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

NBLondon

Doc_N said:

Often wondered, in a similar vein, whether old credit cards might in due course have a value, on the basis that most of them will have been destroyed!

Yes - there are people who collect different designs.

There are also collectors of phone cards (remember them - before almost everyone had a mobile) - different designs, promotional issues, overseas examples etc.   Quick random search gives https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165748033407?

Like stamps - the value is what another collector will pay for it.

soolin

NBLondon said:

Doc_N said:

Often wondered, in a similar vein, whether old credit cards might in due course have a value, on the basis that most of them will have been destroyed!

Yes - there are people who collect different designs.

There are also collectors of phone cards (remember them - before almost everyone had a mobile) - different designs, promotional issues, overseas examples etc.   Quick random search gives https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165748033407?

Like stamps - the value is what another collector will pay for it.

It isn't unusual still to see huge job lots of telephone cards being sold at auction. Most go for next to nothing, but occasionally one lot will go for £20-£30 which implies there are still some collectors out there. Incidentally I'm talking really big lots, whole collections sometimes with 1000s of cards.

MiserlyMartin

Money_Grabber13579 said:

They are allowing enough time. They haven’t put an end date (yet) on the swap scheme so what’s the issue?

It doesn’t matter whether you don’t care that the Post Office and Royal Mail are two separate companies, the fact is that they are. I don’t go into Sainsburys and insist that they take my Tesco loyalty card, just because it’s a bit inconvenient for me to get to Tesco.

There appears to be an end date according to the leaflet that was delivered to my house by the Royal Mail (Who are in many peoples eyes, still the Post Office.)

Secondly, that example is a poor comparison, because it is obviously that Tesco and Sainsburys are entirely different shops, and rivals at that. The Post Office, the Royal Mail postal service are related and intertwined.

soolin

MiserlyMartin said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

They are allowing enough time. They haven’t put an end date (yet) on the swap scheme so what’s the issue?

It doesn’t matter whether you don’t care that the Post Office and Royal Mail are two separate companies, the fact is that they are. I don’t go into Sainsburys and insist that they take my Tesco loyalty card, just because it’s a bit inconvenient for me to get to Tesco.

There appears to be an end date according to the leaflet that was delivered to my house by the Royal Mail (Who are in many peoples eyes, still the Post Office.)

Secondly, that example is a poor comparison, because it is obviously that Tesco and Sainsburys are entirely different shops, and rivals at that. The Post Office, the Royal Mail postal service are related and intertwined.

Unfortunately my leaflet has been recycled, but there wasn’t an end date on it, I suspect you misread your leaflet . 

olgadapolga

soolin said:

MiserlyMartin said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

They are allowing enough time. They haven’t put an end date (yet) on the swap scheme so what’s the issue?

It doesn’t matter whether you don’t care that the Post Office and Royal Mail are two separate companies, the fact is that they are. I don’t go into Sainsburys and insist that they take my Tesco loyalty card, just because it’s a bit inconvenient for me to get to Tesco.

There appears to be an end date according to the leaflet that was delivered to my house by the Royal Mail (Who are in many peoples eyes, still the Post Office.)

Secondly, that example is a poor comparison, because it is obviously that Tesco and Sainsburys are entirely different shops, and rivals at that. The Post Office, the Royal Mail postal service are related and intertwined.

Unfortunately my leaflet has been recycled, but there wasn’t an end date on it, I suspect you misread your leaflet . 

Soolin is right, as are all of the other posters who state that there is no end date for exchanging non-barcoded stamps for barcoded stamps. Below is a photo of the leaflet. It only states that the specific non-barcoded stamps have to be used by 31/01/23:





The Royal Mail website itself also states that there is no end date for swapping the stamps out (taken from their FAQ,  https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps):

HonestJohn

Nice to see it in print. Hopefully this will stop all the fake news.

1w2e3r4t

So, RM won't allow us to take our non-bar coded stamps to a Post Office. So we then put say £20 worth of stamps in an envelope and address it "Freepost SWAPOUT". I'm sure most RM employees are honest but what we are looking at here is a massive potential theft opportunity. Every letter marked "Freepost SWAPOUT" is stating "there's free stamps inside here - just help yourself".
It's outrageous.

Maurice8

molerat said:

cx6 said:

Do you know if you have to post the stamps away for a swap-out, or just take them to your local PO to be swapped.

Post them so likely taking a risk with anything other than SD

You can't swap them at a Post Office.

Maurice8

NBLondon said:

I was under the impression that it's only the 1st and 2nd definitive Non-Value Indicators which are being replaced/withdrawn and can be swapped.  A definitive with a value is still valid as is a pictorial commemorative.

No, all definitives are being replaced.

GadgetGuru

What if I send my stamps and they get 'lost' in the post, considering the address labelling clearly indicates what's inside?!