Veterans’ groups ‘appalled’ by website offered Remembrance products for apparent profit

Veterans advocates are angry by an operation called Canada Veterans that they trust is exploiting both a country’s military black and those who have served. 

“I’m appalled,” says fight oldster Michael Blais, of the likewise named organization Canadian Veterans Advocacy. “To consider that [someone] would bob so low to use inhabitant scapegoat as a venue to distinction is disgusting.”

Up until Thursday, Canada Veterans was selling via a website military commemorative products such as a poppy badge for $35.95 and “Lest We Forget” shirts trimming from $29.95 to $39.95.

This Canada Veterans ad for a Remembrance sweatshirt implies they are offered fast. (Canada Veterans)

The classification also has a Facebook page where it calls itself Services Veterans Canada. The page includes photos of soldiers and Remembrance Day services. The Royal Canadian Legion says this gives a clarity that veterans are behind a business, when it has found no justification to support this.

Instead, it believes a outfit is a for-profit operation that’s duping business into meditative they’re ancillary Canada’s veterans.

This print was posted on a Services Veterans Canada Facebook page along with other troops and Remembrance Day photos. (Services Veterans Canada/Facebook)

“It’s exploitive in a misfortune sense,” says Peter Underhill, executive of supply with a Royal Canadian Legion. “[The word] ‘disgust’ comes to mind that people would use veterans and Remembrance as a process to deceive Canadians. It’s flattering awful, actually.”

Underhill suspects Canada Veterans is possibly offered products for money or usually stealing customers’ income — and maybe even credit label information.

“We’re not certain what they’re doing, though it’s offensive,” he says.  

Profiting off poppies

The Legion initial listened alarm bells in mid-August when it perceived warnings from people about a suspicious-looking website advertised in their Facebook feeds.

The strange website sole this Remembrance pin for $29 some-more than a Royal Canadian Legion’s price. (Royal Canadian Legion)

According to screenshots supposing by a Legion, both a operation’s Facebook page and website used a Royal Canadian Legion’s name and logo, and sole products including a badge poppy pin that looked matching to one offered by a Legion. The usually disproportion was that a site sole it for $45.95 and the genuine Legion charges $16.95.

The Legion took emanate not usually with a fact that a site stole its identity but also that it was brazenly offered poppy products.

The Remembrance poppy pitch is a purebred heading of a Royal Canadian Legion, which sells poppy-themed items to lift income for veterans’ services. Anyone else who wants to use a pitch contingency get permission.

Underhill said the Legion complained to both Facebook and Shopify, that supposing a height for a website, and that within a day, both a operation’s Facebook page and website disappeared.

Soon after, however, a new Canada Veterans site and associated Facebook page popped up.

The website no longer used Legion branding but instead a symbol that appears almost identical to Air Canada’s logo: an encircled red maple leaf. 

The Canada Veterans trademark of an encircled red maple root appears really identical to Air Canada’s logo. (Air Canada/Canada Veterans)

Underhill suspects a same user is behind a new business since it offers some of a same products, including a headband with poppy black for $21.95. The prior site, however, advertised it as a “red poppy scarf.” The new chronicle calls it a “red headband flower.”

“They’re elaborating their fraud,” said Underhill. “It’s roughly like they’re contrast a waters to see what they can get divided with.”

The strange website advertised a “red poppy scarf.” The new site offers a “red headband flower.” (Canada Veterans)

The operation has also irritated veterans’ supporters like Wendy Station, of North Vancouver, who saw a website advertised in her Facebook feed and, during initial glance, suspicion it was legitimate.

“It annoys me to no end,” says Station, whose father served in a Second World War.

“They’ve got photographs of or a military, a soldiers on their website. If we saw a family member in that photo, we would usually be ill about it.”

Website taken down

CBC News reached out to Canada Veterans though did not immediately accept a response.

We also visited a Toronto residence that a classification listed on a website: 4907 Dundas St., though could find no justification of Canada Veterans or any associated business during a location.

CBC News visited a residence listed for Canada Veterans though found no pointer of a organization. (CBC)

Underhill says a Legion is now deliberation authorised movement and complained again this week to both Facebook and Shopify about a new sites. CBC News also contacted both companies.

Facebook declined to comment. We didn’t hear behind from Shopify though detected a day following a exploration that a Canada Veterans website had disappeared. At final check, a Facebook page was still active.

To advise destiny customers, Station has been posting comments on a Services Veterans Canada Facebook page such as “DO NOT PURCHASE from these people … they are scammers!”

Most of her comments have been removed, though Station skeleton to keep posting warnings. “I’m a late person, I’ve got time. I’ll do it each morning,” she said. 

• Popular poppy products lift supports for Royal Canadian Legion

Article source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-veterans-website-facebook-poppy-1.4260964?cmp=rss