Cancel cancer-scam or not?

HalfPint

If it smells like a scam...it usually is. I personally never donate using bags put through the door, whether from a registered charity or not. People round our way would raid them within minutes of them being put out. I, like the OP, gets lots of these bags, the majority of which are scams....they make great bin bags!

I know the staff in my local charity shops fairly well...I pop down regularly with a few bits and bobs that my kids have grown out of...I like to be able to give and help others in a way I choose...though I do realise that these bags, for some, is simple and easy and that they are an effective way of collecting for some charities.

HP x

Sarah80

Well, I got these leaflets twice already. For the first time i got it , my first impression was: its a SCAM, but I decided to check it. I phoned them, and the lady on the line said, they are a new charity, just opened. Still waiting for number. They apparently have a business number as they are already registered as a non-profit organization. I' checked that on the companieshouse gov uk website (just put in the name and the number showed up). The second question was why theres no an actual charity number. Ive been told they already applied for it but it takes time to get it. They apparently dont even have an account number as well, but they are going to get it as well. I asked then, why did you start collect goods if you are still not organised. The lady said they started cooperate with company which collects goods on their behalf coz they want to attain an income over £5000 per year so they will get the charity number. Apparently on charity commision website it says that charity with income lower than this sum it can't be register. Apart of that i've been told the goods are being sold and part of that sum is going to charity. This is some kind of contract between charity and collection company. Also they apparently based in Chester but I didn't ask for an address.
So it can be or it can be not a SCAM.
As you can see I did my best and checked them. I think to give them a time and see what will happen.

MothballsWallet

I had something like this from a company calling themselves "UK Textile Enterprise Ltd".

According to Companies House WebCheck, they were only incorporated on 24th October 2009, and operate out of Flat 4, 35 Stanmore Road, Edgbaston - their leaflet omits to mention the "Flat 4" part. I'm currently writing a letter to send to them to withdraw the right of implied access for their staff and agents.

My next stop is my MP - these people have to be regulated better.

tandraig

its a scam hun - as you suspected!
put the plastic bag to good use - and take some stuff down local charity shop!

bubblegumcola

Phone your local Trading Standards and report it. If it doesn't clearly have a registered charity number but says they are collecting for charity I'm sure its deemed misleading and they can take further action. I think Trading Standards can also do press releases for the local press to highlight they are not bonafide companies and not to use them. I am so fed up with these charity bags, I reuse them as bin bags. I have reported two companies to my local trading standards lately.

Lip_Stick

Put a load of junk in the bag, and make sure they'll get something yucky all over their hands when they pick the bag up.

jaz_2

Sarah80 wrote: »

Well, I got these leaflets twice already. For the first time i got it , my first impression was: its a SCAM, but I decided to check it. I phoned them, and the lady on the line said, they are a new charity, just opened. Still waiting for number. They apparently have a business number as they are already registered as a non-profit organization. I' checked that on the companieshouse gov uk website (just put in the name and the number showed up). The second question was why theres no an actual charity number. Ive been told they already applied for it but it takes time to get it. They apparently dont even have an account number as well, but they are going to get it as well. I asked then, why did you start collect goods if you are still not organised. The lady said they started cooperate with company which collects goods on their behalf coz they want to attain an income over £5000 per year so they will get the charity number. Apparently on charity commision website it says that charity with income lower than this sum it can't be register. Apart of that i've been told the goods are being sold and part of that sum is going to charity. This is some kind of contract between charity and collection company. Also they apparently based in Chester but I didn't ask for an address.
So it can be or it can be not a SCAM.
As you can see I did my best and checked them. I think to give them a time and see what will happen.

Strange how this post is written in the same 'nearly English' as the flyers circulated by the scam artists themselves. Wonder how that happened?

BFG_2

jaz wrote: »

Strange how this post is written in the same 'nearly English' as the flyers circulated by the scam artists themselves. Wonder how that happened?

Gee, what a coincidence!!!

And isn't it amazing that the poster's one and only post on MSE is to defend the scam.

That's a lot of effort to go to...

MegaGun

Scam utter utter

Emjay111

We've seen these leaflets being distributed in North Wales.

There are two web domains on the leaflet, both seem to have an "under re-development" notice on the sites in question.

Both domains cancelcancer.org.uk and care4collect.com are registered to the same person.

Namely:

Piotr Jaroch
** Charles Street
Glasgow
G21 2PT

This seems to be a block of flats in Glasgow. An unlikely location from which to run a charity of any sort.

Incidentally, before anyone gets upset about me posting personal details on this site, be aware that anyone who owns a .com domain name HAS to make this information public during the domain registration process.

You are free to check this domain yourself using any number of WhoIs lookup tools on the net, but the one I used was here:

domainhelp.tucows.com

They definately seem to be posing as a charitable organisation (even without specifically mentioning the word charity etc).

There really should be some legislation to prevent this kind of thing. Has this topic come up on BBC Watchdog ?