[Dx-qsl] saw this on the cluster, can anyone confirm????

Tue Mar 15 16:57:09 EST 2005

Can anyone confirm this info taken from the cluster?
 BIG PROBLEM COMING SOON WITH THE 'NEW-TYPE' IRC's......
 AS YOU KNOW, DXers HAVE USED IRC's AS INTERNATIONAL QSL CURRENCY FOR
 DECADES. THEN THE INTERNATIONAL POSTAL UNION BROUGHT OUT THE NEW,
 LARGER TYPE IRC's IN 2000, THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HAVE A 'SELL-BY' DATE
 ON THEM, SO THAT THEY BECOME WORTHLESS IF NOT REDEEMED IN SIX YEARS.
 NOT GOOD NEWS FOR HAMS, AS MANY OF THE EXCELLENT OLD-TYPE IRC's HAD BEEN
 IN CIRCULATION FOR OVER 30 YEARS WITHOUT PROBLEM. FROM 2000 WE WERE TOLD,
 THEY WOULD BE ISSUED WITH A SIX-YEAR EXPIRY DATE.
 OK, THAT WAS BAD NEWS BACK IN 2000.
 BUT NOW IT'S 2005.
 SO WHAT YEAR DO YOU RECKON THAT NEW SIX-YEAR IRC's BEING SOLD TODAY
 SHOULD EXPIRE? ( BET YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE 2011, DIDN'T YOU? )
 NO SIR. THE BAD NEW IS, THAT ALL 'NEW' IRC'S EXPIRE IN 2006 !! ALL OF 
THEM!
 THAT MEANS THAT THE 'SIX-YEAR' COUPONS THAT YOU BUY TODAY WILL BECOME
 WORTHLESS IN A MATTER OF MONTHS, AND ALL MONEY PAID WILL BE LOST UNLESS
 THE IRC IS CASHED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE DEADLINE IN 2006.
 AS FAR AS I CAN FIND OUT FROM POST OFFICES IN THE UK AT LEAST, ALL STOCKS
 OF IRC's WERE PRINTED WITH THE SAME EXPIRY DATE - 2006.
 I GUESS WE ALL THOUGHT THAT THE EXPIRY DATE WOULD TRACK THE DATE OF SALE,
 ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD BY A MONTH AT A TIME. BUT NO, THE EXPIRY DATE HAS
 REMAINED FIXED AT 2006 WHILST TIME HAS PASSED, MAKING THE 'SIX YEAR'
 IRC's NOW ONLY ONE-YEAR IRC's.
 IT APPEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN RIPPED-OFF. AND WORSE THAN THAT, THE VALUE OF
 THE IRC AS AN 'INTERNATIONAL PROMISE OF VALUE' HAS BEEN BADLY ERODED.
 WHAT ARE WE GOING TO USE IN FUTURE?
 73 Paul G4XTA @ GB7SAN.#78.GBR.EU
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If a candle factory burns down, does everyone just stand around and sing 
"Happy Birthday?"
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W9OL, Bill H. in Chicagoland