If someone sends you LTCs or other letterboxing items, and the post office doesn't cancel out the stamps, can you consider that postage still good, or would you peel it off and put on the new postage? Has anyone had things not arrive because of it? And I am talking about regular stamps and not printed postage.

I am sending out in the same package. There is no peeling and re-sticking

If you are unfamiliar with LTCs, The boxers send them to you in an envelope completely covered in tape with tabs where to peel things off and re-use the packaging with the least amount of cost/hassle involved for the host of the tracker. This includes sending new postage inside. With the first postage (the stuff that was sent to me) in perfect order with no marks or curls or anything, it looks like I just put it on.

It's still used postage. The service the postage was paid for was performed. Not paying for new postage is essentially stealing the service from the post office.

Of course, getting away with it doesn't make it right or ethical. Ultimately, that's on you.

Of course, getting away with it doesn't make it right or ethical. Ultimately, that's on you.

Not only that, but consider also the fact that the USPS is deeply in the hole financially. It only costs a couple of bucks to send that package anywhere in the US, involving who knows how many people doing their job just to move that package from point A to point B. Multiply that couple of bucks by all the times stamps gets reused, and I'm sure that's one of the big reasons the USPS is in the red.

I am not at all saying I am doing this ;), but what about stamps that have been put on an envelope, that was meant to send back a charitable contribution in? I am not giving any money, should I just throw away those 4? cents? Don't even know what it costs to send a letter these days, except "forever"

Bokmal

If it's anything like Canada, these days most charities purchase an "inducia" from the post office. That is essentially a number in a postage-like rectangle that gets printed on the "postage paid" envelope. The purchaser of the inducia (the charity in question) only gets charged for those envelopes that are actually put into the mail. So if you use their envelope to mail something other than what was supposed to go into it (ie a donation to the charity) you are stealing from the charity. Are there still charities that put actual stamps on envelopes? Possible, but doubtful.

Are there still charities that put actual stamps on envelopes? Possible, but doubtful.

There are still a few that do. My father-in-law, who lives with us, gets them occassionally. He cuts them out, puts them in drawer, then never uses them. Go figure.

In "Steal This Book" Abbie Hoffman suggested this method for dealing with junk mail: The junk mail invariably includes a return card or envelope marked that the postage will be paid by them. Just slap that card on a brick and drop it into a mailbox. After the s-mail spammers have to pay for shipping themselves a few bricks, maybe they'll decide to use more acceptable methods of promoting their products.

I asked at my post office about the stamps that are NOT cancelled. And I quote "If the carrier is too lazy to cancel them, then yes you can reuse them. Just don't put tape on the stamps." I rarely get packages where the stamps are not cancelled. I have made LTC's with stamps that come on letters or packages used or not. So you can reuse them just work them into your LTC's. Then everybody is happy.

Sounds like you know what you're talking about.

My dad was a postal clerk for over forty years. I think he started when he was in Korea; after he was wounded, they put him in the postal service, and when he came home, that is what he did.

When we were kids, my sister and I would walk up to the PO and just walk in the back doors to see dad, and all the other clerks and carriers would wave and say hi. Now, we'd probably get arrested.

Jaxx

And they are all completely understandable, but sad. The world has changed alot, from even when I was a kid..... It's funny; my sister and I were talking just the other day about how we used to visit the PO when we were kids. We'd stop at the German Deli, get some free bologna, cut through the deli and out the back door and then into the back door of the PO. Sometimes, we'd play on the "boats".

And it's not like we lived in Mayberry!!! LOL

Jaxx

Abbie Hoffman should have done a fact check with the postal service before publishing.

Oh, well, it made for a funny suggestion anyway. Personally, I just toss junk mail in the trash.

Personally, I just toss junk mail in the trash.

I shred it and put it in the compost bin. That way, the junk mail is helping me in my garden, not hurting me!

Now that is a very GREEN way of handling junk mail. I luv it!

It'd be even better if those junk mailers would be so kind as to print their unwanted blurbs on unbleached, recycled paper.

I don't put a brick on them. I just write a very polite, "No, thank you!" in magic marker on the applications, stuff them back into the envelope and send them back. I hope that works for the post office! I've been thinking it might just help save a job or two, given the volume of junk mail. It also seems as if I have been taken off a few of the lists since I started doing that, because I don't get as many junk mail things in my mailbox -- of course that could also just be because they've moved to email spam, instead! :)

Webfoot

My husband switches them around and sends them each other's offers.

I just put a "no circulars" sticker on my mailbox (called a "letterbox" here, but if I said that on these boards, I thought it might confuse people). The post office here doesn't deliver junk mail to you if you have a "no circulars" sticker.

That is what we, in the counseling profession, call Criminal Thinking. It may not hurt a lot of people, but it isn't right just the same. I am one to have it every now and then.

That's brilliant, 55 steps!

I shred it and put it in the compost bin.

I take a black magic marker to all address info and reuse the envelope. It looks messy, but works. REUSE, i say ;)