Postage stamps

They are too expensive now!

And even if we stop buying them, we will still pay in other ways as companies will no doubt want to offload some of their increased costs.

phoenix it is the Christmas card nighmare which I loathe. Stamps to Eire and Canada etc will now cost a horrendous amount- add the cost of the card, is it worth it?

The PO are pushing us to use ecards on the net. I do not like them but maybe needs must.

I believe that there was some sort of discount on Christmas postage rates for those receiving pensions, no idea what the take up was and I don't think it was well advertised.

I think that at Christmas there should be a lower rate anyway, as that is when the PO get most of their business, surely?

Ecards are ok, but they are a bugger to put on the mantelpiece!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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)

Interesting question! Anyone know the answer?

Yes, you can still use them.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

How much are they now?

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.

Pittcity

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

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

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!!

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