Gas Prices
Forever Stamps???
Update 12/29/2011
It apears as athough the USPS has come to their senses and, in 2011, any new first class stamps will be Forever stamps. No more having to purchase the extra pennies stamps every time the USPS raises the first class postage.
Forever stamps? Sounds like a good deal, right? It is, IF YOU GET THE FOREVER STAMPS. I purchased some 100 stamp rolls of what I thought was Forever Stamps. Stocking up for the future to save money. Turns out, what I actually purchased were first class stamps. Stupid me? I guess, but the U. S. Post Office seems to be playing a little game here. While they will sell you the Forever stamps, which cost exactly whatever the current First Class stamps are, you have to specifically ask for them. Don't ask for a roll of First Class stamps or you will be getting something that is absolutely NOT FOREVER. (By the way, Forever Stamps are NEVER sold in a roll as of 12/12/08.)
The bad news is, if you purchased first class stamps, thinking you were getting forever stamps, in a prior year denomination, such as 41 cents in 2007, they will NOT allow you to return them. It is just "their policy" not to accept returns. No returns even if you want to pay the difference between what you thought was a forever stamp and a real forever stamp. No refunds. You are stuck, sucker. It is "their policy" to make money off of people that fall for their scam. We are talking about the "government" here and not a business that has to take into consideration not pissing off the customers.
The questions is: Why would the Post Office even be selling the, for now, 42 cent, First Class stamps when the Forever Stamps cost exactly the same thing? The obvious answer is that they are purposely misleading people so that they can profit from the wrong assumption that all first class stamps are now Forever.
Learn from my and many other naive individual's mistakes: If your stamp does not say Forever on it, it is NOT Forever. Specifically ask for the Forever Stamps whenever you purchase first class stamps. The only reason for selling the non-Forever stamps is so they can say "gotcha" later on.
The Post Office should stop selling the First Class stamps altogether if they are not purposely perpetuating this scam.
Were you taken in by the Post Office Forever / First Class stamp scam? Click here to send your comments.
People who say that I have wasted my time posting this page might want to think twice about wasting their own time telling me that. I'm complaining and warning people about the governement screwing me and a lot of other people, probably thousands if not more. You are complaining about just little, insignificant me. Get your own life.
Posted 5/16/09
Yes I was also taken in. I bought stamps just 2 weeks ago. Now I,m burning $2.00 or more in gas to get 12, 2 centers. GGRRRR.
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Posted by: anon12399
Who would ever buy a non-forever stamp, if a forever stamp is available at the same price? Wouldn't it be like buying a carton of milk expiring tomorrow rather than a carton good for two more weeks?
Posted by: anon14159
I also bought a roll of "flag" stamps and was told these would not require the 1c or 2c stamps if the rate changed. Today, I found out differently when I received a letter back /c 1c due. There is no price on these stamps. Anyway, it just gives me another reason for paying bills on line.
Posted by: anon13194
I bought a roll of 41 cent Flag stamps recently and was assured by the postal clerk that they would be good for first class postage regardless of rate changes. I guess too many postal clerks are like their IRS buddies as reliable informants.
Posted by: anon17923
Add me to those who were sold the 41 cent "Flag " stamps when I asked for forever stamps at the post office. I think the post office has not trained its workers adequately and may have supply problems from time to time. I understand that forever stamps are still being sold for 42 cents but a recent attempt to buy some at my local post office produced only confusion and no stamps.
Posted by: anon16911
I hate battling over one penny but just did. I, too, bought a roll of the flag stamps under the impression they would be "forever." Now I'm buying penny stamps plus apologizing to businesses who paid the penny on their end just to receive my check. What a deal!
Posted by: anon16820
I fell for the bogus "forever stamp" too. Just got a supposedly "forever" stamped envelope back w/ postage due. This is the biggest scam the USPS has ever perpetrated.
Posted by by eturnquist@verizon
You're not "screwed" or a sucker...you'd only need to buck up and pay another penny. If you bought a roll of these so-called Forever Stamps and realized that they weren't actually "Forever" all you'd need to do is purchase at the most 100 1-cent stamps. We're talking a dollar here, people. Do you really have this much time to worry about a dollar. If you weren't so completely fooled by the new man in the White House, perhaps you'd actually be doing something to improve your lot in life rather than waiting for someone to bail you out. In the time it took you to write that silly little narrative, you could have made $5 doing something worthwhile. Go get a life!
Forever Stamp Fact Sheet
The Forever Stamp first went on sale in April 2007. Since then, more than 6 billion Forever Stamps have been sold.
As the name suggests, Forever Stamps can be used to mail a one-ounce letter regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change in the future.
Forever Stamps are always sold at the same price as a regular First-Class Mail stamp.
The Postal Service developed the Forever Stamp for consumers to ease the transition during price changes. There is only one Forever Stamp — it features an image of the Liberty Bell.
Forever Stamps are available for purchase at post offices nationwide, online at usps.com, by phone at 1-800-STAMP-24, and from Automated Postal Centers and ATMs. They are sold in booklets of 20 and sheetlets of 18.
Customers can use Forever Stamps for international mail, but since all international prices are higher than domestic prices, customers will need to attach additional postage.
The value of the Forever Stamp is the domestic First-Class Mail letter price in effect on the day of use.