Lochaber and Skye pay the highest delivery surcharges in Scotland and the figure is even higher than it was thought, according to a new report.
Previously it was estimated that residents were paying around £6.3 million-a-year in excess charges, but the figure was re-calculated using a different data set by independent researchers and is now believed to be in excess of £9million.
Inverness and Nairn were the second worst affected areas with residents forced to fork out £8.5 million annually to receive packages bought online.
The Highlands and Islands pay almost £40 million of the £45 million annual charges for the whole of Scotland.
READ MORE: Highland hospital delayed by 18 years must be 'future proofed' says former head surgeon
Kate Forbes, Constituency MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, described the figures as a "scandal" and issued a fresh appeal to the UK Government to act.
She said the Scottish Government would have fixed the problem "if it was in our powers".Many UK firms simply refuse to deliver to the region.
A report by the financial scrutinty unit SPICEe found a "substantial" shift to online shopping has had a range of policy implications for Scottish consumers including those disadvantaged by digital connectivity issues, parcel surcharges, late delivery or those refused delivery altogether when they try to buy goods online.
Despite the slowing of online retail trends linked to the lifting of pandemic restrictions, analysts say the early signs suggest online buying behaviour may stick.
Data from the ONS show that 87% of all UK adults now shop online and this increases to 99% for those aged 25-34.
Over the last 12 years, the number of UK adults shopping online has increased by 34%.
Kate Forbes MSP said: “The scandal of retailers charging over £9 million to customers in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch has never looked like such a rip-off.
“That means that customers who purchase goods online, especially with the surge in sales during the pandemic, have paid over the odds and lined the pockets of retailers and delivery firms who think nothing of over-charging Highland consumers.
READ MORE: Scotland's most dangerous road having a 'profound' effect on Highland communities
“It is, and always has been, an absolute disgrace and it is long overdue for the UK Government to act.
“If the Scottish Government had the powers to do something about surcharges, they would have long ago and it’s about time the UK Government lifted a finger about this.
“More than £9 million across Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch could have been spent in the local economy and made an enormous difference
A UK Government spokeswoman said: “The Royal Mail provides a universal parcel service at a standard price throughout the United Kingdom thanks to legislation the UK government put in place in 2011.
"All businesses must show clear and upfront delivery charges so customers can shop elsewhere if charges are excessive.
“We are working closely with consumer groups to assess what more can be done to protect remote communities.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel