New type postage stamps

Post box option still appears to be an option, just as before, Duncan Webster. Nothing changed that I can see other than the yellow labels saying that collection is free?

I can see his point.

As the new stamps are unfranked, it would be easy to reuse an envelope by sticking on a new address lable - which could appear as quite legitimate mail. If it were already franked there might be less incentive to try such a dodge.

Martin.

Whole set of cards just arrived with the new stamps. ALL franked.

I suspect the reuse of a QR coded stamp would result in a charge to the recipient who may not be best pleased or return to sender.

Mike

The Royal Mail online postage website gives you the option of collection or drop-off, ie put it in a post box as per the image below. Despite offering free collection in a yellow box which makes it look as though that is the only choice.

Just select 'Postbox, print at home'. Hope that helps for future use.

John

Unless it's changed recently, you need to deal with the collection aspect a screen or two later than that.
When I recently sent a small packet, I had to wait until I got to the payment basket.
Even though I was only sending one item, there were two lines in the basket; I would then been able to de-select the free item (the collection)

p.s. just been to the PO to buy some more stamps, and ask for a form/envelope to exchange my non-barcode 1st class stamps.
I was told there that the use-by date has now been extended from Jan to July, though I don't know if that's the 1st or 31st

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 08/12/2022 16:09:39

July 31st according to the Mirror (won't bother with a link)

Rob

I tried that, it didn't make any difference. Perhaps the target button is so small I didn't hit it

Duncan, my error I should have said, as Peak4 pointed out, the actual decision is made right at the end a page or so further into the process. Not a particularly brilliant website I'm afraid.

John

I printed a small batch of parcel labels last night (like to do a few at a time as "flip on short edge" double-sided printing means two labels per sheet of A4) and saw the same problem. Spent ages trying to resolve before finding, as mentioned, that the very last page shows "free collection" as a line item that can be deleted. Confusing way to do it, and each parcel generated another entry to delete.

Worth printing at home, though - appears to knock something like 50p off second-class parcel rate.

Edited By Nealeb on 09/12/2022 08:18:18

So the ritual that begins with sorting the brown envelopes from the others, bin unopened the ones from Virgin, Saga, Sky etc . Butter toast, look on the back for the return address, stir tea. Decipher handwriting, spoon out marmalade..............study postmark ! Another small pleasure consigned to history. I'll just have to open them to find out who, where they came from.

Are these stamps when used collectable for charities / philatelists ?

Hi Bill,

If you want some free advice I would urge you to think again an on Exchanging your stamps. See also my post in the the "Banks" thread also on this site.

Regards

Gray,

We sold a huge stamp collection at auction a few years ago , divided into several lots the bulk of it was sold at face value , a ten year old 1st class stamp was still a first class stamp whatever it's original price. I wonder if the barcode now retains face value? IE. you will have to pay more if the price has gone up .

I gave up collecting Great Britain stamps when the self adhesive stamps came in.

Sad, i know but sometime down the line a family member will be glad.

I often wonder if foreign countries use self adhesive stamps? Clive

Canada does. Canada also uses generic stamps for postage within the country .... that is, they have no value printed on them and are valid indefinitely. (The purchase-cost changes from time to time).

(Seems to me that if Canada adopts a bar-coded system there might be a clash with that "valid indefinitely"  ).

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 09/12/2022 17:02:50

I thought I'd seen it on the news that I could swap stamps at the local post office, but no, I have to send them off. With their past record of dishonestly prosecuting innocent post masters am I being overly pessimistic for not expecting to see replacements? If they 'dissappear' in the system I will have no proof that they ever existed. Best I can do is photograph them as above, but what a crazy system.

Duncan

my wife and i gathered together our old stamps that needed changing and to our shock we had over £300 worth so we had to use special delivery which was £8 or so

They were sent off to Edinburgh and after about 3 weeks new ones were sent from Tyne and Wear..with additional stamps to cover the special delivery cost

Ian

Can you still pay for things with stamps?

regards Martin