Warning over fake ‘Rebellious Hope’ Deborah James t-shirts on sale on Amazon and Etsy
SHOPPERS are being warned about fake versions of Dame Deborah James’ ‘Rebellious Hope’ t-shirts which are being sold by Amazon, eBay and Etsy.
The t-shirt was designed by Sun columnist and cancer campaigner Debs, who sadly passed away yesterday.
The 40-year-old mum launched the t-shirts with fashion retailer In The Style with 100 per cent of profits going towards her Bowelbabe fund.
However, replica versions have popped up on rival websites.
A copycat version is on sale on Etsy for upto £42, while an eBay seller has listed another for £10.
Dozens of fake t-shirts are also for sale on Amazon, costing upwards of £15 each.
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Shoppers who want to buy the version designed by Dame Debs can buy it directly from .
The online fashion giant has promised that 100 per cent of the profits from the tee will go towards the , which currently sits at £6.9million.
Adam Frisby, founder of the fashion house, shared a story on Instagram warning shoppers about the fake versions of the t-shirts.
The entrepreneur wrote: “Please be aware they are not Deborah’s designs and the money does not go to her charity.
“I’m only sharing this because I know how important it was to Deborah that she could raise as much as possible for the Bowel Babe Fund.”
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In an earlier post he paid tribute to Deborah, he said: “Your selfless attitude to do everything you could for others, even in your last few days is something that will stay with me forever.
“You’ve single-handedly raised millions of pounds that will go on to save lives.”
The t-shirts were an important part of Debs' final days, and had been emblazoned with her motto 'Rebellious Hope'.
The tops are available in navy, white, pink and black and if you order the official shirts today, they will be dispatched on Monday.
Debs previously said: "Rebellious Hope’ is what has got me through the last few years.
"Seeing all your messages, tags and support has just been the best and I am so grateful that we have been able to do this together!"
While the shirts for sale across these sites are not original versions, it's not clear whether or not individual sellers are giving the profits to the BowelBabe fund.
However, this is what consumers believe - with one leaving a five-start review and commenting: "Lovely fit. Pleased to have given a little to such an important cause."
'DISGUSTING'
Consumer gurus have warned shoppers to avoid fake versions of the t-shirt.
Sarah Coles, consumer expert from Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "It’s hard to imagine that someone would want to cash in at the expense of charity fundraising, so it’s shocking just how many fake Rebellious Hope T-shirts there are for sale online.
"It’s easy to get confused by the listings, because plenty of them mention Deborah James or Bowel Babe.
"They might say they are raising awareness or that they’re dedicating it to Deborah. However, there’s no sign that any of the profits from any of the sales go to the charity.
"The best way to be certain you’re raising money for Deborah’s charity is to go to , and buy the t-shirt that promises that 100% of profits go to the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research."
Money expert Martyn James added that the sales of the fake t-shirts was 'disgusting'.
He told The Sun: "It's wonderful to see that huge numbers of people are honouring the memory of Dame Deborah James by supporting her charity and purchasing the Rebellious Hope t-shirt.
"Yet disgustingly, there are fraudsters exploiting this desire to do good by flogging fakes online.
"It's vitally important to check the source of the shop before you buy a t-shirt.
"But take a stand by reporting fake t-shirts to the big brands that are turning a blind eye to the sales on their sites."
An eBay spokesperson said: "We have identified listings that are in breach of eBay’s policies and we have removed these listings.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: "Like many, we were saddened to hear of Dame Deborah James' passing.
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"We're in the process of removing all products that make any suggestion of a link with Dame Deborah James or the related charities and apologise for any distress caused.”
The Sun has also contacted Etsy.