The title itself and the experience with the company have been great and I would highly recommend them. Every Lordship or Ladyship title pack contributes to the preservation and protection of woodland areas in Scotland. But was pleased that they issued refunds. I bought this for a friend because I knew it would annoy his wife that he now holds the Title of Lord. This question has been asked more frequently since December 2022, when a very public controversy over their partnerships with Youtube creators blew up on the internet. Can I change the name on my bank account, credit cards etc? Can I really use the Lord title on my credit card in India? I was intrigued by the advertisements on FACEBOOK and had no idea that Highland Tutles even exist! Whilst I have not focussed on the heraldic title issues at play with souvenir titles, it must surely be known by souvenir plot purchasers that they will not receive officially recognised titles of nobility or distinction. Also the fact that you have been trading for a long time gave me confidence as well. I give high accolades to the Highland Titles team and look forward to visiting the area once the COVID-19 crisis is over. We have confirmed this in an email that we have sent to you, if you have any further questions or queries, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we would be delighted to assist you. He was speechless and loved it! Me giving him unofficial titles has been a running joke but now its technically real. This material may not be reproduced without permission. I also bought a map as well. Think its a cool concept. The process was easy and the shipping super fast although I did opt for the $60 frame and it wasn't what I was expecting. They are not recognised and do not plant a tree they just give you a novelty certificate which you have to pay extra for, if you want a physical certificate you have to pay extra and you even cant become a lord or lady as they claim as theyre not legally recognised by Scotland and theres no way for them to transfer ownership of land, not to mention its a company in china if Im not mistaken theyre not even Scottish. If I had realized that before buying it, I probably would have simply bought the smaller plot. We are sorry to hear that Judy. Yes, we ship to almost every country, including Bolivia. But what about the Scottish land registration act in 2012? Purchase a personal Lordship or Ladyship Title Pack with dedicated land in Scotland. This is a help forum - bad advice will get you banned, and we do not consider "just joking" to be a defense of advice that would be harmful if followed. Don't buy into it, seems to be a complete scam. Wikitubia, a Wikipedia-style encyclopedia about YouTube, explains how a YouTube sponsorship differed from standard advertisements: Sponsorships are a form of advertising in which corporations make deals with YouTubers to advertise their product in the video. We have reached out through TrustPilot for more information about your order as we will refund any customer that is not 100% happy with their purchase and we have been unable to locate your purchase to process yours, if you prefer you can email us directly at
[email protected] Regards, Established Titles. Established Titles is a scam based out of China that has convinced some of the largest YouTubers on the platform to promote them. If you dont mind paying for a tiny plot of land in Scotland that you may never develop or occupy, Established Titles could make your dream come true. Personalised Certificates. As clearly stated on our website, Established Titles is a proud partner of Trees for the Future, and plants a tree with every order to help global reforestration efforts. You may choose to title yourself with the title of Lord, Laird or Lady. Established Titles are committed to planting at least one tree for every order placed. David Mikkelson, founder of Snopes, sits next to a doctored storm photo in 2004. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. She was greeted beautifully by staff even got to meet a true local Lord and she was taken to her plot and had photos there. My husband really git a kick out of telling all his kids that they now had to call him Lord. Snopes added that the loss of revenue from the partnership meant the company would "have less money to invest in our publicationand we will need to adapt to make up for it". Market Realist is a registered trademark. I received an email with a downloadable certificate and that was it. We use a secure payment system so you can be confident your details are safe. The words lord and lady apply to those on whom a peerage has been confirmed and do not relate to the ownership of land. You have heard this story many times. My Father has Scottish heritage, though hes now the 3rd generation Some of the discourse was around whether the novelty aspect was clear to customers, but that quickly fell into the realm of subjectivity. Section 4(2)(b) of the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 stated that an application for registration must be rejected by the Keeper where it relates to land which is a souvenir plot, that is a piece of land which, being of inconsiderable size or no practical utility, is unlikely to be wanted in isolation except for the sake of mere ownership or for sentimental reasons or commemorative purposes. Ive opened a complaint with PayPalwell see.so disappointed. Established titles is a scam They recently sponsored countless youtube videos, including many OSRS youtubers. They had a buy one get one free so thought whats the harm. