Fair Delivery Charges campaign runs from April 2020 – March 2021. Consumers in many parts of Scotland face extra charges from parcel companies based on their address. Often these seem excessive or incommensurate with the cost of delivery. Sometimes consumers are refused delivery altogether because of their postcode.
This campaign aims to raise awareness of unfair parcel surcharging in Scotland and work with local communities to create local solutions. Bureaux who have received funding for this project are able to undertake campaigning in a timeframe that works best for their local community.
Fair Delivery Charges
Research commissioned by CAS has found that this problem affects up to 1 million consumers in Scotland. It is most pronounced in the Scottish Highlands (Perthshire, Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, the North-West Highlands) and the Scottish Islands. We have found that charges for parcel delivery to these areas are at least 30% higher on average than for other areas of mainland Britain, while those living on Scottish islands are asked to pay 50% more.
This issue was first raised with us by Skye and Lochalsh Citizens Advice Bureaux. Since then Citizens Advice Scotland has campaigned extensively on this issue and commissioned and published relevant research, notably our Postcode Penalty series of insight reports. We continue to engage with a number of stakeholders on this issue and with Scottish Government to ensure that they deliver on the actions listed in their Fairer Deliveries for All action plan (2018). Over 2020-21 we may commission research on postcode misclassification as a possible cause of surcharging.
We are inviting Citizens Advice Bureaux to take part in this project and will be working alongside you to develop national policy to ensure action is taken to limit the disproportionate effect of surcharging and non-delivery on rural and island communities.
Campaign aims:
- Raise awareness of the detriment to consumers and small to medium-sized enterprises caused by location-based delivery surcharging
- Raise awareness of the lack of transparency around the use of delivery surcharges for our clients and public and empower people to take action
- Promote the Scottish Government Fairer Deliveries for All map tool (when it is live) and encourage clients and public to engage with the tool
- Gather people’s feedback on and evidence of parcel surcharging.
Join the campaign
As part of this campaign, we will be working with bureaux to raise awareness of unfair parcel surcharging in Scotland and gather feedback and evidence of local stories from people who seek support from Citizens Advice.
Our campaign resources page is now live. You can download free campaign resources to support you in running your Fair Delivery Charges campaign and raise awareness of parcel surcharging.
Contact
If you have any questions on the campaign, please contact Barbara Adams, Senior Officer (Campaigns): Barbara.adams@cas.org.uk or Andrew Fraser, Policy Officer: andrew.fraser@cas.org.uk.
