Tag Archives: Consumer affairs

The Royal Mail introduced barcode stamps in 2022 in an effort to put a stop to forgeries that were costing the postal service tens of millions of pounds every year.  The barcodes are scanned when post arrives at sorting offices and suspicious stamps are then inspected by staff who then …

What colour is the logo? If you have bought individual stamps, this step won’t apply to you. However, when purchasing a book of stamps or even a sheet of stamps, find the Forest Stewardship Council certification. All genuine Royal Mail stamp books and sheets will have the FSC logo. What …

Previously traditional stamps were delivered to a sorting office where they were stamped with ink to show they had been used. However the Post Office claims fraudsters were able to wash away the postmark ink and resale used stamps. David Gold, the head of public affairs and policy at Royal …

Has a company treated you unfairly? Our Consumer Champion is available to help. For how to contact her click here. Dear Katie, I ordered a book of stamps on Amazon and it arrived the next day. I used several of them to send a birthday card, some thank you cards, and a …

If you’re missing a parcel and don’t know what to do next, then you’ve come to the right place.  Whether it’s a personal parcel you’re sending or receiving, or you’ve bought something online that’s gone astray, this guide has you covered.  Missing parcels are an annoyingly common problem, but there …

Furious stamp collectors have accused Post Office staff of defacing stamps with biro pens and rendering them “worthless”. Instead of being “cancelled” with official, dated postmarks, stamps are increasingly being scrawled on by Post Office workers, enthusiasts have said. Collectors and dealers have reported an alarming uptick in the practice, …

Issues with deliveries have caused turmoil for retailers. Almost 40pc more packages were returned between Christmas and New Year compared to last year, figures from returns company ReBound showed, after presents turned up too late. Altogether the row with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has cost Royal Mail around £200m …

Royal Mail’s failure to contain strikes has also hit the court system. A paralegal based in the North West, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said cases were falling through because documents regularly arrived three weeks late. “It’s been extremely stressful because of the amount of additional work we’ve been …

With postal workers set to launch a fresh wave of strikes throughout December, plans to post gifts in the run up to Christmas have been left in disarray.  Royal Mail has been urging customers to “allow plenty of time” for posting items this year, but there are alternatives to work …

The regulator said some adverts were still promoting the benefits of buy now, pay later without also warning it risked causing debt, poor credit ratings and charges for late payments. All adverts in the sector must be approved by a firm authorised by the FCA, which has changed or banned …