Royal Mail probes barcode stamps that show as counterfeit
ROYAL Mail is investigating problems with new barcoded stamps amid fears customers are wrongly being fined to receive letters, The Telegraph can reveal.
Members of the public have complained that they are being handed £5 penalties to collect post because Royal Mail has deemed the stamps on them to be counterfeit. The issue has emerged since the postal service switched entirely to a barcoded system in July.
Postmasters have said that the allegedly fake stamps were bought from Royal Mail directly, prompting fears that they are wrongly being identified as counterfeit. Following a meeting yesterday between Kevin Hollinrake, the Post Office minister, and Martin Seidenberg, the Royal Mail chief executive, the postal service committed to investigating the issue.
The Telegraph understands that a formal investigation has not been launched, but that Royal Mail has assured the minister it is working with retailers including the Post Office to identify the “source of the problem”.
Mr Hollinrake said: “We spoke to Royal Mail and they are investigating and they are working alongside the Post Office and other retailers to try and ascertain the source of the problem.”
Last week, Royal Mail insisted its processes were “secure” and that it uses “specialist equipment” to assess whether a stamp is genuine. Most stamps are verified using the service’s scanning devices at sorting offices nationwide.
The Post Office said any allegation
‘We actively seek the prosecution of those who produce counterfeit stamps’
that fake stamps were bought at one of its branches was “extremely serious” as it implied that a postmaster or member of staff had swapped genuine Royal Mail stamps with counterfeits. The news that Royal Mail is investigating has been welcomed by postmasters.
The chairman of one campaign group, which represents those wrongly convicted during the Horizon IT scandal, said: “It goes without saying that postmasters do not want to have to deal with false accusations about something else.”
Barcoded stamps were first introduced in February 2022 as a method to reduce postal fraud, saving the beleaguered company “tens of millions” of pounds each year.
Barcoded stamps became mandatory from July 31 last year and quickly numerous customers began complaining about being accused of having used counterfeit stamps. It came to a head in December when a barrage of complaints emerged as people’s Christmas cards were either left undelivered or could only be collected if the recipient paid a £5 fine.
A Post Office spokesman said: “Any allegation that fake stamps have been purchased at a Post Office are extremely serious. Any customer who thinks they may have purchased a fake stamp from a Post Office must produce an itemised receipt so that this can be looked into further.”
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We work closely with retailers and law enforcement agencies, and actively seek the prosecution of those who produce counterfeit stamps. We reaffirmed that policy to the minister today.”