Question On Use Of "Old" Stamps For Current Mailings......

Thanks, eyewall.

Basil

As I discovered, there is another hazard in using "old" stamps -- the idiot or untrained postal worker who does not recognize them as being valid for postage. After using 3 of the 44-cent "Animal Rescue / Adopt a Shelter Pet" stamps to > overpay < the $1.15 rate to Russia, I asked the counter clerk to check the weight but she rejected it because I did not use "international" stamps. After 15 minutes of arguing and the intervention of another clerk, she then questioned whether they were "American" stamps, text in English and the identifier USA not being sufficient. Another 5 minutes of arguing before the other clerk intervenes and accepts my envelope and another 2 weeks lf of e-mails, phone calls and visits to the local main post office (finally escalating to a phone call to USPS headquarters before I receive anything more than excuses.

Did I mention anyone about me having to argue at my local post office - when told USPS only uses FOREVER stamps. The old ones I had are either fake or not valid anymore. She pulled the stamp booklets and told me to see them if I am in doubt

I had used the transportation coils with weirdo denominations like 7.8c etc and she got spooked

30 minutes wasted, despite other customers behind me supporting what was common knowledge.

Mercifully, a senior staff appeared after a while and intervened.

This was in Central New Jersey.... Not in any remote Canyon where they rarely get customers.

My small town postal employees all know me, know my parents, my integrity and postal knowledge. They just hand me the canceler when I walk in the door. Paid to the cent every time. They say that the bad part about living in a small town is everyone knows your business. They also say the good part about living in a small town is everyone knows your business. This is that "good" part for me, the town's resident philatelist.

Thankfully the union protects the postal workers from those who know more about the postal regulations than the people who are supposed to know more about the same rules.

Here's another one for the books: When attempting to mail a large Insured Package to a philatelic friend last year, I made the mistake of placing a 1947 CIPEX Souvenir Sheet on the box with other postage to complete the rate.



The Post Office Window Clerk gave the the stamps a puzzled look an immediately informed me that, "…you can't use those fake stamps to mail this package!" I now began explaining what a Souvenir Sheet was and that it was valid postage; the exchange went on for a while, and then he says to me, "…even if what you're telling me is true, then why ain't there no price on this stamp!"


OK, now I'm explaining that a Roman "X" means "10" and he still doesn't believe me!
I finally insisted he call the Postmaster to the Window or give the package to a Postal Inspector to settle the matter.

The Clerk finally accepted the package telling me, "I'm putting this back to have the stamps verified!" I said, "..fine.." and I left. Four days later the package was received my freind.

How do you expect them to know every stamp ever issued? Do you know which stamps are invalid and which aren't? Neither do they. (Hint: don't use a mint #1 on a letter) Nor do they know everything about postal laws in general, like moving home mailboxes to a different location, which was a recent question posed at my local P.O. You may have years of experience working in a hardware store, but do you know current building codes?

Verification will slow down your package, if it isn't going slow enough these days. Going through the wrong person will get it returned to you.

First off, you must rely on and educate a tolerant intelligent clerk and always use them. When I had wallpapered a package with old stamps, one clerk that was familiar with my shenanigans asked "You've got $X.xx on here right?". When I confirmed that's what it was, she just cancelled everything, back in the day when the clerk did all that.

Doing something even remotely complicated means you should carry a copy of the appropriate Postal Laws & Regulations (PL&R) page with you. It's available online and identifies, for example, the old non-denominated and A,B,C, etc. stamps and gives their values. I've been told absolute bull by some clerks ("you don't need a green customs tag on registered mail" is fairly common).

hy-basil, I learned my lesson. PLUS, my wife never lets me forget about it every time she sees me taking a package to the post office! Guess what she asks me?!?

Now I do things "simple--stupid." (with the emphasis you know where). Oh, I've gotten the same 'b.s'. about "you don't need green customs tags on registered mail."

I'm reminded of a scene from an old episode of The Simpsons:

Mr. Burns: Yes, I'd like to send this letter to the Prussian consulate in Siam by aeromail. Am I too late for the 4:30 autogyro?

Pimply postal clerk: Uh, I better look in the manual. This book must be out of date: I don't see "Prussia", "Siam", or "autogyro".