Stamps on eBay

custardy

martindow said:

I wonder where these stamps come from.  Who is collecting up all of the envelopes to steam the stamps off them?

You see those charities that campaign for stamps.
Where do you think the income is generated from?

mimi1234

Crikey!  So all those buyers are possibly using fake stamps (unless they are just collecting them all)?  Someone else is selling them and they have about 75 sales with all positive feedback for the stamps. 

I actually messaged one seller and got a response in broken English saying they use those stamps on letters and parcels but if I am not happy with them, to just send them back and they will refund.  Dodgy or what.

[Deleted User]

I’d rather buy them direct from the post office. 

cymruchris

You know how much stamps should be - and you have a good idea that stamps in this price range are never going to be ‘genuine’ or ‘brand new’ - so either buy the proper ones at the proper prices - or take a punt on these as you seem to want to - and then monitor how many parcels and letters don’t reach their destination or get charged for additional postage. 

You won’t find 100 x brand new and genuine first class stamps on a sheet ready to use for twenty/thirty something pounds. It just won’t happen. 

emmbrook

As others have said these appear to be fakes rather than soaked off and reused (which  are equally fraudulent ).

jsmith9

My wise old mother used to say 'never to use the word everybody' but in this case I am confident in saying that everybody on here knows that by using these stamps you are defrauding Royal Mail.

soolin

Defrauding Royal Mail is actually quite serious

https://www.frama.co.uk/news/single/how-the-royal-mail-has-stamp-penny-pinchers-beat/

misterthrifty

Royal Mail have been worrying about people reusing stamps since 1840 when they changed from a black cancel to a red one so that it showed up better on a Penny Black stamp. Since they introduced machine cancels they have, remarkably, never managed to find a machine that can efficiently cancel the stamp, rather than the envelope, to prevent them being reused, if they did then this wouldn't be a problem.
They are aware this is a big problem now but they choose to do little about it. I don't suggest anybody uses pre-used stamps but  the vast majority are missed and being charged postage plus a £1 fine is more an inconvenience than a serious penalty.

custardy

misterthrifty said:

Royal Mail have been worrying about people reusing stamps since 1840 when they changed from a black cancel to a red one so that it showed up better on a Penny Black stamp. Since they introduced machine cancels they have, remarkably, never managed to find a machine that can efficiently cancel the stamp, rather than the envelope, to prevent them being reused, if they did then this wouldn't be a problem.
They are aware this is a big problem now but they choose to do little about it. I don't suggest anybody uses pre-used stamps but  the vast majority are missed and being charged postage plus a £1 fine is more an inconvenience than a serious penalty.

Surcharging has changed. It would be £2 for a letter with reused stamps.
Personally I think RM should simply start destroying items with no postage.
Underpaid, then surcharge.
However unpaid items create huge workload. Pertinent now with the massive workload generated by Christmas cards with on stamps.

davidian84

Ive been buying genuine discount stamps for years (stamp collections and auction houses) but this has dried up due to covid. The only ones around atm are the red 1st and 1st LL ones on ebay which are clearly fake. It was such a great bonus being able to save 20-30% on postage but looks like ill have to pay full price for time being.

Im surprised royal mail just surcharge the very few they find rather than being pro active and checking these ebay sellers and getting them shut down. Or tracing the people sending with fake stamps and taking action.