Sunday People

CLICK FEE SICKENER

- By Stephen Hayward CONSUMER CORRESPOND­ENT

TOP stores have been slammed for charging customers up to £6 to pick up their click-and-collect orders.

More and more shoppers have turned to ordering online and picking up packages in store rather than have the hassle of staying in for a courier delivery.

But retailers have been accused of making a fortune from click-and-collect “stealth charges”.

Sainsbury’s and Tesco charge £4 while Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis ask £2. JD Sports’ next day click and collect now costs £5.99, but there is no charge after two days.

Both Tesco and John Lewis originally allowed customers free pick-up. But both now charge f or purchases of under £30.

Tesco added a series of fees of up to £2 for next-day collection and between £2 and £ 4 for a same- day service.

In a further blow, some shops now bill customers who fail to collect their goods within ten days. Stationery chain Paperchase and home store Heal’s add up to half the cost of an order when deadlines are missed.

Martyn James, at consumer complaints website Resolver, said: “Retailers are punishing customers with stealth charges. A few pounds might not sound a lot but they make huge profits at our expense.”

Stores say fees cover legitimate delivery costs and they are waived on many items priced over £20 or £30. AUTISTIC James Weir received 9,560 cards after his sister Lucy’s Facebook plea to make his 21st birthday special at his home in Bolton. A MAN who called police over an intruder at his home was arrested by them for breach of a bail curfew, in Greenwich, South London.

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 ??  ?? CHARGES: JD Sports
CHARGES: JD Sports

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