A campaign to end the rip-off delivery charges blighting shoppers across the north has been launched.
People are being urged to share their stories to shame retailers into action – with the hope it will also prompt both the Scottish and UK governments to step in.
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead launched the website in an effort to force companies into treating customers across the north and north-east more fairly.
The politician said he had been inundated with “eye-watering” accounts of firms taking advantage of residents across the region since highlighting a few high-profile cases.
The online drive has already been backed across the political spectrum, with Labour and Conservative MPs and MSPs also fighting to create change.
Mr Lochhead said: “Enough is enough, we need action to stop this rip-off.”
The row over excessive costs for goods posted to the north and north-east reached new heights last year when Halfords charged £50 to post car towels worth £5.99 to Speyside.
And Lloyds Pharmacy sparked outrage when it imposed an extra £50 to send a mobility scooter to a terminally ill woman in Keith.
Both firms have since made drastic changes to their delivery systems following a public backlash.
And last week, Ellon-based craft brewers Brewdog came into the firing line when it emerged that customers with an IV postcode were charged £9, compared to £5 elsewhere.
The new website features a section for people to add their own testimonies.
Already, there are comments from people across the region who have been ripped off.
One Fochabers man who was told his address was not eligible for a “free delivery to the UK mainland” offer.
And a Stonehaven man wrote: “I tried to order a vanity sink unit from Plumbworld, which offered ‘free delivery’.
“All was going well until I put in my postcode.
“Can you imagine my shock when they told me that, because I live in the Highlands, they imposed a surcharge of £70.”
Mr Lochhead said the popularity of Black Friday internet deals had added further urgency to the campaign.
He said: “Online shopping continues to grow increasingly popular, especially for items that can’t be found in local shops.
“There is nothing worse for customers than to be drawn into what they think is a bargain only to find out that there are going to be eye-watering delivery surcharges.
“We have seen a number of absurd cases in Moray.
“We have seen that naming and shaming individual retailers can address this, but the Scottish and UK governments both have a role to play – with the latter able to enforce regulation.”
Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands, David Stewart, has written to Postcomm and the Office of Fair Trading asking if the practice could be considered “geographically prejudicial”.
But he was told that the courier market is unregulated because it is competitive, and that “any requirement on couriers to charge a uniform national price might result in them declining to deliver to some areas altogether”.
Mr Stewart said last night: “Some parts of the Highlands and Moray are not deemed by some couriers to be on the mainland, which is frankly shocking.
“It is time there was a regulated system that prevented couriers from ripping off customers living in the north.”
Local Conservative MP Douglas Ross, added: “This disgusting practice must end.
“I am continuing to raise this with ministers at UK government level to right this wrong.”
The new campaign was launched on the same day that Highlands and Islands Tory MSP, Halcro Johnston, pledged to take individual cases directly to the heads of businesses.
Mr Johnston added: “I will ask them to make clear why they are levying these disproportionate charges, or failing to make deliveries at all to certain areas.”
People can register their experiences of unfair delivery charges at www.fairdeliverycharges.scot
