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.

The Book People
They quote "Free standard delivery on all orders over £25 " then you find out you have the wrong postcode and your order isn't included in "all" orders

H&I postage is £7.45 for multiple books

Suddenly not such a cheap option at all.

Highlands and Islands
Customers in the highlands and islands of Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Northern Ireland and the Scilly Isles, we are very sorry but the following services are unavailable in your area*

? Next day delivery

? Free delivery promotions (we do however offer discounted delivery)

Also please note that deliveries to your area may take a little longer than those advertised.

• Applies to the following postcodes AB, BT, DD8-11, GY, HS1-9, IM1-9, IV21-56, JE, KA27-38, KW15-17, PA20-49, PA60-78, PH19-26, PH30-44, PH49-50, TR21-25, ZE1-3.

Yep, FK is Falkirk, G is Glasgow, of course.

I am now going to quote from a selection of Mumsnet partners - I am not naming the companies, but not hard to find out. Here's the first:

"FREE UK Delivery excludes Highlands & Islands Postcodes: The following postcodes are classed as chargeable: AB20 - 31, AB33 - 38, AB44 - 56, FK17 - 99, G83, IV1 - 28, IV30 - 39, KW1 - 14, PA21 - 33, PA35 - 40, PH18 - 26, PH30 - 42, HS1 - 9, IV40 - 51, IV55 - 56, KA27 - 28, KW15 - 17, PA20, PA34, PA41 - 48, PA60 - 78, PH42 - 44 & ZE1 - 3."

I am now going to quote from a selection of Mumsnet partners - I am not naming the companies, but not hard to find out. Here's the first:

"FREE UK Delivery excludes Highlands & Islands Postcodes: The following postcodes are classed as chargeable: AB20 - 31, AB33 - 38, AB44 - 56, FK17 - 99, G83, IV1 - 28, IV30 - 39, KW1 - 14, PA21 - 33, PA35 - 40, PH18 - 26, PH30 - 42, HS1 - 9, IV40 - 51, IV55 - 56, KA27 - 28, KW15 - 17, PA20, PA34, PA41 - 48, PA60 - 78, PH42 - 44 & ZE1 - 3."

"We offer free P&P to mainland UK addresses as a standard service and are currently the only specialist maternity and baby website to do so.
The Scottish Highlands and Islands together with some other Scottish postcodes, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not included in Mainland UK.
Due to delivery contractors charging higher rates for these areas we are unable to offer free postage and apologise to our customers who live in those regions."

Up to 2kg £4
2-8kg £8

This company uses Royal Mail for small items.

Another Mumsnet partner, but this is an example of a non-discriminatory fact-based delivery policy:

"Please call xxxx for separate quotes on deliveries to Cornwall, N. Wales, Scotland, Highlands & Islands, N. Ireland, Eire and the Continent, which will be charged at cost.
** For deliveries to Central London, we reserve the right to charge on the Congestion Charge (if applicable) and any parking fees. If your child's bedroom is up several floors, it may take us a little longer to install it."

I would use this company because this policy is fair and based on actual costs.

Not included on the mainland UK?

Some of these places are hundreds of miles from any islands.

Some are even considerable distance from a body of open water at all.

I know expat - it is utterly bonkers. I have spent long enough fuming about this in silence. Now I want to do something.

I'm in a PA postcode. But we are very much on the mainland.

I would wonder if this is more an issue to do with certain postal carriers than with the retailers.

I hate all couriers as they can't find my home reliably and never deliver when I'm at home... so I end up driving 20+ miles to a depot to collect. Real pain in the bum... and I live in Surrey - GU18. Suppose I do get the lower P&P rate but that hardly counts for anything if I end up having to drive to an industrial estate in Reading or Basingstoke to collect a parcel.

YANBU - companies need a fair policy with regard to postage of items. They also need to accommodate customers requirements - so things like timed deliveries, deliveries outside of business hours.

'I would wonder if this is more an issue to do with certain postal carriers than with the retailers.'

