Why do online retai...
 

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[Closed] Why do online retailers charge to post to Northern Ireland?

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These retailers that advertise free UK postage.
Take Ribble for example
On their homepage it advertises 'UK post free (excludes Highlands & Islands of Scotland)
Yet you go through to the checkout and they add an excessive £7.95 postage charge.
Had a word with them over 2 recent orders about their postage only to be told there was nothing they could do but cancel the orders.
Poor show considering both orders were in excess of their £250 free International shipping


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 12:45 am
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Because couriers charge quite a bit more to ship to NI and the Highlands and Islands. I fact I've often found it's cheaper to ship to the Republic than to NI, which is just crazy.

Blame the courier companies, not the retailers.


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 1:02 am
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Items were shipped by Royal Mail/Parcelforce.
Would have thought they have same rates for all of UK?


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 1:17 am
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Courier costs are an increasing problem. I got a quote the other day that included Cumbria in their 'highlands and islands' rates.


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 8:06 am
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Fellow norn iron here

I've been using hermes for ebay stuff, don't add extra for NI.

Some companies seem to only use 1 courier and if they add extra for NI then tough. I've had a smaller company offer to stick a small item in a packet and post when their courier wanted 5 quid or so for an envelope.

Brother wanted 4 landrover tyres a few years ago, he was quoted 10 quid by one company and £150 by another!


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 8:52 am
 br
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[i]Courier costs are an increasing problem. I got a quote the other day that included Cumbria in their 'highlands and islands' rates. [/i]

We are the Scottish Borders and I noticed on ebay someone had an additional rate (not as expensive as highlands etc) for us too.


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 9:25 am
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You should get a discount from CRC


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 9:31 am
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If Ribble can post to mainland UK for free using Royal Mail, why the charge for Northern Ireland?
Does Royal Mail not include N.I. as the same?
If I was to post a light weight, non bulky cycling jersey to the mainland, R. M. recorded delivery I reckon it's not going to
cost me £7.95 either.


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 11:47 am
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We get the same ridiculous courier surcharges quoted for the Isle of Man too., most recently it was something like £30 for a computer monitor. I've sent a whole bike to the UK with Isle of Man post for less than that.
Needless to say I cancelled the order.


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 12:29 pm
 Euro
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I think some people get confused between Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Norn Iron is part of the UK, but isn't part of GB. It would make more sense if they changed their straplines to say GB instead of UK. They probably don't don't use the term Great Britain any more 'cause it hasn't been great for nearly 70 years 😀

The fact that they have to cross the Irish Sea to get here must incur an additional cost (same with IOM).


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 1:30 pm
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Euro - Member

The fact that they have to cross the Irish Sea to get here must incur an additional cost (same with IOM)

You would think- but in some cases, that kind of extra step is part of the whole process - stuff going from CRC in NI to me in the Republic goes from Belfast to Coventry to Dublin to me. Daft, but that's how it's done.


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 1:47 pm
 Fudd
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If they are using a courier then fair enough but if they use RM/Parcelforce then its a flat rate for all of the UK and there's no excuse for an extra charge. Any retailers or ebay sellers who do this are taking the piss and are to be avoided imho.


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 2:11 pm
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It's extra bonkers considering the OP's last line.


 
Posted : 10/03/2013 2:48 pm

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