to name and shame companies who do not know that the Scottish Highlands are part of mainland UK - HERE?

[idonotliveonanisland]

Well here goes. The company I would like to choose first is one of Mumsnet's partners, so I'd better not just now.

So instead my first name and shame goes to Wincanton Home Delivery, as used by Argos and Homebase (and Comet, anyone?) whose staff have yet to learn that the delivery date they quote is NOT the delivery date we get. It is merely the delivery date to a local contractor who may take another week to deliver to our home.

Wincanton Home Delivery, as used by Argos and Homebase - train your staff properly and stop promising a service you do not deliver.

[trinity0097]

My Dad lives in a remote part of Scotland - he uses Amazon prime wherever possible for buying anything, always comes next day as promised and the packaging gets used to start the fires in the wood burner! Switch to companies that will deliver for little cost!

[backwardpossom]

If they put a disclaimer up saying if you live in these areas it might take longer, surely that would be ok? But to just refuse to deliver to us is ridiculous.

[Anotherusername1]

It is completely wrong. I guess they are just trying to cover themselves, if you live down a single track road somewhere in say Argyll you will probably not receive something as quickly as someone in Inverness. Especially with the recent changes to consumer law which say that if you don't receive something when promised, you can cancel the contract. So they don't want to promise next day delivery knowing it's unlikely it will get to you in time. I don't really understand why PH postcodes fall into the "can't deliver tomorrow" category - aren't they Perth postcodes?

And the couriers only want the premium work so don't want to drive down single track roads.

Royal Mail have to deliver to everyone but will use every excuse in the book to cut services to less profitable addresses or not deliver as often. I'm sure they'd love to charge more for a letter posted in say Bristol, to Ullapool or Dunoon than they do for a letter posted to Reading or Liverpool.

Even I didn't get a Royal Mail delivery today and I live about 35 miles from London in a very accessible town! I was expecting at least two items of post that ordinarily would have arrived yesterday if it wasn't a bank holiday, it's taking the mickey not to deliver today either. I did get a courier delivery though.

[backwardpossom]

I know this is a zombie thread, so probably am being unreasonable, but it would appear that KIDDICARE ffs have just changed their delivery policy. I'm so angry about this!

My friend in AB area had something delivered before Christmas, but today, the 2nd of January, I can't.

Grrr! I have tweeted them about it, not that it will make the slightest bit of difference.

[idonotliveonanisland]

Oh no - what a numpty. Sorry!

[backwardpossom]

The actual antidote thread

[Habbibu]

idonot - your link takes you back here.

[Habbibu]

Oh Dear God, Dylthan. That really is extraordinary. Mind you, with that spelling maybe it's only American and Irish they sell. And pfft to the "you chose it" guff. Argos has a great big fuckoff shop in Inverness - it's hardly unreasonable for Invernesians to expect to be able to get goods that will be delivered to their local shop anyway. And the remote argument so rarely applies to Wales, Cornwall, etc, but getting to Aberystwyth is much more of a faff than getting to Inverness.

And why don't courier companies get together - if some can deliver up north without encountering the dragons, why don't those who are too chicken subcontract to those who can, switching parcels at the nearest hub.

God, I'd love to see a whisky surcharge to certain London addresses...

[idonotliveonanisland]

the antidote thread

[backwardpossom]

I'm easy - you want to start it, might be easier given your username!

[idonotliveonanisland]

Totally agree. Do you want to start one and link from here?

[backwardpossom]

What about a thread of 'good practice' so if we did get a campaign going, we could show the companies who do have fair delivery charges - Achilles Heel for example (based in Glasgow) offer FREE postage to ANY UK postcode.

[Milngavie]

Well said Expat.

[Dylthan]

I think this one takes the

Express Delivery UK(Mainland Only)
Subject to payment clearance
We offer an express delivery at £10-99 next working day before 5.30 pm
This operates Monday to Friday on orders received before 12.00 hours.(Noon)
Delivery Days Monday To Friday.
Excludes Scottish Highlands and Islands. Northern Ireland. Isle of Man. Channel Isles. Isle of Wight.

Although they do charge the same price for normal delivery.

This shop is www.whiskey.co.uk

A specialist whiskey shop we can't even get out own exports to us in a fair and competitive way.

