I’m glad I can still use stamps like this on international mail, it makes it far more interesting than the computer sticker the post office uses.
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I assumed two things that I now think must be wrong:
-
I assumed that as each postcard you sent was registered, Postcrossing then generated your address for someone else. But I hadn’t sent any cards for months then sent 10 in one go during the heatwave (because it was too hot to do anything else!
) and it seems like as soon as the first one was registered by a user on 7 September, Postcrossing assumed ‘ah okay, she’s definitely sending them - I’ll generate her address for 10 people in one go’, because I got 4 cards after only 1 had arrived (and several DE codes in a row on the ones I’ve received). -
I assumed that the postie would sort and deliver my post each day. My parents live on a farm in the middle of nowhere so they often don’t get post for days then get loads, but I live in a big block of flats in a city so assumed the postman came every day. But I had no cards for about a week or so then SIX in one day, which is unheard of for me. Was amazing, but also disappointing that they weren’t spread out
Anyway, just wondered if others had experienced the same thing?
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You might want to have a look at this thread re point 1:
And point 2, I get the impression there has been problems with postal delivery in Oxford for more than a year now. Hopefully, someone who lives there will be along and tell you their experience.
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Thanks, @Florallle !
I hadn’t realised there were issues with post in Oxford. I don’t usually get much so maybe I just hadn’t noticed!
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Nothing specific for your area… https://www.royalmail.com/service-update but sometimes, if a postie is off (holiday, illness…) there isn’t a postie available to cover. Also, with parcels, these get prioritised and letters especially towards the end of the round might not get delivered that day… and so it builds up…
On Twitter (whatever), the angry postman mentions some difficulties/experiences about his round(s). He’s in Suffolk, I think.
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Our postie seemed to be saving up all our mail for once a fortnight… Turns out one of our posties was refusing to deliver because of a lavender bush in our garden… Can only think there was another postie who was bringing it to us on their shift…but we were missing mail. Might be worth a call to check.
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Was it a particularly aggressive lavender bush? Lol x
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Yes! We need to know!
Is it a particular large aggressive Lavender Bush? or is the postie allergic because it smells like walking into a branch of the Body Shop?
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Or Lush?!
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Just noticed that the prices are going up 1st class to £1.25 so if I use two x 1st class I’ll be overpaying by 30p. I’ve just seen economy is £2, has anyone else used this and noticed how long postcards take to get to their destinations? I do send a lot to Canada & Europe. Thanks
I’m not sure maybe it was the bees on the lavender bush. Loving these replies though 
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Hi, there are people who are much more experienced than me at this lol, but I’m sure I’ve read on here that you can’t use the economy rate within Europe
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@MartynHst43277
Yes @jobloggs is correct. International economy letters are only for outside Europe. Strangely if it’s a large letter you can use the Economy service to Europe, but of course that costs more!
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Definitely want to know why!
Also, is it really possible that they can refuse to deliver because of a bush ? I know Royal Mail deliveries are getting more haphazard, but that seems to be a bit extreme
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Sadly it was just because of the bush. Had the choice of keeping the bees happy or getting our post. We also didn’t find out for ages until our post was all delayed or witheld. Could have been so easy if the postie had a word or popped a standard note through as soon as they thought it was a problem
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I sent an official to the USA the other week using a £2 stamp (so Economy rate). Was registered in 10 days.
Do it yourself though, don’t waste your energy asking for it at a PO. From experience, they’ll just try and tell you it doesn’t exist.
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But they wouldn’t have been able to deliver the note. There was a bush!
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The new price increase from the start of October is very confusing as there now won’t be a way to make international standard in less than 3 stamps (if you want to pay exactly and use at least 1 stamp that isn’t a make up value, not that I can see anyway). It’s been so easy to just stick 2 first classes on for INT standard. INT economy is still fine as you can use a £2 stamp or (as I’m doing atm) 2 £1 stamps. I wonder why £1.25 was chosen and what the justification is for the increase? Just how it is I guess but I’m certainly going to have a few postcards that are more stamp than message haha.
Also interested by people’s experience of the economy vs standard option. I’ve accidentally done it twice to European addresses without thinking and had one undelivered and the other be fine. I find it makes little to no difference to certain places in the world, particularly the antipodes which I write to often. The economy is often faster in fact!
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If you don’t want to use 3 stamps, you could always use the £2.20 stamp. (I expect it’s available in pictorial stamps too, though I haven’t checked.)
Tariff 2023 Definitive £2.20 Stamp| Royal Mail.
Personally, I’ve used 3-4 stamps throughout my postcrossing career, and am finding the 2x1st class option slightly boring, so am looking forward to going back to 3 stamps next week.
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The recent Paddington Bear issue includes £2.20 stamps, which can be bought by the sheet.
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