MSE News: Royal Mail caps stamps supply after stampede

Former_MSE_Helen

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Royal Mail has capped how many stamps shops can buy leaving buyers scrambling for the few remaining ahead of price hikes"

Read the full story:
Royal Mail caps stamps supply after stampede

corbyboy

If a shop buys lots of stamps at the old price, will they sell them at the new price or the old price after the change?

It seems this cap is to prevent shops profiteering rather than consumers buying and reselling.

kbrumann

The Royal Mail is the only postal service issuing stamps entitling the holder to a service rather than a monetary value. All other postal services avoid this problem by issuing stamps of certain denominations, e.g. 36p, 46p, 50p, 60p etc.

luoto

"The Royal Mail is the only postal service issuing stamps entitling the holder to a service rather than a monetary value."

Not true. We have, for example, first and second class fixed service stamps in Finland, tied to the lowest weight category for a first or second class letter.

Caddyman

I can see how the price rise is going to affect a lot of businesses, but from a personal point of view (and probably for many others too), it hardly affects me except for the occasional parcels I receive which will clearly cost more for the business I've purchased from to send in the future. I wonder just how long it will be for the next increase after this one. I can't see there being a reduction!

I've only done two mail correspondences in the last two years, one for renewal of driving licence and one for my passport, with both applications sent off by recorded delivery. Every other correspondence I do is now done via e-mail. Oh, and I've done the 'bah humbug' thing a long time ago and stopped sending Christmas or birthday cards. I also registered with the Mailing Preference Service a couple of years back, so I get virtually no mail anyway. Sorry Royal Mail!

poppy10_2

No stamps shortage at Royal Mail's online store. 10,000 first class stamps for £4,600, same price per stamp as in the stores. Free delivery, of course.

http://shop.royalmail.com/stamp-rolls/10000-1st-class-self-adhesive-stamp-roll/invt/prod36270038/



If that's too many for you, they sell rolls of 1000 and 500, and sheets of 100 and 50 stamps, all for face value.

JezR

kbrumann wrote: »

The Royal Mail is the only postal service issuing stamps entitling the holder to a service rather than a monetary value.

Non-denominated postage was an invention of the Royal Mail, to stop having to print lots of make-up stamps after a price increase. An innovation now followed by the United States, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Finland and Sweden; maybe by others.

The problem here has been the length of notice of the price rise. If they had been able to increase prices overnight, the issue with their retail partners would not have developed.

jtcowie

poppy10 wrote: »

No stamps shortage at Royal Mail's online store. 10,000 first class stamps for £4,600, same price per stamp as in the stores. Free delivery, of course.

http://shop.royalmail.com/stamp-rolls/10000-1st-class-self-adhesive-stamp-roll/invt/prod36270038/



If that's too many for you, they sell rolls of 1000 and 500, and sheets of 100 and 50 stamps, all for face value.

Thanks so much for this link...I've just bought all the stamps I need for years!

John_Gray

Surely Martin should have tipped us the wink weeks ago, so we could all have Panic Bought early?

(I know I did...)

Actually it seems he did wink-tip on 30th March...

rapido

poppy10 wrote: »

If that's too many for you, they sell rolls of 1000 and 500, and sheets of 100 and 50 stamps, all for face value.

Some rolls are marked "self adhesive" and others "gummed".

Any clue what the other ones are?

e.g. "1,000 x 2nd Class Stamp Roll"

-rapido

scottishminnie

Has anyone bought stamps for personal use online from Royal Mail? The reason I ask is that before Christmas when my local PO had run out of second class stamps (yes really!) I said I would just go and buy them online. The assistant informed me that only Small Businesses were entitled to use the online service to buy stamps and as an individual I was not eligible.

I do notice that the link above takes you through to the area for Small Businesses hence my question. I'd hate to incur the wrath of Royal Mail!