Calls for online 'delivery friendly' logos

THE row over delivery charges for parcels to the Highlands has taken a new twist.

SNP councillors in the area are now calling for a new scheme to be introduced which clearly identifies companies which offer free delivery to the region.

They believe consumers could benefit if the websites of firms which did not pile extra charges on to deliver carried a "Highland Delivery Friendly" badge.

The call came after Highland council’s TEC services committee was presented with an outline of results from a public survey on Highland delivery charges carried out by the council’s trading standards officers between November and January.

It attracted more than 300 responses and more than a third of complaints referred to just 14 companies.

But earlier this month the Highland News Group revealed trading standards officials would not be naming and shaming the firms because of red tape stretching back to before the rise of internet shopping.

However, officers are currently investigating if companies are breaking the law as a result of their delivery charge procedures.

SNP group leader on the council, Councillor Drew Hendry, said they had asked trading standards officials to look into the possibility of a badge scheme.

He said: "The public are often angered by going to a website’s checkout to make a purchase, only to find out then that there will be an additional charge because of their Highland postcode.

"This affects young and old across a wide range of goods and across the Highlands.

"Nobody should be able to advertise free UK or UK mainland delivery and then charge extra to deliver to, for example, Fort Augustus, Dingwall or Wick.

"While we would hope and urge that the majority of people in the Highlands to find ways to buy from local businesses, for some items there may be no choice but to order something from outside the Highland area. We would like to see responsible internet retailers highlighted and for them to be able to benefit from being fair to the Highlands.

"That is why we have asked the council’s trading standards department to add this proposal to their work and they have agreed to investigate this initiative."

Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP Charles Kennedy and Skye Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson have already demanded action to change laws to protect those hit by unreasonable delivery charges.