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Author Topic: Memorial Trees - Scam?  (Read 142 times)

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Offline Desert Fox

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Memorial Trees - Scam?
« on: Mar 20, 2012, 11:03:50 PM »
I am curious, I was listening to the latest "Exposing Pseudo-Astronomy" Podcast about Star Scams and got me to thinking. . . .

Two years ago, my Brother Paul died. I payed for a memorial tree to be planted for him.
There are many similarities in the presentation of the trees and the name a star scheme.
Now, I did try to look at the documentation and according to what I read, it would be a tree somewhere in the middle of the woods, no-where special, and probably one of hundreds if not thousands planted in a day. I don't consider that a scam although many people do likely think that the tree is somewhere in a park with their loved one's name and kids will play around it.
Still, is it a scam as in that they don't plant a tree and just take your money?
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Offline khendar

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Re: Memorial Trees - Scam?
« Reply #1 on: Mar 20, 2012, 11:25:00 PM »
Quote from: Desert Fox on Mar 20, 2012, 11:03:50 PM
I am curious, I was listening to the latest "Exposing Pseudo-Astronomy" Podcast about Star Scams and got me to thinking. . . .

Two years ago, my Brother Paul died. I payed for a memorial tree to be planted for him.
There are many similarities in the presentation of the trees and the name a star scheme.
Now, I did try to look at the documentation and according to what I read, it would be a tree somewhere in the middle of the woods, no-where special, and probably one of hundreds if not thousands planted in a day. I don't consider that a scam although many people do likely think that the tree is somewhere in a park with their loved one's name and kids will play around it.
Still, is it a scam as in that they don't plant a tree and just take your money?


I'd say its a bit of a grey area. Some of the tree-planting schemes do actually plant a tree (or a seed) but then they leave it to fend for itself and don't actively look after it. Chances are a lot of the trees that they "plant" don't survive to maturity. There may be a few outright scams which just take your money and do nothing, but there'd be more who actually do SOMETHING, it just might not be as productive as you thought.

http://www.plantit2020.org/pdf/Scams_Short_Edited.pdf
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Offline Desert Fox

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Re: Memorial Trees - Scam?
« Reply #2 on: Mar 21, 2012, 12:16:22 AM »
I think I did check them out and they were "endorsed" by the state of New Hampshire
Wanted the Tree planted in New Hampshire because that is where my brother lived.
I wanted to see if I could remember the company  but cannot find anything I might have saved and my bank records don't go back that far

You answer is a definitely maybe which I can respect
« Last Edit: Mar 21, 2012, 12:47:26 AM by Desert Fox »
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"Give me the storm and tempest of thought and action, rather than the dead calm of ignorance and faith. Banish me from Eden when you will; but first let me eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge."
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