mainland

[alz]

I am in Aberdeenshire - and it is on mainland Britain!
Getting increasingly frustrated by the ever growing number of companies that advertise items for postage only to mainland Britain, then say there is a surcharge to a long list of postcodes north of Edinburgh. Looks to me as people are just joining the bandwagon now to get extra cash.
Hardly surprising that a number of Scots are turning towards independence. But I sympathise with fellow over-60's south of the border who are now facing prescription charges, while we pay none up here.

 

[Lons]

I sympathize alz and also agree about prescription charges, (mine don't cost though my family have to pay) but I can't see how independence would stop those delivery charges, the mileage can't change and it could possibly increase costs if more paperwork is involved.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

To be fair it is a long way from a lot of companies, and transport costs keep rising. The alternative would be that closer customers effectively subsidise delivery to more remote ones, which doesn't seem fair.

 

[Spectric]

Sounds like profiteering, it used to be more expensive for P&P to the highlands and islands but Aberdeen and that area is as you say mainland Britain, a train still goes there so whats the issue and a lot of farmed produce makes its way over the border into our supermarkets.

 

[Fitzroy]

I thought it had been getting better, many Aberdeen city postcodes are now covered by standard shipping rates, but 20miles further and into the AB40+ and you’ll be stung.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

I suppose it depends how much of a population at what population density is required to make a distribution depot economic.

70% of Scolands population live in the central belt - the rest is very low population density and it is unsurprising that courier companies are unhappy serving these because of the costs.

Having said that, Aberdeen is a concentration of 200k people, and with the increase in on-line shopping it is odd that they are still marginalised. Perhaps it would take a few companies to cooperate on distribution rather than single mindedly promoting only their own brand.

 

[artie]

I think I had a moan about "this sort of thing" a while back.

Free uk postage. O sorry not N Ireland, then why did you advertise free uk shipping, it's free to the rest of the UK, There is no rest of the UK, without NI Britain is left.

Anyway I've come to terms with it, it's just lack of geographical awareness.

No seller wants to alienate customers, if it didn't cost more, they wouldn't charge more.

If I want something, I pay the price and console myself that the cost of living, on the whole is less here than on "the mainland"

 

[alz]

Yes, but Cornwall isn't overpopulated and its further away from many of these online sellers than Aberdeenshire.
As for shortages of HGV drivers, why don't we send as much by rail as we did in the past?
I remember having bulky items sent by rail from London and being able to collect them at Aberdeen Station.

 

[julianf]

So increased transport costs have nothing to do with showing the cheap european labour the door then?

I dont understand you lot sometimes - a lot of you voted to leave to stop the undercutting of our wages by freedom of movement, and then, when freedom of movement ends, and the cheap labor isnt there, causing transport issues, you say it must be somthing else?

"There's a world wide HGV driver shortage"

True. And its come at a time when the uk has sent a number of drivers packing!

Are there bare shelves in EU supermarkets? On the whole, no.
Can people buy fuel with ease in the EU? On the whole, yes.

"But it was media causing a panic"

Maybe. And if things were not so stretched anyway, it would have never taken off. Instead, we have to use the army to drive tankers about.


Ironic that a lot of the Brexit voters are massive advocates of market economics, and yet against freedom of movement.

 

[Sandyn]

They are just exploiting people in remote areas. Mainland Britain doesn't stop at Edinburgh. It should be stopped.

 

[doctor Bob]

See I told you
I think it's just because unfortunately your a bit remote, however mainland is mainland, not quite sure how they can say different.

 

[julianf]

See I told you
I think it's just because unfortunately your a bit remote, however mainland is mainland, not quite sure how they can say different.

Aberdeenshire has relocated, so now its a "bit remote".

 

[gog64]

Oh do behave. Evil English companies "profiteering" on delivery charges to the poor downtrodden Scots? The truth is that ALL of the major courier companies either don't deliver to what they call "Highlands & Islands" or they charge extra. What's more, the pricing tends to be more complex, i.e. it's not necessarily a flat rate to a postcode, so you have to to work out a price and what delivery service you CAN offer. My little company sends a couple of hundred parcels a week and many of them are to our valued Scottish friends. On our web site, a "Highlands & Islands" delivery address can't get an automatic delivery charge, we ask them to pick up the phone and speak to us. And what huge markup do we charge on the courier company cost? A big fat zero, we charge what it costs us. If the courier companies consider Aberdeenshire in the "Highlands & Islands" category, there is absolutely nothing your vendor can do about it.

It would be much more fun if the hated English were being evil again, but in reality it's just how the courier companies work

 

[Keith Cocker]

See I told y
I think it's just because unfortunately your a bit remote, however mainland is mainland, not quite sure how they can say different.

See I told you
I think it's just because unfortunately your a bit remote, however mainland is mainland, not quite sure how they can say different.

Fog in the Channel-Continent cut off

 

[Junah]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-58792064Maybe this is the answer?

 

[Daniel2]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-58792064Maybe this is the answer?

I believe they are trialing the same thing, for the Isles of Scilly.

 

[stuart little]

I think I had a moan about "this sort of thing" a while back.

Free uk postage. O sorry not N Ireland, then why did you advertise free uk shipping, it's free to the rest of the UK, There is no rest of the UK, without NI Britain is left.

Anyway I've come to terms with it, it's just lack of geographical awareness.

No seller wants to alienate customers, if it didn't cost more, they wouldn't charge more.

If I want something, I pay the price and console myself that the cost of living, on the whole is less here than on "the mainland"

No such thing as 'free postage' [unless you win an auction], it's in the price. Compare eb with & without pp prices & they are the same when post added, also if you need to return an item with 'free postage' the first thing the vendor says is " we will deduct the original postage". So what happened to free post?? . Orinoco -oops; wrong river! - has also it's own 'scams', take for instance :- 'on orders of £20+', if it's £19-99, why not charge £20! Prime has it's scams too, & it's so easy to miss clicking on 'continue without prime', next you know you've signed up. Not all Prime TV is included & some prime prices of items are more than the same item on flea bay.

 

[whereistheceilidh]

Hmmmm..... drones... F10 winds.... cannot see they will be salvation to the UK fringes.
Here in the H&I we get used to paying extra, but there is not even a close comparison between carrier prices and I am continually phoning companies to suggest they use another carrier from one who charges £40 to one who charges £4....that really is the scale of difference, so some are certainly profiteering whilst others seem to reasonably cover costs. I shall restrain myself from commenting on Brexit & independence .....there is only so much grief I can stand in a day...... and I have another order to put through.....

 

[Sandyn]

Do civil servants and others in London still get a 'London weighting' because it's more expensive to live there, so would it not be reasonable for people in remote areas all over the country get some kind of 'weighting' for living in remote areas?
I should get a wet weather payment added to my pension for living in Scotland!

 

[Sandyn]

I believe they are trialing the same thing, for the Isles of Scilly.

Some might call that a Scilly idea!!