‘I’m out of pocket, out of stamps – and very angry’
ROYAL MAIL’S chaotic ‘swap out’ scheme has left customers branded fraudsters and others waiting weeks for their replacement stamps.
This is the service offered by postal bosses whereby customers can exchange old stamps for the new barcoded ones.
Before the deadline was extended last night, scores of Royal Mail customers – fearful they would not be able to use their old stamps before the end of January – sent them off to be swapped.
However, some have been called fraudsters, with others enduring month-long waits with no contact from Royal Mail, and more even having stamps stolen in the post.
Those accused of sending in fake stamps have been left hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
Patricia Edwards, 79, from North London, was told that her stamps could be counterfeit – and was given no explanation.
‘I sent a new book of 12 unused first-class stamps which I had bought from the local post office,’ she said.
‘A week later I received a letter which stated that the stamps I sent in were either used or not genuine.
‘I was told the stamps could not be replaced or sent back to me too. They certainly had not been used, and naturally I assumed them to be genuine and not fraudulent.
‘I am very disturbed by this and upset to have lost the cost of a book of stamps, which I can ill afford to do.’
Jennifer Beck, from Warwick, contacted The Mail on Sunday after she found that stamps she had sent back worth more than £100 had gone missing.
She said: ‘When I saw the news about having to change your stamps, I immediately completed the form and placed it in an envelope with £120.72 worth of stamps enclosed.
‘Four days later, I received a sealed plastic bag from Royal Mail enclosing my envelope, with a scribbled note saying that it was an “incomplete address” with a slit in the top left-hand corner. The stamps were missing.
‘The stamps “disappeared” while in Royal Mail’s care and I remain out of pocket, out of stamps and very angry.’
Valerie Ellis has been waiting about four weeks for 92 stamps to be replaced.
‘I am a pensioner and cannot afford to lose the money involved,’ she said.
‘I have no idea where my stamps are now.’
A spokesman for Royal Mail said that there is no deadline on swapping stamps under its ‘swap out’ scheme ‘so no customer will be out of pocket’.
The spokesman added: ‘We are confident our checks correctly identify counterfeit stamps and understand that people who acquired them in good faith may be disappointed to learn that they are counterfeits.
‘We are very sorry if any of our customers have been upset on learning this news.
‘We have recently more than trebled the number of colleagues who are working on processing applications and are looking to return all stamps to our customers as quickly as we are able.’