Poppy Kilt Pin

**pdcorlis** · 2nd November 09, 05:55 PM

The Poppyshop - a fantastic find! Thank you.

**Ian.MacAllan** · 3rd November 09, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by davedove

Just FYI, Memorial Day was started in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Absolutely right! In my youth it was called "Decoration Day" and was celebrated on May 30. As I recall after WW II it was caight up in the drive to make more three-day weekends and was renamed "Memorial Day", just as Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays were combined into "Presidents' Day" and moved to a Monday..

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**Chas** · 12th November 09, 05:29 AM

Originally Posted by Chas

Good find Alan. I have just bought one on-line. Not bad at £6.99 delivered. But what a procedure - if there was one screen there must have been 20. They take every card known to man, but they have never heard of PayPal. Hope my delivery is a fast as yours.

Regards

Chas

Originally Posted by English Bloke

I'm with you Jock. I'll be stopping silently for 2 minutes at 11:00 on the 11th, as will many, many others I'm sure. We owe too much to ignore it.

Those poppy brooches on the Royal British Legion 'www.poppyshop.org.uk' website are sold out now by the way.

EDIT: Incidentally, I have the good fortune to be able to attend the Anzac Day Service at the Australian National Memorial in Villers Bretonneux in France on 25 April next year. I'll be there with an Aussie mate of mine who is in the Australian Army. I'll get back to you all with a report after the fact.

Originally Posted by pdcorlis

The Poppyshop - a fantastic find! Thank you.

What a disaster. I am really annoyed about this. A wonderful idea that has fallen flat on its face.

I have today finally got through to the Poppy Shop and what a sorry tale they have to tell.

I ordered my brooch on the 27th October and then started to wait. My account status stayed on 'Not yet shipped'. I sent various emails (they promise to reply within 2 working days) - no reply. Many phone calls to the Royal British Legion. RBL do not want to know and direct all communications to the Poppy Shop phone number. It does not get answered.

I have finally teased out the following information.

RBL set up the Poppy Shop as the retail outlet of The Royal British Legion Trading Ltd, which is a separate entity in law to the Royal British Legion. The Poppy Shop was underfunded from day go. Although they would neither confirm nor deny, it seems that the Poppy Shop has only 1 (one) employee. There are no automated procedures and everything is done by this one woman.

Some of the goods offered for sale do not exist (not yet). What they were selling was the original 'marketing' samples. When it became obvious that there was a demand for the goods, then urgent orders were placed. The goods will exist, when they get made and delivered to the Poppy Shop.

When I ordered, I posted that the procedure was very torturous; it seems it is just as bad for the staff. They have been sold a retailing programme that is 'not fit for purpose'. There is no accounting for stock; she has to keep a manual record on her desk of what they have in the warehouse and cross off the items as they are sold.

I could go on with the horror story, but there is really no point. She was almost in tears as she was telling me how difficult her job was.

The good thing is that I will have the brooch in plenty of time for next year.

Their final word is this "If you don't receive the brooch by Monday the 16th, then they will start the procedure to send out another one."

Regards

Chas

**English Bloke** · 12th November 09, 11:32 AM

Well thanks for the heads-up Chas. Went back to the online poppyshop yesterday to see if they had some more stock and it seems they have so I ordered one. I guess I'll have to wait until lovely but stressed Legion lady gets round to me. Don't mind really, I'm happy to give the RBL a fiver.

**Chas** · 13th November 09, 03:44 AM

After kicking up a fuss with over-worked RBL lady on the 12th, this arrived by post this morning (13th) at two minutes past 08:00.

Not wanting to wish my life away, but I am looking forward to wearing it next year.

I am now quite pleased. I am glad you found this Alan.

Regards

Chas

**English Bloke** · 13th November 09, 04:49 AM

When you finally get that 'blue' kilt you're after Chas, you could wear it on that all year round... That would be nice.

**Hamish** · 13th November 09, 04:52 AM

Well, I too ordered one of these brooches on 27th October. My order was confirmed by E-mail, giving Order Number, etc., etc., but nothing arrived from the Poppy Shop. I have checked the website several times only to be advised that the brooch was out of stock (this morning, it tells me that the item cannot be found!!). I have telephoned twice: the first time the line just rang and rang without a response, but at the second attempt a few minutes ago a young lady politely told me that all the orders from October have been despatched. There had been a delay because the brooch was out of stock. She then asked me to call back on Monday if the brooch still has not arrived, at which time she would arrange for a repacement to be sent out.

I offered to give her the Order Number, etc., which she took together with my name, and then told me that she had no means of checking that my order was definitely amongst those despatched - and would I please call back next week! She also confirmed that my Credit Card would have been charged if I'd been given an Order Number.

This is part of a worthy charity and so I have not kicked up a fuss, and there is a remote chance that my package has become lost in the mail, but I do not care for sheer inefficiency, charity or not, and will be writing to the British Legion's public relations if the brooch does not turn up soon.

What a disappointment!

Take care,
Ham.

**caig** · 13th November 09, 06:20 AM

What a great shame that what I thought was a good and novel idea, has turned into such a disappointing experience for some of our members. I am pleased to see, however, that the Scottish spirit of fairness and consideration to our military brethren has helped to soften the disappointment and that come next year, we will have a number of our members sporting these nice brooches.

May I thank those members who have taken up this idea and ask them to post a pic next year (unless you have a memory like mine !!)

**Chas** · 13th November 09, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by acaig

What a great shame that what I thought was a good and novel idea, has turned into such a disappointing experience for some of our members. I am pleased to see, however, that the Scottish spirit of fairness and consideration to our military brethren has helped to soften the disappointment and that come next year, we will have a number of our members sporting these nice brooches.

May I thank those members who have taken up this idea and ask them to post a pic next year (unless you have a memory like mine !!)

Alan, I am sure that this is only a temporary glitch. Once RBL realise how popular this is, and is going to be, they will allocate the resources needed to make it a success. I am sure that we have all seen similar things happen in the past. This is a programme that in reality wasn't ready to go into service, but they had a deadline looming. So, the dilemma, go live and possibly disappoint people, or wait and and pay people to do nothing for a year.

As Shakespear says "All's Well That Ends Well".

I am pleased

Regards

Chas