[Ultrasonic]

I'm far from unique in that I get quite a lot of junk mail. Very often, it's a credit card application form, complete with a prepaid envelope to send your completed form back to them.

They always end up in my recycling bin.

But I wondered if you are allowed to use these envelopes for other letters. After all, the company has already paid the postage. Could you just stick a label over the top of their address and write a different one on? Or would the postal service not deliver such a letter?

It would be a thrifty thing to do, I realise. I just wondered if it was possible!

[uncle monty]

Stick a label on one with your own address on it then post it and see if it gets back to you.

[Gadget Guy]

I don't believe you can as I think the postage is only paid if the envelope is used to reply to the sender. If you addressed it to someone else they may have to pay the cost (and probably a fee on top too).
If it's junk mail I generally rip it and stuff it back in the envelope and post it back to them so the company have to pay to receive their own junk back again. Very satisfying feeling and keeps postal workers employed too!!

Originally Posted by Gadget Guy

I don't believe you can as I think the postage is only paid if the envelope is used. If its junk mail I generally rip it and stuff it back in the envelope and post it back to them then the company have to pay to receive their own junk back again. Very satisfying feeling and keeps postal workers employed too!!

But is that not just what the OP is asking?? He is suggesting that he uses the envelope with a blank label over the originators address - and then writing a new address on the label and then using that envelope and paid postage.

Originally Posted by Gadget Guy

I don't believe you can as I think the postage is only paid if the envelope is used to reply to the sender. If you addressed it to someone else they may have to pay the cost (and probably a fee on top too).
If it's junk mail I generally rip it and stuff it back in the envelope and post it back to them so the company have to pay to receive their own junk back again. Very satisfying feeling and keeps postal workers employed too!!

I'm gonna start doing that cos I usually just stick it in the bin.

[Ginger Nut]

Originally Posted by Gadget Guy

I don't believe you can as I think the postage is only paid if the envelope is used to reply to the sender. If you addressed it to someone else they may have to pay the cost (and probably a fee on top too).
If it's junk mail I generally rip it and stuff it back in the envelope and post it back to them so the company have to pay to receive their own junk back again. Very satisfying feeling and keeps postal workers employed too!!

I used to do this. There was fun to be had tearing up every bit of glossy tat they sent and cramming it back into the tiny prepaid envelope.

These days I have written to the Post Office to ask them to stop delivering the avalanche of tat thru my door. So far they are abiding by my wishes. I can go 2 weeks at a time now without receiving any mail.

[Gadget Guy]

I am guessing but I think the PO must track and record the number of envelopes that are used to reply and then they charge the originating company accordingly. I don't imagine companies would use pre-paid envelopes if they had to pay 'up front' and so were charged for the ones that go straight in peoples bins.
If the OP used a pre-paid envelope to send a letter to someone else then who would pay for the postage? I think 'pre-paid' is just a term used to describe a postage paid return but I don't believe it is paid until the envelope is actually used.
I suspect that it would be fraud and the receiver would have to pay a hefty fee to receive it and the sender may be prosecuted.
Guess we need a postal worker to answer this one. All the posties should be finishing their rounds soon and logging on so we may get a more definitive answer.

[whoever,hey]

Its not prepaid. They get charged for each of their letters with their code going through the system. Dont know if you could post it else where or not though. Sounds like a real caveat in the system if you can. Let us know if you post it to your self and get it back

[Madridista23]

Originally Posted by Gadget Guy

If it's junk mail I generally rip it and stuff it back in the envelope and post it back to them so the company have to pay to receive their own junk back again. Very satisfying feeling and keeps postal workers employed too!!

OH..... How much do i LOVE THIS!!! Big Woofs!! Whoever,Hey... you are my type of person!!

[Rowdy]

The person who paid the postage did so for you to send a letter back to them. So if you use it for something else, technically it's theft.

Look at it this way - you give me some money to pay your credit card bill, and I spend it in the pub. Same thing, just a different amount.

If you're asking "Would you get away with it?", you've got me - I don't know.

[SheepdogNo1]

There is nothing better than re-cycling. Wait while you get a job lot of junk mail & empty crereal boxes & newspapers , then fill at will the pre-paid envelopes with all the tat. They only pay about 10p in postage to recieve them , so fill them up as heavy as you can get them, scrub your name off the address ( i replace my name with 'The Man In The Shed', dying to get one back with that name on!) & send all the drivel back to them.

I usualy cross out the persons job title at the bottom say 'sales promotion manager' & write 'chief bin filler' or 'crap sender in chief' for extra merryment. I somtimes write a small note offering these banks my own service of rubbish being posted to them at the bargain rate of 0% & telling them that due to the local refuse collection service only coming round once a fortnight my bin cant cope so thay can have some of mine.

They have to pay the excess weight charge on top of the BRE fee. They soon take you off their mailing list. I often wonder what Capital One Bank did with the housebrick i wrapped up & fastened the business reply envelope to. Just pop down to the local post office , they have to deliver it

[whoever,hey]

Sheepdog, is that for real the brick story? Absolutely awesome

[Ginger Nut]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

Sheepdog, is that for real the brick story? Absolutely awesome

Indeed. I'd have expected a round of applause from the post office staff as well for your brass cheek.

