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I was charged 3,50 A$ for this nicely franked cover!



Previous uncancelled stamps affixed carelessly!

Posted in Wahroonga, NSW.

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Wolfgang
Papua New Guinea stamps and postal history: http://www.i-ng.org

I would mail it back to him, and tell him he can use it as toilet paper,

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Nunawading Stamp Fair
Last Sunday of Every Month - Jaycees Hall Silver Grove - Nunawading.

I would leave negative feedback myself.

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Peter
Hawthorn - AFL Premiers 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008.

What a heap of crap.

I'd be asking for a $3.50 refund - if refused, simply leave neg feedback advising seller is defrauding AP and hasbroken the law.

Defrauding? Broken the law? Explain.

What an angry petty little lot you all are. I was the seller. The $3.50 was for overseas postage and handling, which is more than some would charge but is clearly displayed in the listings. The fact that those stamps were poorly affixed is a disgrace, I agree, and I will revert to a different glue.

I make no apologies for mailing out using stamps which have no value except as postage. I have already stated in the "Name and shame the dealer" thread that I disagree with those who expect their stamp vendors to add to their own costs by supplying them with pretty current issues.

You are all welcome to disagree with that. But my contribution to the hobby, with my long history of selling very carefully described stamps which often include additional information to educate the Ebay buyer, is a damn sight greater than some of yours. Move on.

It IS illegal to reuse stamps that have gone through the mail that have not been cancelled,
so by soaking stamps off paper, and regumming them onto another envelope the law has been broken

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Nunawading Stamp Fair
Last Sunday of Every Month - Jaycees Hall Silver Grove - Nunawading.

That's what NEGATIVES are for, use them and word it exactly what happened.

SELLER USED WORTHLESS USED STAMPS WITHOUT CANCELS AND CHARGED ME TOP RATE.

David B.

Here you go

Section 471.5 of the Criminal Code Act (1995) (Commonwealth) states that "A person is guilty of an offence if the person dishonestly uses for postal services a postage stamp that has been previously used for postal services"". A person found guilty of such an offence can face a maximum penalty of imprisonment for 12 months.



So did the stamps (worth well, less than nothing) glued onto that envelope cost you anywhere near $3.50?

Cost to mail that overseas - $2.35. You could've purchased a decent $2.35 International Post stamp at your PO and used that, and still profited from charging $3.50.

Such thoughtless franking shows that you really would Ratherbefishing

I see $1.98 of old stamps on an envelope that should have cost $2.35, so did one fall off?
Also it's now Interantional Stamps that are required - so there should have been another 24c stamp attached to comply with GST law.
If the stamps had previously been mailed then technically an (unenforcable) law has been broken.
Apart from that, as a stamp collector and trader, that envelope is just butt ugly and totally worthless unless someone wants to put it in their "wreck mail" exhibition.

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Greg - Looking for Goulburn Australia Cancels and Grangemouth Scotland Cancels and Covers
Member of the S.T.A.M.P Club for Slightly Twisted And Mad Philatelists - Motto: "Bring back the lick!"

Wolfgang,

have you contacted the seller and asked him for a refund for using pre used stamps. He might pay that instead of getting hit for a well deserved negative,

David B.

Oh, I also agree that the seller could have applied the stamps more neatly. Myself, I try to do that but hey, sometimes my old hands slip!!

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Stamps on eBay: USA & worldwide. Lots of Dr. Who, Star Trek & Star Wars comics, too. Do Advanced search for Seller ddaannv and Keyword the country you collect (or leave Keyword blank).

I have contacted the dealer - I think and hope we will find an agreement!

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Wolfgang
Papua New Guinea stamps and postal history: http://www.i-ng.org

What a way to win friends! We all know that these threads are googled, so I hope that Ratherbefishing enjoys his new found exposure.

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Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

Ratherbefishing has a point (other than using previously used stamps). Most eBay buyers are buying what is IN the mailed envelope, not what is ON the mailed envelope.

He's not being accused of selling postal forgeries, regummed or reperforated stamps.

Yes, he could have put the stamps on the envelpe more neatly, but that's not important either, in the grand scheme of life. Maybe he's got a old guy's tremor... For heaven's sake, give the man the benefit of the doubt.

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Stamps on eBay: USA & worldwide. Lots of Dr. Who, Star Trek & Star Wars comics, too. Do Advanced search for Seller ddaannv and Keyword the country you collect (or leave Keyword blank).

You overlook the fact that he appears to be (and I don't have the cover so I can only go buy what I see and read) previously used but unpostmarked stamps.

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Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

Hi Ian,
I did note that in the parenthetical. Just because "other people do it" doesn't make it right to gyp the postal service. I agree completely on that point.

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Stamps on eBay: USA & worldwide. Lots of Dr. Who, Star Trek & Star Wars comics, too. Do Advanced search for Seller ddaannv and Keyword the country you collect (or leave Keyword blank).

