Can I get away with not using a stamp?

7sefton

It really gets on my nerves how companies don't provide pre-paid envelopes when they ask for replies.

How likely is that a letter I put in the post to a company (say National Savings & Investments) gets delivered if I don't use a stamp? I'm more than happy if the recipient gets charged! And if not, what will happen to the letter - get destroyed or returned to me?

rosieben

I don't understand why you expect to get your mail delivered for nothing?

Someone always has to pick up the bill - if companies had to pay to get mail delivered where do you think they'd get that extra money from? they'd increase prices/fees to cover it and we'd all end up paying

If you think its being dumped, then why not just throw it into your own dustbin? <<insert a really confused smiley here>>

If I'm not prepared to pay the cost of posting my reply, then I don't reply.

floss2

7sefton wrote: »

It really gets on my nerves how companies don't provide pre-paid envelopes when they ask for replies.

How likely is that a letter I put in the post to a company (say National Savings & Investments) gets delivered if I don't use a stamp? I'm more than happy if the recipient gets charged! And if not, what will happen to the letter - get destroyed or returned to me?

Turn the question around - would YOU be happy you pay for someone else's letter to you if they didn't bother putting a stamp on?

And don't forget that behaviour like that puts costs up for the rest of us, especially those in more restricted financial circumstances.

And apart from anything else, it is theft, attempting to obtain a service with no intention of paying for that service.

Penelope_Penguin

7sefton wrote: »

It really gets on my nerves how companies don't provide pre-paid envelopes when they ask for replies.

How likely is that a letter I put in the post to a company (say National Savings & Investments) gets delivered if I don't use a stamp? I'm more than happy if the recipient gets charged! And if not, what will happen to the letter - get destroyed or returned to me?

Eh? Do you think that Mr NS&I has his own piggy bank to pay for stamp-less mail? NS&I is backed by HM Treasury, so Alistair Darling doesn't get the money from his own pocket, either - we all pay for your lack of a stamp :mad:

ceridwen

Well - I dont know the answer - but I actually sympathise. I've had letters from firms/HMRC and no stamp on the return envelope.

My reaction is "Well YOU are the ones requiring a reply - YOU are the ones who raised the query. So - if you want a response, then you should pay for the stamp. Why should I?"

I dont think I've ever sent off a letter to them without having putting their stamp on there for them??? I just dont reply at all by letter if I can possibly help it - if its not my doing that the letter happened. I try and find some other way to "speak" to them if no stamp has been provided.

I think my normal way has been to think "oh - its such and such a firm/Govt Department that wants me to pay to give them a reply to their query. Where can I find a local office and put it in there instead of sending it by post?" I then put it through their letterbox and wait for it to be sent to the office concerned via internal mail. I've only had a problem with this once - that was with paying off the monthly credit card statement - because of a combination of Christmas being imminent and a postal strike being on = I put it through the letterbox of the local branch (rather than sending payment by post as normal - with a stamp on) and thought "Well - I'm sure they have it in time at local branch - and it cant be delayed in getting to them by the postal strike". Actually - it was delayed - because the local branch took their time to pass it on (because I'd put it in their letterbox, rather than physically handing it to a person). I got a demand letter for a bit of credit card charges. I duly rang the head office on a standard phonenumber (so no charge on my inclusive tariff) and explained that they HAD had the payment in time and told them the exact date the local office had received it and they accepted that and cancelled the charge. (Note to self - come next postal strike - I will hand the cheque letter to the local branch to someone personally - and get a receipt that they have it.)

luxor4t

Many, many years ago any Civil Service query needing a reply included a reply paid envelope....& woe betide the hapless 'temporary clerical assistant' (= me, aged 17) who forgot to fold the envelope neatly into three & place it in with the letter!

Dr.Shoe_2

The problem is with BRM is that people (probably like you) were using the envelope to send stuff to other people by sticking the label over the printed address. This is fraud and theft and the main reason why firms have stopped doing this.

beemuzed

I guess I'd stamp it if I wanted them to get the reply. I like Ceridwen's idea of tracking down a more local delivery point - but that requires time and a great deal more effort than stamping the envelope (can you tell I'm on the lazy side?)
I know if ever we have a rare unstamped letter we have to go along to the PO to collect it and (I think) pay double for it. Can't imagine many firms would go to that trouble. So, grit your teeth and pay up, Much quicker in the long run.

wssla00

Ok i'm not condemning or condoning the post but the simple answer is.... if a piece of post comes into a company without a stamp you usually have to pay the stamp price and a £1 admin fee to get the item. So many companies wont pay for it. If it's important I would put a stamp on. If it isn't I would try and find their number on say no to 0870 or something like that and give them a ring

Justamum

Dr.Shoe wrote: »

The problem is with BRM is that people (probably like you) were using the envelope to send stuff to other people by sticking the label over the printed address. This is fraud and theft and the main reason why firms have stopped doing this.

Good grief! That would never have occurred to me to do anything so dishonest.

As for the original poster - buy a stamp, it's not that expensive.

Bronnie

7sefton wrote: »

It really gets on my nerves how companies don't provide pre-paid envelopes when they ask for replies.

How likely is that a letter I put in the post to a company (say National Savings & Investments) gets delivered if I don't use a stamp? I'm more than happy if the recipient gets charged! And if not, what will happen to the letter - get destroyed or returned to me?

Can you email a reply or phone them using "inclusive minutes"?

Actually, there are a few circumstances where I agree with you, the company should pay for replies.

TV licencing can bombard an unlicensed property demanding confirmation no TV is being used there. Providing no TV is being used there, no offence is being committed, however their letters become increasingly threatening and unpleasant, with empty threats of visits by Inspectors etc (Bring them on!). In this instance, where the benefit is purely for themselves to "tidy up" their records and save themselves (or the rest of us licence-fee payers) the expense of a barrage of letters and a visit, it would make sense to provide an sae or more sensibly a standard rate phone number or email address.