Sunday, March 21, 2010

Air Ambulance Doorstep Collections...

BAG IT UP LTD, and our charity partners,
DO NOT currently provide a doorstep textile collection service!

Please read the following if you believe you are donating your used clothes via a doorstep collection to one of our many charity partners:


We have been made aware that people in the Thames Valley and Chilterns Air Ambulance region have received the above leaflet through their doors.  Please be aware that the company distributing these leaflets have NO affiliation with the Thames Valley and Chilterns Air Ambulance.

If you closely read their web site http://www.airambulanceservice.org.uk/ you'll find NO references to who the raised funds go to, other than (as the leaflet states) - "our organisation and many people"

To our knowledge,the company is NOT a registered charity,  nor does it appear to be associated with any registered charities.


The company name stated on their web site as being a 'Trading Partner' - D & P Textiles Ltd, is not a registered company at companies house, although there is a similarly named company - D & P Textile Company Ltd - http://www.dandptextile.co.uk/ - based in Solihul in the West Midlands.  There is nothing on D & P Textile Company Ltd's web site that references either the Air Ambulance Service Trading Company Ltd, or their association with any charitable organisation.


The Air Ambulance Service Trading Company Ltd web site can also be accessed by http://www.saintchristopher.org.uk/, which we wonder if it is linked to the web site http://www.stchristophersassistance.com, as both sites appear to be offering similar services????


*IF* there is an link between these 2 organisations, and it is an *IF* - the stated company name "St Christophers Assistance Group" is not listed as either a limited company or as a sole trader - then here is some information that makes interesting reading : http://www.pprune.org/biz-jets-ag-flying-ga-etc/315913-richard-sage.html


As stated at the beginning of the post, we nor our charity partners currently offer a doorstep collection service for recyclable textiles - if you wish to donate to one of our charity partners, please put your used textiles into one of our recycling banks.
Posted by Dave Williamson at 12:32 PM
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42 comments:

  1. I have also had a bag purporting to be for Air Ambulance charity collections which is simlar but not indentical to the bag depicted.

    I suspected that this was not genuine.

    We are in Gloucestershire.
    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for letting us know - we have been informed that this company is also working in the Yorkshire area, as a local resident kindly informed the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) that they had received a similar bag from the same company.

    The Yorkshire Air Ambulance has NO connections with the company, and NO funds raised from these doorstep collections benefit the YAA ~ or indeed any of our other charity partners.

    Please tell your friends and families, that if they receive a textile recycling bag through their doors, then they should be aware that there are a lot of bogus collectors who are fraudulently misrepresenting themselves as working with specifc charities, or as in this case, being unethical by misleading the public into thinking they are supporting somthing they're not.

    If you want to be sure donated textiles support the charity of you're choice, find a textile recycing bank at your local recycling center - be it a council one, or a supermarket. There is often a selection of charities to donate too inclunding local ones such as the Air Ambulance, and national ones such as the Salvation Army or Oxfam.

    If you specifically want to support one of our charity partners, you can use the postcode bank locator on our main web site - http://www.bagitup.org.uk/

    Thanks for reading.
    ReplyDelete
  3. We too have received one of these bags in the West Hampshire area - didn't think it was the real McCoy when it didn't state WHICH air ambulance service it was collecting for.
    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks John,

    Sad to know they are still misleading people!

    Regards

    Dave
    ReplyDelete
  5. In Essex we are also receiving notes through the door that carry a large picture of a helicopter. airambulance@gmx.co.uk. We receive on average 2-3 clothing requests a week. One week we received 5, 3 arriving the same day.

    A con?
    ReplyDelete
  6. We are in Hertfordshire and have received a similar leaflet from airambulance@gmx.co.uk with an address in Bicester,Oxon.The leaflet does give a registered company number but not a charity number.
    ReplyDelete
  7. I am in Hereford and Worcs area and today June 9 I have had a similiar leaflet thro the letterbox.I feel it is another scam.I am going to contact trading standards.I can have these leaflets/bags asking for donations everyday.One day I put a bag out for Barnado's and the leaflet distribtor actually picked up the bag himself I chased after him and he immediately dropped the bag and said "me no understand English".Now I never put out bags but personally take it to charity shops.
    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi,

    It is always better to take donations to charity shops, or put them in textile banks situated at various recycling centers - you can always pretty much guarantee that when you donate via these methods the funds go to the charity of your choice.