That's exactly the feedback I'd leave for this insulting worthless illegal trash if someone charged me $3.50 for it.

What a small world it turned out to be - ebayer to ebayer who were both members here!

Ratherbefishing - send me a few $100 and I'll send you over a box of PO packs and your next sending to Wolfgang and others overseas can bear complete sets of commems, save you a lot in the process, keep the Federal Police off your front door, and get you GOOD feedback for your sendings not Negatives.

http://www.glenstephens.com/postage.html

Anyway using no gum junk and charging top whack DESERVES a ton of negs.

Under face full sets are simple to source and are well under face so there is ZERO excuse not to use them.

You can still charge $3.50, but using a set of commems for correct franking will win you repeat clients - trust me.

Glen

Glen is right that the shipping costs were over-charged. That's not the best business practice.

Buyers appreciate it when you charge exact actual postal cost, or a few cents less.

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Stamps on eBay: USA & worldwide. Lots of Dr. Who, Star Trek & Star Wars comics, too. Do Advanced search for Seller ddaannv and Keyword the country you collect (or leave Keyword blank).

In our terminology it's postage and packing. If you are selling at auction (ie on eBay) you can't factor packing into the price, but packing should be relevant. (Yes, Glen, two postcard-sized business cards, a windmill card, an envelope... but for packages rather than a few stamps, packing IS relevant and costs money.)

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Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

Most of what I mail are packages, and if it takes me 10 minutes to pack and strap I'll add 5 bucks or whatever to franking cost.

I use only fibreglass filament 2" wide tape, as it holds really securely, but is $10 a roll, so yes there are some costs but as I buy mint stamps under face it all equals out really.

A seller's profit should ALWAYS be in the product being mailed not the shipping - if not, you are not doing your sums.

I mailed a huge carton of kiloware to member here AlanChong in Singapore today - post cost $167 but the CTO franking is cat about £275, so he'll hopefully be delighted.

He has been before and this is lesson to the non dealers like Ratherbefishing - REPEAT business is what keeps you alive, not one time killings, where you might screw someone ONCE a few bucks on mailing cost.

Things like this below on a parcel clients love. A Canadian member and others posted up their frankings. all happy, all cost me under face - so WIN-WIN all round!

Norvic also uses nice VFU stamps and he has been in business for a long time, so there is a lesson there to the ebay sellers.

David Benson who posted above has 5 to 10,000 ebay feedbacks over 10+ years, and I am sure also uses savvy frankings.

Glen

http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=29146

If I as a seller sell something on eBay and charge shipping, I go and buy recent stamps to ship mail.
Buyer pays shipping.
HOW does this money come out of my pocket??

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My blog on philately http://toivostamps.blogspot.com

Glen,

if those are his ethics when using worthless uncancelled stamp for postings, what are his ethics when selling material,

He should be reported to Ebay for dishonesty and booted,

David B.

I adopt a slightly different approach- because it is 99% certain that the PO will stuff up the cancellation in one way or another I prefer to base my service on speed and security ( I don't do bulk stuff like Glen does )

Whether a single stamp or a set the item/s are carefully placed in a 3 strip stock card

This in turn is put into an archival quality cover sleeve

Then this , with a copy of the Paypal transaction with a handwritten thank you are finally put into a boardbacked envelope thus



For the UK I will frank the envelope with the best First class NVI available,failing which a decent commem

I will ALWAYS despatch the same day or next at latest

For this I charge ( for the UK ) £1.50.Top of the charging band I guess but isn't this better than being charged 80p for stamps sellotaped to a bit of Rice Crispies packet in a white envelope untidily franked with a blue 2nd class NVI attached?

Agreed my "cover" is never going to be saved as postal history but it doesn't matter as the stamp/s are not going to be properly cancelled anyhow

If by chance they are then the happy recipient can soak them off

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When a man comes to me for advice, I find out the kind of advice he wants, and I give it to him

Pompous. Illogical. Offensive. I didn't see any of your spittle-flecked venom on the thread about the dealer who is an acknowledged forger. Did you notify him to the police, or are you merely blowing wind?

I used mint stamps that were part of an auction lot I bought. Was I naive not to realise that they were previously used, uncancelled stamps? Probably. I didn't soak them off anything myself, and I'm entirely a self-taught philatelist (at least since I stopped listening to my Dad at the age of 16).

As to the cost of P&P - there are all sorts of costs involved in selling on Ebay of which the buyer is blissfully unaware. Not to mention the fact that a buyer has ALL the rights in the event of a dispute. I'm not a dealer, I'm a hobbyist. I don't make my living selling stamps, I'm a medical specialist. If the buyer doesn't what to make a contribution to the real costs of the transaction, they are welcome to walk away. They will be missing out on carefully and accurately described stamps, and listings which are informative and often educational.

