coastwatcher
Departed
Rest in peace
Kentucky, USA
Posts: 506
What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Oct 9, 2019 13:57:57 GMT
Yesterday I received some approvals from a seller that I’d never heard of and that I definitely didn’t ask for. They were early 20th century US issues and were all in good shape but priced a little on the high side. They came with a postpaid envelope to return them and, as I didn’t need any of them and could get them cheaper if I did, I’m going to return them. I’m not sure where he got my name and address from but, the more that I think about it, the more upset I am about receiving approvals that I didn’t request. I’m thinking of including a note when I return them saying that, if I receive any more, I will consider them as a gift. What would you do? Have you ever received any unsolicited approvals?
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philatelia
Member 
Captain Jack - my best kiloware find ever!
Posts: 3,416
What I collect: Ireland, Japan, Scandy, USA, Venezuela, Vatican, Bermuda, Austria
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Post by philatelia on Oct 9, 2019 14:01:34 GMT
That used to be a HUGE problem and I believe the APS posted an intelligent statement about the ethics of the issue both for sender and recipient. Let me see if they have it posted online. Ah yes - here is their statement: APS statement on unsolicited approvals |
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coastwatcher
Departed
Rest in peace
Kentucky, USA
Posts: 506
What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Oct 9, 2019 14:51:01 GMT
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philatelia
Member
Captain Jack - my best kiloware find ever!
Posts: 3,416
What I collect: Ireland, Japan, Scandy, USA, Venezuela, Vatican, Bermuda, Austria
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Post by philatelia on Oct 9, 2019 16:31:59 GMT
You're very welcome, happy to help a fellow TSF stamper.
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renden
Member
Posts: 8,719 
What I collect: World W collector with ++ interests in BNA (Canada etc) and USA
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Post by renden on Oct 9, 2019 16:50:27 GMT
philateliaThanks for the link - it is always good to understand how our neighbours (Americans) think ! René Canada
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Post by stamphinger on Oct 9, 2019 18:07:50 GMT
It has been a long time, decades actually, since I have received unsolicited approvals. I'm surprised there still are those who do that. When I got them I would return them with a note saying they were not my collecting area and I didn't use approval services and please do not send another selection. Seemed to work. I don't remember ever getting a second batch from a sender who I asked to not send any more.
Don StampHinger
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Oct 10, 2019 1:32:09 GMT
Or, you could write UNSOLICITED, RETURN TO SENDER on the envelope.
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tomiseksj
Moderator 
Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
Posts: 6,269
What I collect: Worldwide stamps/covers, Cinderellas, Ohio Prepaid Sales Tax Receipts, U.S. WWII Ration ephemera
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Post by tomiseksj on Oct 10, 2019 12:29:01 GMT
If you are an APS member, you should check with Judy Johnson at APS ((814) 933-3803 ext. 210) to see if the seller purchased a mailing list with your address.
If so, the seller violated their terms of use for lists provided commercially and should be prevented from any future list purchases.
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renden
Member
Posts: 8,719
What I collect: World W collector with ++ interests in BNA (Canada etc) and USA
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Post by renden on Oct 10, 2019 12:45:32 GMT
Never experienced that.....or maybe I did when I was a teen collector but my dad screened everything - !
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coastwatcher
Departed
Rest in peace
Kentucky, USA
Posts: 506
What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Oct 11, 2019 1:48:20 GMT
Thanks tomiseksj, I’ll be busy tomorrow but I’ll call on Monday. |
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daveg28
Member
Posts: 1,016
What I collect: U.S., Canada, Great Britain & Commonwealth, France (esp. 1950-80), DDR, USSR
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Post by daveg28 on Oct 11, 2019 2:02:33 GMT
I can't remember the last time I received any approvals, unrequested or otherwise. I suppose that I'd also send them back with a note stating not to send me any more. I do remember getting them as a kid when I started out. I'm not sure how I paid for the ones I kept. My mom must have helped me out.
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,360
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Oct 11, 2019 10:38:29 GMT
When I requested a free Mystic catalog years ago, an excellent resource by the way if you want a US catalog,- they sent approvals with a return envelope. This happened twice. I would not return approvals if they did not include return postage.
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mikeclevenger
Member
Posts: 887
What I collect: Ohio Tax Stamps, Ohio & Georgia Revenues, US Revenues, US FDC's, & Germany Classics
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Post by mikeclevenger on Oct 11, 2019 13:47:56 GMT
I received some approvals I didn't request about 10 years ago. i returned them with a note saying "I do not want any approvals and if you send more, I will consider them as a gift to me from you". they sent two more approval packs the following two months, before asking about payment for the two lots. I sen them a letter stating what my first note said and that i really appreciated their gifts to me. I never heard form them again. I think i still have all those stamps in the original envelopes they sent me because I already had all the stamps they sent. I don't think the total value was even $10 but it was the principle of what they were doing that I didn't approve of.
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coastwatcher
Departed
Rest in peace
Kentucky, USA
Posts: 506
What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Oct 12, 2019 1:18:21 GMT
I would not return approvals if they did not include return postage. If they don’t send a postpaid envelope, you could always use the stamps they sent on approval as postage! |
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,360
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Oct 13, 2019 10:10:43 GMT
coastwatcher, In the Mystic case, they were all used stamps.
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