Overcharged for stamps - inform Royal Mail or not?

barbara_anne

custardy wrote: »

Royal Mail,
FREEPOST
21 South Gyle Crescent,
EDINBURGH
EH12 9PJ


now you dont need a stamp

Fabulous. Thankyou.

I'll have to find out the name of the shop and the address and send off a letter.

neilmcl

From Royal Mails T&Cs to retailers.

2.6 The Retailer shall not retain the Retail Products for the Retailer's own use. Retail Products must be sold at or below the Face Value or value as indicated on the face of the stamp in the case of international postage stamps.

And if you were wondering stamps are a retail product.

neilmcl

Also just to let you know how much money retailers can make on stamps:

2.3 The purchase price of Retail Products shall be as set out in the Royal Mail order form and as follows:

• 1st Class postage stamps- 93% of Face Value;
• 2nd Class postage stamps- 97% of Face Value;
• International postage stamps- 95% of actual value as indicated on the face of the stamp;

or such other price as may be notified by Royal Mail from time to time.

Not a lot really.

barbara_anne

Does that still apply as technically 1st and 2nd class stamps now have no 'face value' as they just have 1st or 2nd printed on them?

Or have I got the term 'face value' wrong?

For example - if you bought a 1st class stamp now, and waited two years its value would have gone up?

It's late - and I'm blonde!

neilmcl

barbara_anne wrote: »

Does that still apply as technically 1st and 2nd class stamps now have no 'face value' as they just have 1st or 2nd printed on them?

Or have I got the term 'face value' wrong?

For example - if you bought a 1st class stamp now, and waited two years its value would have gone up?

It's late - and I'm blonde!

Yes. I think you are having a blonde moment.

The only stamp that the T&Cs refer to as actual value indicated on the face of the stamp is the International stamp as that can have many values, face value of a 1st or 2nd stamp just refers to the value at the time of sale.

dzug1

There is an assumption here that the retailer bought the stamps from the RM at a discount in order to resell them.

If he bought them at a Post Office at face value then I doubt if the RM T&C apply - nor if he bought them at say Superdrug which sometimes discounts stamps. He has no contractual relationship with RM in such circumstances

neilmcl

Stamps cannot, or should not be resold like this.

Abbafan1972

Could it have been a genuine mistake by the shopkeeper.

neilmcl

OP, why not go back tomorrow and buy another 2nd class stamp to see if it wasn't a genuine mistake and make sure you get a receipt.

techno12

barbara_anne wrote: »

It's not a massive deal - I'm just curious. A shop I went in today was charging 35 pence for a second class stamp, when they are meant to be 30 pence.

Do you think the Royal Mail would like to know? Is it legal to charge more than face value for them?

Not sure, but I've been charged 50p in a local corner shop in the past for a single first class stamp. Rip off, but I needed the stamp!