Advice re Royal Mail stamp swapout

NBLondon

stampswapper said:

So how do you know it wasn't "wilfull wrongdoing"? 

There was no wilful wrongdoing by RM as a corporate entity. There may have been some by an unknown individual (who may or may not have been an RM employee) or there may have been incompetence or accident.  Demanding retribution of RM as a whole is hyperbole.

RM's response was clumsy (at best) but still not deserving of punishment.

stampswapper said:

Unused stamps are as good as cash 

I've got 8 or 9 unused stamps in my desk that I have no current use for.  If they are as good as cash; then why can't I buy beer with them?

stampswapper

NBLondon said:

stampswapper said:

So how do you know it wasn't "wilfull wrongdoing"? 

There was no wilful wrongdoing by RM as a corporate entity. There may have been some by an unknown individual (who may or may not have been an RM employee) or there may have been incompetence or accident.  Demanding retribution of RM as a whole is hyperbole.

RM's response was clumsy (at best) but still not deserving of punishment.

stampswapper said:

Unused stamps are as good as cash 

I've got 8 or 9 unused stamps in my desk that I have no current use for.  If they are as good as cash; then why can't I buy beer with them?

Because stamps are not acceptable instead of actual cash in most pubs. You can always try a bit of bartering just as people used to do in the old days... not that 8 or 9 stamps will get you much. In fact, pubs could even refuse to accept cash if they wanted to and insist of payment by card or other means (some places do). Nevertheless, unused stamps are as good as cash because if you lose them (or they're stolen) you've lost money which you will need to replace them. Would you put a £20 note in an envelope and simply put it in the post? I doubt it. Same difference with twenty quids worth of stamps - and no, you cannot blame RM as just about anyone could nick them which is why it is a stupid idea to expect people to send them through the post in the first place. Maybe next year RM will think again and just let people use up the old stamps whenever they like.

NBLondon

stampswapper said:

Nevertheless, unused stamps are as good as cash because if you lose them (or they're stolen) you've lost money which you will need to replace them. 

That doesn't make them as good as cash - it makes them equally deserving of being taken care of.

Are you operating on Humpty Dumpty's version of English again?

stampswapper

NBLondon said:

stampswapper said:

Nevertheless, unused stamps are as good as cash because if you lose them (or they're stolen) you've lost money which you will need to replace them. 

That doesn't make them as good as cash - it makes them equally deserving of being taken care of.

Are you operating on Humpty Dumpty's version of English again?

Silly little boy. About time you learnt some manners, now go away and play tiddly winks!

NBLondon

This may be what caught DefJef and others: https://blog.norphil.co.uk/2022/11/swap-out-error.html

Otecake

I've read all the RM instructions, examples, and T&Cs that I can find on this subject, but... does anyone actually KNOW the answer to this? (I have two or three conflicting guesses based on various ways of interpreting the literature).

Pat has >£200 worth of stamps to swap. Let's say they comprise:
51 @ £5
30 @ 31p
30 @ 32p
30 @ 33p

Pat intends to send them all in one go with the >£200 form. How should the stamps be bagged, and what does Pat write in the "Number of bags of 50 stamps" box?

Savvy_Sue

No idea, but I think what I'd do (because I like an easy life) is send in batches of less than £200, with no more than 50 stamps per bag ... 

MiserlyMartin

Has anyone recently swapped out any stamps and did you get them back with no problems? I have held off hoping that RM will launch a proper secure service where the stamps are not at risk of being stolen along the way. The problem is that there is no proof of postage, or delivery or despatch of the replacement stamps, if indeed they ever get to the office for swap out!

I would hand deliver them if I knew the address of the office that they go to. Quite why they cannot swap them in post offices is anyones guess. That would be far too easy for RM

gt94sss2

MiserlyMartin said:

I would hand deliver them if I knew the address of the office that they go to. Quite why they cannot swap them in post offices is anyones guess. That would be far too easy for RM

The address that Royal Mail use is:

Royal Mail
Swap Out
Tallents House
21 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9PB

The Post Office is a different company from the Royal Mail.

I wouldn't worry about getting your stamps back. If you want you can send them tracked/special delivery and it's their responsibility to get them back to you. 

I understand the turnaround time to get the replacement stamps is now longer than it was, as RM have probably reduced the number of staff involved (as there will be less demand)..

olgadapolga

MiserlyMartin said:

Has anyone recently swapped out any stamps and did you get them back with no problems? I have held off hoping that RM will launch a proper secure service where the stamps are not at risk of being stolen along the way. The problem is that there is no proof of postage, or delivery or despatch of the replacement stamps, if indeed they ever get to the office for swap out!

I would hand deliver them if I knew the address of the office that they go to. Quite why they cannot swap them in post offices is anyones guess. That would be far too easy for RM

I've recently swapped out stamps (got them back on Thursday 13/02). No issues at all.

I sent them Special Delivery (due to value of stamps being swapped) which was reimbursed through additional stamps. It was shown as delivered in the tracking. 

If you decide not to send via a tracked method you can get proof of posting from the Post Office but this would be limited to £20 compensation. 

Turnaround time was around five weeks from posting them off to receiving them back again. They were returned via Special Delivery.