The UK Government has been urged to act now to address the postcode lottery that sees rural Scots forced to put up with high parcel delivery charges and poor services.
Following the publication of a report by Consumer Focus Scotland highlighting delivery issues, MSP John Swinney said Perthshire residents are among those being failed.
The CFS report (PDF link) revealed that one in three people have difficulties receiving parcels as a result of inconvenient opening hours for collection offices and the sometimes long distances required to get to these offices.
The survey found that those living in rural areas had the most difficulty receiving parcels, while rural households also faced surcharges for delivery or even found that some companies refused to deliver to them at all.
The watchdog has now called for an overhaul of parcel services, a call echoed by Mr Swinney who said the government had failed to act for too long.
”This has been a very useful expose of the challenges ordinary people face in having parcels delivered in a convenient way,” he said. ”It is particularly important in areas like Perthshire North, where many people live a considerable distance from parcel offices.”
In June, Citizens Advice Scotland published its own report revealing that consumers regarded as living in ”remote” areas were being hammered with additional costs when buying products online.
Many of the biggest internet retailers were found to be guilty of making additional charges to those outwith major towns and cities.
Some of the worst affected are residents within the ”PH” postcode area, which is routinely classified as the ”Scottish Highlands and outlying islands”.
With some businesses the postcode can result in an automatic increase in delivery costs for buyers, no matter their actual location.
Included within that postcode are many rural communities, together with easily accessible towns such as Auchterarder, which sits by the side of the A9.
Mr Swinney added: ”When shopping online, we have all seen the list of PH postcodes that some commercial carriers will simply not deliver to or if they do, they apply a discriminatory and wholly disproportionate premium.
”Research in this area of postal services, by both Citizens Advice and Consumer Focus Scotland, points to significant failings which my colleagues in Westminster have highlighted to the Department for Trade and Industry.
”This report adds to the pressure on the UK Government to move on this issue and finally stand up for consumers.”
Photo by Geoff Caddick/PA Archive