Postage stamps without barcodes will be unusable from 31st July

[blythburgh]

I have started a new thread to make sure everyone is sure of what is happening.

If like up you bulked buyed stamps before they went up in price again you need to use them before 31st July as they have changed the time span before they are not valid.

If you have ones with a barcode they are always going to be valid. If you have the special stamps with a picture on they will still be valid.

Come 1st August any stamps without a barcode or special photo on must not be used. Royal Mail will send you new stamps to replace yours. You can get a form with a free post envelope from your local Post Office. Or you can print out the form and use one of your own envelopes.

But unfortunately you cannot get proof of postage so if you want to belt and braces then you can photo your stamps before popping them in the envelope as proof of sending them. But I would say the odds of them not arriving are extremely slow especially if you use the Post Office envelope.

[MrsXfile]

It's good to see they have extended the use by time. I sent a fair few books of 12 off to the swap out sceme yesterday. Like some others on here I do the Kantar post survey and get paid in postage stamps. I have more than enough to last for the rest of my lifetime.

[Sarah]

Yeah, I've got work to do; still haven't even started swapping yet...

[xrppzi]

But unfortunately you cannot get proof of postage so if you want to belt and braces then you can photo your stamps before popping them in the envelope as proof of sending them. But I would say the odds of them not arriving are extremely slow especially if you use the Post Office envelope.

Correction: It says on the form that you can send them recorded delivery and the Post Office will reimburse you in stamps for the cost

[Sarah]

If sending under £200 you can ask a Post Office for a certificate of posting, just as you can with any item of mail. It makes no difference whether the item is FREEPOST, postage paid by licence or physical stamps, etc. This obviously doesn't prove what's inside the package though.

It specifically recommends using Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed with the appropriate insurance coverage when sending over £200 of stamps to swap. That appears to cost £10.65 for my block above. I just enquired at the Post Office whether I can redeem stamps to cover the £10.65 or have to pay cash, but didn't really get an accurate and useful answer. The guy basically said I shouldn't try because if any stamps come off the package it would cause issues.

I've also now been told by two separate members of staff that country definitives (which don't have a large Queen profile on them) didn't need to be swapped, or rather one person at the Post Office counter said they hadn't a clue and the Royal Mail helpline person said no. However, the Royal Mail shop sells new barcoded issues of these stamps and they are mentioned as eligible in a section of the over £200 swap form (as well as olympic and international definitives) so I think the correct answer appears to be yes and I've sent a sheet of them off for swap this morning.

[blythburgh]

I have read on numerous occasions you cannot get proof of posting for this but that sounds so odd

[Sarah]

They're wrong. You can. I did.

[pabenny]

Ditto on proof of posting - although staff don't necessarily understand such a simple address

[pabenny]

Does anyone know what the barcodes actually do? Does it record that particular stamp as having been used?

[Richard Frost]

https://inews.co.uk/news/why-stamps-bar ... ps-1557737

https://www.allaboutstamps.co.uk/news/b ... ion%20line.

If they do record it as being used, they are not saying.