[Dylthan]

www.greatoutdoorsdirect.co.uk


Mainland England, Wales and some parts of Scotland £4.95 postage Orders over £100 FREE Postage

Scottish Highlands (see below for postcodes) £10 postage Orders over £100 £10

Next Day Delivery - Mainland England, Wales and some parts of Scotland

[BaroqueAroundTheClock]

"but you pay a delivery charge because it's more expensive to deliver there! (population more spread out, larger distances to cover from hub to destination, etc etc). "

Not if they use Royal Mail (as many do)

If I post a letter to you in London (I'm in Northants) it won't cost me any more than if I were to post it to an MNer in Wick, or St Ives, or anywhere else in the UK.

[expatinscotland]

English people are Highlanders, too!

[expatinscotland]

Hamley's is sitting in Glasgow, a big shop, full of Scottish voices.



So my own and myself are something less than, worthy of paying more though we pay the same taxes and we put a stamp on something we pay the same but well, move to London and quit grousing?

You don't get what a slap in the face that is when we're even farther from a coast than you are sitting in London?

You think you are subsidising me and mine? LOL.

I can't even respond to that rationally.

Do you realise how many people from England, London even, live here, who are part of here, paying UK tax here?

What a sick turn.

[idonotliveonanisland]

Name and shame is helpful though for knowing which companies to avoid like the plague. Saves a lot of wasted time and effort.

[Mistymoo]

It's total nonsense.

The fact is that the majority of these postcodes are mainland UK. Companies that offer free delivery to mainland UK should also include all addresses that can be driven to without resorting to a boat or plane.

REMOTE LOCATIONS ARE STILL MAINLAND UK

Royal Mail are obligated to charge the same for delivering a letter from London to Orkney as they charge delivering a letter from Newcastle to Manchester and couriers should do the same.

To say that Londoners subsidise deliveries to the Highlands is naive at best. Those in areas of large population do indeed subsidise deliveries the Royal Mail makes to remote area. However with the Highlands only accouning for less than 0.5% of the population of the UK, the subsidy is very, very small. I doubt even 1p on a stamp.

Most of us here in the Highlands (yes we have roads, elctricity & running water) have got used to paying a bit extra, and thats not the real bug-bear.

What really sticks in our gullet is the companies advertising a service and not following through on it. Not only that, but they then double or even treble delivery charges. There is absolutely no justification for the disproprtionate charge. On several occasions we have been quoted more for delivery than the goods are worth.

And while we're trying to say that we should pay more because we're remote, consider the like of Homebase or Argos. If you buy article X in London for £Y, it costs exactly the same in Inverness Homebase or Argos - despite the fact that Inverness is miles away and the store obviously incurred extra charges.

Companies that do care will sometimes swallow the extra courier charges, or will offer to use Royal Mail or Parcel Force. Those that do are more likely to get repeat business. The companies that are disinterested, well they are not worth bothering with as customer service features very low on their priority scale - and why would you want to continue to support them.

YANBU however there's very little you can do about it. Name and shame might help you let off a little steam, but in the long run it will make no difference at all.

[idonotliveonanisland]

I missed that! DA is my MP - glad to see he's still interested in this area now he has a job in the Treasury. But did you see some of the coments? How can these people just lap up the discrimination? I despair at the Invernessians sometimes, I really do. They will moan about anything and everything, except something that's a real issue!

[NacMacFeegle]

I bought a digital piano last week - very heavy etc. Phoned to check delivery (to NI), guy apologised profusely but there was a surcharge. It was a tenner, with DPD. That's totally reasonable, IMO.

So how other companies can't manage it is beyond me.

[Dylthan]

It looks like Danny Alexander has been doing something about delivery charges. He has got bhs to re think their delivery charges and asda over Christmas and is now hopeing to tackle the courier companies apparently.

www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/13870/Asda_s_early_Christmas_present.html

[Dylthan]

Here is the actual quote

i would be nervous about the averages method - its a risk that you might suddenly become really popular with the highlands or get one problem customer who repeatedly returns things..

also - i am sure people in the highlands are used to having to pay a little extra for shipping so why not charge them it?

From this website
www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/archive/index.php/t-75958.html

[idonotliveonanisland]

Guess what? I just typed in my postcode into the DHL remote area search:

"The location you have selected is not a remote area or is not a valid selection."