What would you do.

[gstk]

We regularly get asked for T Shirts for people with things like the World Widlfe Fund and Christian Aid and suchlike. We don't print them even though they would be easy to do unless they can supply us with permission to use their logos. If you think about it anyone could buy a t shirt and then walk the street with a tin collecting not necessarily for that charity/organisation.

What would you do?

[Paul]

hmmm... good question. Permision for logo use is a must. but also would be good to ask for a copy of charity reg certificat or something like that. if you explain why you asking about this their will think about you better my opinion.

[Matt Quinn]

Your concerns are well placed... Fake charity collectors are a common con.

I'm literally just in the door from Dunblane Police station where I've been shooting a doorstep crime video with Central Scotland Police and Trading Standards... On of the points made in the script is it's easy for con merchants to have a 'uniform' of almost any type made up. - And people shouldn't trust potential con men just because they look 'official'.

The copyright issue alone could well land you in trouble of the £25K+ variety (GoogleCopyright, Corbis, Getty and J.A. Coles for an example). But trust me; you really WOULDN'T want to be the people the Police or Trading Standards got wind of as the source of any of the fake 'kit' that facilitated these people doing what they do! - Even if you DID do so in ignorance!

To be safe you need a written purchase order on official headed notepaper... Cross check the charity number and verify the purchasing authority's details with the charity's head office... Obtain the details of this from a reliable source.

Any attempts to buy this sort of kit that don't 'add up' I would report to the Police...

[mrs maggot]

i was asked last year to do some for a well known charity, i contacted the charity direct, and asked if they provided the t shirts etc for collectors and they did, i explained what had happened and passed on the details, i must say they seemed really not bothered about it which annoyed me

[Matt Quinn]

It is frustrating when that sort of reaction is met... But of course it depends who you actually get through to at the charity.

Still, at least you can sleep easy knowing you done the right thing and can't be unwittingly implicated in what is at the end of the day a possible crime...

It's amazing just how many scammers there are out there; and how bold they can be!