Stamp Swap False Information

Taraven

After following advice in the press and also this website regarding swapping my old stamps for the new barcoded ones I applied to Royal Mail for a form and envelope.  After some considerable time I received the form along with a Freepost envelope.  However, I had read in the press and online that recorded delivery would be refunded by The Royal Mail and was the way to go. 

I completed the form and enclosed the stamps to the value of over £42.  I then took the envelope to my local post office where I questioned whether information in one newspaper was correct (re the refunding of recorded delivery).  I was assured that 'it must be correct as it is there in print' so I ignored the fact that the envelope was Freepost and sent it by recorded delivery at the cost of £6.85.  I received my certificate of posting and thought that that would be the last I heard until my new barcoded stamps arrived.  The date I posted them was 29/10/22. 

Today 15/11/22 I was shocked and dismayed to receive a letter from The Royal Mail stating that they had received my form but that no stamps had been included.  
I had most definitely 'included' my stamps!!!  Where had they gone?
I then used the Customer Advice telephone number to try to speak to someone about this.

After around 15 minutes of continual music and blurb I got to speak to a member of the Customer Services Team.  I explained what had happened and was asked for my information (ie name, address). 
I told her that I had not actually used the Freepost envelope but had sent it via recorded delivery, which I understood would be refunded in stamps.  
Upon being told this her reaction was one of shock and she immediately told me that I would NOT BE REFUNDED my recorded delivery and that the press is giving out false information.  Her very words were 'They have lied!!!'

Upon reflection however, had I not used the recorded delivery option I would have had absolutely no proof that I had included my stamps in the envelope.  As the envelope had been weighed and recorded they are unable to insist that no stamps were included as a blank form would have weighed less.
It is currently being investigated.  What happened to my stamps and how did a recorded delivery item not get processed properly?
Are we being fed false information and by whom?
I am left wondering how many more Freepost 'Stamp Swap' envelopes have gone missing?



  

marcia_

 I sent my £20 worth of stamps in the free post envelope that came through my door. Received my new stamps a week later. 

 I've seen no mention of them refunding recorded delivery anywhere 

Le_Kirk

marcia_ said:

 I sent my £20 worth of stamps in the free post envelope that came through my door. Received my new stamps a week later. 

 I've seen no mention of them refunding recorded delivery anywhere 

(Nearly) every article in the press and on-line has stated that if one uses a paid for/signed for delivery service, refunds will be issued to the value in stamps.  On the forms I looked at, there was nowhere to input this value, so the OP's post bears this out.  Glad to see sense has prevailed and the deadline had been pushed back to July next  year.  I shall be using my stamps rather than sending them anywhere.

NBLondon

1)  Royal Mail don't have a service called Recorded Delivery - so perhaps the person you spoke to was confused and thought you had used Signed For 1st Class.  In which case they are correct you would not be refunded the postage costs.

2) If you paid £6.85 - you used Special Delivery.  You should be refunded the cost of that in extra 2nd Class stamps.  This is in the T&C here:  https://www.royalmail.com/sites/royalmail.com/files/2022-11/Stamp-Swap-Out-Terms-and-Conditions-Last-updated-7-November-2022.pdf  in paragraph 24.

But see also paragraph 5.5 which says this is when you are sending more than £200 using the appropriate form. So....

3) Which form did you use?  
Presumably https://www.royalmail.com/sites/royalmail.com/files/2022-11/Stamp-Swap-Out-Form-under-200-pounds-v1_4.pdf  for less than £200. and copied the address onto an envelope.    Quite possible that the envelope was discarded and the person processing the form then has no way of knowing you had paid for Special Delivery.

If you still have your SD receipt then the tracking proves it arrived and you got the service paid for.  You can probably send a scan of this as part of your claim.

As for proving you sent the stamps which were lost along the way... were they stuck to the back of the form or enclosed as sheets/booklets?

As for False Information...  Taraven said:

  I then took the envelope to my local post office where I questioned whether information in one newspaper was correct (re the refunding of recorded delivery).  I was assured that 'it must be correct as it is there in print' so I ignored the fact that the envelope was Freepost and sent it by recorded delivery at the cost of £6.85.    

The post office clerk does not work for Royal Mail so their assurance was just as reliable as the press reports - which are based on Press Releases.   You could have got the Royal Mail T&C at the same time as requesting the form.

Cpt_Haddock_1970

I have received the same letter today but unfortunately I didn't go down the special postage route I just followed the instructions on the form sending it to Freepost SWAP OUT. I've not been able to speak to anyone about it yet but I'm guessing it's gonna be a case of their word against mine.

kjs31

I got the same letter. Rang to complain and was told that the letter had been sent in error. Got the replacement stamps this morning. 

steveE2

Returned my stamps on 28/10 received replacements yesterday with additional 11 2nd class to cover special delivery

johnb2

Converting special delivery costs to stamps is just an enforced way of buying more stamps

NBLondon

johnb2 said:

Converting special delivery costs to stamps is just an enforced way of buying more stamps

It's a way of insuring the valuable items being posted.

johnb2

Unlike the original mail in which they did not want you to insure, and indeed we've seen people complain that their stamps were lost in transit. Its clearly a ploy to stop people appealing bad actions by RM. You do seem to be an apologist for RM

olgadapolga

johnb2 said:

Converting special delivery costs to stamps is just an enforced way of buying more stamps

But why would you pay cash for Special Delivery when you can use the stamps already in your possession? If you use the stamp you've already got then Royal Mail doesn't get any more of your money!