Science > Physics > [OT] Stamp values and postal prices - rather puzzling
| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"Will" |
| Date: |
06 Jun 2006 05:20:56 AM |
| Object: |
[OT] Stamp values and postal prices - rather puzzling |
I live in the UK. Why does the British Royal Mail have all these weird
and wonderful values for single stamps (below)?
I can't for the life of me see how the stamp values relate to any
usefulness based on the cost of sending a letter. But there must be
some sort of conection.
Can anyone work out what it is?
----------
This page http://tinyurl.com/fpf9u shows the value of individual stamps
I can get from my post office are as follows:
1 pence
2
5
9
10
20
37
42
44
49
50
72
And these pages is a list of charge bands for different weights of first
or second class letter post:
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400029&catId=400028
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400030&catId=400028
Of course there are other services too which may be relevant.
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400028&catId=400023
What is the connection?
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| User: "CWatters" |
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| Title: Re: [OT] Stamp values and postal prices - rather puzzling |
06 Jun 2006 06:19:53 AM |
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"Will" <nomail@mail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns97DA7372743C4835A1B@127.0.0.1...
I live in the UK. Why does the British Royal Mail have all these weird
and wonderful values for single stamps (below)?
I can't for the life of me see how the stamp values relate to any
usefulness based on the cost of sending a letter. But there must be
some sort of conection.
Can anyone work out what it is?
Parcels.
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| User: "=?iso-8859-1?B?U2XhbiBPJ0xlYXRobPNiaGFpcg==?=" |
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| Title: Re: Stamp values and postal prices - rather puzzling |
06 Jun 2006 05:33:25 AM |
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Will wrote:
I live in the UK. Why does the British Royal Mail have all these weird
and wonderful values for single stamps (below)?
I can't for the life of me see how the stamp values relate to any
usefulness based on the cost of sending a letter. But there must be
some sort of conection.
Can anyone work out what it is?
----------
This page http://tinyurl.com/fpf9u shows the value of individual stamps
I can get from my post office are as follows:
1 pence
2
5
9
10
20
37
42
44
49
50
72
And these pages is a list of charge bands for different weights of first
or second class letter post:
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=3D400029&catId=3D400028
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=3D400030&catId=3D400028
Of course there are other services too which may be relevant.
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=3D400028&catId=3D400023
What is the connection?
---------------------
We don't like things being simple. Some of us mourn the passing of
real, i.e. LSD, money. =20
--
Se=E1n O'Leathl=F3bhair
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Stamp values and postal prices - rather puzzling |
06 Jun 2006 12:06:54 PM |
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Will wrote:
I live in the UK. Why does the British Royal Mail have all these weird
and wonderful values for single stamps (below)?
I can't for the life of me see how the stamp values relate to any
usefulness based on the cost of sending a letter. But there must be
some sort of conection.
Can anyone work out what it is?
It forces people to buy more stamps than they actually need.
That inventory of unused stamps is a lot of money drawing interest,
so even when the stamps are eventually used, the Royal Mail
comes out ahead. And all the ones that are lost or never redeemed
are just gravy.
Suppose you have a stockpile of 20p, 10p & 2p stamps. You can
send a 32p letter using one of each. But what if your letter is just
over the weight category and costs 49p? You need to add a 10p,
5p and 2p. But your stockpile doesn't include 5p, so you either
need to stock 5p stamps or add two of your 10p stamps (or a 10p
& four 2p) and pay 52p (or 50p) for a 49p charge. Royal Mail
comes out ahead either way.
So you stock some 5p stamps only to discover that one letter in your
group is at the next charge level (68p) but you've already affixed
49p of postage. Simple, just add a 10p and a 9p stamp. Oh, but you
don't stock 9p stamps, so use two 10p.
And so on...
----------
This page http://tinyurl.com/fpf9u shows the value of individual stamps
I can get from my post office are as follows:
1 pence
2
5
9
10
20
37
42
44
49
50
72
And these pages is a list of charge bands for different weights of first
or second class letter post:
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400029&catId=400028
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400030&catId=400028
Of course there are other services too which may be relevant.
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400028&catId=400023
What is the connection?
---------------------
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| User: "Richard Henry" |
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| Title: Re: Stamp values and postal prices - rather puzzling |
06 Jun 2006 11:39:27 PM |
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<mensanator@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1149613614.359356.127440@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...
Will wrote:
I live in the UK. Why does the British Royal Mail have all these weird
and wonderful values for single stamps (below)?
I can't for the life of me see how the stamp values relate to any
usefulness based on the cost of sending a letter. But there must be
some sort of conection.
Can anyone work out what it is?
It forces people to buy more stamps than they actually need.
That inventory of unused stamps is a lot of money drawing interest,
so even when the stamps are eventually used, the Royal Mail
comes out ahead. And all the ones that are lost or never redeemed
are just gravy.
So is it money drawing interest, or just gravy? How does Royal Mail know
which is which?
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Stamp values and postal prices - rather puzzling |
07 Jun 2006 12:00:12 AM |
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Richard Henry wrote:
<mensanator@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1149613614.359356.127440@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...
Will wrote:
I live in the UK. Why does the British Royal Mail have all these weird
and wonderful values for single stamps (below)?
I can't for the life of me see how the stamp values relate to any
usefulness based on the cost of sending a letter. But there must be
some sort of conection.
Can anyone work out what it is?
It forces people to buy more stamps than they actually need.
That inventory of unused stamps is a lot of money drawing interest,
so even when the stamps are eventually used, the Royal Mail
comes out ahead. And all the ones that are lost or never redeemed
are just gravy.
So is it money drawing interest, or just gravy? How does Royal Mail know
which is which?
By noting that sales of stamps exceeds the amount of letters processed.
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| User: "Proginoskes" |
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| Title: Re: Stamp values and postal prices - rather puzzling |
06 Jun 2006 01:51:26 PM |
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Will wrote:
I live in the UK. Why does the British Royal Mail have all these weird
and wonderful values for single stamps (below)?
I can't for the life of me see how the stamp values relate to any
usefulness based on the cost of sending a letter. But there must be
some sort of conection.
Here on the other side of the pond, the United States Post Office likes
raising the price of postage every few years. (They raised it from 37
cents to 39 cents in January, and we're already scheduled for another
raise next January.)
--- Christopher Heckman
Can anyone work out what it is?
----------
This page http://tinyurl.com/fpf9u shows the value of individual stamps
I can get from my post office are as follows:
1 pence
2
5
9
10
20
37
42
44
49
50
72
And these pages is a list of charge bands for different weights of first
or second class letter post:
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400029&catId=400028
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400030&catId=400028
Of course there are other services too which may be relevant.
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2?mediaId=400028&catId=400023
What is the connection?
---------------------
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