Arran MSP calls for Government action
Arran MSP Kenneth Gibson is calling on the UK government to tackle what he describes as unfair delivery practices.
Joining the call to end ‘excessive and discriminatory charges’, Mr Gibson added his support to the Fairer Deliveries for All action plan which was launched on Fair Delivery Day, Monday November 26.
The action plan is designed to enable consumers to see whether they are paying over the odds for parcel deliveries and avoid traders profiting unfairly and is a result of a roundtable event hosted by the SNP government in June, attended by parcel delivery companies, businesses, consumer groups and regulatory bodies.
A crowdsourcing website Parcel Delivery Charges in Scotland – A fairer deal? will capture consumer experiences, helping regulators, consumers and retailers to pinpoint and target unjustified pricing. This will help to develop a fair delivery charges map where consumers will be able to compare and track delivery costs and it will improve the accuracy of postcode classification by the end of 2019 – to stop accessible locations being mistakenly categorised as rural or remote.
Mr Gibson said: ‘Unfair delivery practices are not only frustrating and discriminatory for Arran consumers, they are a barrier to the operation of small businesses in island communities.
‘This action plan reinforces our commitment to ensure deliveries work for people across Scotland irrespective of where they live, empowering online shoppers to recognise and act upon unfair or misleading delivery costs.
‘It is time for companies to review their delivery surcharges to make them fair, transparent and consistent. Sadly, too many companies still advertise free delivery while in reality, they apply hefty delivery charges to island communities.
‘I don’t want people on the Isle of Arran to fall prey to these ridiculous charges and this initiative will be very useful in helping to avoid this while we continue to call on the UK government to act, as only they have the power to regulate parcel deliveries and end unfair charging.’