Can stamps be sold for more than what they cost?

achtunglady

Sorry, not sure where I should have put this, none of the other headings seem to be apt, but please feel free to move it to a more appropriate forum.

Yesterday I popped into my local off license and asked for 12 first class stamps, 3 packs of crisps and 3 packs of sweets for £1, in all it came to £7.10. I didn't think anything of it, as I had to send something off in the post sharpish, until I checked the Royal mail website when i got home, to double check what prices first class post was (32p) i even thought the guy sold me the large letter stamps by mistake but they only have the "1st " printed on them.

So 12 first class stamps should have been £3.84, the packs of sweets were £1, even so the crisps should have not been that much. So I went back this morning and told the guy on the counter what happened and he said to come back later and speak to the guy who served me. I did this and he said ok what did you buy so i told him, and he rings in £4.80 for the stamps, I said hang on, first class stamps are 32p why are you charging 40p? He came up with some bull that small businesses make nothing on stamps and are allowed to charge extra and that I need to speak to his boss who wasnt there, to which i replied so if i give you a £5 note and tell you its worth £7 and you have to take it, its the same thing.

When I worked at Woolworths, we were not allowed staff discount on stamps as you were not allowed to sell them to make a profit.

Has the law changed or what? If not then I will be marching in and telling him that I am sure hes not declaring the "extra" profit on his vat and will inform the customs and excise about this.

Marty82

I think the simple answer is no.

I can't find anything on the internet about it but the cover price is all that can be legally charged.

Technically discounts can't be offered either although some retailers do.

Astaroth

I would say that they can ultimately be sold for what ever the store wants to... if they want to make them a loss leader or a large profit maker then that is their choice. The only difference with stamps to anything else of cause is the fact they are legal tender but then you frequently see "collectors editions" and "limited edition" bank notes/ coins which are charged at a different rate than their face value.

save-a-lot

They are not in fact legal tender, see
http://www.royalmint.com/RoyalMint/web/site/Corporate/Corp_british_coinage/LegalTenderGuidelines.asp

and here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,,-84386,00.html

and also there was a thread on whether they are legal tender not so long ago here,
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=332802&highlight=legal+tender

soolin

Large letter stamps are £5.28 per book of 12 (44p per stamp) therefore if you were sold large letter stamps you weren't overcharged you were actually sold the wrong product.

The shop keeper might think he has a mark up on his stamps, but if he is selling books of large letter stamps at £4.80 he is actually losing money.

Soo

Becles

Large letter stamps are about twice the width of a normal first class stamp. You would notice the larger size if you had been sold them.

magyar

save-a-lot wrote:

They are not in fact legal tender, see
http://www.royalmint.com/RoyalMint/web/site/Corporate/Corp_british_coinage/LegalTenderGuidelines.asp

Sorry to go slightly OT but I was interested to see that Bank of England notes are not legal tender in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

I've never had trouble spending English notes in Scotland, but plenty of times I've had Scottish notes refused in England and I always huffily say "well, they're legal tender, you have to take them!"

Appears that it's not the case! Will have to be less huffy!

Little_Miss_Winner

The Op, wasnt sold larger letter stamps. It was an off-licence and she sold a book of 12 first class stamps.

I wouldnt have thought that any shop would be able to mark up stamps.?

I dont know for certain but I would check with Royal Mail.

soolin

potogold wrote:

The Op, wasnt sold larger letter stamps. It was an off-licence and she sold a book of 12 first class stamps.

.

I only suggested that might be the case as OP mentioned they only say '1st' but doesn't ention how big the stamps are. Like Becles says both standard and large letter stamps just say '1st' but the large letter stamps are larger.

Large letter stamps are also sold in books of 12 and I have bought them in off licences and shops before and many staff don't realise they are different to normal stamps, they just see the fact that they say '1st' . It is confusing as of course special issue stamps also only say 1st but are larger than normal stamps as well.

Soo

achtunglady

Hi all, no the stamps are the ordinary size, not the ones for large letters. Going to give the Royal mail a call and see what they say. Thanks.

newsseller12

I am a small retailer who sells stamps, Clearly stated in my terms & conditions:-
"The retailer shall not sell the products for any sum higher than their face value."
I have always sold at the r-mail price.
Retailers commission on stamps is a very poor 4% hardly making them worth bothering with in the first place!