What happens to stamps used postally but were not cancelled?

[theindestore]

I had noticed that for the past few months some of my eBay purchases were sent to me with nice stamps but there were no postmarks on the packages at all. This has been happening to deliveries mostly from US and UK.

Usually I would cut them out and send them to my friends to re-use (main reason). But I recall a few SB members saying this is considered cheating the post office so I'm quite curious about how you would handle these stamps.

[FairyFoot]

Sept 27, 2013 17:10:34 GMT -5 theindestore said:

I had noticed that for the past few months some of my eBay purchases were sent to me with nice stamps but there were no postmarks on the packages at all. This has been happening to deliveries mostly from US and UK.

Usually I would cut them out and send them to my friends to re-use (main reason). But I recall a few SB members saying this is considered cheating the post office so I'm quite curious about how you would handle these stamps.

It is a crime to reuse stamps for postage. Royal Mail has prosecuted people.

[theindestore]

Does the new designs of the machins prevent the stamps from being reused ? A long time ago I've seen these uncancelled stamps on paper being offered on eBay UK for sale, why didn't Royal Mail procecute these sellers ?

[winkerbids]

I like your fourth option in the survey but here in Atlantic Canada the post office clerks have been instructed to never cancel anything unless they are putting it immediately in the sorting bin. That means no handback covers and no favor cancels.

[theindestore]

Sept 27, 2013 18:17:11 GMT -5 winkerbids said:

I like your fourth option in the survey but here in Atlantic Canada the post office clerks have been instructed to never cancel anything unless they are putting it immediately in the sorting bin. That means no handback covers and no favor cancels.

It's the same for Singapore Post here. If we do not want the stamps to be sold as stamps for postage use again, should we make a simple cancellation on the stamps ourselves ? I know we're not supposed to do that but at least we can soak them and then keep them as used stamps ?

Just a thought 

[Butterfly]

I soak and keep them. To me they are very nice used stamps. In the case of an all-mint collection, then I label them as used and try to replace them.

[RossTO]

Re-using uncancelled postage stamps is considered postal fraud in most countries. I know Canada Post knows about the same of unfranked stamps on ebay, however unless the seller in in Canada they are beyond any sort of prosecution.

Any such uncancelled postage here more often than not ends up in johns collection as he likes pristine copies. I have a mint and used set for Canada and I want my used to look used, thus why I prefer circular date stamps. Too bad they went out of style and you rarely see any sort of stamp like that used anymore here... unless you find a postal outlet that still has such... and I wish you good luck with that.

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Ms. indestore
.
I'm glad to see no votes for number two/soak and reuse, even though it is real tempting. Stealing is wrong.
.
You should have a fifth choice up there: "Collect it as a used stamp." Normally, by most collectors a stamp is considered used if the gum is removed, regardless of a cancellation or not. At least that is the way I was taught.
.
Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

[JanetC]

I soak and put it in the album as a used stamp

[alyn]

I soak and considered them used.

Alyn

[theindestore]

Glad that everyone thinks along the same line !

[kannik]

Warning: RANT material! 3920004554
I think that the Canadian Post Office cheats me every time I do anything with them, so
I say "tit for tat". Sorry if that rankles with anybody, but ... See a little more below.

1. They overcharge for all postage
2. They force me to pay `way too much for parcel post. $7.++ to send a pocketbook 3 miles? I don`t think so!
3. They horribly deface incoming stamps that could be valuable for collections
4. There doesn`t appear to be any more surface mail and air mail now takes twice as long as surface mail used to.
5. They issue far too many stamps every year making it hard for people with budgets to collect all new issues.

In short, if their super well-paid employees can`t be bothered to do their jobs properly, then I`m
going to take full advantage of it!