People across the Highlands and Islands are continuing to face inflated delivery charges and outright refusals from retailers despite being offered supposedly UK wide delivery, according to Highlands and Islands MSP Maree Todd.

Todd has written to the UK Government calling for action over parcel delivery charges and postal services after research found significant differences between the experience of consumers in the region and those elsewhere in the country.

A Consumer Scotland report published in July highlighted persistent problems across Scotland’s islands, including additional delivery charges, retailers refusing to deliver to some addresses and concerns about consumer protection when parcels are handed between different couriers.

Residents taking part in the research reported reaching the checkout after being offered UK wide delivery only to discover that their address was excluded or that an additional surcharge had been added.

Delivery surcharges to Scotland’s islands commonly range between £10 and £20, according to the report, while charges of £50 or more have been reported for larger items and more complicated deliveries.

The scale of the problem across the wider region has also been highlighted by previous Consumer Scotland research, which found that while 18 per cent of adults across Scotland experienced delivery surcharges, the figure rose to 72 per cent in the Highlands and Islands.

Todd said:

“For too long, my constituents have been facing inflated delivery charges, delivery refusals and being forced to navigate a confusing and fragmented system that would not be tolerated elsewhere in the UK.

“The UK Government has the powers needed to address these issues, yet Ministers have repeatedly hidden behind existing consumer protection measures rather than taking action.”

The MSP has now asked UK ministers whether they consider the findings of the latest Consumer Scotland research acceptable and what action they intend to take in response.

Todd added:

“I have written to the UK Government to ask whether Ministers consider the findings set out in Consumer Scotland’s report to be acceptable, and to urge them to give this issue the attention it deserves.

“While the report focuses on Scotland’s island communities, many of my constituents across the Highlands will recognise these experiences all too well.

“I’m keen to hear my constituents’ experiences, across the Highlands & Islands, on this issue.

“If you have faced unfair delivery charges, or have concerns relating to postal and courier services, please get in touch.”

For communities where online shopping can provide access to goods and choice that may not always be available locally, the argument over delivery charges is about considerably more than the price of getting a parcel to the door.

With almost three quarters of adults in the Highlands and Islands reported to have encountered surcharges, Todd wants the issue treated as a regional inequality rather than an unavoidable consequence of living further from Britain’s major population centres.