Highlands hit hard by 'rip-off' Christmas delivery charges

People in the Highlands have been stumping up on average an extra £61 on Christmas shopping because of extortionate delivery charges.

The “postcode lottery” on deliveries was highlighted in research by the SNP, which compared the cost of extra Christmas postage fees to Moray with those paid by residents in Surrey, in the south of England.

The study found companies were charging extra to deliver to Highlands and Islands postcodes for commonly-purchased Christmas gifts, with everything from food and drink to clothes and toys affected.

The research showed that Hamleys charged £10 extra delivery on Lego Star Wars, which was free to Surrey.

Gin Box Shop added £8 to a bottle of SipSmith gin, but offered free delivery to Surrey.

Converse trainers cost an extra £15, while 2021 Collins diaries were £11.95 more expensive from Ryman to deliver to the Highlands, but just £3.95 dearer when being delivered to the English county.

A 2021 calendar from the National Railways Museum cost an extra £4 for express delivery to the Scottish Highlands.

A laptop from Box.co.uk was free for delivery to Surrey, but £14.95 for delivery to the Highlands.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) reported that people in Inverness, in total, paid an extra £7 million in delivery charges, with people across Scotland as a whole forking out a whopping £43 million in additional fees.

Richard Lochhead, SNP MSP for Moray, has led the campaign to end unfair delivery charges and has been contacted by constituents charged ridiculous prices to have gifts delivered. He is determined to force firms to reconsider.

Mr Lochhead said: “Christmas this year is tough enough for many families without having unfair delivery charges slapped on them as well, piling up the cost of Christmas.

“This year, more than ever, people have relied on online shopping to keep themselves and their families safe.

“They should not be penalised because of where they live.

“Since I started my campaign, some companies have recognised the unfairness of these charges.

“But, as we can see, many still continue to put the people in my constituency and other areas of the Highlands at a disadvantage by charging these costs.

“I know this has been a difficult year for retailers, but consumers should not be punished as a result.

“I would urge any businesses who continue to implement these unfair charges to bring them to an end.”

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