Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
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

frenchnoodle · 15/01/2023 17:23

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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....

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

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 🧐

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 😊

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

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!

Redhop · 15/01/2023 19:18

Love this thread 😭😭😭😭

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:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page