Stamp fury erupts as Royal Mail makes major change - millions to become invalid

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/15632 ... y-unusable

BRITONS have shared their confusion after the Royal Mail has warned millions of stamps will become invalid.

By January 31 2023, '1st' or '2nd' class stamps, or any other priced stamps, with the Queen's head on them or are Christmas-themed will not be valid for postage. The Royal Mail has said those who try to use the existing stamps will have to pay a surcharge, but they are yet to confirm what this surcharge is or how it will work in practice.

Royal Mail has told Britons they can exchange current stamps for barcoded ones for free under Royal Mail's new 'Swap Out' scheme.

One-off commemorative stamps will not be barcoded.

Royal Mail said that following a successful trial, the barcodes would now be added to all Definitive and Christmas stamps.

Each stamp has a ‘digital twin’ containing the unique code alongside it, separated by a simulated perforation line. The group said it was “reinventing stamps for the future”.

From January 2023, '1st' or '2nd' class stamps, or any other priced stamps will not be valid

The scheme opens on March 31 2022 and will run until March 31 2023, but the website is not live as of writing.

Britons are expected to fill in a 'Swap Out' form from its website, or call it, or get one from a local delivery firm, and then post back the stamps for swapping.

However, stamps will not be able to be swapped at post offices.

Royal Mail stated: “The barcode also enables us to innovate and create new features. One of which we have just launched: linking a video.

“Just to put your mind to rest, there will be no personal held data in the barcode.”

Are you affected? Do you think it's justified? Let us know in the comments section

Britons can exchange stamps for barcoded ones for free under Royal Mail's new 'Swap Out' scheme

Twitter user @MikeHolden42 said: “I must say I was surprised when they changed from stamps with amounts on them to ‘1st/2nd’.

“Sticking with the old system if the price of postage went up you could just stick a few extra 1p stamps on.”

Another user @davidiancollins said: “Postage stamps have been the best performing asset class in my portfolio for most of past 2 decades.

“Ideally Royal Mail would buy them back at today's prices. At minimum they should continue to carry mail.”

It comes after the Royal Mail announced new stamps in honour of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

The set of eight stamps use photographs of Her Majesty The Queen, marking the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on February 6 1952.

It marked the first time a Platinum Jubilee has been celebrated in the UK, with the stamps available from February 4.

Simon Thompson, CEO of Royal Mail, said: “These stamps are a celebration of the second Elizabethan Age and a tribute to a remarkable lifetime of duty and public service.

“We are honoured to be releasing them to mark the occasion of the first Platinum Jubilee in the UK’s history, a momentous occasion.”

[enskied]

Well Managerially, We have a knob head in charge of off lesser Managerial knob heads in royal mail.