[Dx-qsl] Italian post office discounting IRCs?

[Peter Dougherty]

All,
Earlier today I got the following message from IK3GES, the manager for TT8ES. 

I'd sent off an IRC and a self-addressed envelope along with my request, and from the Google translation below, it seems as if the Italian post office only redeems IRCs for 0,75€ instead of the value of air mail postage to the destination country. This would appear to be a violation of the UPU regulations and the end result will be the manager getting in an awful lot of IRCs but sending the cards out via the bureau. The worst part is that he requested $2 or 1 IRC on his QRZ.COM web page.

Can anybody clarify or confirm this policy from the Italian postal service? If so, it would seem that G$$$ (or mint stamps) are the only way to go when sending to Italy. I'm guessing that the OM's local post office official does not understand or care about the regulations. 

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Regards,
Peter Dougherty, W2IRT




From: GABRIELE GES [mailto:ik3ges at alice.it] 
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 10:02 AM
To: Peter Dougherty
Subject: QSL TT8ES.

Dr. PETER, I HAVE RECEIVED YOUR DIRECT QSL, UNFORTUNATELY ARE FORCED TO ANSWER TO YOU VIA ASSOCIAZIONE.IL COUPONS MANDATE IS EURO 0.75cent BUT I HAVE TO SPEND EURO SEND YOU A BAG 1.60cent.
ME WITH YOU SORRY FOR THIS,
73 de Gabriele ik3ges Manager.
 
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