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Original poster

To think stamp barcodes will reduce the number of poison-pen letters.

89 replies

thirdlaw · 15/01/2023 14:08

Royal Mail have introduced bar codes on their stamps. Each stamp is now uniquely identifiable. The barcodes don't contain any personal information, but it will presumably be possible to determine the location and time of purchase, assuming the retailer scans the barcode on the book of stamps when you buy it. Aibu to think this will make people think twice about sending poison pen letters, especially the ones that might be nasty enough to warrant police investigation?

I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere - Royal Mail just say they are to improve security, with no detail on what they mean by that.

OP posts:
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Original poster
thirdlaw · 22/09/2024 07:37

GracePooleslaugh · 15/01/2023 17:51

Ah I miss the olden days, no one takes the time to write a good poison pen letter anymore.

Following on from the comments about poison pen letters, quicksand etc I'm surprised how few people are poisoned. Growing up I thought it must be pretty common.

Old thread, I know, but it seems the "Wicked Little Letters" film (Netflix) might have inspired at least one person to pick up their pen: BBC News - Mysterious hate letters turn quiet village to 'poison'.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62gl6en2g5o

Presumably all the stamps have bar codes, so can at least be traced back to where they were bought.

OP posts:
Redhop · 15/01/2023 19:18

Love this thread 😭😭😭😭

DarcyProudman · 15/01/2023 19:12

Cookerhood · 15/01/2023 19:01

Some woman trying to pretend she had had an affair with my husband (she hadn't). He had a falling out with a colleague some years before. I started working with a close friend of the colleague & the letter appeared, and I'm almost certain it was her. It was all full of "well you'll never really know if you can trust him again, will you?" type statements. I was half hoping there would be a follow up, but there wasn't. I was quite amused by the whole thing, DH was upset to think that someone would try to destroy our family

cheeky, meddling, trouble maker!

Cookerhood · 15/01/2023 19:01

Some woman trying to pretend she had had an affair with my husband (she hadn't). He had a falling out with a colleague some years before. I started working with a close friend of the colleague & the letter appeared, and I'm almost certain it was her. It was all full of "well you'll never really know if you can trust him again, will you?" type statements. I was half hoping there would be a follow up, but there wasn't. I was quite amused by the whole thing, DH was upset to think that someone would try to destroy our family

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 15/01/2023 19:00

TooBigForMyBoots · 15/01/2023 14:29

When I was a child, I thought Poison Pen Letters had poison in the ink that would kill the reader. I was a bit disappointed when I found out that was not the case.🧐

When I was a child I thought police custody involved being gunged with, er, custard.

Innocent times 😊

DarcyProudman · 15/01/2023 18:54

Cookerhood · 15/01/2023 14:45

They don't scan each stamp when they sell them. That would take ages.
I was sent a poison pen letter about 10 years ago. It was quite exciting 😂

Ooh, what was it about? If you care to tell us, obviously 🧐

WhatCanWeDoNext · 15/01/2023 18:33

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 15/01/2023 15:48

Why are they stolen!?

DDad worked for Royal Mail so got 290 each Christmas and I don’t remember ever having to buy a stamp in my entire life, he retired 3y ago and still has about 800+. If he used Facebook he would absolutely have sold some on!

Show quote history

I’m sure you already know this but just a quick reminder to everyone to send off their unbarcoded stamps to exchange for new ones. I think deadline is 31st January?

Stamp exchange form here

machanicalmovement · 15/01/2023 18:02

GracePooleslaugh · 15/01/2023 17:51

Ah I miss the olden days, no one takes the time to write a good poison pen letter anymore.

Following on from the comments about poison pen letters, quicksand etc I'm surprised how few people are poisoned. Growing up I thought it must be pretty common.

And nuclear / TOXIC waste, growing up in the 80's I assumed it could have been hidden behind every tree....

GracePooleslaugh · 15/01/2023 17:51

Ah I miss the olden days, no one takes the time to write a good poison pen letter anymore.

