Solvent? damage to Post Cards

[elliot_matthew]

Hello

I was wondering if anyone could help trace why a number of the postcards I send get damaged.

This only happens to "glossy" (varnished) cards and it appears some sort of solvent is destroying the ink in patches whilst leaving the actual cardboard undamaged. This doesn't by any means happen to every card I send but it happens often enough for it to be more than a one off.

Here is a photo of the kind of damage it suffers:



This particular card was cancelled at the Birmingham Mail Centre but I have seen similar damage from the Bristol and London Mail Centres.

I have been going through Royal Mail Customer services and whilst I appreciate them giving me 6x1st stamps in compensation they don't seem to be interested in finding out the root cause of this issue.

So hopefully someone here will be able to help me :)

Thanks

Elliot Matthew

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Where abouts do you post them? Ie a post office or post box or business collection? Etc

[elliot_matthew]

This one wasn't posted by me but sent to me - I think it was just posted in a street box in Pershore. The ones I have sent and have been damaged are usually just posted in street boxes (the particular one I use the most is at the junction of Denmark Road and Heathville Road in Gloucester). The Gloucester ones I send I think are generally sorted at Bristol Mail Centre whereas the one shown went to Birmingham.

[clashcityrocker]

Is it snail trails across the cards?
Could that be the problem?

[elliot_matthew]

Possibly but I am skeptical as the stamps show no sign of damage nor does the damage seem to affect non-glossy post cards

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Is it snail trails across the cards?
Could that be the problem?

That's exactly what my question was to try and get at, that's exactly what it looks like

[elliot_matthew]

I can stop using freestanding boxes and just use the post office directly and see if that fixes the issue. It would take a while to confirm that it worked though since this certainly doesn't happen every time.

Is the problem of slugs/snails in postboxes very widespread?

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

I can stop using freestanding boxes and just use the post office directly and see if that fixes the issue. It would take a while to confirm that it worked though since this certainly doesn't happen every time.

Is the problem of slugs/snails in postboxes very widespread?

Not that widespread but enough that most posties on collections will usually come across it now and then,

[clashcityrocker]

Slugs and snails eating post

The wet summer has encouraged slugs and snails to colonise post boxes where they feed on letters and packages.
The molluscs, which have bred rapidly in the damp conditions, are partial to the glue on envelopes and stamps.
Hundreds of workers at Royal Mail sorting offices as well as homeowners are reporting deliveries arriving half-eaten.
A spokesman for the Royal Mail said staff regularly clean postboxes to keep the snails out.
He said: ''We do all we can to protect the mail and insure it is delivered to its intended recipient in a good state.
''Unfortunately there is the odd occasion when snails still manage to make a meal out of envelopes and we apologise for that
''Occasionally wall-mounted postboxes do provide good homes for snails. When we identify the problem, we install brushes in the aperture which deter them.
''They are particularly keen on stamps and air mail letters. Something in the dye attracts their taste buds.''

I think this article is from 2009 but it obviously is a fairly common problem if the conditions are right.

[elliot_matthew]

I saw that article when I googled it - it only affects the glossy side - the stamps (which are usually old fashioned lick and stick ones) are always unaffected.

But as I said I can try and use the Post office for a while and see what happens

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

I saw that article when I googled it - it only affects the glossy side - the stamps (which are usually old fashioned lick and stick ones) are always unaffected.

But as I said I can try and use the Post office for a while and see what happens

Ignore the bit bit about snails preferring the stamps and glue, from personal experience they will eat anything in the box and your pic looks exactly like the marks they leave on card, on a flimsier envelope it would be lots of holes

[elliot_matthew]

Thanks - I will have to be careful choosing boxes from now on - I post a fair amount of postcards so I guess by the law of averages I would run into them! I'm glad it's not the Royal Mail at fault because this has an easier solution.

[arnold cheshire]

Hello

I was wondering if anyone could help trace why a number of the postcards I send get damaged.

This only happens to "glossy" (varnished) cards and it appears some sort of solvent is destroying the ink in patches whilst leaving the actual cardboard undamaged. This doesn't by any means happen to every card I send but it happens often enough for it to be more than a one off.

Here is a photo of the kind of damage it suffers:



This particular card was cancelled at the Birmingham Mail Centre but I have seen similar damage from the Bristol and London Mail Centres.

I have been going through Royal Mail Customer services and whilst I appreciate them giving me 6x1st stamps in compensation they don't seem to be interested in finding out the root cause of this issue.

So hopefully someone here will be able to help me :)

Thanks

Elliot Matthew

that postcard looks very old

[Lounge Lizard]

Hello

I was wondering if anyone could help trace why a number of the postcards I send get damaged.

This only happens to "glossy" (varnished) cards and it appears some sort of solvent is destroying the ink in patches whilst leaving the actual cardboard undamaged. This doesn't by any means happen to every card I send but it happens often enough for it to be more than a one off.

Here is a photo of the kind of damage it suffers:



This particular card was cancelled at the Birmingham Mail Centre but I have seen similar damage from the Bristol and London Mail Centres.

I have been going through Royal Mail Customer services and whilst I appreciate them giving me 6x1st stamps in compensation they don't seem to be interested in finding out the root cause of this issue.

So hopefully someone here will be able to help me :)

Thanks

Elliot Matthew

that postcard looks very old

No, it's just that the buildings, people and customs of Pershore are very old.

[elliot_matthew]

I have posted 20 experimental cards from Gloucester King Square PO and Cheltenham PO and keeping an eye on what happens to them - if any are damaged then it is not snails!