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. [42], Mikkelson has stressed the reference portion of the name Urban Legends Reference Pages, indicating that the intention is not merely to dismiss or confirm misconceptions and rumors but to provide evidence for such debunkings and confirmation as well. Unfortunately, I was one of the purchasers who made a mistake and I emailed their Customer Service the same day and my Certificate was corrected the same day I purchased it. Snopes debunked that image and has uncovered many other hoaxes. After the 2022 Falcons garnered their title, the roster took a heavy hit. Highland Titles remains as the registered landowner and manages the land on your behalf. [11], By 2010, the site was attracting seven million to eight million unique visitors in an average month. If you think someone is trying to scam you, this is the place to ask about it. Products that sponsors advertise do vary but usually include things such as VPNs (like ExpressVPN and NordVPN) and other online related goods and services. Highland Titles has no authority or power to bestow such a title on you. This household cleaning trick assumes you don't mind the smell of vinegar. Final nail in the coffin was when I attempted to send them a message via contact and a 404 link error came up on their web page, but they were happy for me to continue shopping. Dear Adriana Garcia, Thank you for your review. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you require any further assistance.Kind Regards, Established Titles, This made my daughter's birthday very special as she has always been our "princess" so we can now call her "Lady". It will, therefore, be seen that it is not a description which is appropriate for the owner of a normal residential property. As our creators have helped us spread the word while putting smiles on the faces of the buyers of our title packs, weve been able to expand from our first Huntly estate to our Aberdeenshire, Wigtownshire, Dunfermline, Ardallie and Eddleston estates, and thus conserve substantially more land. A handful of YouTubers are distancing themselves from Established Titles, a company that sells souvenir plots of land in Scotland, after a popular creator made a viral video calling the company a . We were unable to find the list itself: This has really blown up now, with dozens of videos appearing about Established Titles (and several cringey apology videos lol) in the last few days. The Mikkelsons divorced around that time. Lordships and Ladyships have been the center piece of various gag ceremonies and celebrations, and Lairsdships have been given out to pets and personal items. Would love to be an affiliate. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Thank you for confirming you are the real deal as l have received multiple emails from stated scam company asking if l would like to add my family members for a discounted pricethey obviously knew l had purchased from you previously. A subsection labeled No title with your title clarified those claims: The Court of the Lord Lyon commented: Ownership of a souvenir plot of land does not bring with it the right to any description such as laird, lord or lady. pic.twitter.com/qKxSHK686r, Scott Shafer (@Shafer1337) November 26, 2022, Google Trends data for the seven-day period ending November 28 2022 backed the claim about the clips viral spread. They are not recognised and do not plant a tree they just give you a novelty certificate which you have to pay extra for, if you want a physical certificate you have to pay extra and you even can't become a lord or lady as they claim as they're not legally recognised by Scotland and there's no way for them to . Do you guys be able send it in the Philippines? ** You will be addressed by your choice of Laird, Lord or Lady by us and within our 200,000+ strong community. The videos clarify EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, I was duped by Established Titles and purchased what I thought was a tiny plot of land and a certificate. Well, almost certainly not, as there is one little stumbling point to that last sentence coming to fruition Scots land law itself. Im informed that if you attempt to visit the website from a Scottish IP address, it doesnt even show up properly , Having done a bit more research, I think one can safely conclude that this is a scam. Their Trustpilot reviews are revealing. Been seeing a lot of messages about Established Titles being a scam and I received a statement to creators on that subject. We have been trading openly and honestly for 16 years, We meet thousands of our customers face to face every year at our nature reserve, We trade with the advice of our Scottish solicitors, and the legal rights (specifically, a personal right to a souvenir plot of land) that our customers obtain are made clear on our website, We uniquely identify each and every souvenir plot that we sell with latitude, longitude and OS co-ordinates, We have an average score of 4.6/5 on the independent review site, Trustpilot, with more than 15000 reviews, Our nature reserve has hundreds of 5 star reviews, Our