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

soolin

Money_Grabber13579 said:

izawa said:

This whole idea of barcoded stamps just seem nonsense. I haven't heard of other countries having this barcoded stuff.

You might not have heard of it but it is happening:

Germany - https://www.thelocal.de/20210202/german-stamps-to-get-qr-style-tracking-codes/

I believe that France are doing it too.

There are some changes in Spain as well as the Post boxes have notes about the ‘correct new’ stamps to use. Strangely I can’t see anything online about Spain though. 

in_my_wellies

In Denmark you buy a code online and write it on the envelope where normally the stamp would be placed so no paper stamp at all

SpideressUK

I asked the guy I just sold my stamps to if (in his company case) booklets of stamps were of a higher value trade wise than sheets of stamps and he said generally sheet format are easier to sell and command better prices.  He also noted that stamp booklets used to come in 6s and 12s but now they are in 4s and 8s.  I am guessing this is because the barcoded stamp is maybe larger than the stamp it replaces and I assume the booklets are designed to be about credit card sized so as to be attractive to fit in a purse/wallet so the Royal Mail don't want to increase the external dimensions of the booklet.  This is perhaps one reason they seem to be not swapping booklets for booklets but seem to be swapping booklets for the equivalent number of stamps in sheet form.

Another reason RM might now be selling booklets in 4s and 8s is perhaps a booklet "seems" cheaper now even though stamp prices have risen - perhaps its a marketing strategy by RM.

Money_Grabber13579

SpideressUK said:

I asked the guy I just sold my stamps to if (in his company case) booklets of stamps were of a higher value trade wise than sheets of stamps and he said generally sheet format are easier to sell and command better prices.  He also noted that stamp booklets used to come in 6s and 12s but now they are in 4s and 8s.  I am guessing this is because the barcoded stamp is maybe larger than the stamp it replaces and I assume the booklets are designed to be about credit card sized so as to be attractive to fit in a purse/wallet so the Royal Mail don't want to increase the external dimensions of the booklet.  This is perhaps one reason they seem to be not swapping booklets for booklets but seem to be swapping booklets for the equivalent number of stamps in sheet form.

Another reason RM might now be selling booklets in 4s and 8s is perhaps a booklet "seems" cheaper now even though stamp prices have risen - perhaps its a marketing strategy by RM.

There might be an element of marketing but it seems (to me) that the main consideration was about the size of the booklets. The new stamps are significantly bigger and despite the numbers of stamps in each book being reduced, the booklets are themselves bigger than the equivalents they replaced. Keeping the numbers of stamps the same in each book would probably have made them unmanageable.

NBLondon

SpideressUK said:

he said generally sheet format are easier to sell and command better prices.  

Complete sheets maybe - but in my experience a booklet of 4x 1st Large on eBay gets more interest than 4 1st Large taken from the middle of a sheet.

Now here's a side thought...  For many years the compensation for late delivery (or for failing to get a signature pre-pandemic) was a booklet of 6x 1st.   The RM website still says this is the compensation but will they have to up it a booklet of 8x 1st next year?  Or start sending 6 loose stamps?

StartledJesus

I have unearthed an old booklet of 10 1st class stamps, a set featuring pictures of cats and dogs. In fact I think that's why I bought them in the first place, and probably not for use. A couple of questions arise...

1) Apparently some stamps are eligible for swap, and some are not. For instance, I was advised that Christmas stamps were not eligible, and should continue to be used instead. Anyone know whether sets such as the cat and dog one are eligible? Yes, I know I could ask RM, and I probably will do, but they haven't exactly covered themselves in glory so far, or made me confident about receiving a definitive correct response.

2) Has RM got its act together yet, and the procedure settled down, or is it still all over the place and hit and miss?

soolin

StartledJesus said:

I have unearthed an old booklet of 10 1st class stamps, a set featuring pictures of cats and dogs. In fact I think that's why I bought them in the first place, and probably not for use. A couple of questions arise...

1) Apparently some stamps are eligible for swap, and some are not. For instance, I was advised that Christmas stamps were not eligible, and should continue to be used instead. Anyone know whether sets such as the cat and dog one are eligible? Yes, I know I could ask RM, and I probably will do, but they haven't exactly covered themselves in glory so far, or made me confident about receiving a definitive correct response.

2) Has RM got its act together yet, and the procedure settled down, or is it still all over the place and hit and miss?

1) they are not eligible for swapping and can be used as normal.
2) there have been issues but it seems mostly to be running well, I have sent two lots so far and had no issues at all except that with the larger batch I got 2 extra 1st class LL stamps back that I shouldn’t have. 

NBLondon

This one?
The 10 photographic stamps are not swappable and remain usable for postage.

The 2 Machin (Queen's Head) stamps are usable up to Jan 2023 or could be removed, stuck to the form and swapped for barcoded versions.

Or sell the whole thing on eBay as a collectible.  

Sapindus

Sapindus said:

Update on my missing stamps (recap, they lost 10 x1st class and only sent replacements for the 2nd class ones that I sent in).

I rang them 12 April to complain and was given a reference number and told they'd look into it.  I've just rung again, got through to someone much quicker, and was told it's on a  spreadsheet and I should get the ten 1st class by Monday.  He said he was surprised I hadn't been told that this would happen when I rang the first time.

I think they are getting their act together...

So that was the 22nd April.  28th April when my stamps had still not arrived I was told they were waiting to be processed.

Yesterday (16th May) a very apologetic lady said there had been a "glitch" and the order had not gone through to the warehouse.  Stamps should be with me within 10 days.

StartledJesus

@NBLondon The very one - apart from the 2 ordinary 1st class stamps. Thanks for the reply. 

@soolin Thanks for the reply. Saved me a wasted phone call and a wasted form submission.