If you hold stamps up so that light is reflected off them you can detect a narrow band on 2nd class, and a broad band on others. However AIUI if the sorting machinery, which uses this band of whatever it is to turn envelopes the right way up, detects one 2nd class stamp only it treats the item as 2nd class, but if it detects a broad band, or more than one stamp, it treats it as 1st class.
Peter
Postie sees 2nd class stamp, treats as 2nd class despite other stamps. Which is annoying because a 1st + a 2nd isn't much more than the cost of
1st for 60-100g and beats queueing in the PO, but often gets treated as 2nd.
Someone please tell me this is a (bad) joke.
Mary Fisher [ snipped-for-privacy@zetnet.co.uk] said
Why not just keep a small stock of stamps and go to the post office as infrequently as you can, just when you need to top up. Buying an average fortnight's worth of stamps ahead of time wouldn't cost any more than you would spend in the next fortnight anyway and you would save a small fortune in trips.
Ah well, I was told exactly the opposite: that 1st and 2nd stamps count at the going rate towards any service, including first class and air mail. When I send small packets first class (an almost everyday occurrence), I usually use 2nd class stamps and no 1st class stamps. They get there very quickly, judging by my customer feedback.
If you don't use the PO you don't get a postal certificate and no compo should it go "missing".
Stamps are added to a postal order to give an exact amount - not just used for postage.
While this thread is here, can someone tell me, if I have a load of 1st class stamps, then the price of the 1st class service increases, do this stamps still "work" as 1st class?
Sparks...
Ah.... arcelfarce...
The message from Chris Hodges contains these words:
What I've found makes the biggest difference is printing the postcode instead of hand writing it. Makes 2nd class letters arrive like 1st class.
I have quite a few poundsworth of stamps in stock. You only need very slightly fewer than three 1st class ones for one pound ...
Mary
Its a phosphur stripe. The rates will be more complicated from August where instead of just the weight, the size will also determine the cost.
Dave
I'd like to think so, but that's not what Royal Mail told me.
Mary
It's a bad joke.
Meanwhile:
Ah yes, but air mail is only one service so 2nd class stamps just count as their face value for that.
As it happens there seems to be little difference between 1st and 2nd class deliveries anyway ... but to maintain our reputation I always use 1st class unless I'm told there's no hurry.
Mary
Yes, if they say 1st class and not the price. I always buy a load of 1st and
2nd class stamps when the cost is going to rise.Mary
Yes.
Not any more, they aren't.
There are phosphor strips on the stamps, one for 1st class, 2 for 2nd class. An IR(?) detector counts the number of strips and sorts the letters into the appropriate piles.
Cant you get that thing on your computer where you print your own stamps to whatever value you like?
I would look it up on the wibbly wobbnly way but NTL is having a blip at the moment.
Tom
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