Pre paid envelopes

Milarky

It's illegal to do this as far as I know. It is a policy of this site not to encourage any illegality.

But, as you are a new poster.. welcome.

I had a question a bit like your own which got shot down in pieces. I wanted to know if there were any programs around that would allow you to print out the pre-paid envelopes (which bear the little 'postage paid' licence numbers) in order to contact the company which normally issues these. For example what if 'the dog' ate the envelope they had sent before you could use it? More generally, I'd like to ask (no 'REPORTED' replies please) is it legal or acceptable to use these pre-paid serivces to contact companies except where they have given express or implied permission?

(eg Pre-paid envelopes to reply: YES, 'Freepost' addresses to reply: YES, own printed pre-paid envelopes - bearing the company's licence: ????)

Sillychuckie

It is entirely legal to use a pre-paid envelope to write to the company listed on that envelope. That is why they give it to you... This is even the case if you use it, not quite how they intended.. e.g.) To write to customer services, rather than apply for a credit card.

What is not legal, (and I notice Royal mail are starting to crack down on... because I used to do it regularly) is sticking new labels over the old addresses and sending the mail anywhere you choose.
They used to go througn with no problems but recently, one or two of my recipients have been charged at the door for my cheeky behaviour. The charges are pretty big, kind of undoing all the money saving of the last 10 that did go through... so I have stopped.

Another good tip to save on the pennies if you regularly send mail between party A and party B, is for A to mail something to B, B to open it, and place anything they wish to return in the same envelope. Cross out their own address, and write all over the envelope "Return to sender".
Party A will receive their envelope back, complete with anything new in it party B has added.
That is of course, also, probably illegal. So don't do it.

littlejaffa

franking labels are cheaper than stamps, and theirs quite a few sites offering free trials of franking machines, i'm not sure if they offer the free postage with the trial (i think some do) but even if they don't it's cheaper than stamps and utterly legal

daveboy

If it's a company you don't like.....send the envelope to them with nothing in it, it costs them money.

Same with if you get junk mail in the post with one in, put their leaflets in it and post them back.

I'm sure there are people on here that do this.

Greycrow

How do company's actually pay for pre- paid envelopes?
Do they pay for all the envelopes franked pre-paid or just the one's actually used?

steady__eddie

In the past, I have received begging letters from charities saying "A prepaid envelope is included for your donation but if you wish to put a stamp on it, we will not have to pay postage and therefore we will benefit more".
Don't know if this still applies though.

Bossyboots

We looked into this at work a while ago and you pay for every envelope posted back. You also have to pay a licence fee which is renewable every 12 months. When you take out a licence, you pay a deposit plus the licence fee. The deposit is towards your expected responses. It costs you x amount per envelope returned, plus a .5p handling fee. You are billed for the difference between your deposit and actual responses if you receive more than anticipated.

john_kent

Is It True that pre prepaid envelopes can be used for anything.

I have been accumulating them for a few months and have around 200 . Save a fortune on postage if I cna use them for other things.

juno

You can use the envelope for enveloping purposes, but you need to pay postage unless you're sending it to the stated address

Sillychuckie

or the other person will get charged on the other end, plus a royal mail fee.. of almost £2.
it works sometimes, but they are clamping down. i used to do it, but have stopped now.