Royal Mail To Be Privatized

Does privatization affect our hobby?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...b_story.html

Probably not. If competing mail carrier show up with their own postage stamps, it would confuse things somewhat.

But from what I have seen in the US, no private company wants to be in the business of delivering mail to every single doorstop in America on a daily basis. Packages are one thing, but letters and junk mail are quite another thing.

The mail is privatized in the Netherlands. It seems to have resulted in a flood of unneeded stamps! Peter

Well, yes. I suspect I will limit my Machin collecting to those issued by the Royal Mails.

Someday I may do an article (or a webpage) about this to illustrate my points with specific examples, but I think once Japan's postal service began its privatization process, the quality of its stamp designs started a significant decline and the number of issues, which was already high, really went into proliferation overdrive.

Even for the more traditional designs, it seems like someone on staff was merely given a copy of Photoshop and told to create stamps. In addition, there's an amazing amount of stamps issued with anime and other commercial characters. I'm afraid I lost interest in collecting new issues, and only passively accumulate used.

Perhaps Japan is a worst-case scenario. But Peter's comment above about the Netherlands makes me wonder if sales managers start seeing currency signs with new issues, and unfortunately were not aware of the fable of the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Sorry to sound like an old grump (but getting closer to that every day ), but I think the jury is still out as to whether or not privatization has a benign impact on philately.

-- Dave

Privatizing the mail will result in higher prices and indifferent responses to public concerns.

Privatizing will result in the profit becoming the most important thing. Customer service will suffer. And if a particular service becomes unprofitable, the ax will fall.

I consider the postal service to be a legitimate governmental function and should be funded by the public. No good comes from privatization.

Selling off Royal Mail will be devastating to rural areas where we rely on mail being delivered at the same cost as the rest of the UK. Where there are companies using private couriers we are charged vast sums because we live "in a remote area"... in practice some couriers take packages to their depot then get Royal Mail to deliver. Despite govermnent assurances that the universality will continue when Royal Mail is privately owned we cannot trust future govermnant to be tied to that principle. I can remember how we in Scotland were conned by the Hydro Electric schemes with the promise of virtually free electricity if we allowed some of our valleys to be flooded... we now have some of the most expensive electricity in Europe.

In canada we are not privatize but the financial situation of Canada Post is alarming.

http://www.ipolitics.ca/2013/08/27/...ion-in-q2-3/

My self I don't consider Post Canada as a financial fiasco. It should be consider as an essential service for canadians. For all canadians it offers same service at equal rates. It's a strong symbol of Canada unity and pride for our nation. Let's try to make it cost effective as possible but please no privatization. Daniel