Money missing in post

[jessiedog]

I received 5 requests for my lastest quiz this morning and isn't it funny that the only one tampered with was the only one you could feel money in. This envelope had 2 tears/holes in it, but the money was still in it as the sender had taped the cash to a note to me and put that inside the SAE and then the envelope.

I know this is not a failsafe method, but could be bourne in mind when posting cash for quizzes.

Moan over. J

[Quizmonkey]

If people are stupid enough to send cash through the post, they deserve to have it stolen!

[Tichfield]

Unless coins are totally encased in something quite substantial the Royal Mail sorting machines - which have revolving drums - tend to rip the envelopes against the hard edges of coins.

I was told that the sorters find lots of coind in and under these sorting machines.

I would never send coins in the post.

[Diane1954]

I send coins because I don't like writing lots of cheques for �1.00. Personally I like (and use) jessiedogs idea with the Tesco vouchers.I do tape the coin to something else so until someone comes up with a better idea I'll keep sending coins.

[jared25]

I agree with Diane1954. I send off for loads of quizzes and have had no problems (up to now!!) by taping a coin between pieces of card which are the same size as the envelope.

[jessiedog]

These rips were almost certainly not caused by a machine given the very precise nature of the tear. One of them was just like you would make with a paper knife to open the envelope and just the size to let out a coin, the other I would find hard to believe was made by sorting machine as well. Also, as I pointed out, the coins were not loose in the envelope and did not feel to have hard edges due to the paper, tape and envelope they were encased in.

However, having said all that, I do wish people wouldn't send cash because of the dangers of it going 'missing' by whatever means.

I shall keep advocating my idea of Tesco gift cards as a method of payment.

Incidentally, did anyone see the item in the Daily Mail about a poison spider in a bunch of Tesco grapes. That's my local store !!!

[quizmouse]

The idea of the tesco cards is a good one but...I dont shop in tesco's so I would have to make a special trip and have to shop there to spend them and replace the money... I assume you cant cash them in?

however if there werent too many, I suppose I could ask for them all to be put onto one and send it to the winning person?
I have not had any arrive with money missing but I have had extra postage to pay several times...... not good.

[jessiedog]

Hi Quizmouse

I ask for Tesco gift cards as that is the only big store near me out here in the wilds. I realise that other people may not use Tesco and will stick to cash/cheque, but it does offer one more (relatively) secure method of payment.

I suppose that other stores do something similar and may be more convenient for you. I think it is a viable alternative to cash and cheque and doesn't cost any extra to either the competitor or quiz setter like, say, a postal order.

Bad luck on the extra postage front, I haven't encountered that as yet, but I do sometimes have to provide a bigger return envelope - I cut up the one supplied to just name address and stamp and tape to the front of new envelope.

best wishes, J

[gen2]

When I ran my quiz last autumn, I only had one person who claimed to have sent money that didn't arrive - nothing at all arrived from that entrant - not even a torn envelope.

I only had one entry that attracted a surcharge - I included the surcharged cover with the quiz sheet(s) I sent and the entrant very honestly included the extra with the returned answersheet at the end of the quiz.

The safest way to include a coin with a submission is to take a piece of corrugated paper and cut a hole in the centre the same size as the coin being sent. Place the coin in the hole and tape both sides.

jessiedog, Mail passes very rapidly between rollers both for franking and for sorting so anything that causes an abrupt change in the profile, such as a coin, can result in a tear in the envelope as it passes through. That is nothing to do with deliberate tampering. I think that is a much more likely explanation.

[quizmouse]

on the whole, we manage very well.. most people find good ways to pay their �1, but it is sensible to keep reiterating the problems incurred for new entrants.
regular entrants have by now found successful ways to pay for their quizzes, but I still think its wise to put any coins safely between thin card or paper or foil, whatever but then to put the whole lot within the retun envelope before sending for added protection.
Its also a good idea not to mark the envelope quiz request or things like that, people soon catch on.....
Whatever you do keep sending for th quizzes!!!