Do postmen/women notice the stamps on mail?

[Lounge Lizard]

I tend to notice the unfranked stamps alot more now that i put cross thru them something i've never been trained/told to do but i do it anyway

What a shame. I sometimes pass used stamps onto charity or stamp collectors, but they won't want squiggled ones.

It's supposed to be part of our job to manually cancel stamps that have been missed,to be fair not many of us bother/know about it now.

Donating used stamps to charities was a great idea years ago when there were many collectors who would buy, sort, soak off and keep the foreign and special ones, but in recent years stamps from charities have been bought by those only interested in fraudulently reusing the uncancelled 1st and 2nd UK definitive stamps. So it's less collectors, less special stamps, more uncancelled stamps due to Royal Mail cutbacks, fewer of us having the time or inclination to pen-cancel uncancelled stamps ( and I've never been told to do so ) and more people out there inclined to fraudulently reuse stamps, hence the U-shaped slits Royal Mail started introducing to definitives in 2009 to deter removal from the original envelope.

[FairyFoot]

On a penpal forum, I do hear stories of people asking their international penpals to return stamps if unmarked (some even use sellotape across the stamp...) so they can re-use them (unfortunately, some are happy to comply and send the stamps back, and do it themselves too). Some even give ultimatums (no stamps back, no reply to your letter). Someone said that if they receive a letter with unmarked stamps, they would go to the post office and ask them to cancel it (with the proper inky stamper thing, rather than biro). We sort of collect stamps (not organised at the moment!) but the next time I receive stamps back that are unmarked, I will take them to the lovely sub-postmaster and ask him to cancel them.

[POSTMAN]

some even use sellotape across the stamp...

Risking the chance of the postal operator holding the card and putting a charge on it,it's a naughty practice tbh.

[pink_lady]

i doubt very much a postie would have the time to look at the stamp. The post is in the door that quick, and time for next letter. also the way we hold the mail you dont even notice stamps, u're only concern is the address. and getting it in the right door.
Why would people bother stealing stamps...?

[Pat Ostman]

Why would people bother stealing stamps

So they do not have to pay for them?

If it can be stolen, someone will try to steal.