During lockdown I started the early stages of preparing for the election and purchased some stamps online to save going out of the house, adhering to COVID rules.
After lockdown I purchased more than sufficient stamps than I will actually need from the Post Office in order to send out letters. When I put the stamps on, I used the online ones first, only to find out some of them were fake! They look identical when compared with a genuine stamp.
This came to light when a number of people received Royal Mail surcharge cards.
I have no distribution or office staff, it is myself doing it all and the ones on what I consider on busy and dangerous roads and a little offbeat I posted.
The 34 people who paid the surcharge have all been contacted and reimbursed.
I made the Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner aware as soon as the matter came to light and he is looking into these online sites as it appears to be a national problem with thousands of stamps rejected at Royal Mail sorting offices, more so during lockdown.
Should anyone have been missed and are out of pocket, then please contact me and I’ll personally make sure you are reimbursed.
I have well and truly been scammed!
Nigel Pepper
Crowland
