Can I exchange my stamps for the new barcoded ones?

Grumpy_chap

soolin said:

I don’t believe RM have stated any end to the swap out scheme yet. 

I hope not - I still have a batch of books of stamps to swap out.
I have held off because the process seems dangerous, but I guess I have nothing to lose now.

soolin

Grumpy_chap said:

soolin said:

I don’t believe RM have stated any end to the swap out scheme yet. 

I hope not - I still have a batch of books of stamps to swap out.
I have held off because the process seems dangerous, but I guess I have nothing to lose now.

Yep definitely not finished

Know where your old stamps are? | Royal Mail Group Ltd

When does the Stamp Swap Out Scheme end / when do I need to swap out my non-barcoded stamps by?

 
Regular stamps without a barcode* are no longer valid for postage. There is currently no end date as to when you need to swap out your non-barcoded stamps by.

Grumpelstiltskin

I did a few before Christmas, I found them when I was sorting through Christmas cards, they came back within a couple of weeks.

Grumpy_chap

I have just been nervous about putting books of stamps in the post in case they go missing - we are always advised not to post anything with cash-like value.

ichigo21

soolin said:

Brie said:

@ichigo21
I thought that the swap time period ended in June or July. 

I have in the past tried to change the stamps I have at the post office but with no luck at all - this was pre bar coded.  Basically I needed something like a 8p stamp (or combination) in order to use up an old stamp but the post office didn't have the right stamps to sell me so I asked if I could exchange the stamp I had, pay 8p, and get the new stamp.  So say postage used to be 92p and now it's £1.  I was told no as they couldn't refund me for a stamp and couldn't accept it in payment. 

The post office have never exchanged the old stamps, onlly RM . 

I don’t believe RM have stated any end to the swap out scheme yet. 

I tried to use the picture stamps to post things not to swap them at the post office and they were refused.

So I  want to swap via RM scheme tho' the form indicates "no need". At least it does not say "don't swap" or "can't swap", so that's my question: "no need but you can swap picture stamps" or "no need so you can't"?

Kim_13

ichigo21 said:

soolin said:

Brie said:

@ichigo21
I thought that the swap time period ended in June or July. 

I have in the past tried to change the stamps I have at the post office but with no luck at all - this was pre bar coded.  Basically I needed something like a 8p stamp (or combination) in order to use up an old stamp but the post office didn't have the right stamps to sell me so I asked if I could exchange the stamp I had, pay 8p, and get the new stamp.  So say postage used to be 92p and now it's £1.  I was told no as they couldn't refund me for a stamp and couldn't accept it in payment. 

The post office have never exchanged the old stamps, onlly RM . 

I don’t believe RM have stated any end to the swap out scheme yet. 

I tried to use the picture stamps to post things not to swap them at the post office and they were refused.

So I  want to swap via RM scheme tho' the form indicates "no need". At least it does not say "don't swap" or "can't swap", so that's my question: "no need but you can swap picture stamps" or "no need so you can't"?

I posted a Small Parcel before Christmas with 1x 2nd LL and 2x 1st and paid 14p in cash. They were Christmas Stamps from 2020. The woman behind the counter looked a bit uncertain but accepted them without saying a word. I have heard of surcharges being incorrectly applied so only feel comfortable using them in this way - as if there is a PO sticker on it for the remaining postage, they can hardly surcharge the recipients. 

In your situation I would try again, taking along a swap out form to show that the directions are that the stamps aren’t required to be swapped out. If refused again, I would send them in with a note on the form stating that you are sending them in for swap out as they have been refused for postage twice at X Post Office.

I was one of those that didn’t like the process at all - I would not have bought the stamps had I been aware that RM could ever require you to post them off to be swapped. You can get POP via requesting a form to be sent to you and using the freepost envelope they provide. That’s the only part that makes it remotely acceptable - using FREEPOST SWAP OUT is effectively putting cash in the post.

Two more swaps to do (I think) - I keep each batch below £20. Decided to wait until the inevitable Christmas issues were out of the way (and also hoping that that’ll mean that they finally come back with Charles on.) I really don’t want to have to go through the whole process again if they decide that Elizabeth barcoded stamps have to be swapped.

They knew that the late Queen was in her mid 90s and recently widowed - waiting until change of monarch to barcode felt a sensible approach.

NBLondon

Kim_13 said:

I really don’t want to have to go through the whole process again if they decide that Elizabeth barcoded stamps have to be swapped.

That's not likely.   At previous changes of monarch, the old stamps remained valid for decades.