[Dx-qsl] soaking stamps and IRCs

[W2GR@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/2/03 7:31:43 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
glenn@gi0kvq.co.uk writes:
I believe those should be valid anywhere in the UPU for postage as thats what 
the PO did here  when the prices went from $1.05 to 1.75 ...they added stamps 
that we had to pay for to bring the price up......from the 1.05 stamped on 
the irc to the new price..1.75...so they are legit.....depending on who you 
see at the post office...where the post office is....and who determines the 
rules...I have rec;d IRCs with stamps on them from other countries and they 
were accepted..

It seems from my experience that post offices around the globe decipher the 
UPU rules differently or make up their own  when it comes to IRCs...

I have trained the post office I go to abt IRCs ..it took some doing with 
fone calls,taking in printed out portions of the International mail manual 
etc...but now when I go in I dont have a problem with any of the counter 
jockys...finally.....including the fact that IRCs (older ones) DO NOT need a 
control stamp on the IRC...meaning that blank IRCs ARE 
valid...period...according to the IMM regulations...am I the only one in the 
world that has the IMM?..I believe the IMM is good for all countries?..isnt 
it?...whats international mean?...does each country have their own version of 
the IMM?...or none at all??

Funny story here:...According to the IMM regulations of 2002..IRCs are 
exchangable for Postage stamps,postage meter stamps,postage validation 
imprinter labels (PVIs) and embossed stamped envelopes...well I had problems 
with the PO trying to give me PVIs for IRCs...I showed them that they were 
required to do so...they did for awhile but it caused them alot of headaches 
as it seems that the new software the feds installed in the PO sys. didnt 
have a way to exchange them any more for anything but stamps...( I love 
upgrades)....I took PVIs for awhile till one day I went in to get some..and 
my new friend..he he..the Mgr came out and said I could no longer get 
PVIs...I said but but but...and she handed me an IMM revision for section 
372.3.b abt IRCs that the postage meter stamps and PVIs can no longer be 
exchanged for IRCs.......I guess it was easier for the feds to revise the IMM 
for ME than to change the program for ME...haha.....why did I want 
PVIs?.....well sometimes when I send my own cards or cards that come in for 
stations I manage to countries with pi** poor postal systems I use them 
because it makes the mail look less conspicuous and might make a postal 
employee that collects stamps from ripping off the envelopes for that fancy 
US airmail stamp....just a theory but it seems to work.....

Mike W2GR
Niagara Falls NY

----------------------

> I have a large number of IRCs that were first issued in the US.  They are
> date stamped in the correct place but have postage stamps added on them.
> These postage stamps that were added make the IRC invalid in the UK.  It 
> was
> suggested to me that these stamps should be steamed off and then the IRC
> would be valid again (Information source will remain un-named, but you 
> would
> be surprised).  I was told it works fine for the old fashion stamps but the
> large printed stamp similar to an address label cannot be removed by this
> method.
> 
> My Question
> 
> As all the IRC's I have with this fault are issued in the US, is it a 
> policy
> of the US postal Service to do this or is it just amateurs being over
> cautious to ensure they have included enough postage value for the return 
> of
> the QSL ?
> 
> 
> Regards Glenn
> www.gi0kvq.co.uk
> 



> As all the IRC's I have with this fault are issued in the US, is it a policy
> of the US postal Service to do this or is it just amateurs being over
> cautious to ensure they have included enough postage value for the return 
> of
> the QSL ?
> 
> 



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