Swapping your old stamps won't be straightforward...

Royal Mail are switching over to barcoded stamps, but you won't be able to swap your old stamps in your local post office.

The Royal Mail are introducing new barcoded stamps. Your usual stamps will still be valid until 31st January 2023, but it's perfectly understandable to want to start swapping your stamps now.

The 'swap out scheme' opens on 31st March 2022. But, swapping your old stamps won't be as straightforward as you may think.

How to swap your stamps:
✔️ Print out a swap form online
✔️Pick up a swap form from your nearest delivery office (in Swansea there are 2 - one in Llansamlet and one in Gorseinon)
✔️Call the Royal Mail customer experience line and ask them to send a form to you

You can't:
❌Swap your stamps at your local post office
❌Pick up a swap form at your local post office

I'm sure that many of you, like myself, will be confused as to why you can't swap your stamps at your local post office. Especially so, when you consider the distance some may have to travel to their nearest delivery office. For example, the distance between Rhossili and the Gorseinon delivery office is around 20 miles. In contrast, the nearest post office is around 3 miles away. 

I have already written to Royal Mail to ask why stamps can't be swapped at post offices, and why the swap forms can't even be picked up there. I am eagerly awaiting their response.