The NEW Virtual Seed Parcel

[Nicos]

I think the main stumbling block is that you cannot send UK stamps in a SAE.

It's dead easy to ask someone in the UK to post some books of stamps to you. That's what I do if I run out.

I know it's a bit of a back and to with postage- but the seeds are 'free' after all- and boy...what a choice!

- you just need to plan ahead
simples!

[Zelenina]

Sure if that's your decision I'll have to accept it, even if i don't like it. I guess that's the end of this discussion. Looking forward to trying out the seeds I got anyway

[Zelenina]

Sorry our posts crossed VC. And sorry to cause you so much trouble. But I did say I didn't need 90 packets returned, and I was expecting much fewer when you told me that was far too many. But I had already made up 90 packets to send so I thought I might as well send them anyway.

[Zelenina]

Thanks Norfolkgrey That's very kind of you. I might take you up on that some time. One of the places I go when I'm visiting in the UK is actually not terribly far from you.

And thanks to everyone else for your suggestions of solutions

I'm not sure why VC had to go to the post office, because I sent her 5 UK 97p stamps and she put 4 of them on the packet and returned the fifth. I had also provided her with a temporary UK address, but I wasn't there very long and she was too busy with puppies to make use of it, which is understandable. And I said I was wiling to accept far fewer packets of seeds than I sent in to make less work for her. Though she ended up sending me more than I expected

I didn't come here just for seed swapping, but it was a big factor in enticing me to join up and stop lurking. So it's quite disappointing to find the rules getting tighter all the time, and that I'm not allowed into the seed circle at all.

And yet there are a lot of old seeds in the VSP that might not germinate, so isn't it better to encourage more users and get fresher seeds.

[veggiechicken]

I've made up my mind - VSP seeds will only be sent to UK addresses.

Zelenina, sorting out the postage and 90 or so packets of seeds for you, over Christmas, was the catalyst to my changing the rules about how the VSP will operate.
I'm very sorry if you feel excluded but you are not the only Grape who lives outside the UK. I know that you have family in the UK and will send seeds to them but I am not going to send seeds abroad any more.
I do this voluntarily, in my own time, therefore I feel entitled to decide how it operates.

[Bigmallly]

One problem I forsee is that you do not know what your return parcel is going to weigh therefore you don't know what the cost will be.

I think it is a case of simplifying things for VC and minimising the time she spends on grapes seeds swaps. Zel if no one in the uk can take them in for you and forward them on them pm when you want to swap and I will take them in and forward them to you. I know it seems daft but if VC went to the post office for seed swaps she would be better to get a job there all the time involved

[Zelenina]

But I did send you stamps VC. More than enough because you sent one back in the package. Obviously I couldn't send them with my seeds because I posted them from Slovakia, but I sent them in a separate envelope when I was in England for Christmas, after you told me roughly how much it would cost. And I bought a few extras home with me for future use. So I can't see where the problem is.

[sparrow100]

Zelenina, if you are over in July can you buy a small stash of stamps, or get a friend to buy them for you? Perhaps ones for the current postage to Slovakia and some small denominations so you've got insurance for price rises for a year or two. That would solve the problem, though it does mean you'll possibly have to weigh some seeds at home to make sure the postage is right.

@Kristen - online stamps are date defined. There is a post-by date that is usually the next working day.

[Kristen]

Ah, of course, hadn't thought of that. So no need to PDF and email and all that faff ... could the sender print the barcode-stamp, in lieu of a real one, and include with the seeds they are sending you??

[veggiechicken]

Since its a Seed Swap, the stamps are sent with the incoming seeds. I reuse the envelopes, where possible, and put the stamps on it.
Being Scrooge, I hate using the printer

[Kristen]

https://www.royalmail.com/discounts-...e-postage/home

EDIT: THat's no good, I think its for a whole sheet of labels, pretty sure you can buy just one "stamp" online though??

[Kristen]

Assuming you could calculate & look up how much the postage should be then how about buying the postage online?

I think its a bit flawed, and thus a huge faff ... but maybe maybe maybe not??

In principle you can buy postage online, and print it out to stick to the envelope. Its just a barcode thingie, which works in lieu of a stamp.

What I don't think you can do is to buy it "as" a PDF (which you could then email), but a savvy person could probably "print" it to a PDF and Email the PDF.

Being Scrooge I hate sending SAE's - I have to pay the postage to get it there, as well as the return postage ... whereas if I were to email an electronic stamp instead then I only pay the one-way postage, and I'm happy happy happy Need to figure a way to pay for the envelope too of course ..

.. I have done it by sending the money for the P&P, via PayPal, but that jacks up the cost for their commission

[Bigmallly]

Yes, if you have to go to the post office that would be much too troublesome. I understand that.

But isn't there a standard rate to EU countries? Can't you just weigh it at home and stick the right stamps on and pop it in the box with the UK packages? Or maybe it doesn't work that simply any more. It's a very long time since I lived there and used the UK postal system regularly.

People and companies seem to send stuff easily enough from other EU countries. I've had several seed packages from Ireland in the last few years, and I got one from France a couple of weeks ago, though it was a bit tricky ordering in French. But for some reason getting them from my home country is more difficult.

I think the main stumbling block is that you cannot send UK stamps in a SAE.

[veggiechicken]

Postage depends on the size and weight of the parcel. International Standard Delivery (Formerly Airmail) | Royal Mail Group Ltd. UK stamps are essential and you were unable to buy those - so how could it operate without me going to a PO to buy them?