Beware fake stamps

[tight fart]

Had a card through the door from the postman yesterday, £4 to pay on 2 deliveries and had to collect from office up the road.
Popped up this morning, it's 2 ebay purchases from different suppliers, both have fake stamps.
So beware if offered any down the pub.

Edited by tight fart on Saturday 29th August 08:41

[anonymous-user]

Interesting. Wonder how you tell the difference. I have bought stamps off eBay. 1st class for same price as 2nd class and they've not caused any issues for the recipients although I was suspicious.

[randlemarcus]

Judging by those pictures, the Post Office put such huge efforts into making them hard to fake

[Andy 308GTB]

tight fart said:

Had a card through the door from the postman yesterday, £4 to pay on 2 deliveries and had to collect from office up the road.
Popped up this morning, it's 2 ebay purchases from different suppliers, both have fake stamps.
So beware if offered any down the pub

I would suggest it is you that is being had, as you have ended up paying twice for the postage.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-1st-Class-Large-Lett...

"This item has already been used for its primary function and royal mail state its not to be reused"

[dudleybloke]

Washing used stamps is a very common scam.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-new...

[Sheepshanks]

We seem to get a fair number that aren't cancelled - our regular postman makes a show of scribbling through them (obviously doesn't trust us) but other postmen don't.

[Sheepshanks]

Andy 308GTB said:

I would suggest it is you that is being had, as you have ended up paying twice for the postage.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-1st-Class-Large-Lett...

"This item has already been used for its primary function and royal mail state its not to be reused"

I'm staggered eBay don't just delete listings like that.

[Equus]

tight fart said:

Had a card through the door from the postman yesterday, £4 to pay on 2 deliveries and had to collect from office up the road.

Lots of fun to be had sending heavy packages to people you don't like, though?

[Stay in Bed Instead]

tight fart said:

Had a card through the door from the postman yesterday, £4 to pay on 2 deliveries and had to collect from office up the road.
Popped up this morning, it's 2 ebay purchases from different suppliers, both have fake stamps.
So beware if offered any down the pub.

Did you ask Royal Mail in what why they are fake?

[steveo3002]

dont genuine ones have 2 cut outs to try and prevent you peeling them up , not seeing that on the photos ?

[dudleybloke]

steveo3002 said:

dont genuine ones have 2 cut outs to try and prevent you peeling them up , not seeing that on the photos ?

Yes, these are genuine.

[tight fart]

A bit better photo, showing the cut outs.

[dudleybloke]

tight fart said:

A bit better photo, showing the cut outs.

That looks very real from that picture, must be invisible markings that get detected by the sorting machinery.

Have you got a UV light?

Edited by dudleybloke on Saturday 29th August 13:56

[hyphen]

Stay in Bed Instead said:

Did you ask Royal Mail in what why they are fake?

+1

How do we know they didn't make an error. That photo just posted looks genuine to me.

[Andy 308GTB]

hyphen said:

Stay in Bed Instead said:

Did you ask Royal Mail in what why they are fake?

+1

How do we know they didn't make an error. That photo just posted looks genuine to me.

They may well be genuine but have been used previously. I would guess the Post Office can detect stamps that have been 'washed' - or at least the ones that have been done poorly.

[Sheepshanks]

Andy 308GTB said:

They may well be genuine but have been used previously. I would guess the Post Office can detect stamps that have been 'washed' - or at least the ones that have been done poorly.

^This. If they were fake I would expect that would be a massive issue for the Post Office and they would have retained the stamp / packaging.

In the picture it looks like the stamp has part of a post mark on it. It could be that there were already phosphor dots (used for sorting) present.

[abzmike]

Why would anyone sell legitimate stamps in the pub?

[Herr Krupp]

I reckon the stamp has probably been used before.

That's what postie told me in a similar situation.

[Terminator X]

Surely this is the eBay seller ripping you off as you've paid twice for postage?

TX.

[Simpo Two]

Herr Krupp said:

I reckon the stamp has probably been used before.

That's what postie told me in a similar situation.

So it's not a fake stamp, just a used one.

I guess you could refuse to accept it, then tell the seller to post another item (and use a new stamp!)