'Old' Stamps Not Usable After 31 Jan 2023

[Chekhov]

Apparently existing stamps will no longer be usable after the 31st Jan 2023.

They are doing a "swap out system but not at post offices only by filling in a form and sending it off with your stamps, I wonder why they're making that so difficult (cynics would have  few ideas on that one.....).

Also, at the moment, if you buy a first class stamp for example it is valid as a first class stamp forever, even if they put up the price (as it should be because you have effectively paid for your order up front), one wonders if these new barcoded stamp will still do that ?

 

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

Edited August 23, 2022 by Chekhov

[HeHasRisen]

9 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

Apparently existing stamps will no longer be usable after the 31st Jan 2023.

They are doing a "swap out system but not at post offices only by filling in a form and sending it off with your stamps, I wonder why they're making that so difficult (cynics would have  few ideas on that one.....).

Also, at the moment, if you buy a first class stamp for example it is valid as a first class stamp forever, even if they put up the price (as it should be because you have effectively paid for your order up front), one wonders if these new barcoded stamp will still do that ?

 

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

Why wouldnt they be? The FAQ at the bottom clearly specifies you send in a 1st and you get a 1st back, neither have a value printed on them so the new barcode one will be valid for ever (or at least until they change the system again, at which point you get a swap)

 

I bought my NVI stamps when they were cheaper than the current NVI stamps, will I lose out when I swap them?

 
No you won’t lose out. Non-barcoded NVI stamps sent in for swap out will be swapped out with the new barcoded equivalent. It doesn’t matter what you paid for the stamp at the time.

 

E.g. if you send in a non-barcoded 1st Class NVI stamp; you will get back a barcoded 1st Class NVI stamp; if you send in a non-barcoded 2nd Class Large Letter stamp you will get back a barcoded 2nd Class Large Letter NVI stamp.

 

Also the number of people this actually impacts is tiny. There has been a year of notice, plenty of time to use up old stock.

Edited August 23, 2022 by HeHasRisen

[Thirsty Relic]

I was one of very many people who took the advice available (from Martin Lewis and others) at the time of the last price increase to stock up on stamps before the rise, as they would still be usable forever.  I have many books of them, and am now told they will not be swapping them for these new ones at Post Offices.  I find this ridiculous.  We're been told we have to fill forms in, give our details, and send them off to change them.  We've also not been told why the new ones have this bar-code attached, or what this contains.

[HeHasRisen]

Just now, Thirsty Relic said:

I was one of very many people who took the advice available (from Martin Lewis and others) at the time of the last price increase to stock up on stamps before the rise, as they would still be usable forever.  I have many books of them, and am now told they will not be swapping them for these new ones at Post Offices.  I find this ridiculous.  We're been told we have to fill forms in, give our details, and send them off to change them.  We've also not been told why the new ones have this bar-code attached, or what this contains.

I agree that bit is ridiculous, but what is stopping you send them in?

 

As to what the barcode is, I would have thought this was obvious. Its to try and stop stamps being used twice, which lets be honest people will do if a stamp arrives and it hasnt been marked.  Why does  it matter if this reason has been made public or not, it is their right to change the system if they so wish.

[RollingJ]

Following from the post above, the only details required on the form are your name and address (obvious, really) and the number and total value of the stamps enclosed - again, for obvious, to me at least, reasons.

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, Thirsty Relic said:

I was one of very many people who took the advice available (from Martin Lewis and others) at the time of the last price increase to stock up on stamps before the rise, as they would still be usable forever.  I have many books of them, and am now told they will not be swapping them for these new ones at Post Offices.  I find this ridiculous.  We're been told we have to fill forms in, give our details, and send them off to change them.  We've also not been told why the new ones have this bar-code attached, or what this contains.

I wonder whether HHR misses the point. 

I am not saying  RM will not swap a Ist class for another (barcoded) 1st class, what I am saying is historically if you bought a 1st class stamp it would be valid to use to send a 1st class letter forever, no matter how many price increases there has been. Will the same apply to the new barcoded ones ?

2 hours ago, HeHasRisen said:

Also the number of people this actually impacts is tiny. There has been a year of notice, plenty of time to use up old stock.

Wrong again, I still have about £130 worth of stamps which I have had for years because we stopped using them when we got a franking machine years ago.

[HeHasRisen]

1 minute ago, Chekhov said:

I wonder whether HHR misses the point. 

I am not saying  RM will not swap a Ist class for another (barcoded) 1st class, what I am saying is historically if you bought a 1st class stamp it would be valid to use to send a 1st class letter forever, no matter how many price increases there has been. Will the same apply to the new barcoded ones ?

Yes of course they are. The new ones dont have a value on them either, absolutely nothing is changing in that regard.

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, HeHasRisen said:

I agree that bit is ridiculous, but what is stopping you send them in?

 

As to what the barcode is, I would have thought this was obvious. Its to try and stop stamps being used twice, which lets be honest people will do if a stamp arrives and it hasnt been marked.  Why does  it matter if this reason has been made public or not, it is their right to change the system if they so wish.

How many stamps are unmarked ? And even if they aren't marked I cannot imagine most people would bother anyway, steaming the soddin' things off....

[HeHasRisen]

2 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

 

Wrong again, I still have about £130 worth of stamps which I have had for years because we stopped using them when we got a franking machine years ago.

OK so thats 2 people on a forum of a few thousand who it affects so far.

 

="tiny"

Just now, Chekhov said:

How many stamps are unmarked ? And even if they aren't marked I cannot imagine most people would bother anyway, steaming the soddin' things off....

I have known people to do it.

 

Why does something changing always have to be a conspiracy?

[Chekhov]

1 minute ago, HeHasRisen said:

OK so thats 2 people on a forum of a few thousand who it affects so far.

="tiny"

Just like hardly any pedestrians get killed on railway crossings, far far fewer, yet  they're still trying to shut those, at great inconvenience to thousands of people, and you , I seem to remember, were supportive of that.....