Then they need to use another supplier to accommodate their customers who are on the mainland because by using these couriers and not offering an alternative, they are colluding in what is an unfair, rip off discriminatory practice.

Yes nannynick, but see earlier in the thread. Retail companies are the ones making the choice to use these couriers - they are the ones with the power to walk away. And, as seen in one of my examples, some of these retailers use Royal Mail and pass on the cost of "free" delivery to those of us in the Highlands.

And you know it can be done. I've copied and pasted stuff from some rubbish companies, but there are lots of others that I've checked out who have fair policies.

I ended up buying my son's bed from a little shop down in Farnham, Surrey. They were the only UK stockist that would even deliver up here.

A famous name that used to be on the high streets (but now operates online only) charges £3.95 standard next day delivery but goes on to say:

"We offer these deliveries in most areas ? we?ll let you know if your address is not covered when you order."

And:
"In most cases, we deliver to the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. But we might not be able to deliver to some:

• Very remote places
• Islands
• Addresses in Northern Ireland If there are any problems we?ll get in touch with you and let you know when you?ve placed your order."

In other words, they don't even list postcodes that they charge more for. You have to register, order and then find out the delivery charges. You maybe even have to pay before they tell you they won't deliver!

I'm in an AB postcode and am often charged extra postage despite definitely being on the mainland and am certainly no more remote than parts of Yorkshire, for example. Pisses me right off.

Jojo Maman Bebe

We offer free P&P to mainland UK addresses as a standard service and are currently the only specialist maternity and baby website to do so.

The Scottish Highlands and Islands together with some other Scottish postcodes, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not included in Mainland UK.

Due to delivery contractors charging higher rates for these areas we are unable to offer free postage and apologise to our customers who live in those regions.

Name and shame, Ceic!

I've just remembered an offender! ToysRUs charge more to H&I.

I'm guessing it starts with a W?

backwardpossum - that is remarkably similar to one of the quotes I gave below. In fact that might even have been the company I had in mind in my OP.

www.snowchains.co.uk - now which part of the UK is most likely to have a need for snow chains...?

Normal delivery: £7.50
Highlands & Islands: £20

Highlands & Islands includes some isolated Scottish areas (see below), The Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.

The following postcodes in Scotland are charged at the standard rate of £7.50: AB1 to AB16, AB21 to AB25, AB30, AB39, PA1 to PA19, PH1 to PH3 plus postcodes beginning with the letters DD, DG, EH, FK, G, KA (except KA27 & KA28), KY, ML & TD. All other postcodes, including those begining with the letters HS, IV, KW, ZE & KA27 and KA28, are charged at £20.00

Someone asked before who are Nice-PC - no idea, I was just Googling at that point. Quite informative.

I continue to be incredulous at the assertion that Inverness - a city, remember, on a major trunk road - is an "isolated" area.

I refuse to pay extra. I ask if the supplier is willing to use Royal Mail or wave their charges if they say no I tell them thanks, I'll let everyone who'll listen know you're bigots who collude in discrimination against Scotland. As I am not Scottish, I've never once been refused waiving of charges. But it bugs the shit out of me because there are many just as remote areas in Wales and England.

Inverness, which really is right off a motorway.

I just checked the Toys R Us website. They don't charge extra for the Highlands, but they are one of many many companies that take extra time to deliver - up to 8 days in this case. I haven't even included those companies in this thread - apart from the spectacularly bad Argos example - but it is another really annoying problem.

But you can't get Toys R Us deliveries in Orkney or Shetland.

Or Caithness! (just realised Caithness has KW postcodes). Crazy.

So let's just quote from the Toys R Us website:

"Unfortunately, due to the high cost of delivering to remote islands and the difficulty with arranging returns, orders can only be placed on and delivered to UK mainland and Northern Ireland addresses. The following lists the UK & BFPO postcode ranges we do not accept orders from or permit delivery to:

Scottish Highlands KW1 - 4; KW6 - 10; KW14"

Toys R Us thinks that Caithness is a remote Scottish island.

Bumping for anyone still waiting for the Northern Lights...

Can't see them in Argyll, idont! Heavy cloud cover .