Is return address mandatory on mail?

[Pinotage]

On theright of these Answerbank pages are a column of goooogle ads. One I've just seen is from a rubber stamp company  says

Return address stamps
Mandatory on all Mail in the UK! Order your address stamp online.
 

True, or scare story?
 
 

[woofgang]

scare story

[woofgang]

doesn't appear to be mandatory

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/sitesearch?pageId=site_search_results_rm&catId=400145&_requestid=38100

Because i am a sad person (and sat here waiting for a phonecall) I have emailed the firm for a comment!!

[tubeway]

Lots of rubber stamp ads on this page - and none of then say manditory now - well done

[woofgang]

it was rubberstanpz.co.uk....isn't the power of AB amazing!!

[Pinotage]

Folks - those adverts cycle though. The mandatory one doesn't appear every time, but its still there as I type this.

[GuavaHalf]

It's partly true. The Royal Mail recently decided that they would no longer return franked mail that did not have a return address. Normal stamped mail is still opened to discover a return address if none is noted on the envelope/package.

NB - Franked mail is mail sent by companies using a franking machine instead of stamps.

[Pinotage]

Thanks GuavaHalf (great name).

 Of course, if a company is using a franking machine then they can use the machine to print their address. I can't see them buying a rubber stamp to hand print all their letters

[woofgang]

still not mandatory, you can choose not to get your mail back !!

[chil]

 Hello Pinotage

The advert is there as I type this .I am a postman and don't think that return address is mandatory.However given the number of people that miss address envelopes and then blame the postman for losing it I think that it really should be mandatory. I have an idea that this is the case in some other countries. Whilst on the subject of post can we start a campaign to do away with all window envelopes,these are a postmans nightmare.