    If you are unsure if a charity is legit, you can always check the charity number on the charities commission web site.

    As stated previously NONE of our partner charities undertake doorstep collections!
    ReplyDelete
  9. We had one posted through our letterbox on Friday. We immediately suspected it wasn't genuine, so I've contacted the Derbyshire Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance to make them aware.

    Mrs Elaine Jordan.
    Whitwick, Leicestershire.
    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi all,
    it's happening in Bournemouth as well. Air Ambulance is a new one but we have had dozens over the last couple of years. If you can't find it on the national register of Charities it isn't one. The worst one we have had is "CHERNOBLE CHILDREN" Clothing collections. I used to be a shop Manger for scope which is a real charity for cerebral palsy, this company actually used to steal our bags iv'e caught them myself. They sell the goods in temporary shops in a different area from the collection points and make hundreds of pounds per week taking charity money. It's just another disgrace in this handicapped country.
    Rose Trickett
    ReplyDelete
  11. are you working in bournemouth
    ReplyDelete
  12. I have just taken a bag out of my letterbox - I live in Poole, Dorset. Bournemouth Echo have been telling people that this is nothing to do with Air Ambulance but people still seem to be taken in. We are a little estate so I will make sure that no-one puts anything out. Shame I can't go wider afield.
    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Just received one of these bags today in essex, was suspicious as no charity number shown just a limited company number, thank you you confirmed what i thought!
    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi,
    Please beware these unscrupulous people are now operating in the Birmingham area. I can't believe they are allowed to get away with this.
    ReplyDelete
  15. I live is Marshalswick in St. Albans, Herts and receive a leaflet last week. On that leaflet they call themselves Air Ambulance (Trading Co. Ltd.) company no. 077110069. This area is widely known as a soft touch for these second hand clothing collectors. I feel that it is wrong they are using the Air Ambulance name. The address on the leaflet is 28 Bearswood Road, Bicester, Oxon OX26 6RS
    ReplyDelete
  16. We had an Air Ambulance bag put through our door at 5.30 this morning. The letterbox woke us up. Collection day on it was for the next day Friday, which made me suspicious because they normally give a few days. The e-mail address is not a valid one and it was on the news last night about this scam. The address is for Oxon. Why don't the Police trawl round the area on Friday, the day stated for collection, in plain clothes/cars and catch them. It's disgraceful. We always take to Charity Shops now, but a lot of people don't and will fill these bags up for the crooks.
    ReplyDelete
  17. Have just received leaflet headed "Air Ambulance"..in VERY small print underneath it says (Trading Co)Ltd.
    Although they are a registered Company (07110069) they are in NO WAY connected to Essex Air Ambulance.
    Their leaflet reads...."Your unwanted items are re-used or recycled, they are fairly traded for profit in the UK & around the world.The evironment benefits, our company benefits and many people also benefit because of your generosity. YES! I'm sure that this company, to use it's own words, DO benefit.!!..THEY DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER.As members of of the public, we are often asked to give and companies like this smear all the tireless efforts made by valid and worthwhile causes...Not to mention that they take from those that are GENUINELY in need.
    STEER CLEAR.
    ReplyDelete
  18. Getting these in Chelmsford (Essex) - they should feel realy guilty taking items meant for a real charity. Yet another con - suppose they end up in boot sales :o(
    ReplyDelete
  19. we are in birmingham and received one of these leaflets ,i to became suspicious about it so please be aware they are not genuine.
    ReplyDelete
  20. We have just recieved a collection package. The words and pictures are different overal, it looks like the same people.It looks like they are doing the whole country.How can we stop them from doing this and let every one know? Joan and Brian. Greater Manchester.
    ReplyDelete
  21. just received the same, if not very similar, leaflet through our door in the west midlands.

    this doesn't look all that genuine and to top it all there is a reference to applying for an Air Ambulance Service 'Membership Card'. calls cost £1.50 per minute, text service costs £5

    crooks.
    ReplyDelete
  22. Lynn, Tipton, west midlands i also received a leaflet similar to the one on this site an thought i'd check it out as I often bag up stuff for air ambulance door step collections but will not in future....
    ReplyDelete
  23. Similar pamphlets and bags are now circulating in the West Midlands - Dudley area!
    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi

    I have just received one of these flyers through the door as John said I thought it funny that it did not say which air ambulance service they were collecting for.

