Company that has sold 'funny' rape tshirts and Amnesty International?

good to read another response.

bit disappointed that not a lot of people are posting on this thread considering the moral outrage on the other. i can only hope that they have looked in and noted that amnesty have nothing to do with it

I got another email not long after the call, which I think was directly from the lady I spoke to:

Thank you for contacting Amazon.co.uk.

My name is XXXX and I work in the customer escalation team.

Further to our telephone conversation, you vigilance in reporting the items you believe to be inappropriate and possibly illegal is very much appreciated. We take matters like this very seriously, and can guarantee you that the matter is being looked in to.

As you can see, the item in question is now showing as 'Currently unavailable' which means that no orders can be placed for it at this time. Although the shirt has not been completely removed from the website, it also cannot be ordered.

You are welcome to check in from time to time on the website to see if the status changes. Unfortunately, we will not be able to notify you when a decision is made regarding this item.

--
It's true that the T-shirt has been shoiwing as unavailable for several days.

However, it's unclear why the 30-odd negative reviews of it have recently been removed, with the one positive review remaining, plus two more negative ones filed since, giving the average star rating as much higher than before! Gah!

Haven't read the other massive threads but I gather there are quite a few of these hideous t shirts at the moment. Has anyone ever seen anyone wearing one, and if you saw someone with one on do you think you would say anything to them? Can't quite get my head round who on earth would buy let alone wear one.

This really feels to me like a recent phenomenon, no?

OK, I hadn't heard anything further from Amazon so I filled out another survey, indicating they should look at the negative reviews they'd got. I also requested a call back and spoke to an American call centre worker. She said that just because one had been taken down didn't mean they'd concluded the investigation on the other, and to continue bringing things to their attention as she was aware this was being looked at.

From her tone of voice, I think she agreed with me but couldn't go beyond her 'party line'.

I'll give them a few more days then see what else I can do to escalate it.

Good to hear, HMCusty. Though I did think you were pulling our legs about GB!

His name really is Gordon Bennett? Gordon Bennett, I could see him getting jip over that...

Custardo that's good to hear. Glad they've written to get their name removed.

thats a real name, i didn't make it up.

Dear ,

Following your email from earlier this week we have now conducted internal checks, both here at Amnesty International UK and also at our international headquarters.

From both sides we can confirm that the company is not known to us and has no contractual relationship with Amnesty. The t shirt the website promotes is just a standard t shirt, and not an Amnesty branded one and although the website indicates that monies will be generated for Amnesty we have not received any monies from them. We totally agree with your sentiments about the tone of many of their other t shirts and do not want to be associated with them, and our legal officer has formally written to them to instruct them to remove the reference to Amnesty immediately. We will monitor to ensure this happens.

We also wanted to thank you for bringing this to our attention. We pay particular attention to Amnesty's copyright and brand and while we monitor many activities we are not always able to spot every time that our name and logo are used, so thanks for your help on this.

Best wishes,
Gordon Bennett

Supporter Care Team
Amnesty International UK
The Human Rights Action Centre
17-25 New Inn Yard
London
EC2A 3EA

Tel: 020 7033 1777
Email: [email protected]

Like SuchProspects I just noticed that 'Calm Down' was now down - maybe to do with 'Murder' being in the URL. Amazon haven't emailled me again yet...

The Amazon "Calm down" T-shirt link is no longer working. So maybe that complaint has been acted on (a bit - the other one is still there).

Got a reply from Amazon which looks like a fairly stock one - I will see if they do take any further action:

"Thank you for contacting Amazon.co.uk and for bringing these products listing to our attention.

There are millions of items on the Amazon.co.uk website, and we have filters in place to ensure that only items that may legally be offered for sale are offered for sale through our platform. Occasionally a particular product listing may go unnoticed by our filters and a product we do not support may then be listed on our website.

We will investigate the listing you have brought to our attention and will take appropriate action."

Sorry to go off-topic, OP, I realise the original point was about Amnesty! Any response from Amnesty yet, anyone?

Ugh, I can't believe this is on Amazon. I have emailled Amazon to ask them to take it down (via "Help - FAQ- Contact- Contact us button" - then log in to account -then "select '1. something else' then select 'other non-order questions' twice against 2. and 3. and then write in the box" - there's probably a quicker way to get there but I couldn't see it so I have listed it out!!)

This is what I wrote in case it's of help to anyone, hope it's coherent as I was very :

Dear Amazon

Please can you stop selling or promoting this disgusting T-Shirt.
www.amazon.co.uk/People-Enjoy-Funny-shirt-CharGrilled/dp/B00423IVI4/ref=sr_1_1?s=clothing&ie=UTF8&qid=1318170860&sr=1-1

I suggest you review the entire range you list from Chargrilled as there are other equally offensive items available such as:

www.amazon.co.uk/Calm-Down-Dear-Lets-Murder/dp/B005ELTKDI
('Brown' option)

These T-shirts are trivialising massive personal violations and serious crimes.

Thank you.

STS

It's just possible that Amnesty aren't aware of the company's connection. I saw the other thread, and it seems there are a few related or subsidiary companies with different names.

However, important thing will be when it's brought to their attention, what they actually do.

I'm confused by Devlin11's post as well, btw.

Actually, may just phone them tomorrow... :) Speaking person to person may be more efficient than an email

Custardo, that probably puts it more succintly than I would...

I'm a long term supporter of theirs, and not only on the TD case. To be supported by such a company, for me, feels like they're going back on so much of what they stand for, and so much of what I believe in. :( Which... Meh. I can't even find the words to describe how I feel about this.

amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=342#mu amnesty contact

i have written

I have supported you, was heavily involved in rallying support for troy davis campaign online and this makes me furious

please explain, i would like a formal response

Sorry, Devlin. Your last post has confused me. Could you clarify it for me please?

ehhh, what?

Don't be surprised if some of these charities could care less. Exacerbating the problem only makes more money for them, and the term "non-profit" often means "just another tax shelter".

Besides, why cure the problem, when you can just treat it? Pharmaceutical companies have been doing it for years, often while creating new problems to "treat". The various Psychiatric Boards have been doing it as well.

Is it any wonder that various charities, the domestic violence industry, and politicians have done the same?

It's just another way to get more money, at the expense of society, all while creating distrust and fear-mongering between people. The people can't very well take a stand on these corrupt practices if they are so divided by fear and hate.

I can't imagine that any of those charities would like to be associated with rape is funny t-shirts. But Amnesty is the most ironic one on the list.
Is there any way of getting an opinion from Amnesty? Or any of the charities?