Commemorative Stamps.

[Cheekydud]

Please could someone advise about commemorative and picture stamps (non-barcoded). Are they valid indefinitely, meaning that I can use them on my outgoing mail?

I have loads and was hoping to use them for eBay sales, but I recently read a thread on the internet - folk were saying they'd used them and the recipient had been surcharged. I spoke to RM Customer Services and was advised to send them into the Freepost address and they'd be replaced with barcoded stamps, however I'd already prepared a packet, stamped and ready to post so I took it into my local PO and the clerk's opinion was that there shouldn't be a problem with using them as they are valid indefinitely.

The Swap Out form states that they are valid and don't need to be swapped. Can anyone confirm this please?

I'd be happy to post them back to the RM to be swapped but the form states that they have to be on their original backing paper. Mine were all in folder-type presentation packs but I cut them out individually and filed them in value order to make it easier for me to find what price I need. Have I ruined my chances of getting them swapped?

Many thanks for any advice - much appreciated.

[yellowbelly]

From the horses mouth at the link below,

Note: Special Stamps with pictures on and Christmas Stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid and don't need to be swapped out.

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

Sometimes people use a mixture of picture and the non-barcoded definitve stamps, or don't pay enough for the weight/size and get
charged though.

[Cheekydud]

Many thanks for that helpful link, think I'll have to try to get through to the helpline again though. Last week I spoke to an RMCS advisor who told me to send my commemorative stamps to be swapped out, just to be on the safe side (his words).

Reading through the form it says you don't need to swap commemorative stamps as they are still valid - and it also says they have to be on their original backing paper if you send them in to be swapped.

I would prefer to have barcoded stamps, but as mentioned earlier, I've taken the commemorative stamps out of the presentation packs and separated them. They are now all loose, individual stamps.

Has anyone been successful in getting commemorative stamps swapped?

[somekindofnature]

There's no need to swap them out - they're perfectly valid. I use commemorative stamps all the time and never had any problems.

[Cheekydud]

That's good to hear, many thanks.