No wonder Australia Post is losing money

[letscleanupmycupboards]

Not really complaining as its a bonus for us, but.......it's no surprise Australia Post is increasing prices and complaining about losses.

The last 2 or 3 weeks worth of mail (and I'm talking letters and parcels) have all arrived with no postmarks/cancellation on the stamps. (yes some ebay sellers still go old school and stick stamps on an envelope to send items). Has been letters too. I'd guess we have at least $40 worth of reusable stamps here from the last couple of weeks. It is the ultimate free postage.

Wondering if this is an isolated incident or some lapse in procedure at the DC? Work experience kid maybe?

[digital*ghost]

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@letscleanupmycupboards wrote:

Wondering if this is an isolated incident or some lapse in procedure at the DC? Work experience kid maybe?

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I would regularly receive letters with uncancelled stamps when I was buying a lot of CDs online, so they often let them slip through and that's going back a few years.

It gets worse than that, though. I had someone return an item, which I sent to them as a large letter in a padded bag, but if care is not taken when packaging it can be quite a bulky item, plus it's not exactly light weight and has spikes on it, but it was returned in a regular, small-sized paper envelope - well over 2cm thick - with several already cancelled stamps cut out from other envelopes then glued on to the new one, and the stamps were more than 10 years old, too. 

No return address, so it should have prompted an underpaid mail notice, but it was not only processed without issue, but delivered straight to my PO box. 

[cherry*135]

I receive mail (cards, magazines) with stamps on the envelope and they haven't been stamped with a postmark. I have noticed that for a year or two.

That happens when the sender drops the mail into a street post box.

Mail with stamps handed in over the counter at Post Office are hand stamped by the PO Staff.

[kzb888]

100% correct you are and this is a way for a seller to say that they have posted it on so and so day so I'm not sure why you haven't received it by now as there is no evidence when it was actually posted

[harley_babes_hoard]

My PO manager said they received a memo about this a few months ago, they now stamp/cancel all my letters as soon as I hand them over.

[kopenhagen5]

And besides, no one would think to reuse stamps anyway, would they?

[aps1080]

I got one the other day, $1.70's worth of stamps.

I wouldn't normally reuse them but it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

[letscleanupmycupboards]

It's funny because even if I walk up to the counter and buy a stamp the post office will stick it on then hand the letter back to me to post in the letterbox out in the street. Even if posting a parcel at the same time they won't take a letter over the counter.

I sometimes get stamps with a line of nikko pen through to cancel them. But lately nothing. I think they are slipping a bit. 3 weeks ago they "delivered" an eparcel by chucking it over our back fence when we weren't home instead of carding it. The postie will drive her motorbike up to the front door and sit there for 20 seconds with her hand on the horn waiting for my wife to come out then abuse her for taking so long, "I'm busy you can feed your baby later". Yes we have complained. No nothing has changed.

Losing their edge and subcontracting a lot out lately.

[letscleanupmycupboards]

Always do. Especially high denomination ones like $10 stamps on parcels. And when you tape them onto a letter or parcel the postmarks just wipe off. Multi use! Not that I'm encouraging that but if the next person re reuses them what can I do?

I used to get people paying for goods with stamps years ago before PayPal. They would send $10 worth of stamps to buy small items as it saved on money order costs (or they could claim them).

[curraone]

I think it's dishonest.     I don't want Aust Post to go down the tube just because I'm too mean to buy stamps.