Money Mail today demands that Royal Mail stops fining thousands of innocent people with a £5 penalty for receiving mail with a counterfeit stamp.
We insist it accepts that as many as one million fake Royal Mail stamps from China are flooding the market every week, and demand the immediate suspension of all penalties to customers who are sent stamps with fake barcodes.
Our call for a full inquiry is being backed by Liberal Democrats, who want the ‘ridiculous’ fines to be halted ‘until ministers have got to the bottom of this’.
Meanwhile, former Post Office minister Paul Scully has also called for an investigation to stamp out the fakes.
Mr Scully, the Conservative MP for Sutton and Cheam, said: ‘It does not seem fair that the end user or recipient should be penalised for using a stamp that they had no idea was a counterfeit.
Probe: Our investigation exposed how Britain is being flooded with as many as one million fake Royal Mail stamps a week from China
What we need right now is an investigation into where these stamps are actually coming from – where the stamps were purchased.
‘Customers can help Royal Mail by sharing these details.’
Sarah Olney, Lib Dem MP for Richmond Park, said: ‘It is ridiculous to be penalising innocent people caught up in this mess.
‘Ministers need to launch an investigation, including questioning the Chinese Embassy.’
We’ve been contacted by hundreds of people who are furious that they have had to pay penalties on cards and mail, with many of them reporting that the fine of £5 is worth more than the mail itself.
They are outraged that they not only bought stamps from what they believed to be a legitimate source, but that they are also accused of buying knock-off versions online.
Royal Mail says it believes the forgeries are being sold online or unwittingly by small shops – some could even be sharing the premises with a post office counter.
Under legislation introduced in 1989, shops are no longer required to buy their stamps directly from Royal Mail and can instead buy them from wholesalers or online.
It is understood that convincing copies sold for as little as 4p each are being purchased by smaller retailers. Spotting a fake stamp is not easy – but if it appears particularly shiny, this may indicate that it was printed on different paper used by a forger.
‘Security ovals’ might not be included on a fake stamp, or else they might be put in the wrong place.
Fakes stamps can also sometimes have fainter or inconsistent colours compared to those used on real stamps.
Fakes: Royal Mail says it believes the forgeries are being sold online or unwittingly by small shops – some could even be sharing the premises with a post office counter
A Royal Mail spokesman said: ‘The combination of new barcoded stamps with added security features, the surcharge, and Royal Mail actively working with law enforcement authorities has led to a 90 per cent reduction in counterfeits.
‘We recommend that customers only purchase stamps from post offices and other reputable high street retailers.
‘We advise not to buy stamps online unless from the official Royal Mail shop.’
What are your rights if you receive mail with a counterfeit stamp and Royal Mail demands that you pay the fine? The Mail’s consumer lawyer Dean Dunham says the Royal Mail is entitled to levy these penalties.
However, the recipient of letters or post has no obligation to pay such a penalty unless they want to receive the mail.
All is not lost, as the Consumer Rights Act provides that traders must only sell goods – in this case stamps – that they have ‘the right to sell’, and that this will form a term in every consumer contract.
Here, the Post Office has sold fake stamps to customers, albeit unknowingly. It obviously had no legal right to do this, and this amounts to a breach of contract.
This means that if you buy fake stamps from a post office or any other trader, then you will be entitled to a full refund.
You will also be entitled to the reimbursement of any associated losses that you have incurred, such as paying Royal Mail penalties.
News Related
-
Asylum seekers travel in an inflatable boat across the English Channel, bound for Dover on the south coast of England (Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP) Up to 40 Conservative MPs are poised to rebel over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy as they question ministers’ commitment to the scheme. A major row is ...
See Details:
Up to 40 Tory MPs ‘set to rebel’ if Sunak’s Rwanda plan doesn’t override ECHR
-
In the saltmarsh fringing where the Ballyboe River dissolves into Trawbreaga Bay, a little egret wears its plumage like a windblown stole. Our car swoops across the 10 arches of Malin bridge and we park along the village green. Malin is almost as far north as you can get on ...
See Details:
Country diary: A tale of three churches
-
Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/EPA Hampton Court is an enduring monument to the power of Henry VIII, a pleasure palace down the Thames from Westminster and the City of London. On Monday it was the scene of power projection of a different kind, as Rishi Sunak pitched for investment from some of ...
See Details:
Sunak woos business elite with royal welcome – but they seek certainty
-
-
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to bring an overseas defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report. Postecoglou’s centre-back options The Lilywhites currently have Micky Van De Ven, Ashley Phillips, Cristian Romero and Eric ...
See Details:
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January
-
A £100m campaign urging households and businesses to use less water will be funded from customers’ bills, Ofwat has said. Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign The regulator’s chief executive David Black told MPs that if the measures worked it would be cheaper than building ...
See Details:
Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign
-
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 – Group B – Canada Training – Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia – July 24, 2023 Canada’s Christine Sinclair during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo (Reuters) – BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be renamed “Christine Sinclair ...
See Details:
Soccer-Venue renamed 'Christine Sinclair Place' for Canada soccer great's final game
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Phil Taylor makes his pick for 2024 World Darts Championship winner
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Soccer-Howe aims to boost Newcastle's momentum in PSG clash
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Hamilton heads for hibernation with a word of warning
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Carolina Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich after 1-10 start to the season
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
This exercise is critical for golfers. 4 tips to doing it right
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
One in three households with children 'will struggle to afford Christmas'
-
OTHER NEWS
Kobbie Mainoo made his first start for Man Utd at Everton (Photo: Getty) The Football Association are reportedly confident that Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo will choose to represent England ...
Read more »
Michael Smith will begin the defence of his world title on the opening night (Picture: Getty Images) The 2024 World Darts Championship is less than three weeks away and the ...
Read more »
For the first time a long haul commercial aircraft is flying across the Atlantic using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A long haul commercial flight is flying to the US ...
Read more »
The King has met business and finance leaders from across the world at a Buckingham Palace reception to mark the conclusion of the UK’s Global Investment Summit. Charles was introduced ...
Read more »
After Ohio State’s 30-24 loss to Michigan Saturday, many college football fans were wondering where Lou Holtz was. In his postgame interview after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 17-14 in ...
Read more »
Darius Slay wouldn’t have minded being penalized on controversial no-call No matter which team you were rooting for on Sunday, we can all agree that the officiating job performed by ...
Read more »
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) Quarterback Mac Jones remains committed to finding success with the New England Patriots even though his future is up in the air following ...
Read more »