Now for the love of God, all of you, leave this little circle of Onan and go and spend time with your families, or walking the dog, reading a book or sorting your stamps.

ratherbefishing,

thanks,

I hope you get all the NEGATIVES you deserve,

David B.

Sadly, about half of the covers I receive look like this. They go straight to the bin.

Again in SUPPORT of ratherbefishing. We now have new information. He got these from an auction lot. He did not soak them from uncancelled mailed envelopes.

I get such unused and ungummed material sometimes, too. Sometimes from a collection that's mostly OG hinged or MNH, but some of which got water-damaged.

I use an Elmer's glue stick and and I happily use the stamps for VALID postage. I can't necessarily tell the difference between that and a stamp that's been soaked from an envelope. Can you?

Occasionally the post office cancelling machines do lots of damage to an envelope. Would that be the sellers fault too?

I hope ratherbefishing gets all the negatives he deserves, too. Which is to say, No Negatives. NONE.

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Stamps on eBay: USA & worldwide. Lots of Dr. Who, Star Trek & Star Wars comics, too. Do Advanced search for Seller ddaannv and Keyword the country you collect (or leave Keyword blank).

I might regret this post but here it is anyway!

I definitely see both points of view, as a newbie collector (since I joined SB), I have had the best time buying lots and selling off what I don't want from the lot I buy.

I always use 1950's through 1970's stamps that I buy sheets of on Ebay, then supplement with current to make up the total post cost. I buy the sheets and save the corner blocks in my book and use the rest.

I do it because I enjoy creating nice covers, I also ask every buyer if they want currents to let me know and I will comply (due mostly to the chatter on SB). It costs me about $4 in gas just to drive to the PO, which I do every time to have the cover hand canceled!

I charge $2 domestic and $4 international, with the small sales I always use old birthday cards or whatever I find at the dollar store to pack them.

Now, I think the dealers are doing a great job with their postage that they send off their material with. I wish I was in the position to be able to receive some of these incredible items I see posted! I say KUDOS to the dealers for keeping their customers extremely happy!

That's my two cents...
Eric

Best friends forever!

I can vouch for the fact that the Elmer's gluestick is not a good choice, though.

eBay constantly has Auctions or BINs for uncancelled Australian stamps at well under half face. The weasel wording of the sellers is done to overcome an eBay rule about selling used, uncancelled stamps for postage, and the idea is to "put them in your collection".

Without looking, I guarantee that there are 10 or more of similar listing right now. And because Australia Post is utterly failing to cancel stamps these days, a lot of people have a nice hobby of soaking and selling the uncancelled ones.

wink, wink, nudge nudge, say no more...

This one took me all of five minutes to find.



http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1000-austral ... 3f14039c01



$190 BIN for $500 face value. Which, when sold will be illegally used for postage.

Norm

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Geelong, VFA Premiers 1878, 1879, 1800, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, AFL Premiers 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011, .

I understand the use of the uncancelled postage but they do need to be carefully affixed using a good glue. Considering the time to originally soak, dry flat and carefully reuse, may as well get get a new $2·35 international. Good will and happy clients are GOOD.

Tony

Enough has been said on this.
Hopefully there has been some thought to future postings that we all may make ………




Norm
I should point out the unintended error in your last post. Ponting or the Pup are not even playing for Geelong in 2012……

Tony

I would not want to shell out $3.50 for this junk. Yes, it is petty cash for some, but many on this board know that I have a limited income, and that I cannot afford to throw away $3.50.

Now if I was charged nothing for postage, I would be fine with this cover.

When I mail out items for trades or for ebay purchases, I always ask myself, "Would I like to receive this cover?"

It's the Golden Rule.

Sounds like an excellent rule.

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A man might as well marry ... if he finds a good wife he will be happy ... if not, he will become a philosopher.
Collecting Greater New Guinea & Macropods (Kangaroos & Wallabies).

Were these stamps with no gum then, previously gone through the post but not postmarked?? Why, otherwise, would you need glue?

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Peter
Hawthorn - AFL Premiers 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008.

The reuse of "uncancelled postage", as you so quaintly put it, is an offence under the Crimes Act. It attracts a penalty of up to 12 months imprisonment.

It is also a disgraceful act if you charge the buyer full price for said illegally used stamps. I am grateful for this thread for one reason, another seller to steer clear of on eBay.

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Peter
Hawthorn - AFL Premiers 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008.

Since you now know reusing these stamps is illegal, I presume you will cease and desist? No? I didn't think so.

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Peter
Hawthorn - AFL Premiers 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008.

In over 5000 items posted to me via our local 'Trade Me' site I have had 25% of them posted 'roughly', I.E.; overcharged postage, rough looking parcel or letter, inadequate protection from the elements etc.