nature reserve is an official 4* tourist attraction with, Our conservation efforts in Scotland are substantial. According to the Mikkelsons, Snopes predated the search engine concept of fact-checking via search results. Unfortunately, I am among the group of people who have been scammed by Established Titles. Established Titles pricing starts at $50. Established Titles donates to One Tree Planted and Trees for the future to help with our tree planting efforts. You can also purchase a title pack, starting at $200, if you want to own multiple plots (perhaps as a family). As clearly explained on our website, it is not possible to build your own castle on your plot of land, because weve pledged to conserve it forever in its natural state. The title is based on Historic Scottish Custom and does not grant a peerage, nor the right to rule. I am about to purchase and last night felt intuitively something wasnt legitimate and now after reading all the above comments it is confirmed. It is 20 miles away in Duror. In that excerpt, Established Titles said that their Title Packs were based on a historic Scottish land ownership custom, where landowners have been long referred to as Lairds or Lords and Ladies. Notably, Scotland was followed by an asterisk; the asterisk referenced language about a souvenir plot of land.. The company reached out to me via email immediately and resolved my concern. Crazy! *Our Title Packs are based on a historic Scottish land ownership custom, where landowners have been long referred to as "Lairds", the Scottish term for "Lord", with the female equivalent being "Lady". This badge signifies Snopes.com's compliance with the International Fact Checking Network's highest standards of combating misinformation online. We are the internets go-to source for discerning what is true and what is total nonsense. Other than that, like I said, its a good idea. Established Titles offers Lordship, Ladyship, and Lairdship title packs. The purchase process was easy and when mistakes are made as sometimes they are (I purchased six titles) they were quite quick to correct the spelling of the name. Over 2,265,630 trees planted around the world through Trees for the Future to help global reforestation efforts. Would recommend gladly to anyone! Snopes.com is a website founded by Barbara and David Mikkelson (David has also used the pseudonym Jeff Zarronandia[1]) that dedicates itself to researching and confirming the truth behind stupidity urban legends, chain e-mails, and other stories of uncertain origin. Do much so that I bought two 100 square foot plots for myself and my spouse, side by side ( plus was gifted two other 1 by 1 square foot plots. One interpretation of this is that the 1979 Act effectively created a de minimis rule in respect of land registration plots so small they could bestow no identifiable benefit for an applicant cannot be registered even if all the necessary deeds, plans, dispositions, etc. Everyone from Graham Stephan, Andrei Jikh, The Quartering, and SomeOrdinaryGamers have all been paid to promote this scam to people, it needs to stop! Lordship & Ladyship Title PacksPurchase a personal Lordship or Ladyship Title Pack with dedicated land in Scotland.*. If I receive my refund, I will certainly reinvest it in Highland Titles. It is most unfortunate that some unfounded claims previously made by Established Titles have given our industry something of a bad name. Im glad I came here First. We often recieve [sic] inquiries about purchasing plots for newborns as well. I purchased two of these Established titles for myself and husband, could not be happier with service? In the thread above, @MedCrisis included screenshots of emails purportedly proposing a sponsorship deal from Established Titles, adding: A friend once bought me a plot of land on the Moon as a birthday present. Quick and easy service! Was ready to purchase a plot when I decided to investigate further to see if there were any other options out there. I will keep you updated! Lord Antony Marcel Philpot11/04/21 - 19:39. Shipping 25. Shafers video was just under 15 minutes long; a brief synopsis in the description field addressed high-profile channels promoting the company: Established Titles is a scam based out of China that has convinced some of the largest YouTubers on the platform to promote them. Many Thanks!! In the standard structure, a lordship title is hard to attain for ordinary people. Scottish miniature real-estate program Established Titles has mixed reviews. They sent me the links to print offthe first one looks great but the second one has the name running off the end of the certificate. Really glad we realized our mistake before spending any money. Laird is not a title but a description applied by those living on and around the estate, many of whom will derive their living from it, to the principal landowner of a long-named area of land. The information regarding the Lairdships being based on an age old Scottish custom is clearly available on our website: as well as in the briefs provided to YouTube advertisers: The creators sponsoring Established Titles have been incredibly creative in how they've spread the word about our Title Packs in their sponsored segments they've made their Pet Lobster a Lord, 'lorded' their 7-String Electric Guitar, or their dog. [32][33][34] Mikkelson also published plagiarized material under a pseudonym, "Jeff Zarronandia". Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Established Titles and Highland Titles have similar operating models, in that they both offer titles to tiny plots or land with the goal of raising funds for nature protection programs, and they both target the tourist market. I couldnt find any physical details about the website and the land site so I thought that this was simply a scam. Many of our customers decide to ask their bank to add their new title to their bank account and their credit cards. This material may not be reproduced without permission. I am so upset. Established Titles donates to One Tree Planted and Trees for the future to help with our tree planting efforts. Through this contractual obligation, Established Titles will never sell the land to anyone else. In, for example, the event of a mortgage over the land being called up, a souvenir plot purchaser would only be able to enforce that personal right against the seller and would not be able to prevent onward sale of their plot by that security holder. I made to quick a transaction and looking here know its a scam. Severna Park's Brett Hussey celebrates the team's win over Mt. novelty and one that does come with some rewards. [19] They raised $500,000 in 24 hours. paid $119 for small plot received confirmation with printable version available (also paid $30 for paper cert to be sentbut all i got was still working on your certificate try again in a few hours) This could be misleading. Hefty $30 fee for the certificate in total I was charged $117 AUS $ and as to date have received nothing . A viral November 23 2022 YouTube video about Established Titles by creator Scott Shafer was virally popular, in large part due to the ubiquity of YouTube creators pitching the product to viewers. Thats when I saw HIGHLAND TITLES. This has given our family a lot of happiness and our girls will have so We received the title promptly and it was easy to print, and looks nice. Yes, Highland Titles do ship to India. By then Proper Media had become a co-owner of Bardav through acquiring Barbara Mikkelson's half-interest share, intending to take overall ownership of Snopes for its own "portfolio of media sites". Thanks to you, I feel a better man! This is a fun gift that doesnt destroy the bank account and helps our planet. [37] Richmond and fellow shareholder Drew Schoentrup together acquired 100% of the company, ending the ownership dispute which began in 2017. [45] The name was chosen for its acronym, T.R.O.L.L., a reference to the definition of the word troll, meaning an internet persona intended to be deliberately provocative or incendiary. 80.5k Followers, 67 Following, 108 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Established Titles (@established__titles) established__titles. There are huge tracts of land in Eddlestone, Scotland owned by something-something private estate, Established Titles declares. Hi Jessie The site has been referenced by news media and other sites, including CNN,[38] MSNBC,[39] Fortune, Forbes, and The New York Times. Told some friends and some may become Lairds and Ladies as well. I saw this site several years ago, but almost bought from Established Titles last Christmas thinking it was the same thing. [44], In an attempt to demonstrate the perils of over-reliance on the Internet as authority, Snopes assembled a series of fabricated urban folklore tales that it termed "The Repository of Lost Legends". As of November 28 2022, the landing page of EstablishedTitles.com read in part: SAVE THE SCOTTISH WOODLANDSBecome a Lord Today! Wikitubia maintained a List of Well Known Sponsors on the same entry, with Established Titles listed. Its also possible they knew, and were happy to take a big ol haggis stuffed with cash.. I swear Im normally smarter than this, but excitement got the best of me. If youre reading this blog post, it is likely that youve seen and advert promoting Established Titles on YouTube, Facebook or elsewhere, and perhaps you are wondering if they are (a) legitimate or a scam, and (b) are they even in Scotland? But what our Lords and Ladies do have is more than the rights to 'name a star'; your dedicated plot of land is part ofanestate that Established Titles has purchased and pledged to conserve forever, only possible with the help of our Lords and Ladies and the creators who have helped us to promote the service. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Per my previous post I was disappointed by EstablishedTitles tree planting claims. Established Titles were established in 2020, and the website is operated by Galton Voysey in Hong Kong. In the menu at the bottom of the EstablishedTitles.com website, a page(with a URL ending inis-established-titles-a-scam) appeared. Established Titles Become a Lord or Lady Today. The only thing I am thankful is that I found Highland Titles through them. How do I go about viewing the particular plot I purchased? The likely motivation of a souvenir plot purchaser must be considered: do they really want (and expect) a real right of ownership; or do they just want a fancy Certificate or a memento from a recent Scottish holiday? Im glad to have found this sight but wished I had found it sooner. Offers may be subject to change without notice. In December 2020 I purchased a 10x10 