Hi all,

just wondered if anyone has obtained International Reply Coupons in Switzerland?

I need to send 2 of them abroad, together with a self-addressed envelope, as an application. They are needed in order for the application to be accepted and the resulting documents returned to me, at my expense. But upon asking for them at a large-ish post office, my request was first met with baffled expressions, followed by the penny apparently dropping and "oh.. we don't do those anymore". This is despite Switzerland being listed as a participating country in the scheme, and a new format apparently being issued this year (so they do still exist!): http://www.upu.int/irc/en/index.shtml

I can find no trace of them on the Swiss Post website. Is anyone able to shed any light? Or offer an alternative solution of covering the cost of return international postage?

Thanks for any tips!

Maybe post what country you need them for, perhaps people here have some old stamps still..

Hello Jot,

That is weird... I am pretty sure i have seen these IRC not long ago here in Switzerld. I'll ask tomorrow at the airport post office if they know about it. Maybe they are more used to these extravagant requests (no worries, i have to go there, anyway).
If Swiss Post have really discontinued the IRC, then maybe you want to check with DHL. They offer a lot of services in addition to express shipping, so they might work out a solution for you.

Hope this helps,

Lucy

Thanks lucy_sg! You're a *

Good suggestion muze7, it's for sending to the UK (and back). I checked on the UK post website, seems each coupon amounts to 50p postage. So if anyone's got about a pound's worth of stamps knocking around they're willing to part with?...

Worst case I'll get my folks back home to get some and send them over, or send it via them, unless I can find some kind of prepaid envelope or something...

Hello Jot,

I have bad news and good news... The bad news: Swiss Post no longer sells IRC. The good ones: it seems that you can find them in a philatelic shop called Frauemuensterpost. It is in the Bahnhofstrasse, close to Paradeplatz.

Hope this helps,

Luci

That's good news! Lucy, thank you so much for the information and taking the trouble to ask for me!

Ok, just to confirm, if anyone else should need to find these things...

As Lucy says they sell them in the Fraumünsterpost in Zurich - this a normal swiss post office, hidden away on Kappelergasse (towards the lake end of Bahnhofstrasse, just near Paradeplatz).

Inside, to the far left of the normal post office counters, there's a philatelic shop. They can be bought there for CHF 2.- each.

Mission accomplished.
Thanks again Lucy!

No problem, Jot, i am glad i could help....

Just to add another thank you note to the pile. Just wanted to say thanks to you both for taking the time to complete the question with the answers you've found. It's so often that I search the internet for my question and find many threads on other forums with questions, but no answers. The sad truth is that those who asked obviously do find the answers, but they are too selfish to go back to their thread and put the information in for those who come afterwards. So thanks!

1) How ironic, now I need one myself. Who would have thought

Anyone know any place in Bern that still has these coupons? Or does anyone have Australian stamps left to about 2 A$?

Ok I solved the check problem. I can recommend banking with small credit societies in Oz!

2) The coupons can indeed be bought at the philatelic shop that you should find in the largest post office in a major town.

It is the same in Bern, here you find the shop at the large Schanzestrasse Post Office, but it is hidden at the east end as a separate shop (go through the doors), and it closes at 1700 hrs, unlike the large post office (2100).

So perhaps all philatelic shops still have them!

Ok I found out, there are only five shops where you can get these in CH. Basil Bern Zurich Lausanne St Gallen, Lugano, see

http://www.post.ch/en/index/uk_priva...liestellen.htm but you can order them online at the postshop site but then you need to order 10 of them.