Following on from the comments about poison pen letters, quicksand etc I'm surprised how few people are poisoned. Growing up I thought it must be pretty common.

Muddlingmiddling · 15/01/2023 17:25

FOJN · 15/01/2023 14:26

He can they trace you if you pay cash for the stamps? You could buy the stamps and wait a few months to use them, CCTV at the place they were sold will probably no longer be available by the time the police trace where the stamp was purchased from.

Playing the long game with poison pen letters. I like it

Stichintime · 15/01/2023 17:24

You've brought back happy memories. The joy of sending a SAE and the excitement in seeing your own handwriting on the envelope. The waiting's over!
We even had to bring one into school for our exam results!

Chain letters; the dilemma! I think it was Take a Breaks agony aunt who kindly offered to deal with these for the faint hearted.

Toddlerteaplease · 15/01/2023 17:23

Surely you send a messenger boy to lots of hotels to go through the previous days mail, to find the copies of The Times that were used. To write said letter.

frenchnoodle · 15/01/2023 17:23

Quicksand is the biggest disappointment in regards to reality Vs fantasy.

Tilllly · 15/01/2023 17:20

Deadringer · 15/01/2023 17:01

Poison pen letters haven't impacted my life nearly as much as I thought they might. Ditto quicksand.

Or Village policemen

Toddlerteaplease · 15/01/2023 17:19

HoldingTheDoor · 15/01/2023 14:14

How's the weather in St Mary Mead today?

Almost spat out my tea at that!!!

OhIdoLike2bBesideTheSeaside · 15/01/2023 17:18

HelpMeGetThrough · 15/01/2023 14:26

I mean who buys more than a book of 12 at the very most?

People who write poison pen letters? 🤷‍♂️

Just crazy
I buy some at Christmas that's about the only time

TheChosenTwo · 15/01/2023 17:14

PC Barnaby is about to have his caseload significantly lowered. Phew!

Tilllly · 15/01/2023 17:14

PeekAtYou · 15/01/2023 17:02

Maybe chain letters too OP? I received one as a child in the 80s and it freaked me out because I didn't forward it on.

There was an agony aunt, can't remember which one, who used to tell people to send them to her and she'd destroy them
Bloody pain they were

Kinnorafron · 15/01/2023 17:14

HoldingTheDoor · 15/01/2023 14:14

How's the weather in St Mary Mead today?

😂

Tilllly · 15/01/2023 17:11

Cookerhood · 15/01/2023 14:49

news.sky.com/story/royal-mail-adds-barcodes-to-stamps-allowing-people-to-watch-videos-or-see-messages-from-senders-12530063
It's not to stop people from using them twice

Can't imagine anyone bothering!

Deadringer · 15/01/2023 17:10

Not a poison pen letter per se, but my best friend got an anonymous letter, words and letters cut out of newspapers, the works, telling her that her dh was having an affair and who he was having it with. It was hand delivered though so no stamp. It was true too, it ended their 20 year marriage.

Gazelda · 15/01/2023 17:04

5foot5 · 15/01/2023 14:42

Ah but surely the best way to trace the writer of a poisen pen letter is to look carefully at the typeface of all the words and letters and figure out which magazine they have been cut out of. Then you ask the lady in the newsagents if she can recall who bought a copy of, say, Horse and Hound recently. Bingo.

Or get an expert to analyse the typeface and compare it to the suspect's manual typewriter which has a slight smudge on the 'p'.

BitOutOfPractice · 15/01/2023 17:02

Deadringer · 15/01/2023 17:01

Poison pen letters haven't impacted my life nearly as much as I thought they might. Ditto quicksand.

Or secret passageways.

PeekAtYou · 15/01/2023 17:02

Maybe chain letters too OP? I received one as a child in the 80s and it freaked me out because I didn't forward it on.

Deadringer · 15/01/2023 17:01

I do miss midnight feasts though.

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