plot for my wife, who has a strong Scottish lineage. This would appear to be an area of land from which they purport to sell their souvenir plots. I was one of the unfortunate suckers duped into buying from Established Titles. (everything else seems to be faked in 2020-21!). Viewers of the channel are exposed to the product or service being advertised by the YouTube creator, creating the impression of an endorsement by that creator. That purchase included a few accessories and the planting of 2 trees. In that analysis, the law firm contrasted a real right of ownership with a personal right, describing something akin to a sublet or sublease (but for ownership purposes): Yet, despite this otherwise clear cut rejection of the business models used by companies such as Highland Titles Limited and Native Woods Preservation Limited by the Land Register, these purveyors of souvenir titles remain Whilst a real right of ownership (where ownership is registered at the Land Register) could not be acquired by a customer of Highland Titles Limited (or similar companies), a personal right would nonetheless be obtained. False claim#2 Established Titles does not actually plant any trees or donate to charity. However, it did not air on major networks. I did receive the two titles in pdf via email so that wasnt too bad. In April 2015, a Scottish law firm published a post about property laws and souvenir plots. Among terms with Breakout levels of popularity were Established Titles controversy, Scott Shafer Established Titles, YouTube sponsorship, is Established Titles legitimate, own land in Scotland, and several variations of Established Titles scam.. As these frequently asked questions are dealt with comprehensively in the FAQ section of our web site, we see no need to respond to individual repetition of these questions. Just with Id seen this post sooner and actually did thorough research. Scottish heritage and a cool Fathers Day gift to make him a Lord. Is it a scam or legit? Established Titles is proud to be a member of the Galton Voysey Tree Planting Initiative, a group of businesses that are aligned and committed to the preservation and protection of woodland areas. My experience was made great by the speedy service provided to me by a company that wishes to do good by the land of Scotland. There are some rogues out there. display my certificate on the wall of my office. Wightman published an open letter to recipients, reiterating several of the points made in earlier analyses: First and foremost, you are not the owner of any land in Scotland despite what this company might have led you to believe. Established titles payment via Paypal got refunded within 5 minutes, I hope that all other payment providers have signaled this entity as a scam. Lordship. As Shafer explained, Established Titles was a familiar brand to frequent viewers of high-profile YouTube accounts. Online, offline, email, or postal. They could be showing an inaccurate star rating or TrustScore, or displaying reviews theyre not permitted to use. Generous no-questions-asked refund policy. ago Trimming titles, 2 trades only loudrogue 5 mo. She was able to visit it last year. The places on the internet that allow this company to advertise should be held accountable as well. On November 23 2022, YouTube creator Scott Shafer uploaded a videopartly titled Established Titles Scam -YouTubes BIGGEST Con, about a common sponsor of YouTube shows (the company Established Titles) and whether their business model was misleading. Shafer also retweeted a November 16 2022 tweet by @MedCrisis, echoing his claims: If you watch similar kinds of youtube channels to me, you might've noticed quite a lot of people being sponsored by something called 'Established Titles', who have clearly really been splashing the cash on influencers lately. Summarizing at the bottom, the firm touched upon the implied conference of a title (Laird, Lord, and Lady), and described souvenir plots of land as a novelty gift: In the end, it may be helpful to step back from this debate and remove our legal caps and recognise what souvenir plots boil down to novelty gifts. The site grew to encompass a wide range of subjects and became a resource to which Internet users began submitting pictures and stories of questionable veracity. Value 33. A great last minute gift. But Highland Titles has been in business longer. The winners are Visionary Award winner Meggan Scavio, president of the Academy of . They have been promoting a 80% discount sale on their website for over a year now, so make of that what you will. I cant wait for the framed Proclamation to arrive. I appreciate everyone who watched. Go Ad-Free, Get Exclusive Shows and Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial. I have just finished putting them in a frame. RT @shootingthemess: As detailed by @chantchantel, David Mikkelson was seemingly unable to relinquish that title; he continued to troll and behave badly long after Snopes established itself as a reputable commodity. I understand this is essentially a novelty, but the smile on her face was priceless! Contacted support which answered right away, and fixed everything quickly. 108 posts. * You obtain a personal right to a souvenir plot of land. There's much talk on social media about Established Titles and its Scottish souvenir land and lordship program.