Royal Mail launches tamper-proof stamp

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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The Royal Mail has launched a new tamper-proof stamp in a bid to stop people peeling off old ones and re-using them.



The fraudulent act costs the company tens of thousands of pounds a year.

The problem has thought to have recently increased as credit crunch-hit customers try to get away without paying.

Although stamps are franked when they go through the sorting office, the markings on re-used ones are not always picked up by staff and so many slip through the net.

Now the Royal Mail has issued the new stamps that are designed to make it impossible for them to be used again.

They have a two oblong strips either side of the Queen's head and these are left on the envelope when the stamp is peeled away.

As a result the offender is left with a useless stamp with two holes in.

The stamps also have the micro-text of "Royal Mail" printed on them, reminiscent of security features on banknotes.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "First and second class standard stamps are being produced as self-adhesive stamps with new security features including slits and an iridescent overprint.

"The two adjacent die cut slits are semi-circular and are designed to inhibit the removal of used stamps from the mail for fraudulent use.

"The overprint repeats the words 'Royal Mail' in microtext in a wave-like pattern reminiscent of security features on banknotes.

"These initiatives are part of the on-going development of security features for stamps."

As well as individuals, organised criminals advertise for sale job-lots of used stamps on eBay at knock down prices and pass them off as new.

Tricks used to remove old stamps from envelopes include using a kettle to steam them off and covering it with tape so the recipient can remove it along with the franking mark and have a perfectly good stamp to use again.

If Royal Mail staff suspect a stamp has already been used then the sender is normally billed for the price of the stamp and a one pounds handling fee.

Strictly speaking, it is illegal to re-use a stamp in the UK because stamped mail is protected by the crown.

In an article on the postal news website Hellmail, Mark White, who runs a mail order firm, wrote: "Sorting equipment is supposed to cancel stamps as items of mail go through the system but as capacity and speeds increase, the failure rate on stamp franking is probably growing with it.

"There simply aren't enough eyes at Royal Mail to catch every one."

The new stamps - honouring Arnold Machin, the artist who created the image of the Queen for UK currency and stamps - have been sent to around 55,000 retailers.

[Stormproof]

I was listening to Jeremy Vines show on R2 today and they had some woman from RM on there. According to the numerous calls the stamps are not tamper-proof. I could not believe how many people reuse stamps and many of the callers said it was because the stamps arn't franked, perhaps RM should concentrate on the franking side of things rather than bringing out new stamps.

[DGP1]

None of the stamps seem to be cancelled now, I suppose management expect us on deliveries to cancel them ourselves

[Big Daz]

Ive noticed that the new Large stamps have a very low success rate of being cancelled, nearly every item of mail with one of these stamps on, the stamp is uncancelled.

[tiredwalker]

I'd say I cancel 70-90% of all stamped mail I deliver as apposed to hardly any 2years ago. Once again progress with technology for RM

[trythat]

Of course they're not franked, we need something to fill up our working week, as we have not got enough work :)

[Glenno]

Got one of these the other day thought it was RFID tooktime out peeling it off nuffin at least i now know

[rhino49]

The spokesperson for Royal Mail on Jeremy Vine's show said that there was a "very low" incidence of non franking of mail - if she saw how many items we receive a day without franking she would have choked on that remark - just another incidence of junior managers feeding back what senior managers want to hear instead of having the guts to tell them the facts.

People ringing in had no problem "sliding" the stamps off when damp to keep them intact regardless of the time the stamp had been affixed. The spokesperson had quickly pointed out that they were designed to become more secure over the 24 hours they were in transit after posting when Jeremy Vine gleefully removed one with no problem after a couple of hours, another example of excuses on the run from reality that we see in our jobs every day. Maybe if given a little longer she would have suggested that the perforated areas of the stamp were where you put the nail through to hold them on !

I have seen particular business customers such as schools show absolute delight at receiving an unfranked item and no doubt they are under pressure to save money even at our expense, I think many places will issue instructions under the present economic cloud to re-use stamps as a saving exercise. Knowing who they are, I make an effort to cancel unfranked stamps on their mail, but can't possibly find time to cancel every one that I handle on my route.

If only 10% of unfranked stamps are re-used it will cost us millions a year and the new tamper proof system is patently useless. One guy rang in near the end of the show to ask if he got a prize as he was the only person to have failed to remove one as a complete item lol.

[thehappyones]

its only when were not busy and have the staff "in place" that we at GMC cancel the stamps ,but theres a small band of brothers who try and catch the mail before goes into bags and usethere pens to cancel the stamps,its shocking that this has been going for so long and the revenue lost as were being asked to make savings ,even the revenue protection team are onto RM to tell them but it seems to fall on deaf ears(theres a suprise)

[simjan]

on a similar note, online postage,I have noticed that there are a few people by accident or on purpose paying for the wrong weight or l. letter instead of a parcel, there is no price on the packets only the weight and type, at the post office we are picking these up if going recorded but are these easily picked up later in the system. Think an easier way of checking these are right are for the price to be printed on .

[Phantom]

If its not franked/stamped in a mail centre does this mean its not counted?

[Stormproof]

If its not franked/stamped in a mail centre does this mean its not counted?

Good point but I'm sure 'someone' will say everything is counted even though we know its not

[k979aaa]

It is a shame that we cannot have a tamper-proof ROYALMAIL so that the numptys that do BUGGER-ALL and cause ALL the PROBLEMS we face today!. :lfo & :cfo & :mfo

[randompostman]

what a load of crap and a waste of money just warm the glue up with a hair dryer and it will come off as easy as pie just try it on a price ticket from your local cheap shop because crooks hve been doing it for years and then putting the cheap ticket on something more expensive and they have the same little cuts in it as the stamps. this doubles as a handy tip for getting those pesky tickets of of toys and books with out leaving bits of ticket and glue on those little presents for your kids.

[DGP1]

If its not franked/stamped in a mail centre does this mean its not counted?

Good point but I'm sure 'someone' will say everything is counted even though we know its not

We're getting mail down again in bags, I just wonder how they count that .