    Steph Chapman
    ReplyDelete
  25. I appreciate your post, thanks for sharing the post, i want to hear more about this in future.

    http://www.viaam.com
    ReplyDelete
  26. I appreciate your post, I have book marked this internet site so ideally I’ll see much more on this subject in the foreseeable future!

    office bags
    ReplyDelete
  27. I am in Ipswich & we get these leaflets which I am sure are all related but use different names. Today is Air Ambulance Service. Company name on this is E&N Textiles co no. 07468711.
    They make me sick!

    Emma
    ReplyDelete
  28. just received the same, if not very similar, leaflet through our door in Sudbury Suffolk

    Tommy
    ReplyDelete
  29. i got a leaflet through my door today 3/5/11 saying they collecting thursday,im in ipswich suffolk
    ReplyDelete
  30. This scam has now reached Leicestershire, where it will detract fromour own local air ambulance service, which makes frequent collections from doorsteps. Using .org.uk in its email address is intended to make people think that it is a registered charity - but it is not; it is yet another commercial organisation out to make a profit. On the plastic envelope are the words "commercial collections" and "... our company ... will also benefit". I am disgusted!

    Roger Hickling
    ReplyDelete
  31. I am in Manchester and have just had one today.
    The layout is slightly different but the details match.

    it just looked dubious and I wanted to check.

    The weblink is invalid, and they even spell ambulance wrong in the URL
    SURELY an ambulance linked enterprise would know to SPELL ambulance!

    AVOID AVOID

    Ian Barrett
    Jurassic Jewellery
    www.jurassicjewellery.co.uk
    ReplyDelete
  32. We got one 3 days ago. It looked wrong. This area is covered by the Essex Air Ambulance and the clothing collection bag we received did not say " Essex Air Ambulance" I hope these shuysters get caught. How low can they get, stealing from a charity?
    Steve in Tiptree, Essex.
    ReplyDelete
  33. Now operating in the Newark postcode area. Not leaving any collection bags but saying text or call if you did not get a bag.
    Will take what we have to the local collection point
    ReplyDelete
  34. I've just had one of their collection bags come through my door, they seem to now be trading as E&N Textiles, registered number 7468711. They are operating in the Norfolk Area
    ReplyDelete
  35. I have today received a similar leaflet which is obviously a scam.
    I live in Bulwell Nottingham
    Alex
    ReplyDelete
  36. To add to all the above have had exactly same leaflet as shown at top of page with E&N Textiles as the Trading Co.

    I am in Chingford, East London

    Is there not a law against this as they are falsely claiming to be collecting for Air Ambulance Service ?

    Apparently the website airambulanceservice.org.uk which is printed on the leaflet is no longer available
    ReplyDelete
  37. I just got one today in Nottingham . But as I have seen one before I recognised the scam . Its such a shame as people don't realise its not genuine
    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi to all, I am in Derbyshire and have today, 18th July 2011, received one of these fake Air Ambulance Service leaflets. They are still at it.John W.
    ReplyDelete
  39. I received a similar flyer today - I'm in Chorley, Lancashire. It almost fooled me, surely this must be illegal???
    ReplyDelete
  40. They are now putting out just leaflets with no bags, In the Hertfordshire and northern Home counties areas, Bloody scammers, i am sick to death of putting bags out for scammers. I even pUt a Genuine PDSA BAG OUT, But the eastern European Scammers took the bags, before the PDSA arrived , makes me sick
    ReplyDelete
  41. A very similar leaflet was posted through my letterbox this morning in Wigan.
    It states "We are working towards providing financial assistance" Does that means they are not at the moment?
    ReplyDelete
  42. just had one through the door in Queensbury west yorkshire from d&p textile saying they are collecting for the armed forces multiple sclerosis support group checked the web and its a scam, am sick of these parasites trying to rip off of genuine charities
    ReplyDelete

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