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Postage stamps

(30 Posts)
Charleygirl Sun 30-Mar-14 13:37:56

Is everybody aware that 1st and 2nd class stamps are going up yet again tomorrow? I think that it is 2 or 3p each. Horrendous.

cazthebookworm Thu 03-Apr-14 15:59:13

That brought back a long lost memory Janerowena of my mother bringing out the last xmas card, and in June, the last birthday card my dad gave her before he died. Sadly, she has gone too, but I have the last card she gave me, in my memory box.

janerowena Thu 03-Apr-14 11:28:22

I'm thinking of just hanging on to my old xmas cards and telling all my friends and relatives to do the same, and put the old ones up again each year!

I kept my last ever card from my lovely grandmother, and I bring it out every year. It's still going strong after 18 years!

yogagran Thu 03-Apr-14 11:23:40

I wish shops selling cards would have a special section for ones to be posted abroad as I've been caught out a few times with a card that cost more to post than it did to buy sad

numberplease Wed 02-Apr-14 15:40:08

Our main post office building, in town, has just closed down, and all post office business is now transferred to W.H Smith, who have converted a corner at the back end of the shop to accommodate the post office, thereby making the Smiths shop even smaller, it`s always been less than easy to get around, being rather poky and narrow. I haven`t been to the new post office as yet, the only improvement I can see is the automatic doors, I no longer have to use all my strength pushing the heavy doors open, and mistakenly pushing the pull one and vice versa! I presume there`s some sort of financial reward in it for Smiths.

J52 Wed 02-Apr-14 08:19:57

I was told in the P O yesterday, that cards going abroad must fit through the slot guide, in depth as well as size. Otherwise, they will be over £3.00 to send. ( can't remember exactly how much) So don't post cards with embellishments! How boring! X

cazthebookworm Wed 02-Apr-14 08:15:43

A simple card to Australia cost me £2.05 yesterday as it was just over the minimum weight. Next time I will make sure it is as light as tissue paper!!

Aka Wed 02-Apr-14 08:13:53

Royal Mail was always a pathetic poor service around here, unlike areas I've lived in before.

seasider Wed 02-Apr-14 07:36:04

Yet another privatisation fiasco followed by poor service for the customer !

DebnCreme Tue 01-Apr-14 23:38:07

grin Pittcity

Eloethan Tue 01-Apr-14 22:48:24

Didn't the price of stamps go up a few months ago? Privatising the Royal Mail has been a great success - for some that is but, as usual, not for the majority.

It's now been confirmed that it was undersold, at a cost of many millions to the taxpayer. In the news tonight it was reported that Standard Life sold all its shares in March, at a vast profit, whereas of course the postal workers can't sell theirs for another three years.

Marelli Tue 01-Apr-14 17:58:12

How much are they now?

Nonu Tue 01-Apr-14 13:32:16

yet another nail in the coffin of C-------s cards , well for me anyways ! getting rather ridiculous

Pittcity Tue 01-Apr-14 12:38:23

Had to sell my Royal Mail Shares to afford a book of stamps! wink

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 01-Apr-14 12:21:13

They kept this quiet did n't they! DH had a shock when he went to the post office this morning to stock up! hmm

Charleygirl Sun 30-Mar-14 21:34:17

Yes I have also yogagran and not from last Christmas! Provided the stamp has 1st or 2nd class on it, it does not matter how many years it has been around. In my case, put in a safe place, only to be found a couple of years later.

It was not very well advertised, I wonder why?! I only picked it up because I am a mine of usually useless information.

yogagran Sun 30-Mar-14 21:19:58

I've still got some second class Christmas stamps left!

Ana Sun 30-Mar-14 20:53:56

Yes indeed! One of my cards today (well, it came through the post yesterday) had a gold 1st class stamp on and the current ones are red.
That's why people stock up on stamps before a price change.

Lona Sun 30-Mar-14 20:31:16

Yes, you can still use them.

rosesarered Sun 30-Mar-14 20:26:38

Interesting question! Anyone know the answer?

numberplease Sun 30-Mar-14 19:39:21

Stamps these days don`t have the price on them, just first class or second class, so can we still use any left over stamps, or are they now useless (I will be very annoyed if that`s so)

Oldgreymare Sun 30-Mar-14 18:36:26

Wish I'd known, I would have bought the C (too early to type the whole word) stamps. Did that last time they went up and saved a fortune!!!!
Perhaps this is the year I make a donation to charity and don't send cards, but then how would I let distant friends know I was still alive smile

Charleygirl Sun 30-Mar-14 18:07:06

I agree rosesarered, as phoenix said with tongue in cheek it is difficult to place an ecard on the mantlepiece or wherever.

Last year I cut down with the sending of cards, little point when I am emailing some friends x2 a day. I also write a letter inside each card so that is time consuming but it is so nice, in return to hear about other friend's travels/exploits when I have not seen them for ages.

rosesarered Sun 30-Mar-14 17:23:26

An e-card just doesn't do it for me! I do like all the cards arriving in the post.It does cost a lot, but apart from cards, I rarely send a letter to anyone anyway.

goldengirl Sun 30-Mar-14 16:40:48

I only found out when I asked for some stamps in my local newsagent on Friday and had the last book of 6 because there'd been a rush in them. Is it really cost effective to hike up the price? I suppose it must be but once again it is probably older people who will carry the can if they're not familiar with emails.

henetha Sun 30-Mar-14 14:39:00

I had no idea of this increase! Thanks Charleygirl.
How can they justify another increase in an increasingly inefficient service.
I realise the internet is partly to blame, but they won't encourage us to actually post letter/cards if they keep putting the prices up, will they.
Or maybe, as one of you said, that is the general idea anyway.