Caution on buying stamps from ebay

lovetowinacar

I purchased a 40x1st pack of barcoded stamps for competition entries. Apparently, unused and looked mint and was described as surplus to requirements so a bit cheaper than usual.  I sent and had several items returned and post office said that the stamps were invalid.  They were fraudulent or already used but not franked.  They were described as unused but I missed a very small printed section saying for collectors only so an opt out when I looked into it.
Apparently people sell on used stamps and buyer beware.  Not sure why ebay allow this practice though since what collector would buy a 50 pack of fraudulent stamps for a collection and almost the full price!
I'm an idiot and hopefully others not as stupid as me.

lovetowinacar

I meant a 50 x 1st class pack not 40

mjm3346

Sellers have been doing this for years and was one of the reasons they brought in the barcodes. Franking no longer matters

lovetowinacar

I guess then stamps would have 'passed' then if unfranked but now if sellers try to do this the buyer will be caught out since they are already used and the IT machines must know that.  

I didn't realise though and thought they were ok to use since sold as unused. 

MePlus4

I've got lots of genuine stamps for sale but don't know where to sell them.

gdmoney

MePlus4 said:

I've got lots of genuine stamps for sale but don't know where to sell them.

Sell them on ebay but, if they are unused rather than used and unfranked because they missed the franking machine, make sure you say that in the listing.

Ms_Dee

MePlus4 said:

I've got lots of genuine stamps for sale but don't know where to sell them.

@MePlus4 If they are current stamps without a barcode you can trade them in, but you are running out of time: https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

I thought you weren't allowed to sell your old unused stamps if they were still valid, I thought you had to be a registered Royal Mail as a retailer and there were strict rules. 

I believed you could give them away but not sell them, I'm probably wrong then! 🤣 

MePlus4

They have already been traded in so are the new ones with the bit down the side.   They are unused, I had a small business for a couple of years but not doing it anymore so have a ton of stamps left over.  I'll try ebay, thanks

EnglishWelshie

I remember the couponing days when ebay was flooded with fake coupons and they would never do anything about it. Looks like the same thing is now happening with stamps and is so unfair. Have you tried to claim your money back through ebay it's got to be worth a try.

Having a google I came across this blog which gives some useful information on how to check for forgeries that might help someone.

https://blog.norphil.co.uk/2022/09/machin-datamatrix-forgeries-widely.html?m=1