# Charities urged to boycott Royal Mail’s FREEPOST service

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/06/25/charities-urged-boycott-royal-mail039s-freepost-service/
- Published: 2008-06-25T17:56:08+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/Not_freepost_1213972575.gif)

Annoyed that some charities are still being charged by Royal Mail for FREEPOST envelopes
returned to them with a stamp by supporters, Gareth Edwards of Company Solutions
is encouraging charities to boycott the FREEPOST service.

Third Sector magazine reported two weeks ago that [Stamps on Freepost letters are no guarantee of savings](http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/Channels/Finance/Article/815631/Stamps-Freepost-letters-no-guarantee-savings)
and that “The Royal Mail is often being paid twice for letters posted back to charities
by supporters.”

Royal Mail’s sorting system can not detect FREEPOST letters that have been stamped.
Charities telling their supporters that if they use a stamp on the envelope it will
save the charity money are therefore unintentionally misleading their supporters.

## Advertisement

Edwards is encouraging charities to change the wording on their response envelopes
to “Please use a stamp – we no longer use FREEPOST as Royal Mail now charge all 
good causes EVEN when you put a stamp on the envelope – support charities who Boycott
Freepost until Royal Mail treat charities fairly.”

He is [urging charity supporters to write to their MP](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/06/25/charities-urged-boycott-royal-mail039s-freepost-service/www.companysolutions.biz/Page12.aspx?ID=191)
to ask for the problem to be resolved.

 * **[Last posting dates for Christmas](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/10/30/last-posting-dates-christmas/)**(
   30 October 2008)
 * **[Not only businesses are affected by the postal strike… charities are too](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/10/30/not-only-businesses-are-affected-postal-strike-charities-are-too/)**(
   30 October 2009)
 * **[Last posting dates for Christmas 2009](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/11/26/last-posting-dates-christmas-2009/)**(
   26 November 2009)