mainland

[artie]

No such thing as 'free postage'

Yes I know.
BUT.
If it's advertised as £19.99 with free UK postage. BUT they charge an extra £5 to certain parts of the UK ......

 

[Jacob]

HGV drivers moving to EU? Can't blame them. There could be a big queue at Dover if this is true:

 

[Jacob]

The long distance delivery issue was solved by early Victorians with the penny post. A single rate for the whole of Britain, recognising that the benefit works both ways, for sender and receiver.
Maybe goods at a single rate per unit weight and size? Only possible with a big (nationalised?) organisation or the most profitable routes would be cherry picked and distant deliveries become less profitable, making the situation worse.

 

[doctor Bob]

RS Archer, debunked last year as total fictional posts ............ made the news.

 

[Spectric]

Mainland Britain doesn't stop at Edinburgh. It should be stopped.

For politicians mainland Uk stops at the Watford gap, you are then in the northern wilderness.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It stops at Swindon going west.

 

[Jacob]

It stops at Swadlincote going south

 

[Droogs]

It stops at Swindon going west.

Thats because a politician would have to make a decision once they got to the magic roundabout. Incidentally, I had to go through it 4 times during my driving test, well went around the outside 3 times and the examiner made me go through it the 4th).

 

[whereistheceilidh]

Thats because a politician would have to make a decision once they got to the magic roundabout. Incidentally, I had to go through it 4 times during my driving test, well went around the outside 3 times and the examiner made me go through it the 4th).

That was some test you had given your location........

 

[Ozi]

I can understand how being charged extra is annoying but it comes with living in a very beautiful part of the world.

 

[flying haggis]

" Incidentally, I had to go through it 4 times during my driving test, well went around the outside 3 times and the examiner made me go through it the 4th). """


Now try it with a 60ft wagon and drag....... fun was one word......

 

[Jonm]

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.....

It could be that some companies do not have the infrastructure in place to deliver to the H & I, or do not want the business, hence the difference in price. Must be very irritating though if sellers are not automatically choosing reasonably priced couriers. But think of all the advantages, what a wonderful part of the world, I must visit again, long time since I went to the highlands.

My gripe is sellers not giving postage costs until payment details are entered or are unclear if vat is included. A ten pound item can easily cost over £20. I will not input payment details until I know the final price. Put in your details then decide to cancel, could be a scam to get your details and you have no idea. If a payment fails then there is a warning that something could be wrong.

 

[alz]

I still say why not send more goods by rail instead of pushing larger and larger polluting lorries onto the roads and motorways?
Or would the roadway protesters then lie down on the rail lines!

 

[whereistheceilidh]

I can understand how being charged extra is annoying but it comes with living in a very beautiful part of the world.

You are right Ozi & Jonm, best to have a positive mental attitude. But as well as costly carriers, with scenery come tourists, who feel the need to come up when you are mending a fishing boat on a pier to ask 'what are you doing'......... or even just to talk about seagulls......
...so expensive carriers are, at times, the last straw.....

 

[stuart little]

I still say why not send more goods by rail instead of pushing larger and larger polluting lorries onto the roads and motorways?
Or would the roadway protesters then lie down on the rail lines!

In most cases it's:- "What railways?" - Remember Beeching!

 

[dickm]

It's (possibly) reasonable to charge something extra for "Highlands and Islands" but how the **** can Aberdeen be Highlands? The Great Glen is nearly 100 miles away, and like the OP, I live in AB41. Happened to check our altitude a couple of days ago, and it's all of 60m above sea level, so it ain't that high.
Mind you, we live within about 200m of a burn according to the map, and one company wanted to surcharge us for insurance because of that. The burn is 50m below us, so if we get flooded, those living in the Silver City will definitely have to develop gills.
In all these things, it seems to be "think of an excuse to charge extra", then do it.

 

[hairy]

The only lot who don't charge extra to the Isle of Lewis is the Post Office/Parcel Force. Everything else gets dumped in Inverness and given to the two local couriers, however speedy a service you've paid for. It's random wether the courier or the Postie brings it too unless it's really big.
Ebay sellers sometimes get stung when quoting costs as delivery to the UK, and sometimes cancel when their chosen courier adds £20 as the likes of Hermes might.
The ones that annoy are those who accept the costs they are quoting are stupid but won't consider using the post, either I pay £20 to send a light bulb in one example or tough luck. Or say you can't send lithium batteries at all.
There is not a vast selection of anything available here so it may well be true that online sales per household, are greater than other parts of the country?
But I do think that the big increase in orders with lockdown has made more companies aware of the extra costs and are now just refusing to sell to HS postcodes. Too much hassle. Quite a few parcels with oil/batteries/wood preservative etc get stopped by the Post Office which may have been going on the plane but if they suspect it shouldn't (so should have the correct labelling which of course normal mainland deliveries wouldn't need) they hold for inspection. That often takes them a month, they don't tell anyone, so it ends up being lost in the post as far as anyone knows, refund given, seller may lose out.
The MP has some sort of campaign against extra postage costs, it's supposed to be illegal to charge extra I think he reckons?

 

[woodieallen]

..... Instead, we have to use the army to drive tankers about.
...

Ahem...and RAF drivers