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We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

royalmail.com

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Re: We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

#71

Post by pabs3 »

moring wrote: post #49
pabs3 wrote: post #34

What is a good tool for decoding these barcodes? Neither zbar nor zxing-cpp seem to be able to decode the DataMatrix image on Wikipedia.

What did the error correction report -- is it valid on a byte level? They might use a new highlevel encoding, but I doubt it, and they are certainly not re-inventing the error correction level. This stuff is hard math and there is no value in re-inventing that. The higher level might be encrypted to prevent fraud, but that would show as valid on the error correction level. Other than that, my first guess is that the…

Trying to decode the DataMatrix image on Wikipedia just says no barcode found.

Re: We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

#72

Post by andrewaylett »

maratc wrote: post #51
mikelward wrote: post #38

Not in the FAQ: "If this is so important, why don't these changes apply to special stamps?" and "You're designing new stamps, but you're putting the Late Queen on them, not the new King?"

Also not in the FAQ: "I'm 90 years old and I don't know what 'download an app' or 'fill the form online' even mean. Provided you don't swap stamps at the post office, what you suggest me to do?" But these won't even read this online-only announcement, so I guess ... screw them.

We got a form through our letterbox with our post yesterday -- I'm assuming that the OP also got one, and that's why we're seeing the news here today.

Re: We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

#73

Post by c120 »

While there's currently no den date for the swap, I'm pretty sure there will be one in a few years and then all stamps from stamp collections world wide will be worthless.

European countries did the same when the Euro came and they made a ton of money by being able to devaluate all stamp collections...

(you have to consider that stamp collection was a huge thing but now is no longer so that when stamp collectors die many collections enter the market...)

Re: We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

#74

Post by speps »

c120 wrote: post #73

While there's currently no den date for the swap, I'm pretty sure there will be one in a few years and then all stamps from stamp collections world wide will be worthless. European countries did the same when the Euro came and they made a ton of money by being able to devaluate all stamp collections... (you have to consider that stamp collection was a huge thing but now is no longer so that when stamp collectors die…

This is stupid, many stamps in a stamp collections won't be able to be used to actually send any post anyway. Do you have any source to your claims?

Re: We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

#76

Post by Symbiote »

mikelward wrote: post #38

Not in the FAQ: "If this is so important, why don't these changes apply to special stamps?" and "You're designing new stamps, but you're putting the Late Queen on them, not the new King?"

The new stamps have been available for purchase since February.

Re: We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

#77

Post by Symbiote »

ZiiS wrote: post #44

Seems very quick deprecation? If they urgently need the barcode why support picture stamps without it. If the don't then supporting both for a year will dramatically reduce the amount of swapping they need to do.

The new stamps were introduced in February this year, and the old ones expire at the end of January next year.

Re: We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

#78

Post by ryzvonusef » 

    > Can I take my stamps to the Post Office to swap them out?

    > No — you can't swap your non-barcoded stamps out at a Post Office. You will need to pick up a 'Swap Out' form and send in your non-barcoded stamps to Royal Mail (free post address on the form). Print one off our web site; contact Customer Experience and we'll post one out to you; pick one up from your local Delivery Offices' Customer Service Point.

    > Please note swap out forms are not available at Post Offices.
This is batshit stupid. What's the point of a post office if it can't help you with stamps?

Re: We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps

#79

Post by londons_explore »

nicky0 wrote: post #65
londons_explore wrote: post #52

There are so many features royal mail could add to letter/parcel delivery that users might want to pay for, and would cost them nothing. Eg. * See what mail is headed your way. They could have email/text/app notifications of mail that's headed towards you, including a picture of the outside of the parcel and estimated delivery dates/times. * The ability for the receiver to pay to prioritize incoming mail. Sometimes y…

Brilliant. If I was looking to hire an ideas guy I would have you.

I suspect part of the downfall of postal mail services worldwide is lack of them having an ideas guy on staff...

Postal mail services have a massive advantage when expanding into so many fields of business - (eg. ecommerce, anything that involves having a network of people who travel every street every day). Yet none have capitalized on it.

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