Frankly it does not bother me as long as I get the items described & intact which has happened 4998 times out of 5000, which is pretty good statistics for NZ Post.

So the purpose of postage, is to get the purchased item delivered? Interesting viewpoint!

Does sanctimony keep you warm at night?

Well, I suppose if you are willing to break the law and continue to use invalid stamps for postage, which does by the way, have an effect on what Australia Post need to charge for postage rates, thank you for allowing the rest of us to subsidise your, and other people's postage, who buy Unused No Gum stamps from eBay and reuse them.

Norm

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Geelong, VFA Premiers 1878, 1879, 1800, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, AFL Premiers 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011, .

Dear PeterS,
Please be careful not to make assumptions.

Just to be clear, I do NOT purchase lots such as those with no gum "uncancelled." Never. I do buy large collections and accumulations, mostly from Regency Superior auctions in St Louis. I look for good quality collections only. Even good quality accumulations sometimes have a few stamps without gum.

Those few I will use for postage. However 99+% of the postage stamps I use are unused MNH or previously hinged stamps that I choose not to sell for a variety of reasons. Usually but not always the envelope will have commemorative stamps.

Buy one cheap stamp from me and see for yourself. You can find something for a buck and a half or two. If you're in the USA, free postage. Outside the US I charge $1, even though 1st class postage to AU is $1.05.

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Stamps on eBay: USA & worldwide. Lots of Dr. Who, Star Trek & Star Wars comics, too. Do Advanced search for Seller ddaannv and Keyword the country you collect (or leave Keyword blank).

This will be my last post.

I've always considered myself a very moral person, yet I have been treated on this thread as though I am a pedophile. That tells me that either I lack insight, or some of you lack senses of proportion or of common decency. The two scenarios are not mutually incompatible, I guess.

Like any community, this one contains some decent people. I wish them both well. It is disappointing that our hobby in Australia only has one website for its opinions, and those opinions are as bigoted, meanspirited and discourteous as some of those offered here. To the authors of those opinions, consider this an e-uppercut.

Interesting, but limited.

Like most collectors (I guess) I have a stockbook of old stamps that are worth more as postage than collectibles.

I use these on business correspondence and ebay items to non-philatelists.

For ebay sales to other stamp collectors, I try to make up a collectable cover ... and that can be done with older stamps using a set, or an otherwise carefully chosen selection. True, it isn't necessary, but it makes good sense to me. Only rarely does expediency get in the road of consideration.

The responses I have had from buyers indicates that this is appreciated and does lead to better feedback and repeat business.

Yes, some of them may chuck it in the bin, but that won't be the result of my lack of trying.

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A man might as well marry ... if he finds a good wife he will be happy ... if not, he will become a philosopher.
Collecting Greater New Guinea & Macropods (Kangaroos & Wallabies).

I have no issue with using stamps that have never been used before. Use stamps from the 1950s (for the US, I hasten to add, 1966 onwards for Australia) for all I care. However, I have an abiding dislike of the reuse of previously used stamps. Don't tell me that it is the POs fault for not cancelling them.

It is a crime, even if there is rarely anyone actually prosecuted. It is morally wrong, pure and simple.

I, along with some others here, reported an eBay seller to the PO for using CTOd stamps for postage (he pays a few cents in the dollar for them). I happily provided the offending envelope to the Postal Investigators when asked. I have no idea of the result, but they were very interested.

The PO does take notice of these things (the Inspector made a point of telling me they see large lots of these types of things selling on eBay regularly). No doubt they are compiling their data.

At some point in time, they might ask eBay for user names and addresses of buyers, when they have matches between the buying and using of such stamps. Who knows?

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Peter
Hawthorn - AFL Premiers 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008.

Can't stand to have your illegal activities pointed out, huh? Well, good riddance then it would seem.

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Peter
Hawthorn - AFL Premiers 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008.

...but you are quite happy to break the law.



That's a bit of a stretch. Appeal to emotion.



You got it in one - see the bolded bit. You think that not paying postage is a good thing, and are quite happy to leech off the rest of the Community who do actually put stamps on letters that are valid.



Start your own Website. Good luck with that.

You are the one, among many I might add, that is flouting Commonwealth Law. If your "moral code" is such that you think that this is a good thing, then I feel sad about the future.

Norm

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Geelong, VFA Premiers 1878, 1879, 1800, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, AFL Premiers 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011, .

Wolfgang, as ''Ratherbefishing" has now quit, as members were meanies for pointing out he was breaking the law by roughly gluing on already used stamps, and cheerfully changing $3.50 a sending in doing it, can you or others please post his ebay handle here?

I want to add his ebay user name to my "NEVER DEAL WITH" list, and I am sure many others will too.

There is no ebay handle of ''Ratherbefishing" so he must use something else.

Thanks in advance. What an ingrate.

See the member's first post.