Wednesday 6 May 2020

What Price Revenue Protection? We all pay eventually.

Today I received a package for postcards destine for a collector in China. He buys online and has them delivered to me to consolidate with his maximum cards that I make for him, saving on postage overall.

In this case the seller also saved on the £1.40 postage.  In addition to probably buying his stamps at a deep discount from one of the many dealers selling quantities of these down to 75% or less of face, these aren't even all Royal Mail stamps.

Correct postage in total, but... ?
This isn't the first time I've seen such an example.  A friend in Scotland sent me a picture of a package that he was sent from Surrey where the Post Office counter assistant assured the sender that a mix of Channel Islands & Isle of Man stamps was perfectly ok.

Accepted at a Post Office Counter and at Croydon Mail Centre!
 
Royal Mail revenue protection is fighting an uphill battle if Post Offices are accepting any old junk.  Even 'my' package got past their team in Peterborough Mail Centre.

Perhaps it is just their own fault for issuing sooo many stamps in so many different designs that nobody can really keep track any more.

UPDATE 20 May
I found this scan on my computer; I don't think it is something I received - it was either taken from a picture on a forum or was sent to me by a reader.  It's posted from a sub-office in Rochdale and has a lovely mix of Falkland Islands, St Helena and Jersey and NO British stamps at all.

 

2 comments:

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  2. John, thank you for the comment.

    Somebody else emailed similar information after I showed this cover, but I decided not to publish it in fairness to Royal Mail employees who can manage well without a lot of collectors playing games (as I was tempted to do!)

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