How can you tell when DSA mail was posted?

[wabbithunta]

Is there any way you can tell when DSA mail was put into the system to be delivered? All I know is that the Frank mark in the corner is the licence number for that firm [TNT Post, UK Mail, etc]
Royal Mail don't stamp them with a date on them, as per normal mail so the reason I'm asking is that I've recently seen a number of envelopes that look like they've been very carefully opened and then resealed, no dount with a "new" letter inside so the name and address is seen in the small window in them.
I've now seen a number of these on my delivery over the past month or so and they really do look like they've been re-used. I've shown the line manager and he said deliver it.
So what I'm doing personally on these is actually crossing through the Frank mark in the corner with the date of delivery. Not being a grinch but as we're under pressure from outside firms that are taking our bread and butter from us I don't see why "Joe Public" or A.N. Other should benefit from re-using an envelope and not pay for its postage. To counter this I've also seen some DSA envelopes being re-used but people have actually put a First Class stamp in the corner and mail these but it does seem to me that a few, as I've said, seem to be getting re-used.

Am I being paranoid... or not?

[Pat Ostman]

If you can defraud and there is opportunity to do so, then someone, somewhere, has/will exploit it. No, you are probably not paranoid, at least not about this.

[PhilthyPhil]

You can't tell. The same goes for Royal Mail PPI items. However, any DSA that arrives at an MC for outside their area should be charged to the DSA provider. Our revenue protection system is quite crappy really and mostly relies on people thining we are much more vigilant than we actually are. The chances of any low volume PPI or DSA fraud being discovered is quite low

[Lounge Lizard]

My electric bill always arrives about a fortnight after the date on it, most likely the fault of the electric company or possibly the DSA company but the electric company blames 'delays with the post' as if it's our fault.

[rhino49]

I'm pretty sure that DSA is handled and delivered as soon as we receive it, but the journey to us is not that certain. I doubt that DSA providers run half empty transport to get things to us quickly as this would eat into their margins. I have had many instances of customers complaining of the very short time available to pay credit card statements that arrive a week before required payment date or hospital appointments arriving the day after the appointment was due. All of the instances in which I have asked to see the envelope concerned (or in fact as I have given it to the customer) have proved to be DSA and in all those cases the item has been delivered to and from our DO on that day.
Customers may well be getting a good service from us but I suspect that DSA partners are using us as an excuse for their poor performance.

[wabbithunta]

I had a few more of this type of envelope being "re-used". Still continuing to put a big felt pen mark across the Frank mark in the corner and adding the date it was posted. Just to make sure no other bugger is gonna try to reuse it - again!

[oneandonly]

I had a few more of this type of envelope being "re-used". Still continuing to put a big felt pen mark across the Frank mark in the corner and adding the date it was posted. Just to make sure no other bugger is gonna try to reuse it - again!

Do they come in with the mech or manual? If it comes in with the mech chances are it hasn't been re-used

[wabbithunta]

I had a few more of this type of envelope being "re-used". Still continuing to put a big felt pen mark across the Frank mark in the corner and adding the date it was posted. Just to make sure no other bugger is gonna try to reuse it - again!

Do they come in with the mech or manual? If it comes in with the mech chances are it hasn't been re-used

Your question is moot. The main thrust of my post is in the Subject line.
Anyway Mech contains normal mail as well as DSA mail.