AN SNP MSP is calling for an end to "unfair" surcharges after one of his constituents was left facing a hefty £1000 delivery charge to her home address – for a £75 chair.
The Moray woman contacted her local MSP, Richard Lochhead, after being quoted the "ridiculous" price by the company Daal's Home, who were selling the chair through website ManoMano.
Lochhead has now written to the firm, urging them to review their parcel delivery surcharges policy.
The SNP MSP has led the campaign against such charges, and has repeatedly called on the UK Government to introduce legislation in a bid to put an end to "discriminatory practices".
The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) calculated that last year, the additional cost to Scotland of parcel delivery surcharges was a whopping £40 million – an increase of 11% since 2017.
Lochhead said: “Over the last few months, lockdown meant that people were forced to shop online and sadly, my inbox suggests that many companies and couriers have continued to impose ridiculous delivery surcharges on customers in Moray and across the north of Scotland.
“I have to say I was gobsmacked when I heard that this company Daal had calculated a delivery charge of £1000 for a chair costing £75.99. It is one of the most ludicrous examples I’ve come across and I’ve now written to the company to ask that they review this ridiculous and hugely unfair charge."
He continued: “I started my campaign to end rip off parcel delivery surcharges nearly four years ago now, securing cross party support, and what started out as a local campaign has now become a national issue.
“I welcome that progress, however, it is absolutely clear that the current laws are not working and there’s huge public support across the north of Scotland for action to be taken.
“The Scottish Government is doing what it can to address this issue but it’s the UK Government that has the power to regulate, yet all we seem to get is sympathy when what we need is action.
“Consumers in rural Scotland and the north of the country are fed up waiting for UK Ministers to deal with these rip off parcel delivery charges and they must act now."
Lochhead added that with local shops re-opening as the country eases lockdown restrictions, one way for his constituents to avoid additional charges is to "support Moray businesses and buy local if you can".
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