Is It Illegal To Re-Use Uncancelled Stamps?

I think that's a good question Gille. A while ago I was forwarding mail we received here at our home (we've been here 7 years now) which kept coming for the previous owner. They had left a forwarding address. So I wrote the new address on and put it in the mail box. Worked for a while (always thought you could do it, as long as I could remember) but eventually one came back asking for more postage. I took it to my local post office, and asked and the clerk told me that extra postage was needed. The post office used to let them through, but I guess they are becoming more strict. Needless to say, the mail goes in the blue bin. So much for being a good semeritan!

if it is 3rd class mail without "return if undeliverable" it goes to nixie and roundfile they won't forward it.

other items they will know it is not your mail when you tell them or change name on mailbox and they will check to see if forwarding addy left at nixie, if they can't find you it goes in the trash- if it keeps coming to you put a note inside your box lid of who lives here to get your message across there may be different mail carriers and they case their own mail that maybe not familiar with just who lives there- you "TRAIN" em. Items nixie gets for round file are opened and checked for money and money sent to treasury for deficit.

you think you got problems my mother passed 3 years ago and I buried her up the street and she got a jury summons, I called the clerk of the court and she transferred me to the voter registers office who transferred me to the clerk of the court, I finally as a dutiful executor having notified both clerk and register gave them her new address up the street at twin firs cemetery if the sheriff came looking for her since she had not responded to the summons and no way to keep summons from occurring year after year- that was last year and I fully expect the same story to play out this year. lol bad boys bad boys whatchya gonna do whatchya gonna do when they come for you !

Larry, I sure would like to see the looks on the Sheriff's face when He found the proper place to deliver a warrant! That was a very... (looking for the right word here) Optimistic approach.

I did my part, if they can't fix their catch 22 then it is Mom's problem- I think she will handle it just fine. Ya that poor Sheriff.

The Sheriff can splain it to the Judge, sumonee was at home unresponsive, excuse from jury duty recommended.------------------------------>permanently!

Ma was a U.S. Navy Veteran she knows how to handle these things.

This discussion only applies to Canada but the situation regarding uncancelled stamps is a major problem, and hence highly debated, woldwide.

If the Canadian Government made it illegal for Canada Post to deliver mail WITHOUT a clear cancel there would not be a problem. The Postal services of this world are complaining and spending big money on trying to stop the re-use of stamps....but those same big-wigs who are earning vast sums of money only need look at their systems and workforce to solve the problem.
It's sad.
If Germany, Sweden,Denmark and others can cancel 95% of their mail in such galliant fashion then why can't Canada ? Or Great Britain? Or Australia ?
None of these Postal services will take you or I to court over the 'illegal' use of previously used stamps, so why don't they spend the time and money on trying to find ways of cancelling a stamp? It is their fault, not ours.
In 2009 Royal Mail [UK] spent a whole ton of cash on security measures and the cost of printing stamps has risen sharply since then. They stated that it was in part because of forgeries and the re-selling of uncancelled stamps on the likes of ebay. I am pretty sure it made collectors laugh buckets of tears ! I stopped collecting GB stamps at that point becasue I got fed up with the pathetic excuses. Uncancelled stamps are still being sold on the likes of ebay and long will it continue.
It is not illegal in the UK to use uncancelled stamps on mail simply because it cannot be proved that they are uncancelled.
But it doesn't solve the problem.

And the problem is clearly and 100% with the postal services.

Londonbus1......uses gluestick postage unsparingly.

It is not illegal in the UK to use uncancelled stamps on mail simply because it cannot be proved that they are uncancelled.

That is a bit ambiguous..I'm sure Londonbus1 may have meant that it cannot be proved that they are re-used. The official position is...

"If a stamp is not properly cancelled and that stamp was knowingly used again, this may be an offence under the Fraud Act 2006."

The key word is "knowingly"... however the chances of being prosecuted are pretty slim unless you are doing it on a large scale...but not impossible.

scotzm - I'd say the key word is "may."

I dont know about y'all in Canada, but getting unused stamps of an envelope these days is not always a profitable venture. US self adhesives can be tricky, requiring a solvent to release gum at times. I get a lot of uncanceled mail; But I'd rather use a new stamp than wait for a soak off, use lighter fluid to get to some recycled Postage.
True the discussion is in the Canada Forum, but as stated the problem is global, therefore applies to everyone.
I would venture, it would take some spite to go on a venture of intentionally misusing used-uncanceled stamps to any large scale. The labor would out way any savings.

Oops! Yes, I meant re-used not uncancelled. I guess I got carried away as the subject always makes my blood boil !

Just to add. In the UK and here in Israel you can pop a letter back in the postbox with 'return to sender', 'not known at this address' etc without a problem. I did it many times whilst in the UK last week.

When I got back to Israel yesterday, I found 3 letters waiting from the UK......all without any sign of a cancel !

Londonbus1

I never stopped to wonder If "Return to sender" would work. It used to. Back in the day.

Thank God we don't have that problem here yet.
I have soaked recent Canadian stamps (up to 2013)
and found no problems in getting them to come
off the envelopes.

Wether gum water activated or self adhesive (we call it pressure sensitive
here in Canada )
or printed by Canadian Bank Note or Lowe-Martin,
they all came off just like before.

I hope no one from Canada Post reads this and gets ideas
about making it more difficult to remove stamps.

It's exactly like Londonbus1 states, let them do their
job and cancel all mail properly like other Postal
Agencies do and then Canada Post won't have to worry about
loosing revenue nor having to send the RCMP after
stamp collectors.

We call it 'pressure sensitive' here as well, or PSAs. You us Americans... Gotta have 5 ways to say everything. LOL

Relevant article. Looks like $500.00 and a year in jail. (Good behavior, out in 6 months...Prison overcrowding, out in 6 days)?

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...3549,3179753


-IBFS

Good read. For us it really goes back to ethics. If it was used then it is used, therefore no re-use. In addition, if a stamps was damaged prior to use, then it is still usable as postage.
I like the un-canceled stamps as a pleasing to the eye addition to my collection. I would note it as used, no cancel, as opposed to MNG, or Unsed NG. Still used.

-IBFS