Deliveries to Northern Ireland

[WilsonMilson]

Just a rant really.

Getting a bit fed up with companies who’ve decided to stop (temporarily or permanently - who knows) delivery to Northern Ireland, or who have limited the things they can deliver to NI.

Since the Brexit deal, so far this week I cannot order from M&S, Debenhams have stopped NI delivery and now Amazon won’t sell alcohol, perfumes or aftershaves for delivery in NI. And I cannot get a home office chair for love nor money to be delivered from any bloody where.

This is all I’ve seen so far. I’m sure there must be more as I’ve not really shopped much. It’s incredibly frustrating to be so disadvantaged comparing to the mainland.

That’s terrible. I am from NI (now live in England). That’s disgraceful. Email your MP. The DUP have a lot to answer for in supporting this nonsense.

I hear you. Though I’m more fed up with the people here in NI who voted for Brexit.

Our company (bespoke food company) still delivers to NI and same price as before, only difference is that we now have to print a customs label, don't know why others are stopping? We had to hold back a few European ones over Christmas for a while as royal mail and all the courier companies put a hold on but they seem fine now?

Hang on, we can’t order from M&S to NI?? Everything or just furniture? Really shocked at that.

Certain perfumes and paints were always curtailed.

I tried to order a discounted drinks trolley (peak lockdown obvs) for £200 and they were going to charge me £550 for delivery.

Loaf is the absolute worst for this in my experience.

Yes I did think the perfumes had been that way for a while, alcohol on Amazon is definitely new as I ordered some a few weeks ago with no problem.

Apparently Dunelm. TKMaxx, the Body Shop, Majestic Wine, Hugo Boss DPD and DHL have all suspended delivery to NI.
It’s a bloody disgrace, well Brexit is generally but this is so crap when the shops are closed.

Add dunelm to that list.

@Coffeeisnecessary your company sounds like somewhere I’d order from!

Have you tried any of the Irish websites for your office chair? There must be loads of providers in Ireland who will deliver to the north.

I don't know why retailers are so lazy though. Is it really that hard to print a customs label? Or arrange delivery outside their own country? The EU brought in the geoblocking regulations to try to make retailers supply to anywhere in the EU but it was so watered down it didn't do much as they didn't compel delivery, and the UK government opted back out of it as of tomorrow.

I’m hoping for you all that it’s only temporary. I have family who work in alcohol production, and many companies suspended alcohol shipping to NI for January. There’s too many systems to get in place too quickly (not just customs, but duty, bond status etc). There just wasn’t enough notice. Some companies have had to set NI up as a whole new “foreign country” entity for export purposes. Other companies have had to try to borrow large sums of money to deal with the bond issues.
Regardless, they’ve had to set up new locations, tariffs etc. Not just for NI, they’ve had to get confirmation of what this all means for the EU in general.
They had plans ready as much as they could, but just haven’t had the time.

I couldn't order from sainsburys tu or asda before Xmas - it was in their ts and cs so suspect that's permanent and asda just wouldn't take my address. H&M was still Working for me. This is going to be a nightmare - especially with lockdowns.

@annevonkleve thanks, I’ll have a look at the Irish sites - often it works out more expensive that way with the conversion rate.

I’m really hoping this is mostly temporary, but given that shops are closed for 6 weeks without click and collect facilities, it’s a real pain.

@wilsonmilson, yabvu for saying mainland. Northern Ireland is part of the island of Ireland. Politically and for some, culturally NI is affiliated to the UK but it’s not NI’s/the island of Ireland’s mainland. Yanbu re m&s, etc.

Add John Lewis to that list too!

@teaorwine u can't be serious?! I call Britain the mainland, lots of people do. If u don't then thats ur choice too. Please don't bring in your personal views on this. Op used the word mainland so to her it is reasonable.

I don't know why retailers are so lazy though. Is it really that hard to print a customs label? Or arrange delivery outside their own country?

For larger companies the despatch process is highly automated, it's not as simple as printing a label. Fine to manually process one order, but if you're M&S and have a thousand orders, that's a burdensome process.

I'm sure it will go back to 'normal' OP, but in the meantime am sympathetic. You've been shoved in the middle of a shit situation that was not of your making.

@teaorwine I’m Scottish, I just live in NI, so I’m not invested in the whole political or cultural/religious debate.

NI is part of the UK. The UK is our mainland.
Yes, geographically it is an island which encompasses the ROI also.

However, the Shetlands, Western Isles and Hebrides are still part of the UK, no? The Isle of Wight, Isle of Man and Scilly isles are part of the UK? The UK is the mainland. It’s no different for NI.

@teaorwine that should have been clearer - Britain is the mainland. Obviously the UK encompasses all parts.

The term mainland is more associated with unionists in NI.
Complete pain- I am unionist, DUP have been absolute idiots.

@Wilsonmikson, you “just” live in NI and aren’t invested in the political, cultural or religious debate? Well as long as you get your deliveries sorted....

That's awful. Why have they started with this nonsense before even 1st Jan?
As an aside, I think you'll find the Manx would take great offence to being told that they are part of the UK though (lighthearted!)

@teaorwine I have plenty of views, but why would I be interested in getting involved a unionist/republican debate when this thread is about deliveries and absolutely nothing to do with politics? Why are you dragging us into that territory?

I’m Scottish, I don’t really care for the whole republican/ unionist debate. I’m certainly for NI remaining part of the UK but I’m certainly not a DUP voter, and frankly think most of Stormont are an incompetent shower no matter which party they represent.

Clearly your views are more republican and absolutely fair enough. I just don’t understand why you’re derailing the thread with your goady and unnecessary posts.

I suppose it's in case something you order now needs to clear customs after 1st Jan is it?

Matalan is excluding N.I. too

I suppose all EU countries will have similar difficulties now? I don't suppose it will bother most except maybe RoI who may order a bit from the UK.

I am English and live in NI and thought everyone called it the mainland.

I feel your pain OP 're deliveries, hopefully it won't take too long for these companies to get their act together.