Royal Mail barcoding stamps - existing stamps valid only until 31 Jan 2023

NBLondon

Yes - if you've got plenty to dip into... Most stamp dealers do this all the time.  If kalsha only has 3 or 4 of that pack then is it worth their while working out combinations and buying the necessary make-up stamps?

soolin said:

 I’ve been using a lot of 1st class stamps plus smaller denominations to make up 2nd class postage and quite a few are arriving next day! 

Depending on the age of the stamp - there are phosphor bands printed across them which allow the machinery to detect 1st or 2nd.  So if you use two or three stamps that were 2nd at the time of issue to make up a current 1st class value - then it won't necessarily go as 1st class because the machinery doesn't recognise it as such.  You're doing it the other way and possibly getting a bonus.

philatio

As others have said.... Predictably, this is already a farce.

Went to the supermarket to buy some stamps Friday before the price rise. They only had the old non-barcode ones. Lady on the kiosk knew nothing about the new ones. Showed me her drawer.. they had piles and piles of 'old' ones to sell.

So I went to the Post Office. Actual Post Office.
Bought some 1st Class and some 1p stamps.
All old ones. They knew about the barcode stamps but didn't have any. "they just keep sending us the old ones out"

If this end date of Feb next year doesn't get put back or cancelled, I'll show my arce in the Post Office window.

Money_Grabber13579

philatio said:

As others have said.... Predictably, this is already a farce.

Went to the supermarket to buy some stamps Friday before the price rise. They only had the old non-barcode ones. Lady on the kiosk knew nothing about the new ones. Showed me her drawer.. they had piles and piles of 'old' ones to sell.

So I went to the Post Office. Actual Post Office.
Bought some 1st Class and some 1p stamps.
All old ones. They knew about the barcode stamps but didn't have any. "they just keep sending us the old ones out"

If this end date of Feb next year doesn't get put back or cancelled, I'll show my arce in the Post Office window.

I suspect at this stage, the majority of people buying stamps at the post office now will have them all used before 31 January 2023 and so it makes sense to continue selling the old ones, rather than them being returned and destroyed.  After all, no point in wasting something which has already been printed and will most likely be used before it has been invalidated. The people on this thread are likely to be the exception, having many more stamps than could ever be used in one year, but most won’t be like that.

rhcp

At what point will they stop selling the old one's?  Wouldn't surprise me if they were still selling them at Christmas!!

BooJewels

The barcoded stamps have been available to buy from the Royal Mail web site for some time and myself and others here have already bought stocks at the old prices - so it has been possible to do that.  I don't know what sort of volume of stamps the Post Office sell over the counter and how much stock they hold, but as there are something like 10 months to go that the old ones are useable (including the Christmas period) - and RM are offering their free 'swapout' - there's not really any penalty to users in having the old ones. 

I just don't think the general public at large are even aware of the new barcoded stamps yet - none of my family members had heard about it when I told them.  I suspect that RM will have a big publicity push later in the year.

Money_Grabber13579

rhcp said:

At what point will they stop selling the old one's?  Wouldn't surprise me if they were still selling them at Christmas!!

When each of the post offices run out of stock of the old ones? I’d be surprised if most post offices held more than 6 months supply of stamps (if even that), but that’s very much a guess on my part, informed only by the view that they probably wouldn’t want significant amounts of cash tied up in stamps which aren’t going to be sold for a long period of time.

custardy

Money_Grabber13579 said:

rhcp said:

At what point will they stop selling the old one's?  Wouldn't surprise me if they were still selling them at Christmas!!

When each of the post offices run out of stock of the old ones? I’d be surprised if most post offices held more than 6 months supply of stamps (if even that), but that’s very much a guess on my part, informed only by the view that they probably wouldn’t want significant amounts of cash tied up in stamps which aren’t going to be sold for a long period of time.

Given the cash value I would expect they hold far less in stock.
Easily replenished

NBLondon

Quick Update:  I got my swaps returned today!

Form went in post Monday, swaps delivered Friday.  Normal 1st class post.

Sent booklets of Large 1st - returned sheets of barcoded Large 1st. 

Web address is given as royalmail.com/swapoutsupport which redirects to https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps/swap-out-enquiry to report problems.

soolin

NBLondon said:

Quick Update:  I got my swaps returned today!

Form went in post Monday, swaps delivered Friday.  Normal 1st class post.

Sent booklets of Large 1st - returned sheets of barcoded Large 1st. 

Web address is given as royalmail.com/swapoutsupport which redirects to https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps/swap-out-enquiry to report problems.

My test batch of just less than £200 went on Monday, so hopefully mine are on their way back. Mine consisted of sheets of odd amounts like £1.88 and 76p plus loads and loads of smaller denominations like 5p and 10p. I don’t seem to get post every day but hopeful something will come back shortly. 

Olinda99

I ordered the form and envelope online, arrived in 2 days, posted 1 x 100 book 1st stamps today.