Counterfeit stamps from the Post Office

[NelsonH]

Interesting report on the consumer affairs program on my local radio.

Four different people reported putting a parcel over the Post Office counter, the clerk put stamps on it and took it for delivery.

On delivery the recipient got a £5 penalty charge and after paying this the parcel arrived with a sticker saying "counterfeit stamps".

Did the Post Office apologise and send a refund?  What do you think?

[advent2016]

There have been a few cases of people handing over old style stamps for new barcode stamps and being given counterfeit barcode stamps in exchange This happened more just before Christmas with temporary workers being blamed for pocketing genuine stamps and inserting fake ones. Another problem is bad software on some terminals either rejected good stamps or allowed fake ones.

[Blackpool Rock]

Seems like another systemic fuck up at The PO, who would have thought it eh 

[myothernameis]

Maybe the post office staff bought fake stamps, know the blame will lie with the customer

[akauya]

Maybe standardpostage can shed light on this

[standardpostage]

Maybe standardpostage can shed light on this

Even though I call myself standardpostage, I've never actually worked for the post office or been a postman. It was just a name I picked that nobody else had.

I never knew counterfeit stamps existed until I read this thread, but given how expensive stamps are nowadays, I can understand criminals making fake stamps instead of fake £5 notes.

[NelsonH]

The post-office was forced to add a bar-code to stamps precisely because there were a lot of forgeries.

I would guess that the bar-codes don't read properly when the stamp is put on a parcel, because unlike on a lettter, they were not flat, so the reader could not cope.

But the point is that the post-office took the money and must deliver the service.  It does not matter if the stamps are fake or not.

It's just the sub-postmasters scandal in miniature.

[Darren101]

Not heard of post offices selling fakes but if you have the receipt, just write a formal complaint.  They will compensate you if you got a receipt to prove that’s where you got the stamps. Then RM can investigate.  Could be the post master unwittingly buying fakes trying to save a few bob.

 I used to buy sheets of stamps off eBay occasionally to save a few quid.  Once, ended up with fakes (got a refund).  Used to be big money for those selling the fakes. I checked the sellers’ sales history and they were making bank. That one had the nerve to offer me a partial refund to keep them.

Using used stamps also can get caught these days.  They spray uv liquid on them when going through the system. Re-using stamps used to work without checks. Some have been washed too remove the post office ink stamp marks

[clittielicker]

On the subject of dodgy post office I recently sent a small parcel with 2 small pieces of cheap plastic and it cost £3.49. Yet I bought something from ebay similar size and weight inc postage and it was cheaper than I paid to post something which I had already paid for.

There is really something dodgy at the P.O.

[catweazle]

On the subject of dodgy post office I recently sent a small parcel with 2 small pieces of cheap plastic and it cost £3.49. Yet I bought something from ebay similar size and weight inc postage and it was cheaper than I paid to post something which I had already paid for.

There is really something dodgy at the P.O.

Some things sold by Temu are so cheap that if you don't want it, they tell you to keep it anyway, as it costs more for them to pay for the return than the item is worth

[Darren101]

On the subject of dodgy post office I recently sent a small parcel with 2 small pieces of cheap plastic and it cost £3.49. Yet I bought something from ebay similar size and weight inc postage and it was cheaper than I paid to post something which I had already paid for.

There is really something dodgy at the P.O.

it depends on what service you used. Online prices can be cheaper than what you can get in the post office. Big sellers can also get discounted rates.  Also if you can reduce the size such as the width by packing the items differently, it can be cheaper as well. E.g. large letter size instead of small parcel if it fits in a letter box.