Delivery of the new tariff stamps from Royal Mail Tallents House will be delayed
Malcolm put this comment on our original post:
"I
have today received a letter from the bureau that dispatch of this
issue is delayed from the 27th March until the 11th April due to
circumstances beyond our control.
It also states that stamping facilities will be extended to the 24th April for those who want to create their own FDCs"
I checked with the trade side of Tallents House and received this reply:
"Unfortunately
I am unable to guarantee that the issue will be with you for the 27th
March (dealers normally get them well in advance) we will however
endeavour to have them with you as soon as we can. I am led to believe
that the stamps will be available at PO Counters on the 27th. (however,
no packs or other products will be available). "
As Royal Mail knew that the tariffs would change around the end of March, requiring a number of new stamps, one might question the choice of the 26th March as the issue date of the Doctor Who commemorative issue, which has surely placed Tallents House under the same sort of pressure as previous big issues - The Beatles, the Gold Medal stamps?
UPDATE 24 March
We understand that printing problems are the cause of the delay. We have been told, but not officially, that while the valued stamps are in POs already, the Signed For are being printed in Litho by Cartor and they will be late. If that is the case, then once again the dating of First Day Covers for 27 March would seem to be wrong.
Well what a surprise. This is becoming the norm. Enquired about a 'First' Brochure for the Tariff Change, with Tallent's House this morning. One apparently is in production, but as yet has not been printed. So this is unlikely to arrive by the 27th.
ReplyDeleteNo information on the Royal Mail Website re this issue
Enquired about the 'March' Philatelic Bulletin, this will apparently be sent out on 17th March. This is despite the letter of complaint in last Month's issue, and the response by Royal Mail that they were back on track and it would be delivered in a more timely manner in future.
Did you notice that last month's issue had no month/year on the front? I thought that was a good way of getting back on track as nobody knew which month's issue that was!
ReplyDeleteThe Bulletin publishers seem to have moved away from the normal magazine publishing process, that is of publish each issue in the month before it is dated. The issue with March news in (ie the March issue) should be published in the 3rd week of February etc.
I too got the same letter as Malcolm. Given my understanding that the First Day of Issue was meant to be 27th March, what date will be on the FDCs we receive around 11th April?
ReplyDeleteI suspect the supposed commercial income from the Dr Who plethora far out ways the philatelic relevance of the new tarrif increase machins and country pictorials.
FDOI will be 27 March as the stamps will be on sale in Post Office branches then.
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