Sending items via Tracked 24 or 48 - Don't use stamps!

[balamory72]

Just to give anyone the heads up, if they don't already know! Tried to send some items today by Tracked 48 and as I had stamps I put them on ready - £3.89 on each parcel (there were five). Royal Mail doesn't permit pre-payment with stamps. I had to therefore pay an additional £1.19 for each package to get them sent by a manner than could prove delivery! The Post Office didn't even know of this until it popped up on screen that they could go no further. Don't get caught out like I did!

[sml192]

The reason Royal Mail doesn't permit payment with stamps for Tracked 48 is because Tracked 48 is a VATable service and stamps are exempt from VAT. 

[ile136yz]

RM 24 & 48 Tracked scan the Printed Postage Label to update the package's journey & record the delivery to the address sent.

[kc_1987]

I was going to post a question regarding this. 

With ebays new changes coming up where it sounds like you'll only be able to use tracked postal services as a seller, does that mean any stamps I have are now useless as an ebay seller?

I have about a few hundred£ worth of stamps, which I use for my small ebay sales.

I was thinking that I can pay for tracked services at the post office using my existing stamps instead of buying postage via ebay.

[3909yvonne]

The same thing just happened to me but fortunately i hadn't stuck the stamps on prior to my visit to my local post office. I asked if i could use my stamps to pre pay for tracked 24 and was told yes and the price would be £13.35 each for my 2 items weighing less than 2 kg. I of course challenged the price because i knew this to be well over the price I had seen online for tracked 24. I was told that my items would be there within 24 hours and fully tracked and i could use my stamps to pre pay. I challenged again saying that the price I was being quoted was not for tracked 24 but for royal mail special delivery and why was i being offered this more expensive service when I had already offered up the value of the items. Both less than £20. I eventually got the service i required with which i could use my stamps to pre pay, Royal mail signed for, You are spot on about the inability to pre pay on Royal mail tracked items but everyone should be aware that post offices will always attempt to sell you Special Delivery which is far more expensive because it carries £750 worth of insurance. I wonder what the renumerations are from Royal Mail to the Post Offices regarding certain postal services? Hmmmm.

[kc_1987]

Just to update. I've spoken to the post office, they said stamps can be used to pay for Special Delivery and Signed For services.

They cannot be used for Tracked Services.

I asked what the actual difference is between tracked and signed for. They said signed for is only updated at despatch location and delivery location. 

Tracked audit trail is scanned at all stages until delivered. 

[4_bathrooms]

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@kc_1987 wrote:

Just to update. I've spoken to the post office, they said stamps can be used to pay for Special Delivery and Signed For services.

They cannot be used for Tracked Services.

The reason is 1st Class services, 2nd Class services and Special Delivery are VAT-exempt retail services (there is no VAT on stamps). Royal Mail's non-account Tracked services are subject to VAT so stamps cannot be used as payment for them.

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@kc_1987 wrote:

I asked what the actual difference is between tracked and signed for. They said signed for is only updated at despatch location and delivery location. 

Tracked audit trail is scanned at all stages until delivered. 

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That isn't the only difference. Signed For has a maximum compensation limit of £20 covering actual loss whereas Tracked services have a limit of £100 based on the market value of the item.

[4_bathrooms]

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@kc_1987 wrote:

I was going to post a question regarding this. 

With ebays new changes coming up where it sounds like you'll only be able to use tracked postal services as a seller, does that mean any stamps I have are now useless as an ebay seller?

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The changes will mean delivery arrangements being taken out of the seller's hands. eBay will decide the most suitable postage/shipping options, eBay will charge the buyer then eBay will send the seller the postage/shipping label the buyer has already paid for.

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@kc_1987 wrote:

I was thinking that I can pay for tracked services at the post office using my existing stamps instead of buying postage via ebay.

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As mentioned stamps cannot be used as payment for Tracked services.

[crg_music]

Confusing but Royal Mail and Post office are separate entities. The tracked services are owned by Royal Mail. For a while you had to buy tracked online and take to sorting office or get it collected, I think even now if you buy online and drop off to post office there is a 20p fee charged by the post office, it is 20p or so more to buy in the post office. The cheapest method is to buy online and get them to collect + bring a label both for free.

[kc_1987]

This is ultimately what I was hoping doesn't happen. It will make the stamps I already own to be redundant for ebay purposes. 

I'll be left with the only option to sell all my stamps. 

[nebs9999]

And who is going to buy your stamps if they can't be used on ebay? Maybe those with other ways to sell, but demand for stamps will drop substantially and so will the price.

[goldenwolfman]

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@nebs9999 wrote:

And who is going to buy your stamps if they can't be used on ebay? Maybe those with other ways to sell, but demand for stamps will drop substantially and so will the price.

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From what I saw on another group part of the NEW T&C's that Obey have introduced is ....

 You will no longer be allowed to sell stamps that are valid for use in the postal system - is this another way to try and squeeze sellers to using their 'Simple delivery' ...only if you're 'simples' of course  !