Royal Mail has suspended fines for letters containing supposedly “counterfeit” stamps that Brits say have been brought from legitimate sources.
It comes after growing complaints from people who say they were fined £5 for sending a letter with a “fake” Royal Mail stamp - despite buying them from reputable places. The Telegraph reports that Royal Mail has now reversed its decision to charge recipients.
Letters that are considered to have been sent with a “counterfeit” stamp will still be marked with a yellow sticker, but the recipient won’t be charged. This is expected to be in place until Royal Mail launches a new online scanner, which will allow customers to check if a stamp is genuine or not. It comes after Brits reported being left "frustrated" and "mortified" after being charged a fine.
In a letter seen by The Telegraph, Kevin Hollinrake wrote: “You will be aware of concerns being expressed by parliamentary colleagues about the £5 surcharge being applied, where a number of them have claimed that they have bought stamps from legitimate sources, but which have then been identified as counterfeit by your system.
“I recognise that where fake stamps have been used, it is right that the item should be treated as though no postage has been paid, but we urge you to suspend the £5 charge in such circumstances until the wider issue is resolved where there is some uncertainty that requires further investigation, whether for senders’ individual cases or more generally.”
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Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Mail, said: “The combination of new barcoded stamps with added security features and Royal Mail actively working with retailers, online marketplaces and law enforcement authorities, has led to a 90% reduction in counterfeit stamps.
“We want our customers to buy stamps with confidence and always recommend that customers only purchase stamps from Post Offices and other reputable High Street retailers, and not to buy stamps online – unless from the official Royal Mail shop.”
The BBC previously reported that that "fake" stamps circulating in the UK are originating from China. This is according to a senior MP Iain Duncan Smith, who told BBC Breakfast: "China is behind it." Separately, an investigation by the The Telegraph found four Chinese companies were printing counterfeit stamps for as little as 4pm each before being sent to the UK.
The Times reported that a spokesman from the Chinese embassy in London called the claims “absurd”. The Post Office previously told this newspaper that it receives its stamps directly from the Royal Mail secure printers. A Post Office spokesperson said: "Stamps are available to buy from a number of different sources. Post Office Ltd receives its stamps direct from Royal Mail’s secure printers. Customers who buy stamps at Post Offices are given an itemised receipt, and this is required to investigate any allegations of fake stamps."
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