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Stamps (including 'forever' 1st and 2nd class stamps) will need replacing...


Yaffa

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Just saw that almost all UK stamps (including the supposedly 'forever' 1st and 2nd class stamps) will be unusable after 31st January next year. From 31st March 2022, It will be possible to swap them for new stamps with barcodes - but only until 31st March 2023. Details haven't yet been released/decided, but apparently the exchange of old stamps for new ones can only be done by mail, not in person Oh, what fun..... More on the moneysavingexpert.com site: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/02/anyone-with-stacks-of-stamps-at-home-has-less-than-one-year-to-u/

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On 09/02/2022 at 13:31, alison said:

Thanks.  I'd meant to look into this.  Guess Royal Mail have finally caught on to the fact that loads of us are using old stamps.  But what about the charities who are allowed to buy old stamps at very good rates?

My guess is that this and any other pricing benefits won't be affected, as the switch is simply to barcoded versions of exactly the same stamps (to prevent fraud, not to prevent the use of old stamps per se). So if you have a regular 'forever' 2nd class stamp, you will just change it for a new 2nd class stamp with a barcode - which will also be 'forever' (well, until the next system change).  

Edited by Yaffa
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I think the stamp thing has now been extended to the end of July 2023. 
I found this out at the local PO when buying stamps for Xmas in December. 
I was just double checking the date and was told it’s July but to do it a couple of weeks in advance as you have to get a form to fill in first!! 

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But I think that was what the form was for…..if you haven’t used the stamps so need to exchange by the end of July you would need to fill this in first. 
But if the cut off date is July 31st then obviously you would need to sort it out before that date. The lady in the PO said it would be best to do it by the middle of July.  

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As I understand it, you can use the old, non barcoded stamps until July2023.  But if you want to exchange them for new ones of the equivalent value, then you need to post them off by the end of January.  You can download a form on line and fill it in, and it is freepost.  I just sent off a book of first class stamps, because I am never going to use them all by the end of July.  I hardly ever post anything first class.  

Edited by Fonty
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Okay thanks Fonty ….I’m going to ask local PO again over the w/end and make sure I make it clear about exchanging stamps you might not use …when is that date. I thought I’d asked the right question back in December but perhaps I hadn’t been clear enough as I know I’ve got too many first class stamps now I probably won’t use by July so best to check exactly what the rules are. 

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On 13/01/2023 at 06:55, Jan McNulty said:

Advice from the Money Saving Expert is that the Post Office has extended the deadline to July.

 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/11/nonbarcoded-stamps-summer-2023-delay-royal-mail/

They've posted an update about the confusion and confirming the July deadline:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2023/january/royal-mail-stamps-deadline-july/

Edited by Yaffa
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It has to be said, Royal Mail's communications on the subject have been abysmal: opaque and obscure.  The "blurb" on how to swap the stamps uses - without any explanation - terminology which is probably only familiar to philatelists, rather than the general public, doesn't show a large enough range of the stamps targeted, and leaves a number of holes.  Not to mention the total confusion over the use-by dates (which I am still taking to mean swap stamps by the end of this month, or use them by the end of July).  It must be costing them a fortune to do this - and I still can't see what the point of it is.  Much as I like Shaun the Sheep, I'm certainly not going to scan the QR code on my stamps just to watch a video featuring him!

 

It seems they would be incapable of organising the proverbial celebration in a brewery :(

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Just as I was feeling okay about July definitely now being the deadline yesterday my partner said somebody from the post office was on the radio and had said stamps have to be returned by the end of January!! 
It looks like even the people who work in post offices are giving out different advice 🙄

Im going to go into PO and ask for the form and see what it actually says on that!! 

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Okay from a senior person at the Islington post office this morning( not the person behind the counter) 
You don’t need to fill in forms to exchange stamps until JULY! 
You do NOT need to do this by the end of January! 
Of course you can return them at any time between now and July but the deadline isn’t until July for both using and exchanging stamps. 
I spoke to this person before I was going to join a fairly large queue to get the form but didn’t bother to get it in the end once told this. 
I will be in Lewes tomorrow so might do a third check there!! So far it’s 2/2 for July 😂

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I got the form from the Lewes Post Office who also told me July is now the last time you can exchange stamps so that’s 3/3 post offices!! 
I probably won’t wait until July though as I know I’ve got more stamps than I will actually use in the next few months so might as well get them replaced sooner rather than later! 

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