the information.

“Too many people living in remote and rural areas find online bargains have hidden charges or small-print delivery information that can be missed when making a purchase.

“When shopping online, always check for delivery charges first.

“We have been working closely with the Scottish Government and Highland Council, in particular, to deliver fairer deals for all online shoppers.”

A UK Government spokeswoman said: “The Royal Mail provides a universal parcel service at a standard price throughout the United Kingdom thanks to legislation the UK government put in place in 2011.

“All businesses must show clear and upfront delivery charges so customers can shop elsewhere if charges are excessive.

“We are working closely with consumer groups to assess what more can be done to protect remote communities.”

How do I report a high delivery charge?

Consumer Advice has a specially formatted web page where shoppers can report a delivery change that they feel is unfair.

You can access it here- https://consumeradvice.scot/delivery/

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