Counterfeit stamps

Princess_x

Recently bought some stamps from ebay which I tend to do as always find a genuine good deal but this time I had a bad feeling but by then the seller had already dispatched so I decided to wait and see. Well they arrived today and it looks fake to me. Unfortunately I've ran out of my previous stamps so have nothing to compare it to right now. I need to post something off tomorrow so will ask the post office if they can show me the stamp (first class red).


My question is, if I open a case on ebay or paypal, I would need to prove that it's counterfeit right? Is that for both paypal and ebay? If so, would I just get a letter from my local post office?

RFW

Dodgy is largely built in if you're trying to get a deal buying stamps to use. No one could legitimately buy them from Royal Mail and earn money on them selling them on Ebay, with fees and postage they'd always be losing money.
Therefore the only stamps will be either stolen, once used (also technically stolen) or counterfeit. So you'd be on a sticky wicket getting confirmation from Royal Mail or a Post Office.

pinkshoes

RFW wrote: »

Dodgy is largely built in if you're trying to get a deal buying stamps to use. No one could legitimately buy them from Royal Mail and earn money on them selling them on Ebay, with fees and postage they'd always be losing money.
Therefore the only stamps will be either stolen, once used (also technically stolen) or counterfeit. So you'd be on a sticky wicket getting confirmation from Royal Mail or a Post Office.

Unless the seller is a postie. My BIL gets given lots of stamps as part of his job, and he gives lots to me as he doesnt send many letters.

Princess_x

RFW wrote: »

Dodgy is largely built in if you're trying to get a deal buying stamps to use. No one could legitimately buy them from Royal Mail and earn money on them selling them on Ebay, with fees and postage they'd always be losing money.
Therefore the only stamps will be either stolen, once used (also technically stolen) or counterfeit. So you'd be on a sticky wicket getting confirmation from Royal Mail or a Post Office.

But who said anything about the sellers buying them from Royal Mail? I never buy ones which have clearly been used. I buy booklets and usually from sellers who have gotten them from being on the RM panel (which is usually mentioned in the description). Either way, I always read the description and base my buying decision on that and/or feedback.

So I don't agree that the only stamps on ebay are one of those options only, especially if the sellers are not a business which most most sellers aren't. It was just my luck that I changed my buying pattern and bought from someone else.

Can anyone actually help with my question?

campdave

RFW wrote: »

Dodgy is largely built in if you're trying to get a deal buying stamps to use. No one could legitimately buy them from Royal Mail and earn money on them selling them on Ebay, with fees and postage they'd always be losing money.
Therefore the only stamps will be either stolen, once used (also technically stolen) or counterfeit. So you'd be on a sticky wicket getting confirmation from Royal Mail or a Post Office.

Plenty of dealers selling mint unused legal stamps on ebay. I never pay more than 80% face value for my stamps.

pappa_golf

campdave wrote: »

Plenty of dealers selling mint unused legal stamps on ebay. I never pay more than 80% face value for my stamps.

and then account about 20% for postage

ballisticbrian

I must admit when I first saw bulk stamps on eBay I thought fake but you would have to have a lot of guts or stupidity to sell fake stamps on eBay.
I think the year there was a 4 or 5 pence increase but no interest on savings could see people buying millions of stamps just before the price rise and selling them just after but you would need to do it in huge quantities to have a business and even then, with the high cost of doing business on eBay and mailing the stamps out.

theonlywayisup

If you get a letter from your PO saying in their opinion the stamps are counterfeit, you can open an Ebay case and upload the information.

RFW

ballisticbrian wrote: »

I must admit when I first saw bulk stamps on eBay I thought fake but you would have to have a lot of guts or stupidity to sell fake stamps on eBay.

There's plenty of people with one or both of those covering most bases. I doubt fake stamps are any different to fake Iphones or fake Levis.

A lot of the stamp listings are vague and would suggest to me there is something dodgy about them. The level of that dodginess is obviously open to debate. I can't see a good reason why someone would sell stamps getting two thirds of the face value back when the lowest RM go to retailers is about 85%.

RFW

pinkshoes wrote: »

Unless the seller is a postie. My BIL gets given lots of stamps as part of his job, and he gives lots to me as he doesnt send many letters.

Is he allowed to resell them or give to someone who will?

cattie

Many of the ebayer sellers listing Royal Mail stamps not in booklet form will mention that the stamps are not legal for posting purposes as they would have already been through the postal system & are being sold for philatelic purposes only.