I’m executor for the property of my father who died final 12 months, aged 93. He left 1,661 unused non-barcoded postage stamps with a face worth of £1,442.19.
I contacted Royal Mail to ask in the event that they might be cashed in as we’re by no means going to make use of so many stamps.
I used to be suggested to put up them with a Swap Out kind as a result of they weren’t bar-coded, embrace a Grant of Probate certificates, and request a money worth slightly than substitute stamps.
I added a observe to the shape indicating I didn’t want to ‘swap out’ however wished the money worth as an alternative.
Royal Mail merely changed them with newer bar-coded stamps and won’t budge.
Ok.W., Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
No returns: Royal Mail is refusing to swap 1,661 unused non-barcoded postage stamps into their money face worth of £1,442.19
Sally Hamilton replies: You had been livid when Royal Mail delivered the response that it will not allow you to money within the stamps.
You don’t have any use for therefore many stamps and will do with the cash to satisfy payments owed by your father’s property.
As stamps will not be authorized tender, they can’t be used to pay official payments – although some people would possibly settle for them for those who owe them cash.
In an age of e-mail and WhatsApp, I can respect your frustration at sitting on a pile of postage stamps, starting from 152 x 1p stamps and 114 x 2p stamps, to the handier 1st and 2nd class objects.
I urged it could be best to share them between beneficiaries or kinfolk and buddies. However you stated the 2 beneficiaries of the property are pensioners, together with your self, who ship simply a few Christmas playing cards a 12 months.
Though I exploit put up very often, after I bought a pack every of first and second class stamps final week, the teller even exclaimed on the extortionate £13.46 price ticket.
Anyway, your grievance to Royal Mail buyer providers was basically returned to sender with affirmation it couldn’t change your stamps for money.
You felt significantly sore because the £19.55 you paid to ship the stash of outdated postage by safe supply to the swap out service was refunded within the type of stamps (aargh).
While you escalated issues to the Postal Overview Panel, which oversees gripes the Royal Mail doesn’t resolve itself, it merely referred unhelpfully to the very fact it couldn’t ‘make modifications to the phrases and circumstances of any Royal Mail services or products’.
Because the message wasn’t getting by way of to customer support, you got here to me. You had learn, in December 2023, a few reader who had bought too many stamps in error from her native put up workplace however on my intervention was permitted to return half of them to Royal Mail for money.
Though your place was not the identical (in that case the client had receipts to point out for her barcoded stamps), I believed Royal Mail would possibly present some leniency. However I’m afraid I couldn’t persuade Royal Mail to budge.
It stated your place with the older stamps was completely different to the earlier case and responded with a agency ‘no’, stating ‘the swap out scheme is designed to supply replacements for invalid stamps, nevertheless it doesn’t embrace a financial refund choice’.
A Royal Mail spokesman stated: ‘We’re very sorry to listen to concerning the passing of her father. Whereas we respect this has been a difficult interval, we want to make clear that our coverage doesn’t permit for money refunds on unused, non-barcoded stamps.
‘Based mostly on this, she was directed to our swap out scheme, which permits prospects to change previous stamps for legitimate replacements.’
Choices in your stamps are to both promote or give them away. Promoting is authorized, although sellers ought to count on to supply a reduction.
There are additionally specialist merchants. One I discovered on-line was providing 99p for a £1.70 top notch stamp.
Making a gift of unused stamps to charity is beneficial for estates wanting to cut back an inheritance tax legal responsibility, as charitable presents of belongings, together with stamps, are tax-free.
Specialist agency Xchange Grasp works with charities, together with the RNIB, to transform stamps into funds to be used by the charities, and says the organisations often obtain many of the stamps’ face worth.
Vacation cottage plumbing fail
Earlier this 12 months I used to be recognized with prostate most cancers and underwent surgical procedure which was profitable however left me with urinary issues.
My spouse and I made a decision to ebook a brief break however due to my situation intentionally selected a spot with separate bedrooms and two bathrooms.
We booked one in Whitstable by way of Sykes Cottages that marketed two bedrooms and two bogs, and paid £439.
The vacation was on account of begin on June 3 however a couple of days earlier than Sykes advised us one of many bathrooms was out of order.
There was no indication when it will be repaired because the plumber was ready for elements.
I replied that due to my medical subject this was not acceptable and requested for a refund. This was refused.
A.M., Bromley, Kent.
Sally Hamilton replies: You weren’t happy to obtain an e-mail from Sykes stating the corporate judged ‘one rest room to be an inexpensive answer in your social gathering of two visitors’.
Fairly the opposite. You had gone out of your method to discover lodging with two loos and repeatedly defined this while you complained.
Sykes pointed to its cancellation coverage which says late cancellation will end in forfeiture of the complete quantity.
Regular guidelines shouldn’t apply, I imagine, because the cancellation was prompted by the property not being as marketed.
The Client Rights Act 2015 says holidaymakers are entitled to the lodging promised and as described. On my intervention, Sykes instantly agreed to refund you.
A spokesman for Sykes Vacation Cottages says: ‘We perceive A.M.’s causes for desirous to cancel his reserving and are sorry to listen to of his expertise.
‘A fee to cowl the price of the vacation has now been paid and we have now been in contact to substantiate this with him.’
- Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Types It, Cash Mail, Northcliffe Home, 2 Derry Road, London W8 5TT or e-mail sally@dailymail.co.uk — embrace telephone quantity, tackle and a observe addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to speak to Sally Hamilton. Please don’t ship authentic paperwork as we can not take accountability for them. No obligation could be accepted by the Day by day Mail for solutions given.
