No IRC's .. :(

[egiblock]

so i went to go send a bunch of letters to the bond actors. 3 of them are overseas in the UK. im in the USA. so i called 5 post offices around me and they all don't carry them.. one (about 15 miles from my work) said they would order some, but would take a week or so to get. the reason they were out was because in august they changed the rates for IRC's, and the post master there won't order them until there is a request for them.

oh well. i still sent the letters without postage just to see if they'll come back, and i'll just wait for the post office to get the IRC's in an resend some more letters..

just my 2 cents to those out there.. always call the post office first..

[F.A.D.E]

Great advise!

I am lucky they have IRC's here in Denmark. But if I write UK or USA I use stamps (trade or buy stamps)

Fatima xxx

[**Cayce**]

what are IRC's?

Love cayce

[loveryan]

what are IRC's?

Love cayce

Please, check this link:

http://www.fanmail.biz/mboard/viewtopic.php?t=14171

[Zorin]

At first I went to a few post offices in the UK and nobody knew what I was talkind about but eventually I did find some. Just keep at it and you should be able to get some. You could even try and order them online.

[egiblock]

372 International Reply Coupons

372.1 Description

a. The sender of a letter may prepay a reply by purchasing reply coupons that are sold and exchangeable for postage stamps by postal administrations in member countries of the Universal Postal Union.

b. International reply coupons (in French Coupons-Reponse Internationaux) are printed in blue ink on paper that has the letters "UPU" in large characters in the watermark. The front of each coupon is printed in French. The reverse side of the coupon shows the text relating to its use in German English Arabic Chinese Spanish and Russian.

c. Coupons sold in the United States have the selling price printed on them while coupons in other countries may not.


372.2 Availability

Reply coupons may be requisitioned by Post Office facilities in the same manner as postage stamps. The coupons should be stocked at Post Office facilities that have a demand for them.


372.3 Selling Price and Rate of Exchange

a. The selling price of a reply coupon in the United States is $1.85. One coupon is exchangeable in any other member country for a stamp or stamps representing the minimum postage on an unregistered air letter. Unused U.S. coupons (that is those with the U.S. selling price stamped on them) may be exchanged only for United States postage stamps by the original purchaser at a discount of 1 cent below the purchase price.

b. International reply coupons purchased in foreign countries are exchangeable at U.S. Post Office facilities toward the purchase of postage stamps and embossed stamped envelopes (including aerogrammes) at the rate of $0.84 per coupon irrespective of the country where they were purchased.


372.4 Processing Requests

a. When an international reply coupon is sold the Postal Service clerk must place a postmark in the block which is headed control stamp of the country of origin.

b. Under Universal Postal Union's regulations member countries are not required to place a control stamp or postmark on the international reply coupons that they sell. Therefore some foreign issue reply coupons which are tendered for redemption may bear the name of the issuing country (generally in French) rather than the optional control stamp or postmark. Such coupons are exchangeable for U.S. postage as specified in 372.3b.

c. A Post Office facility redeeming an unused U.S. coupon must postmark it in the unpostmarked circle. A Post Office facility exchanging a foreign reply coupon must postmark it in the right circle. Post Office facilities must not accept foreign coupons that already bear a Postal Service postmark.

d. Reply coupons issued by foreign countries before 2002 will not be redeemable at U.S. Post Offices as of January 1, 2007. The pre-2002 international reply coupons are approximately 2.5 inches by 4 inches and do not have a barcode on the back. The latest versions of the international reply coupons printed by the Universal Postal Union are approximately 3.75 inches by 6 inches and can be distinguished by the barcode on the back. Starting January 1, 2007, customers should return pre-2002 coupons of foreign origin to their correspondents in the country of issue for replacement or redemption through the issuing postal administration. This policy change is only for international reply coupons issued by foreign postal administrations — U.S.-origin coupons are not affected.

e. Reply coupons formerly issued by the Postal Union of the Americas and Spain are no longer valid. These coupons are printed in green ink and bear the caption Cupon Respuesta America-Espanol. Customers possessing any of these coupons should return them to their correspondents in the country of issue for redemption through the selling post office.

f. Postmasters must process exchanged foreign and redeemed U.S. coupons as prescribed in 426.9 International Reply Coupons (IRCs) Handbook F-1 Post Office Accounting Procedures.



from: http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/immc3_007.html