[Dave 8o]]

Originally Posted by Ultrasonic

I'm far from unique in that I get quite a lot of junk mail. Very often, it's a credit card application form, complete with a prepaid envelope to send your completed form back to them.

They always end up in my recycling bin.

But I wondered if you are allowed to use these envelopes for other letters. After all, the company has already paid the postage. Could you just stick a label over the top of their address and write a different one on? Or would the postal service not deliver such a letter?

It would be a thrifty thing to do, I realise. I just wondered if it was possible!

Depends on the method that they use, a lot of firms use the Business Reply Service, which uses a pre-printed envelope or label which can be used to allow a recipient to return an application form etc. In most cases these types of envelope are keyed to a specific post code, if you used one of these envelopes to send something to a different address the person at the other end may end up having to pay the excess postage.

Check this site out: http://www.warnes.co.uk/HTML/PAGES/postmarks.htm

[twofnine]

Originally Posted by Ultrasonic

I'm far from unique in that I get quite a lot of junk mail. Very often, it's a credit card application form, complete with a prepaid envelope to send your completed form back to them.

They always end up in my recycling bin.

But I wondered if you are allowed to use these envelopes for other letters. After all, the company has already paid the postage. Could you just stick a label over the top of their address and write a different one on? Or would the postal service not deliver such a letter?

It would be a thrifty thing to do, I realise. I just wondered if it was possible!

No, No, No...You save them pre-paid envelopes/leaflets, and you save up enough junk leaflets; until its heavy, and then you send off your junk to their junk address!

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by twofnine

No, No, No...You save them pre-paid envelopes/leaflets, and you save up enough junk leaflets; until its heavy, and then you send off your junk to their junk address!

No that is one i'm going to start actually doing.

[Hullensian]

Originally Posted by Ginger Nut

I used to do this. There was fun to be had tearing up every bit of glossy tat they sent and cramming it back into the tiny prepaid envelope.

These days I have written to the Post Office to ask them to stop delivering the avalanche of tat thru my door. So far they are abiding by my wishes. I can go 2 weeks at a time now without receiving any mail.

I've opted out of receiving junk mail now but in the days when I did use to get a lot I'd do the same as you but use the prepaid envelopes to send back other firms' tat. That way they were getting other peoples junk mail. Childish I know, but I got a certain feeling of satisfaction from it at the time

Re the original question. I've got a mate who used to work for Royal Mail, I'll ask him.

[twofnine]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

No that is one i'm going to start actually doing.

Me and Caxton do it, and weve got a huge fan club; honest

[Hullensian]

Just checked with my ex-Royal Mail contact. He says that the envelope can only be used to go back to the pre-printed address (the company holding the licence). If you stick a label over the top to change the address, postage becomes due and would be collected at the other end.

[twofnine]

Originally Posted by Hullensian

Just checked with my ex-Royal Mail contact. He says that the envelope can only be used to go back to the pre-printed address (the company holding the licence). If you stick a label over the top to change the address, postage becomes due and would be collected at the other end.

As I said ALL other junk, without pre-payment envelopes goes back to them. Pizzas, Double Glazing, Window Cleaners.. The list is endless, and dont forget your weekend papers, and the junk that comes with them.. Nor Sky Magazine

[OLDSOAK]

Originally Posted by twofnine

As I said ALL other junk, without pre-payment envelopes goes back to them. Pizzas, Double Glazing, Window Cleaners.. The list is endless, and dont forget your weekend papers, and the junk that comes with them.. Nor Sky Magazine

and Hullensian was responding to the OP's query of

But I wondered if you are allowed to use these envelopes for other letters.

[twofnine]

Originally Posted by Bluetracker

and Hullensian was responding to the OP's query of

Yes I know he was

[caroil]

My favourite is to fill in the nice little forms they send you to ask for more information with the name and phone number of one of the other nice people who think I need their many services and then send it back in their pre paid envelope. They can then waste each others time!

[Hullensian]

Originally Posted by twofnine

As I said ALL other junk, without pre-payment envelopes goes back to them. Pizzas, Double Glazing, Window Cleaners.. The list is endless, and dont forget your weekend papers, and the junk that comes with them.. Nor Sky Magazine

Just read on another forum where someone recommends filling a 2-litre bottle with water, wrapping it and then attaching the pre-paid envelope to the parcel! Bit of an over-reaction I think

[Ginger Nut]

Originally Posted by caroil

My favourite is to fill in the nice little forms they send you to ask for more information with the name and phone number of one of the other nice people who think I need their many services and then send it back in their pre paid envelope. They can then waste each others time!

I did that to some chap who sent me one of those odious chain letters. Kept it for a while and saved up the junk.

Then delighted in applying for endless loans, credit cards, car insurance, stair lifts, disabled baths in his name - which he had kindly provided for me to send him £10.