Cransley Returns !!! Please Read

[earthakitten]

Watch out everyone, the charity coin thief is about again. Had several returns today and two had been ripped open and money taken HOW DARE THEY !!! whoever they are.
I have now made a formal complaint to RM who are looking in to it.
I am hoping that two Abers will contact me by e-mail as RM would like their names and addresses. I do have a return envelope but thought I would ask first.

Mrs McCowan from Huddersfield
Mrs Smith from Thirsk

Please contact me [email protected]

And before anyone beats me to a pulp, I know it's not ideal to send cash but not everyone wants to send cheques for �1 and they shouldn't feel that they have too.

Off my chest now ... hope everyone is good xx

[bridgenut]

In fairness to Royal Mail , I don't think anyone is deliberately opening them . What happens is they are fed into drums and the letters pass through rollers . What then happens is the coin(s) get jammed and the envelope gets pulled through separating the 2 items . I used to work in a main sorting office and this kind of thing happened quite a lot . Anything that is found in the machines should be handed in to the " Brokes" dept. and held there for so long to see if it gets claimed . One of the worst things for jamming is birthday cards with the metal badges on them . Hope this helps clear things up , know it may not recover the missing coins , but I hope it does for the sake of the charity(ies) concerned . Regards

[Pebbles]

If I send cash, I always sellotape it between 2 pieces of cardboard and tuck it in my S.A.E.

This keeps it safe from rolling around the envelope and also makes it a bit more "unrecognisable"

[Headley]

Thats a good idea Peppbles but do you not get into the categary of being too thick with all these new rules on size and thickness.

[Pebbles]

Hi Headley, if you use cereal package cardboard, it is thick enough to "hide" the �1 but thin enough to go through the Royal Mail size rule for standard 1st or 2nd class.

[jessiedog]

Hi Earthakitten, I hope it's not a thief and only a machine fault.

To everyone else - I send coins and have found that the corrugated cardboard boxes you can get in supermarkets that the the shop has their deliveries in (I large box = 16 packs of cornflakes kind of thing) is just the thickness of a �1 coin. I cut the card to size of envelope and cut a hole the size of �1, put coin in hole with bit of sellotape each side to hold in place and then put return envelope wrapped around "hide". I have not heard that this is too large for post and I have never not recieved a quiz back. Earthakitten has had a few of these from me !

I usually make a few at a time to save having to do it each time I want a quiz.

Incidently earthakitten, do you know what the bank charges are to a charity when they bank a lot of �1 cheques? This is the reason that I send coins so that no charges are incurred. I ask as I am just putting the finishing touches to a quiz for the Cinnamon Trust (and will be posting a "new quiz" soon). Just to whet your appetite it will be all pictures and is an odd one out and connections theme.

[obsessed]

Was very interested to read what has been said. I always send coins and sellotape them and try to disguise them. I have never had a problem until the other week when I received a letter from the person running the quiz to say that they have received my request without the money and they returned my envelope because they was a definite cut in the envelope which made her think the money had been there and been taken out. I was saddened to think that someone had gone to the trouble of taking my �1 coin.
As Jessiedog said I send coins because at least the charities get the full value and do not pay charges paying in lots of cheques for �1. I shall try pebbles@method of concealment.

[earthakitten]

Thanks for all your tips. Sorry if I sounded angry when I posted everyone. It's just that it happens frequently now and my hackles were up !!
I do ask for cheques to be paid to myself, then I bank and send the charity just one cheque. I will check on charges just to be sure.
Both the last two had been sellotaped on a piece of card !!!
Others have had a nice circular hole cut in the envelope and the money just pops out.
I have even had my request opened, money taken,then return envelope sealed and posted back to me.

Good luck with your inventive concealments ...lol ...

Look forward to it jessiedog, as you are probably aware by now I just love pictures.

[Trussell]

It was obvious that the jiffy bag containing my son's Father's Day present of a CD + card had been opened and re-stuck down. The jiffy arrived with just the card inside - oh, dear, but what can one do?

[Headley]

Thanks everyone been reading all your comments will try harder next time to conceal my � as I was one of the unfortunate envelopes to get to eartherkitten minus money.It is not the money it is the principal behind this petty theft. and from charities which we are all trying our hardest to support in an interesting way and having some fun with all these quizzes.