EARLIER this week on Scotland’s first Fair Delivery Day, the Scottish Government launched its ‘Fairer Deliveries for All’ action plan, enabling consumers to see whether they are paying over the odds for parcel deliveries and avoid traders profiting unfairly.

The action plan is the direct result of a roundtable event hosted by the Scottish Government in June, attended by parcel delivery companies, businesses, consumer groups and regulatory bodies.

The crowdsourcing website Parcel Delivery Charges in Scotland – A fairer deal? will capture consumer experiences, helping regulators, consumers and retailers to pinpoint and target unjustified pricing.

The plan has eight actions to help rural and island communities and businesses understand their rights when it comes to parcel delivery.

Local MSP Kenneth Gibson said: “This action plan reinforces our commitment to ensure deliveries work for people across Scotland irrespective of where they live, empowering online shoppers to recognise and act upon unfair or misleading delivery costs.

“It is time for companies to review their delivery surcharges to make them fair, transparent and consistent. Sadly, too many companies still advertise free delivery while in reality, they apply hefty delivery charges to island communities.