New Highland postal service to scrap postcode penalties
A new initiative aimed at combatting postcode surcharges and restrictions for Highland residents was launched this week.
Highland Parcels, introduced by Menzies Distribution, will charge a fixed fee of £4.99 for all deliveries across the the north of Scotland, including Lochaber and Argyll and Bute, essentially scrapping any postcode penalty imposed by other firms. After paying the flat fee, the package will then be delivered to customers by Menzies.
Citizens’ Advice Scotland’s (CAS) Postcode Penalty Report was published last year which concluded that more than a million people living in Scotland were being ‘routinely ripped off ’ with those living in the north forced to pay at least 30 per cent more for delivery than consumers elsewhere.
Menzies Distribution general manager of parcel logistics Fraser MacLean said that delivery surcharges are ‘unfair’ and it was something that Menzies ‘wanted to take on’.
‘Customers in the Highlands were charged an extra £15 per delivery on average, with some customers waiting as long as 35 days for delivery compared to the rest of the UK,’ he said.
‘Our Highland Parcels service is straightforward and accessible to all. All you need to do is take a couple of minutes to create your Highland Parcels account, order your parcel using our central belt address for delivery and we’ll get this to your local depot for £4.99, regardless of your postcode.’
Businesses that often pay surcharges for supplies due to their location being considered ‘isolated’ or undeliverable can also take advantage of the new service.
George Lavery, owner of North Harbour Bistro, based in the Outer Hebrides, feels that the new parcel service will help small business owners such as him. ‘We’ve had suppliers insisting that we’re only eligible for free delivery to the north of Scotland if we spend a minimum of £1,000.
‘It puts smaller businesses in a really difficult position and can sometimes have a really negative impact on cash-flow.
‘Highland Parcels seems like a fantastic offering and we’re looking forward to using the service moving forwards.’
The Scottish Government held a ‘parcel summit’ last year to discuss ways of improving parcel delivery services in Scotland after a sustained Fair Delivery Charges campaign led by Highland politicians. MSP Richard Lochhead, who led the campaign, praised the new Highland Parcels service which he says is a ‘creative solution’ to cut costs.
Visit highlandparcels.com for more information.