I have a friend who’s told me about a site she’s used for Forever stamps. As I recall she was happy with it, so I’ll check with her. She got a discounted price but not sure how much.

I've seen those ads, too, and think there's got to be something fishy about them. I buy stamps online directly from the USPS. I rarely need/use stamps, but my younger sister is in an assisted living facility, and she sends a lot of cards and letters and is always needing stamps, so I purchase them and have them delivered directly to her.

I've never trusted any of the discounted stamp vendors. I keep a couple of the order forms here, when I might need stamps or when I needed them for my mothers desk, I'd drop the form in outgoing mail (postage free) and my mail carrier left the stamps here within about 48 hours. Stamps aren't cheap any more, if they ever were. But neither is a gallon of gas and my time has some value too ;)

I saw those ads, and they seem sketchy to me as well. I seem to recall I tried looking it up, and it was just confusing. I also order my stamps directly from USPS.com.

Thinking about it, might it be a clearinghouse for overstock from stamp collectors?

About the only time I buy stamps any more is at holiday time for the seasonal designs to put on cards.

I think some of our local supermarkets still sell stamps at the registers too.

On a slightly different note, I think the USPS has likely lost a lot of money by making forever stamps.

" On a slightly different note, I think the USPS has likely lost a lot of money by making forever stamps. :

I don't think so.

To see it from its point of view, one needs to consider how governmental accounting practices differ from those in the public sector. Normal accounting, called "accrual basis" (not used by individuals or small private business), records income when earned and expenses when committed to, without regard to when cash is received or disbursed.

Government agencies and activities account on a what's called a "cash" basis. Cash received and cash disbursed. The US goverment and states do this, though some states aren't able to spend more than they collect each year.. When the Feds (Congress or the Pres.) wants to show a smaller deficit for a fiscal year, it will propose a law change to accelerate tax payments (without changing the total tax amounts people or businesses ultimately pay) or can delay paying bills. If it wants politically to pass a tax cut, it can do so but make the effective date some time in the future. Or, it can make a reduction effective now, pass an increase effective in the future, and then they'll say "the effect over the next 10 years is neutral to the total deficit."

USPS can show a smaller deficit for a year by selling stamps in advance. The collect money and show a lower deficit for this year, the "cost" of which is to handle mail for free in the future. A private sector business doesn't recognize income paid in advance under the accrual basis while under the cash basis, it is recognized.

FWIW, I checked with my friend. This is the site she’s ordered from with no problems. No experience myself…just going by hers.

https://www.uspsfaststamps.com/

I looked at one of the sites once, thinking it was a USPS site, but when I got ready to pay there was no option for using Paypal. I ship via USPS and print my own labels at home and always pay via Paypal, so I knew it wasn't a USPS site. I didn't feel comfortable giving them my credit card info, so I backed out of the order. I know if they scammed my credit card my liability is little to nothing, but I didn't want the hassle of having to cancel the card and redo all my auto pay accounts.

Lars, the extreme price discounts alone are suspicious. IDK, my friend said she recently placed a third order with them, so I hope things are okay for her.

I have gotten rolls for $19.00, but I have done it from Amazon and Walmart . If you look at the stamp rolls, you often find some cheeper ones.

This is from the USPS site:

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/counterfeit-stamps

There is an additional link which will lists the approved retailers by zip code where you can purchase stamps.

I think Canada Post charges $1.10 retail for a standard letter now, but a pack of 10 "permanent" stamps with a "p" on them for $8.50.

ole joyful

I bought 100 stamps for something like $43 a couple of years ago, but it was via a Brad's Deals link. It was a good deal. But I have a fondness for commemorative stamps, and that's what I usually buy, either from my Post Office or USPS.com.

I'm with you on that one Alisande. I usually order my stamps from USPS.com - and often order some for my kids. DD enjoys using her Charlie Brown stamps that I gave her last year. And I have to admit that when I send greeting cards I pull out my stamps and pick one that goes well with the envelope. Just a silly little thing but I like it.

Maire_Cate, I do the same thing--pick one that goes well with the envelope, or suits the recipient. My artist friends usually get an art-themed stamp. Most of the time I have no idea if they notice, but that's okay. And when I design my Christmas cards I'm happy if I can find stamps that relate to it somehow--or are beautiful in another way.

