Stamps and Posting"

shanouck

I noticed last night on it pays to watch that martin gave the lady three large envelopes with Large first class stamps on? to post three letters>.that you could fit in smaller envelopes and use second class stamps!!
And he also bought a book of first class stamps-i wonder why he did not save even more money by buying second class instead?

I was horrified to see this:- Why? as i post second class only, When a bill comes in it gives you a certain date that the payment has to be recieved by, and letters? well second class i think is fine to use:- I put the date the payment has to be recieved by on the envelope and put it in a letter holder by my front door - when it gets near the date i put a second class stamp on and post it, if some times i forget and the letter or bill needs to get there straight away i use a first class stamp - In this day and age i dont think posting first class arrives any faster than a second class- The same as with parcels i post second class...and re-use packing materials which helps the enviroment as well as saving money.
So why did martin use first?
Would like to know other peoples views on posting"...

carriebradshaw

Who uses second class postage?

I use second class for most things as we only have one pick up for the mail each day so it all goes in the same sack & on the same van.I do use first class quite a bit as well but only because I do that postal survey thing and they pay with 1st class stamps so I may as well use them up.If was buying stamps I would nearly always choose 2nd class though. :cool:

Olliebeak

Birthday/christmas cards etc get posted a week early with a second class stamp. For anything official/urgent I would go to the trouble of a first class one. If it's for something important, but local, I would hand deliver.

Whenever I've sent a payment for something through the post, I always phone the next day to see if it's been received. I've had way too many 'payments' and birthday cards go missing for it to be a coincidence.

I always advise people to put a birthday card, with money, inside a plain brown envelope - it's far more likely to reach it's destination intact.

maman

Don't take this as a criticism, ollibeak, but I always post birthday cards with a first class stamp. I don't know if anyone else feels the same but I feel like a cheapskate sending them early with second class.

We had a problem here when I intercepted a number of cards for OH birthday that were sent early. Among them (unknown to me) was an old postcard he'd bought from ebay. Meanwhile he'd told the seller it hadn't arrived, had a refund etc etc. On the morning of birthday - oops! red faces all round.

I use second class for bills if I have to but pay by internet banking when I can.

Also, be aware that lots of greetings cards with 3D things stuck on them (including many HM cards) are too thick for standard posting charges. Oh and is everyone aware that stamps are on some sort of offer in Superdrug? Sorry, can't remember details.

Penelope_Penguin

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]!!!!!![/EMAIL].

flutterbyuk25

I send almost everything 2nd class, only exception is job application forms and Ebay parcels if I've offered 1st class (and been paid it!)

x

geordie_joe

Who uses second class postage?

I used to sell on ebay and posted a lot of recorded delivery parcels. A mate who works in the local sorting office told me at the outset to only ever post them second class and always make sure you get stamps not the printed labels.

The reason was as follows.

If a parcel has a label on it, that label will have a big "1" or "2" on it to indicate which class it should go.

If the parcel has stamps on, we have no idea which class it is so we have to add up the value of the stamps to get the price paid. Take the parcel to the scales and weigh it, then go to the chart and look up the weight/price paid to find out which class it is, then find a pen and write the class on the parcel.

Do we do all that? Do we heck! Any parcel with stamps on is treated as 1st class. It saves us time and effort and nobody complains.

I posted a lot of parcels over the years, all 2nd class with stamps, and most of them were delivered the next day.

geordie_joe

Who uses second class postage?

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

I send almost everything 2nd class, only exception is job application forms and Ebay parcels if I've offered 1st class (and been paid it!)

x

Suppose I should come clean. When I started selling there wasn't a box to say which class of post would be used, you just put it in the description. I just put that all items would be delivered by 1st class recorded, not that they would be posted 1st class.

When the box appeared, I set it to 1st class and left it at that.

little_miss_moneysaver_3

maman wrote: »

Don't take this as a criticism, ollibeak, but I always post birthday cards with a first class stamp. I don't know if anyone else feels the same but I feel like a cheapskate sending them early with second class.

I always think i'll be really organised and send by second class. But the truth is although I may make the cards in plenty of time they don't always reach the post box!

There are certain things tho I always use a first class stamp. Recently had to send some sympathy cards. I did not have the cheek to send those second class!

nomoneytoday

It depends on whom I am writing to.

Friends and family = 1st class, Businesses = 2nd class, Bills = freepost or 3rd class lol

Primrose

Having had one late payment to a credit card as a result of using a second class stamp, we now pay all bills by direct debit, including credit cards to avoid running up the risk of penalty charges.
I diarise all birthdays, write and 2nd class stamp the envelopes well in advance and put a "yellow sticky" on them with desired posting date so that they arrive in good time. As a point of principle I never use First Class stamps unless it's a dire necessity.