Postage increases 2012

soolin

RFW wrote: »

Post office I use has machines that print stamps with first or first large letter, so no way it could run out (except maybe for blanks). The comments from Royal Mail that people stock piling would effect them is ridiculous, I'd have thought that people spending money up front for a service they may not use for a couple of years would benefit any business. Chances are that the percentage of people that forget they have the stamps or just lose them will balance out to make the costs end up the same anyway.

I have several ebay lines that go on a large letter stamp so confess to having bought a couple of thousand pounds worth of the large letter and standard 1st and 2nd class stamps. I tend to charge actual postage plus say 10p, so can use these stamps but increase my ebay prices to reflect the new prices and effectively make a profit on my stamps.

I suspect many people though will limit themselves to a few extra books which will promptly be lost down the back of a drawer somewhere.

sgh1976

macfly wrote: »

There's no shortage of stamps in the Crown offices.
Nothing in your post makes any sense. Royal Mail would rather sell next month than this month, so why would they beg for more?
The idea behind this is to limit the numbers small retailers order, as they are clearly buying now to sell at the new price.
Of course, if they had any sense, they would now buy them from Post Offices.

It makes sense because I know the facts. Gained from the company that makes the stamps for Royal Mail. You can say what I am saying is crap if you want but my OH who works for them and deals closely with RM is not a liar.

Over the Easter weekend Royal Mail paid a bonus to the staff of this place to get them working to help get their orders out. Royal Mail are running low on stamps and cannot meet the demands. They have requested the orders they have placed for May June and July to be delivered this month. They will be lucky to get half of what they have asked for

macfly

So RM look like they aren't going to have a shortage until after the price rise? And this will cost them money - how? Still doesn't make sense.

sgh1976

macfly wrote: »

And this will cost them money - how? .

You are right.

All the logistics to get 3 months worth of stamps made in just 2 weeks will be done for nothing.

They have seriously gone cap in hand to get whatever they can forced through the system and paid way above the normal costs to do so.

Of course, they don't lose money overall but they didn't plan for these costs or the rush of bulk buyers.

I'm not saying this has left them out of pocket just that they failed to plan for this at all and they have had to panic and beg and pay to get them out of the hole.

Kite2010

I'm slow and only have just noticed that the price for airmail small packets is shooting up to £2.93 for 101-150grams, and under 100grams (currently £1.49) going up to £2.70

*makes a note to change all Amazon listings to UK only, sorry but if they are only going to give the sellers £1.80 odd to post a CD to the EU than it will be worth knocking off outside the UK as it will eat money up.*

I reckon the new rates will reduce the number of penny books as well, currently if a book sells for a penny to a private seller they take home £1.46 after fees. If the book goes into the large letter slot and is under 250g than it's going to be £1.10 to post 2nd class, 36pence profit. If it's over 250g but still a large letter than your profit margin will be 6p. If it doesn't go though the slot than your profit will be minus 74p, and who in their right minds will put books up for sale when they stand to lose money? (This assuming that Amazon doesn't increase the postage credit)

marking_bad

My first class stamps sent to me have "diamond jubilee" on them and are a blueish grey colour, I assume these will be ok for after the price increases?

sgh1976

marking_bad wrote: »

My first class stamps sent to me have "diamond jubilee" on them and are a blueish grey colour, I assume these will be ok for after the price increases?

Yes. These are just special prints for the Jubilee they will be fine after the increase

marking_bad

Cheers, I thought so as it still says 1st on them.

Has it also been 100% confirmed that there is no problem using 1x 1st and 1x 2nd to make up the postage for a large letter over 100g, or other combinations?

custardy

marking_bad wrote: »

Cheers, I thought so as it still says 1st on them.

Has it also been 100% confirmed that there is no problem using 1x 1st and 1x 2nd to make up the postage for a large letter over 100g, or other combinations?

yes,multiple times
asked over and over again in multiple threads
the stamps have a value of whatever the current cost of their postage is

soolin

Just bumping as this weekend is realistically the latest to risk 7 day auctions and for anything listed later sellers should be looking to put the new prices on their listings.

If you list today for 7 days you can post Sat or Monday at old rates, leaving it until Sunday will mean you will have to get payment immediately (which is rare) otherwise you'll end up paying the new rates.