I don't think they could sell those stamps as less than regular US postal value unless they printed those themselves or stole them. Maybe the post office has mass deals that I am not aware of.

update in post

Good luck on the stamps!

https://www.scam-detector.com/validator/uspsfaststamps-com-review/

Someone enlighten me please.

I bought the stamps. They LOOK exactly like USPS stamps from 2017. The company I bought them from now has my name and house address. I was assured third party companies never even see my credit card number.

What type of scam am I supposed to be on the lookout for????????????????

You may want to keep an eye on your credit card charges. Check your account often for new charges.

If you are really worried call the CC company, explain your concern and maybe have them issue a new number.

" What type of scam am I supposed to be on the lookout for????????????????

One possible problem might be if the stamps were counterfeited.

What struck me with this thread was at the beginning - for what uses would you need 200 stamps?

The 1st hundred stamps will be used to send birthday and anniversary cards plus newsy letters to friends for the next 25 months or so. The other 100 stamps are for a non profit I am associated with.

200 stamps? Probably good for about 200 cards and letters. 😝 That'd get me through a few holiday seasons, which is nearly all I use stamps for. I always feel kind of funny sending out a random bill with a Christ child stamp in June or something.

If you'd paid the normal price for the stamps, you'd be getting a bigger tax deduction for the ones used for the charity. ;-)

I ordered a roll of 100 for whatever they were in 2017, $29 I think. Figured it wouldnt break me and would stop annoying me when I need to mail monthly lawn bill. Wouldn't you know this year he finally started taking yearly payments!

The place sounded like a sporting goods store going out of business and had rolls left over.

So, I ordered from a company called Temu using Paypal. Paypal email verified the purchase but now the company name was written in Chinese. Hmmm gonna watch this. Seemed to take a while but the stamps did come. I've been using them and will probably use for the rest of my life and leave them to my kids.

Excuse me for getting on my high horse here, but what we're talking about here is likely cheating the USPS out of money and paying (overseas?) scammers instead, while the post office is billions in the hole this year alone and we complain about deteriorating service. Come on guys.

Speaking of stamps -- a John Lewis stamp will be released later next month.

Lewis, an American hero.

nancy reagan (just say no!) and red fox (funny) and many others this year. presumably rbg but the release date doesnt appear to be published yet. maybe they're waiting for her to retire.

Did the USPS determine whether they're genuine or counterfeit?

" What type of scam am I supposed to be on the lookout for????????????????

Well, you just gave your credit card info to a crook.

foodonastump....can you clarify your comment on rbg?

That's the only one that got your attention? Guess I'm too unobvious.

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2023/0215-usps-warns-the-public-about-surge-in-use-of-counterfeit-postage.htm

Rho, your last update in the original post says you were going double check with the P.O. that they are genuine. Did they confirm authenticity?

You forfeit your right to complain about the USPS if you don't buy stamps from them.

So far I have not been to a post office. I do not complain about them, I ship packages around the U.S. often from post offices. I'll even admit I read an article a few months ago in TIME magazine that put a positive spin on Louis DeJoy. I will update you all when i find out if these are genuine stamps.

**UPDATE** Today I was at a Post Office. The Clerk said I have 200 genuine USPS Forever postage stamps. He went on to say I need to read reviews of the sites before ordering. He also said sometimes they send genuine stamps to some folks and bogus to others. I dunnaknow but so far I recommend the site I purchased from. Don't forget, kids, postage rates rise July 9.

Thanks for the update - somehow I missed the rate increase notice. I have a decent supply of Forever stamps but I think I'll order a few more from USPS before July 9.

Was that a typo?

What are kids postage rates?

Are some people mailing children again?

😀

LOL! Not sure if that was a serious question at all, but I'm sure it was meant to be read as though "kids" had commas before and after.

Question for Rho - How did the clerk determine they were real? Visual inspection or some kind of electronic scan? Not trying to belabor my skepticism, and I appreciate you going to extra mile to ascertain authenticity, but if they just looked at it, it wouldn't give me much confidence.

Not hardly worth the risk or potential problem for the small amount of money involved.