Established Titles
{{Short description|Hong Kong souvenir plot company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| logo = Established Titles logo.png
| logo_size = 250px
| founded = 2019
| founder = Katerina Yip
| hq_location = Hong Kong
| products = Souvenir plots
| parent = Galton Voysey
| website = {{URL|establishedtitles.com}}
}}
Established Titles is a company which sells souvenir plots of Scottish land from 1 sq ft (0.09 m2) to 20 sq ft (1.86 m2). The company retains legal ownership of the land. While the company claims that those who buy the 'plots' can choose to be titled Lord, Laird or Lady, as part of a supposed "traditional Scottish custom", souvenir plots are too small to be legally registered for ownership and owners of souvenir plots do not have the right to officially title themselves.{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Craig |date=December 4, 2022 |title=Hong Kong investment firm buys Scottish land and claims it will make punters lords and ladies |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scottish-land-lords-ladies-certificate-28647938 |access-date=December 6, 2022 |website=Daily Record}} It owns land in Ardallie, Aberdeenshire,{{Cite web |last=Tolentino |first=Daysia |date=December 2, 2022 |title=Some YouTube creators are dropping their sponsorships with Established Titles after the company is accused of being a 'scam' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/youtube-creators-established-titles-sponsorship-controversy-rcna59518 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |website=NBC News}}{{Cite web |last=McVicker |first=Daniela |date=April 3, 2022 |title=Established Titles Partners With Nonprofits To Address Scottish Deforestation |url=https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/scottish-companies-are-taking-new-steps-to-stop-deforestation/ |access-date=December 2, 2022 |website=Blue & Green Tomorrow}} Dunfermline, Dumfries, Galloway and the Borders.{{Cite web |last=Hunter |first=Ross |date=November 30, 2022 |title=YouTube: Established Titles criticized for 'selling' Scottish land |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/23156697.youtube-established-titles-criticised-selling-scottish-land/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 2, 2022 |website=The National}} YouTuber Scott Shafer's video alleging that the company was a scam caused significant controversy and many YouTubers to drop sponsorships from the company.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-01 |title=Some YouTube creators are dropping their sponsorships with Established Titles after company is accused of being a 'scam' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/youtube-creators-established-titles-sponsorship-controversy-rcna59518 |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=NBC News |language=en}}
Operations
It was founded by CEO Katerina Yip. Established Titles has allegedly been referred to the Advertising Standards Authority.{{Cite web |title=Firm selling 'souvenir plots' of Scots land faces watchdog investigation |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/23188588.established-titles-faces-advertising-standards-authority-investigation/ |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=The National |date=13 December 2022 |language=en}} It received backlash for its aggressive marketing efforts, which involves recruiting YouTubers for promotions.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-01 |title=Some YouTube creators are dropping their sponsorships with Established Titles after company is accused of being a 'scam' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/youtube-creators-established-titles-sponsorship-controversy-rcna59518 |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=NBC News |language=en}} The company is owned by Hong Kong-based investment firm, Galton Voysey Ltd.{{Cite web |title= Terms and Conditions |url=https://establishedtitles.com/pages/terms-conditions|access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.establishedtitles.com}}
Controversy
On 23 November 2022, YouTuber Scott Shafer uploaded a video accusing Established Titles of being a scam that misleads its customers, advising YouTubers to stop working with the company as they do not legally bestow ownership.{{cite AV media |first = Scott |last = Shafer |date = 2022-11-23 |access-date=2023-05-02 |title = Established Titles Scam -YouTube's BIGGEST Con! Graham Stephan & Andrei Jikh |language = en |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2W2TJZYHsw|via = YouTube}} After the video went viral, many YouTubers dropped their sponsorships, including Philip DeFranco and SomeOrdinaryGamers. Established Titles defended itself in a letter to its partners saying that it was "under a targeted, completely unfounded attack based on bogus claims", claiming that it had been transparent about its practices. Many other YouTubers have released videos reasserting Shafer's stance.{{Cite web |last=LaCapria |first=Kim |date=November 28, 2022 |title='Established Titles' Controversy |url=https://www.truthorfiction.com/established-titles-controversy/ |access-date=December 2, 2022 |website=TruthOrFiction.com}}{{Cite web |last=Milner |first=Richard |date=November 28, 2022 |title=How The Established Titles Scam Really Works |url=https://www.grunge.com/1118570/how-the-established-titles-scam-really-works/ |access-date=December 2, 2022 |website=Grunge.com |publisher=Static Media}}
Legally, the company never transfers ownership of the plots to the customers, but even if they did, the Court of the Lord Lyon has stated that "ownership of a souvenir plot of land does not bring with it the right to any description such as ‘laird’, ‘lord’ or ‘lady’". The Court also stated that laird is not a title but a description of an owner of a large estate, not a residential sized property or smaller, and that the titles lord or lady can only be conferred by letters patent, at the pleasure of the Sovereign.{{cite web |title=Caution the souvenir hunters |url=https://www.lawscot.org.uk/members/journal/issues/vol-57-issue-04/caution-the-souvenir-hunters/ |website=Law Society of Scotland |access-date=7 December 2024 |language=en |date=16 April 2012}} Additionally, the Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012 specifically excludes souvenir plots, which it defines as a plot "of inconsiderable size and of no practical utility", from being registered in Scotland.{{cite web |title=Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2012/5/section/22/enacted/data.htm |publisher=Scottish Parliament |page=s. 22}}
Established Titles said that the plots were "a fun gift, meant for a good laugh" and that customers are aware of this; this has been refuted, according to NBC News, by customers who have reported that they believed they were buying land.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://establishedtitles.com/ Official website]
Category:Internet properties established in 2019
Category:Internet-related controversies