'Postcode penalty' hits shoppers

Dec 19 2012

Online shoppers in Scotland are still being "ripped off" by varying delivery charges depending on where they live in the country, according to a survey.

People ordering goods online face a "postcode penalty" with those living on Scottish islands paying almost £19 extra for delivery, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) said.

The latest report is a follow-up to a study the advice body conducted a year ago and it found that little has changed.

More than 3,000 customer complaints were analysed in the survey and CAS said it does not only affect rural or island areas of the country.

CAS head of policy Susan McPhee said: "Many Scots are being routinely ripped off by unfair and unjustifiable delivery charges just because of where they live. That is clearly and deeply unfair, and it cannot be allowed to continue un-challenged.

"A year ago today, we published our first report on this issue, and asked consumers to report their experiences to us. We were frankly overwhelmed by the response.

"Over 2,000 Scots responded in just a few weeks, telling us extraordinary stories of over-charging, late delivery, poor customer service and in some cases a refusal to deliver to their area at all. We promised then that that was only the beginning of our campaign, and so we have spent the year researching more evidence and working with partners to fight for a fair deal.

"We passed all of these complaints to Trading Standards, who have done a brilliant job of pursuing every one of them. Meanwhile, we at CAS have been researching the hundreds of companies identified, and examining their delivery policies - many of which are based on an ignorance of Scottish geography. For example, some companies believe that Inverness is off-shore, and that Aberdeen is in the Highlands."

Nearly half of respondents to the survey said they had been charged extra for delivery due to where they lived. The average additional delivery price for the Scottish islands was found to be £18.60, while it was £15.23 for the Highlands.

Over a fifth of people said they had been refused delivery by a retailer due to their location and a similar number believe that they were unfairly treated because of their address.