[Dx-qsl] Re: TX9 QSL and German return postage issue

Thu Feb 24 11:37:35 EST 2005

> here in DL you can send a "standard" letter (up to 20gr) to a country 
> outside EU for 1.55 EUR. This is also the value of 1 IRC. e.g. if you 
> are buying IRCs here in DL you have to pay 1.55 EUR for one IRC.

The situation is VERY different here in the USA. Here, an IRC costs 
1ドル.75 at the post office, but when it is turned in for postage it is 
only worth 0ドル.80. However, at the present exchange rate, 1ドル.75 is less 
than 1.55 EUR.
> This means that you can send a standard letter to a country outside EU 
> using just 1 IRC (no matter where they come from - even unstamped ones 
> are "good"). Did the letter have a rubberstamp or was it a "real" stamp? 
> According to german postal rules the post office has to use rubber 
> stamps if you are using an IRC for sending the letter.

The letter had a rubberstamp for the postage. As I recall, this is also 
true of most of the envelopes I receive from Germany.
> Hope this helps. I have send several letters to countries outside EU 
> using just 1 IRC. 2 IRCs are definitely too much - at least here in DL.

That's good to know. Has there been a recent change? It was mentioned 
several times in QRZ-DX and other DX bulletins that German DXers were 
reporting that 2 IRCs were required for replies to addresses outside of 
Europe. This was being reported several years ago, soon after the old 
IRCs were changed to be good for airmail postage.
> I dont't know why they only ask for new IRCs. The german post has 
> clarified that they still accept old IRCs. For my part I prefer old IRCs 
> as they don't have an expiration date.

As recently as a few months ago, the Universal Postal Union had a 
statement on their website saying that the old IRCs were good 
indefinitely. When I looked there recently, the link I had bookmarked 
was bad and I couldn't find any mention of old IRCs anywhere on the website.
I have been told by DXers in several countries that old IRCs are no good 
anymore. Others say they are OK.
It seems there is a lot of confusion about these issues. But three 
things are clear to me, no matter what the official rules say:
1. If you send old IRCs to a DX station or QSL manager, and he *thinks* 
they are no good, you probably won't get a reply.
2. If the post office where the DX station or QSL manager tries to turn 
in the old IRCs *thinks* they are no good, for all practical purposes 
they are no good.
3. If some post offices in Germany, and perhaps other countries, *think* 
that 2 IRCs are required for postage to an address outside of Europe, 
for all practical purposes this is true.
It would be nice if it were possible to get authoritative clarification 
of these situations, but I suppose that would be next to impossible. It 
seems that this confusion has become much more widespread in the last 
year or so.
73,
John, K9MM
> 73
> Christian, DL6KAC
>> John Becker wrote:
>>>For the last several years, we have been told that 2 IRCs were required
>>for a direct response from Germany. Then the TX9 operation posted this
>>on their website at http://www.df3cb.com/chesterfield/ :
>>>>"We QSL via the bureau and direct. If you send direct, a SAE (self
>>addressed envelope) is required plus sufficient return postage. Postage
>>rates are: 1 IRC (only new ones) or 1 Euro for letters within Europe and
>>1 IRC (only new ones) or 2 Euro or 2 US$ for letters outside of Europe."
>>>>I wondered why they were asking for only 1 IRC for replies outside of
>>Europe. I thought perhaps they were going to mail the cards from some
>>neighboring country where the postal rates are lower. I sent 1 new IRC
>>with my request and a few days ago I received my card, sent by airmail
>>from Germany. The postage on the envelope was the usual 1.55 Euros.
>>>>Since many DX operations have managers in Germany, it would be great
>>news if they have made some adjustment in their valuation of IRCs so
>>that 1 is now enough. Can anyone here clarify this situation?
>>>>73,
>>>>John, K9MM