UK stamps on international mail?

gt94sss2

I used some 1st class stamps for an international tracked letter last week and the lady at the sub post office rudely complained and told me this was not allowed.

She claimed that as the value did not show on the stamps the receiving foreign postal service would not know if the correct postage had been applied.

I don't think this correct as the foreign postal services are not going to care what the price paid was but can someone confirm before I raise this (to Royal Mail/Post Office?) as i sent another one today and paid the full postage rather than stamps I already have handy..

TimSynths

Sounds likely.

Spoonie_Turtle

I've sent international letters using stamps before. Maybe it depends on the receiving country? But I can't see that they would care, as RM set the prices and it's RM's responsibility to make sure the postage is correct - and with fluctuating exchange rates, are the receiving countries really going to put up new postal rates for letters from every other country every month? Bizarre.

I will certainly be interested in hearing a definitive answer from someone who actually knows though

soolin

I've always done it when I use stamps- never occurred to me it might be a problem. I wouldn't expect overseas postal services to have the faintest idea what something costs to send from every other country in the world. 

gollum007

It'll be wrong.
The sub post office gets commission, which they don't get if you use stamps or prepaid, so they try to discourage you from this at all costs.....

The international service will likely neither know or care the value of some UK stamp; All checking will be done in the source country. 

misterthrifty

She's wrong. Some years ago there was a case where letters were rejected because 'E' stamps were used on a package to a non Europe country. A complaint was made and RM issued a statement that any valid UK stamps could be used on post within the UK or to any other country, whether they have a value on them or not.

custardy

gt94sss2 said:

I used some 1st class stamps for an international tracked letter last week and the lady at the sub post office rudely complained and told me this was not allowed.

She claimed that as the value did not show on the stamps the receiving foreign postal service would not know if the correct postage had been applied.

I don't think this correct as the foreign postal services are not going to care what the price paid was but can someone confirm before I raise this (to Royal Mail/Post Office?) as i sent another one today and paid the full postage rather than stamps I already have handy..

If you have an issue with Post Office,you contact Post Office.
In the UK RM dont care what postage is on international packets. Excluding the cost of postage re customs of course