Scumbags cash in on sick ebay poppy scam

SHAMELESS traders are selling thousands of commemorative poppies without giving a penny to the Royal British Legion.

With Remembrance Sunday tomorrow, the Duchess of Cambridge and TV’S Holly Willoughby are setting a trend with crystal poppy jewellery to help raise £47 million for the Armed Forces veterans’ charity this year.

But dozens of sellers on ebay, from as far afield as China, are cashing in by pocketing cash from unofficial products. Others resell official British Legion poppies for inflated prices and keep the cash. Seller fly_swallow0866, in Yiwu, China, is flogging 1,000 crystal brooches for 99p. But, despite listing the pins as “remembrance brooches”, there is no sign of a donation to the British Legion. Elsewhere, a £14.99 gold and crystal brooch from the The Poppy Collection’s Treasured range, which have sold out, was being sold on ebay by diddydoughnut 774 for £34.99.

When we asked if any would be donated, he said: “Donation was already made at point of purchase.”

Also, brass poppy tributes to the 60,083 men who fell on the first day of the First World War battle at Passchendaele are being offered on ebay for £57.74, 44% more than the original, with profits going to the online sellers.

But, when sold by the British Legion, 100% of cash raised from the £39.99 hand-crafted pins go to charity.

Col Richard Kemp, a former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, said: “I’m very pleased the Daily Mirror, which is so supportive of our troops, has brought attention to this. It is extremely important the public is aware of these disgusting scams.”

Ebay said they would remove the offending items from the site.

Holly helping to raise money with jewellery Site cashes in on the unnofficial brooches