[Dx-qsl] USPS Considering Stopping Sales of IRCs

[Dick Flanagan]

The primary advantage of IRCs to me is they appear to be less desirable 
to postal thieves.  I guess this means I will be spending more money 
with foreign postal brokerslike Bill Plum.The only problem I have with 
Bill is the lead time necessary for me to identify exactly who I want to 
send cards to and then to actually obtain the postage before I can send 
them off.

Aslong as Bill has the appropriate postage in stock using this procedure 
only adds about a week to the process.  On the rare occasion Bill does 
not have a particular piece of postage in stock, then the procedure can 
become longer.

I have a stock of mint two dollars bills I send to known managers 
through reasonably civilized postal systems, the rest receive IRC(s).  I 
suggest Bill slowly start building up his stock of foreign postage 
stamps in preparation for the day IRCs are no long available.

Dick

--
Dick Flanagan K7VC
dick at k7vc.com

On 11/5/2012 11:20 PM, Phil Whitchurch wrote:
> Hi Ken
>
> Royal Mail stopped selling them some time ago.  Their reasoning is at
> www.g3swh.org.uk/irc.html
>
> In these days of OQRS and PayPal, IRCs are becoming increasingly redundant.
> Sending US $2 instead of an IRC is a similar cost to you and about 1000%
> more acceptable to the DX station or his manager.
>
> 73 for now
>
> Phil
> G3SWH
>
> On 06-Nov-12 01:29:07, Ken Scheper (kenshep at one.net) wrote:
>> So now we can't buy IRC's here because of what?   I
>> don't use a lot of them
>> but periodically must.  Heck, the US $ isn't
>> worth anything anymore...
>> what's
>> next?  We ship them gold for a QSL?  Just remember ....tip of the
> iceberg...
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "James Skjervem" <wa7sld at cox.net>
>> Sent: Monday, November 05, 2012 6:42 PM
>> To: <dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] USPS Considering Stopping Sales of IRCs
>>
>>> Oops, sorry guys - should have thought of that problem - I just clicked
> on
>>> the link in the e-mail that I got.
>>>
>>> To summarize:
>>>
>>> The USPS has requested from the Postal Regulatory Commission, the
> approval
>>> to discontinue sales of IRCs in the US on January 27, 2013.  Redemption
> of
>>> IRCs purchased in other countries would continue.
>>>
>>> Request is in October 23rd Federal Register at
>>>
> https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/10/23/2012-25992/international
> -mailing-services-proposed-product-and-price-changes#h-13
>>> Again, sorry for not checking that out more thoroughly!
>>>
>>> 73 Jim KS7S
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: James Skjervem
>>> Sent: Monday, November 05, 2012 4:16 PM
>>> To: dx-qsl at mail
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