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ome customers trying to swap outdated Royal Mail stamps for brand spanking new variations with a barcode have been informed their purchases are pretend, based on new allegations.
From August, common stamps and not using a barcode have been not legitimate however they are often exchanged for brand spanking new barcoded variations, as a part of Royal Mail’s Stamp Swap Out scheme.
Folks wishing to alternate their outdated stamps should fill out a kind and ship them to Royal Mail, the place they are going to be swapped for brand spanking new barcoded variations freed from cost.
However some clients have discovered their outdated stamps are counterfeit or fraudulent, The Telegraph discovered.
If an invalid stamp is used, or the stamp is detected to be fraudulent or defective, then the recipient should pay a payment with a purpose to obtain their put up.
We’ll all the time fortunately evaluate particular person circumstances and if an error has been made then we’ll after all appropriate it
Affected clients informed the newspaper the stamps had been purchased from respected and official locations, together with the Submit Workplace or at counters at retailers like WH Smith, and even immediately from the Royal Mail web site.
The Telegraph stated it had seen 40 situations of shoppers claiming the stamps they’d purchased have been flagged as invalid – each outdated ones, and the newer barcoded variations.
Royal Mail stated it wants ample proof to have the ability to examine circumstances of stamps being marked as counterfeit or not real.
A Royal Mail spokesman stated: “It’s vital we are able to examine any occasion the place an individual believes their stamps have been incorrectly recognized as counterfeit or pre-used.
“To do that, we require any buyer who believes they’ve been incorrectly surcharged to ship the envelope with the barcoded stamp connected to us, together with the precise location of the place the stamp was bought.”
It stated it might probably then assess each barcoded and non-barcoded stamps with a “thorough examination utilizing specialist tools”, in addition to a human inspection after which extra safety checks.
“We’re assured our processes are sturdy,” the spokesman added. “We’ll all the time fortunately evaluate particular person circumstances and if an error has been made then we’ll after all appropriate it.”
The Submit Workplace, which sells stamps, stated it takes allegations of pretend stamps severely and in addition stated it might probably solely examine a case if a buyer has their receipt as proof of buy.
Potential pretend stamps would then have to be checked by the Royal Mail, it stated.
A Submit Workplace spokesman stated: “Stamps are that can be purchased from plenty of totally different sources. Submit Workplace Ltd receives its stamps direct from Royal Mail’s safe printers and are shared with our skilled postmasters and operators to promote of their Submit Places of work.”
Shopper champion Which? stated Royal Mail ought to take into consideration investigating any doable points with its new stamp barcode system.
Lisa Webb, Which? shopper regulation skilled, stated: “It’s unacceptable for recipients to be wrongly charged for stamps which have been purchased legitimately from respected retailers.
“It’s in Royal Mail’s pursuits to analyze as a precedence any points reported with its new stamp barcode system.
“Anybody who believes they’ve been wrongly charged for stamps marked as counterfeit ought to elevate it with Royal Mail and the corporate should make sure that any clients who encounter issues with the brand new system are usually not not noted of pocket.”
All retailers have been informed to cease promoting non-barcoded stamps from October final yr.
The brand new barcoded stamps, which nonetheless function a picture of the late Queen, have been launched final yr as a part of a transfer to modernise the service, and to permit enhanced safety features.
