I received my Xiaomi Mijia Sign Pen yesterday - price was $1.99 including post. To my surprise there were 2 physical unfranked $1 stamps on the envelope. Without thinking about it I did the old fashioned kettle steam to remove them. The wife saw me and laughed as she had not seen this before (my Mum always did it).
Is steaming unfranked stamps off envelopes still a thing - or incredibly old fashioned.
^Confirmed; my father is a frugal collector!
when was the last time you used stamps for posting ?
don't they just come pre-printed on the envelopes these days…..sometimes saving $2 isn't worth it….
depends on the seller,
i've just posted a parcel with 16 x 70c stamps on it ,
it's funny to see the lady over the counter took a minute to count by adding the value per stamps 1 by 1 , instead of 16 x 70c … then franking them off.
As this is OzBargain, the steaming off of unfranked stamps should be applauded.
As should the non-use of postage stamps wherever possible.
Stealing should be applauded?
Why on earth would steaming off a stamp from an envelope be classed as stealing?
Well if you re-use the steamed stamp then it's stealing. You are using a service you haven't paid for.
@jelko: What if you found a sheet of stamps? You haven't paid for those either, and yet (so long as you tried to find the owners, couldn't, handed it in, got it back after it's unclaimed, etc) - you can still use those perfectly fine.
@jelko: There's literally nothing in any law or regulation against reusing stamps, only against using "cancelled" stamps. If Auspost forgot to cancel it, I don't see why that's the customer's problem.
It's not technically stealing, and I'm not 100% sure it's effectively the same as stealing either.
Technically - stealing is taking something. Nothing's taken, nothing's stolen.
Effectively - Australia Post requires you to use a "valid stamp" or whatever wording they use, to send letters or parcels; to me, an unfranked stamp is a valid stamp. For whatever reason, Australia Post decided not to mark it as invalid, and that's on them.
Edit: Again since I'm bored:
https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/docume…
Go down to clause 8:
…the postage payable on the carriage of an article shall be payable by:
8.1.1 for articles lodged for domestic carriage, affixing uncancelled postage stamps
to the article
Re : https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/docume..
Go to Clause 30 - Articles which may hinder effective carriage or which have improper postal information
30.1.10 the article has affixed to or printed on the surface on which it is addressed, non-postal stamps, washed stamps
DICTIONARY - found after table of contents
washed stamps includes stamps which have been previously used in the carriage of an article by Australia Post whether cancelled or otherwise.
@dc4207: Yes? Just says they can, at their discretion refuse postage. Literally no other consequences. I read the thing.
Apparently to the OP, and those who negged you, it's ok.
Service paid. Service made. So I'll keep proof of previously paid service to get another service out of it because this is how I support Aus Post…is not a hill you want to die on.
Auspost also uses UV Franking so I wouldn't advise using them again.
really ? but i didn't see them using UV light to check my 16 stamps on parcel posted over the counter
I'm not sure of the exact specifics but I assume it would be an automated process during scanning.
Is steaming unfranked stamps off envelopes still a thing
Yes, but I haven't done it in a while because… laziness mostly.
I'm surprised the steaming worked considering the modern adhesives used, unlike the old stamps that required moisture to stick.
I still have a few cut out of envelopes that were never franked…. They're lying at the back of a drawer somewhere. Haven't had the chance to use them yet, because I hardly ever post things myself anyway… but I do recall doing it maybe 6 or 7 years ago.
As an aside, I used to do the steaming bit as well, but a fair number of collectors now swear that floating them on water is the best way. I really don't know which is best anymore.
just soak them in a bowl of water. they'll peal off in an hour or so.
then lay flat and allow to dry.
Well this IS OzBargain. I'd never even considered going that far before but I like your style mate!
After reading the discussion about reusing an unfranked stamp I have found in the Criminal Code Act 1995 the following;
471.5 Dishonest use of previously used, defaced or obliterated
stamps
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if the person dishonestly uses for
postal services a postage stamp:
(a) that has previously been used for postal services; or
(b) that has been obliterated; or
(c) that has been defaced.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 months.
(2) If, in proceedings for an offence against subsection (1), it is proved
that the defendant caused an article to or on which was affixed or
printed a postage stamp:
(a) that had previously been used for postal services; or
(b) that had been obliterated; or
(c) that had been defaced;
to be carried by post, it is presumed, in the absence of evidence to
the contrary, that the defendant used the stamp for postal services.
(3) The burden of proof in respect of evidence to the contrary is an
evidential burden of proof.
Damn, you went and put in the work. Wonder if anyone's ever been dinged by it. Or how they'd prove it, considering… well it'd be unfranked stamps you're using.
Steaming off Unfranked Stamps - is it still a thing
No, nowadays there's an extra step due to changes in technology with email, texts, etc.
You need to create an eBay account and flog off the stamps, otherwise, what are you going to do with the stamps?
A year or two ago I received a package off an ebay seller with 4 stamps totalling $1.30
They were all unfranked… nothing too unusual there….BUT the stamps were the following:
Squirrel Glider 45c - Circa 1992
Squirrel Glider 45c - Circa 1992
Australian Antarctic Territory 15c - Circa 1979
and…. drum roll please:
Tasmanian Blue Gum 15c - CIRCA 1968
Stamp collection thoroughly raided.
I still have the padded bag with the stamps attached. It was too awesome to throw out.
And that is an anwser.
Stamp collections for sale!
Makes sense. Uncle Fred is long dead … what is all this crap here … sell it!!
By the way… there used to be a little trick that people did back in the day when sending packages between friends. Glue was applied to the top surface of stamps, and the stamp was then washed off and the glue and postmark would be washed away revealing a clean stamp. This was around the same era as phone phreaking.
how to do this ?
"old fashioned kettle steam to remove them."
Yes it is still being done and used.
Parcels and postal items I received with Unfranked Stamps are vigorously "marked" with a permanent black marker at my PO Box office. So postal workers know something about misuse.
Who re-uses stamps? Mostly online/Gumtree/eBay sellers of cheap items. Usually they cover the stamps with sticky tape so they cannot be re-re-used.
I suspect there is some kind of "trade" because more than once got very old stamps (2 or 3 years old) of small value all over the parcel. Someone with lots of time, a small backyard/backroom operator. Happy to save just a few cents per parcel.
You are onto something here!!
Back in the 90's I knew someone who would buy giant bags of Australian stamps from some place who sold them, they went through them and used all of the unmarked stamps for bulk entries into competitions.
They won a few things including a trip to Japan so they were doing something right.
In reply to HighAndDry:
I remember being at the post office once about a year ago and a customer was trying to send something. The worker behind the counter got her colleagues to look at it because the stamps looked like they had been removed from another item and re-used. They all agreed it looked this way and the customer was insisting they are wrong. In the end they said she has to buy new stamps to send it and she did as they asked with protest. That was the end of it.
Using stamps in general is quite old fashioned as generally franked mail labels are printed nowadays so can imagine steaming is mostly collectors and frugal people.