Is this a scam?

[royale]

I've received a grey card saying "Unfortunately we can't deliver your item because there is a fee to pay"

There's a form on there (unfilled), but there's a sticker over it.

The sticker says REF: and then a ref number, consisting of three numbers, a dash, then two letters. Example : 123 - AB

Then :

SURNAME : my surname only. No Mr, no first initial, no first name
ADDRESS : my address

POSTCODE : my post code DATE BOOKED : the date
REASON : THE SENDER DID NOT PAY THE FULL POSTAGE
AMOUNT DUE : £2.00

Then some text :

* All post items entering the UK from outside the EU.....etc etc etc

Then :

What to do next? you can pay in a number of ways : [the Y of "you" is just as I've written it. Uncapitalized]

Then some options :

* Online at http://www.royalmail.co.uk/feetopay" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; [I checked it, it's a real page on the RM website]
* With postage
* In person

Then...

Please note - if you are planning to pay an outstanding fee on collection, credit / debit cards cannot be processed at Delivery Offices.

Then...

Please note, we will keep underpaid items for 18 calendar day...etc etc etc.



Here is an image of a similar one from google :



That image is not quite the same as the one I got. The one I got also does not have the small print at the bottom, talking about RM's trading name and registered number and address. It doesn't have that. Instead it has it along the right edge. It starts with "P4605 July 2013". It's 2019.

On the other side it has the RM logo at top left, 2 "Affix postage here" boxes top right, it has the real address of my nearest delivery office, and it has the opening times, which I think are correct. It also has a phone number, which, from what I've checked (here : https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... r.pdf.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) is for that delivery office. But when I googled the delivery office, another number came up, although I think it's the main RM number.



I haven't ordered anything from a company or anyone on ebay nor an amazon seller.

I can't think of any way it could be from the council or gov. Surely they would pay the postage, and I've never heard of them sending anyone something so heavy or large as to require £2 postage. Usually whatever they have to say can be said on 1 or 2 pages.

There's only 1 person who knows my name and address and who might ever want to send me anything in the post. But I think they're smart enough not to make such an error.



Is this a scam?

[Snaggletooth]

I once got one of those when the exam board failed to put enough stamps on the item. It was my exam certificate.

The fee you pay includes an admin charge.

If you are really worried about being scammed, go and collect it in person from the Delivery Office.

[fb1969]

£2 is the standard charge for a letter that has no stamp/postage on it https://www.royalmail.com/personal/rece ... id-postage" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I once had one for a letter from a Building Society where I was taking out a mortgage - so the item could be anything from a card from a relative to a bit of marketing post with no postage paid.

As Snaggletooth says, you can collect the item in person - doing that will give to the chance to see it and refuse it if you don't want it.

[royale]

The main thing I'd like to know is, from what I've described, does the card seem legit?

[fb1969]

The card certainly seems legit to me. There may be newer or older versions with slightly different details, but if the address on the stamps side is the local delivery office and the web link is at royalmail.com there is nowhere else any payment could be sent to other than Royal Mail. Our office places a sticker over the name and address section as it is generated by the system when the information is input.

[Janet Brum]

£2 is the standard charge for a letter that has no stamp/postage on it https://www.royalmail.com/personal/rece ... id-postage" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I once had one for a letter from a Building Society where I was taking out a mortgage - so the item could be anything from a card from a relative to a bit of marketing post with no postage paid.

As Snaggletooth says, you can collect the item in person - doing that will give to the chance to see it and refuse it if you don't want it.

This is entirely correct, the best option is to go to your delivery office with that card, ask to see the item and if you want to collect it, pay £2, if not, they will send it back.

Lots of stamps might not be correctly applied and fell off, someone might have forgotten to put a stamp on or the postage is insufficient, all these questions are easily answered with a trip to your delivery office, just in case it`s a fraud :)

[kblum]

Is this doing the rounds again? I recently sent my daughter something I ordered online and had it delivered directly to her address. The package arrived and all was good until one week later I was called by the care staff to say that they had received a grey card which asked for £1.50 in underpaid postage. The strange thing is that we have never once posted anything to her there before and as she had received her package we had no idea what it was for. We decided to pay it and a delivery date of last Wednesday was agreed via email. Wednesday came and went and we called the carers to see what the package was but were informed nothing had been delivered (and still hasnt). One of the staff members said that she too had fallen for this.
The fee was paid using the link on the card http://www.royalmail.com/feetopay" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and it all looked so correct. The money was taken from Paypal but when I try to click on the link rmg-ebusiness.com it states that the site is not valid. Everything looks correct and an exact replica of the royal mail web site, they even included a link that does work but the main one rmg-ebusiness doesnt.
I tried to ring the Royal mail help line but was advised of a 45 minute wait.
I know it's only £1.50 but I hate being scammed (if this is indeed what it is) and if they do it thousands of times then they are earning good money.
What is interesting is that the address is a residential care home and as mentioned this was the first and only time we have ever sent anything (due to Covid19) direct to our daughter so someone involved in the package being sent must be involved because this underpaid fee was in her name so how the hell did they get it other than from the proper delivery?
I would be interested to know whether Royal mail did actually ever receive the money or if (as suspected) it's gone to the con men.
Has anyone else fallen foul of this scam?

[P13]

It sounds legitimate,it would have been a letter not a packet ,£1.50 is the fee for a letter with insufficient postage