RETAILERS are being urged not to break Highland hearts this Valentine's Day with delivery surcharges.
MSP Richard Lochhead, who is campaigning for fair delivery charges, said his Moray consituents and others in the north of Scotland were facing big fees for romantic items.
He pointed to a £15.99 surcharge for a dozen red rozes and prosecco, advertised as free courier delivery, a £10 surcharge on alcohol advertised as “The Liqueur of Love” and a £5.56 surcharge on a £3.49 Valentine’s key ring.
Lochhead said: “Rural residents are some of the most loyal online shoppers in the UK, yet time after time get stung by unfair higher parcel delivery charges and many retailers can’t even bring themselves to show the north of Scotland some love this Valentine’s.
“I’ll be buying my Valentine's Day gifts locally but despite widespread outrage, retailers are still at it and imposing heart-breaking surcharges.
“The case for action by the UK Government gets stronger with each new case that comes to light.
“Only this week Scottish Rural Action backed my Fair Delivery Charges campaign and hopefully this will be the last Valentine’s Day when these ridiculous surcharges are imposed without any rhyme or reason on hard-pressed rural romantics.”
The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) estimated that higher delivery surcharges costs consumers in Scotland £36 million a year.
Lochhead recently sent a dossier of 124 companies identified for unfair delivery practices to the Advertising Standards Agency.
His campaign claims there are widespread examples of homes in mainland Scotland being categorised as “offshore” for delivery purposes and incurring substantial unexpected costs.
The MSP is appealing for the public to sign a petition supporting the campaign, at http://www.fairdeliverycharges.scot/
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