I was sponsored by Established Titles

The big news on KZbin lately has been about Established Titles being a scam. Let's talk about it!
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#EstablishedTitles

[@HoldenHardman]

I'm currently in the process of having the Established Titles ads removed from the few videos I had them playing on. I'm having to use KZbin's built in editor which is a pain and notoriously slow, but they'll be taken down ASAP.

[@cartertran270]

I had a bad gut feeling when so many YT channels where promoting it. But I was like it’s probably nothing. Guess I was right. Hope everything works out.

[@Bing292]

Looked like a scam from a mile away. How ridiculous. Buy a square of mud, get a title. Yes that’s how that works. There’s literally not need for a video tho. The ad was more harmful than the promotion itself. Dickless mfs “guys I’m really sorry 😢”please don’t stop paying my patreon. 12 minutes ffs. Milking itttt.

[@jcdrummerz96]

They are not a scam! The video accusing them makes multiple misleading claims which have since been debunked. They have an established partnership with multiple tree planting organizations. Please don't contribute to the attack on this charitable organization based on meritless public outrage.

[@gopalarora9997]

You should keep your skit, it was funny

[@joehung1552]

Since you don't real research like FactFiend and are helping to cost charities money, I am unsubscribing from your channel.

[@VKunia]

Thanks for the video Holden!! I actually had a sponsorship ready to go with them and thought the same things you mentioned in the vid - that it was a cute novelty gift and just a lot of fun to do. I was really shocked when I received that email!! I wasn't sure what the controversy was behind the company but your video explained it perfectly so ty 🙂 I'm not lost and confused as to why that happened now LOL

[@Lemon_Force]

Awesome to see you here!

[@Astro.slugs1]

Omg vkunia! 🥺🥺

[@kuivia]

I love it when reactors i watch also watch each others videos :)

[@MrMan_2464]

Hi Vicky, I wasn't expecting to see you here!

[@theawesomeman9821]

Hi Vicky! Enjoy your content.

[@biggysmith]

a mistake only becomes an error if you do not correct it. Well done for sorting this out.

[@tariqshort4025]

thats a good saying.

[@MaiiOrduna]

I thought the saying was the other way around

[@eon5878]

That sounds backwards

[@biggysmith]

@@MaiiOrduna haha I think you're right, so I'll correct myself here and stay true to the saying!

[@nazo891]

Another Thrawn fan! In here let’s go 😜May the warrior’s fortune smile upon you

[@cape084]

I felt so bad when I found out about the scam and saw all the work you put in to the skit, sucks so many creators had to deal with this.

[@deanfitzz]

Holden, you have my utmost respect. Most YTers would double down and avoid taking responsibility. Legend!

[@HypocritesExposd]

A lot of KZbinrs ARE actually doubling down and it’s messed up

[@guestGoob]

Because it's not actually a scam

[@raygunner4970]

@@guestGoob Bruh. Proof?

[@HypocritesExposd]

@@guestGoob yeah it is. When they claim something, take your money, and don’t follow through on their claims, that pretty scammy. They specifically claimed you will own land and will legally be recognized as a lord/lady.

[@mikelynch5787]

I bought one after seeing you talk about it, but I don’t blame you at all. You’re a great and honest dude. Scam or not, it still looks neat.

[@aquamojavi7261]

As someone who is actually Scottish and also lives in Pensacola, Established Titles was a scam as soon as I heard about it. Most of Scotland’s land is already protected 😂

[@smallfryskilledge1550]

That’s hilarious. I’ve been told that you could become a Lord so many times, I think it’s the type of thing you bring up at a dinner party without really knowing if it’s true or not.

[@JuanRodriguez-tf7fh]

I want a piece 😭

[@Nastyn1nja808]

I hope people check out Dude in a Rooms video on this subject. It seems like using the word officially has caused most problems. At least there is proof for the charity part and tree planting. The scam video said no proof exists but it does. Oh well. Novelty to scam. It's too late no matter if the truth comes out.

[@operative2136]

You know this was a question I immediately thought of as soon as I became aware of Established Titles. Specifically: "Won't they eventually run out of titles to give since land in Scotland is ultimately finite?"

[@parker469a]

@@operative2136 Well, if it's only a square foot and only 5,000 ever apply then they are fine but if millions of people do it then it's going to be a problem.

[@CitizenKen1]

It’s too bad it was a scam because Established Titles gave us the best sponsored sketch you’ve done in a while Holden with your surprisingly good Scottish accent and kilt! :)

[@Xerdoz]

Anyone who had the sponsorship is also committing a crime if they claim people will own a piece of land and they actually don't. A fraud is a fraud and criminals need to go to prison. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[@sigurdbergsrud6198]

@@Xerdoz actually, From what I’ve gathered established Titles themselves actually say in all contracts and sponsorships with people on the internet that…you’re not actually getting a literal lordship, it’s more of a cool novelty service/gift that actually does donate to charity. Check out Fact Fiend on KZbin and watch their video on Established titles if you want an explanation that is…..a bit better…. You dont have to take my word for it, but I’d like to think I’m a fairly logical individual. Please let me know if you watch the video! Also I know I may get hate for saying all this…from you or other people, but someone has to. Just..please check out Fact Fiends video.

[@awright119021]

@@sigurdbergsrud6198 they repeatedly say you are buying land though. And you're not. They ran ads exactly like the ones youtubers did being very deceptive. They own the land and it can never be yours. Actually they don't even own the land, another company does. Either way you'd have to look on the way back machine site to see what they were saying before because they massively changed their website right after Scott's video went viral. Before that the website definitely made you think you were buying land and using a loophole in the law to get lord status. They never once said it was a gag gift and they only donated to plant one tree IF you added an extra $8 on your order (which they pocketed $7 of).

[@Helldog6]

@@Xerdoz Man, shut up.

[@Pretzils1031]

Holden, my respect for you just went up even higher than it already was.

[@Goomyx1492]

This is probably the best take I've seen on this issue so far. You don't brush it under the rug, but you don't give in to the outrage over the less-problematic issues. It's a nuanced take and I really appreciate that, and agree pretty much wholeheartedly with your entire breakdown of the situation.

[@BichaeldeAngelo]

Holden is a rare beast in today’s world, honestly

[@Nomadic813]

Honestly dude this is really a lesson for a lot of KZbin channels. When you say you want to have integrity with the corporate sponsorships, it implies that you are doing some level of due diligence about ensuring these partners are above board. Old media used to get around this by saying that advertisers were just advertisements and that there was a separation between the publisher and the advertiser... "Views expressed do not represent views held by the publication" but KZbinrs rely on that para-social relationship as a main asset. That's why you're attractive to advertisers. And that's why they always want you to say you use the products too. It's a treacherous balance.. but I hope this means that content creators will be more diligent about screening what companies they're willing to partner with.

[@Matthew-bm7xh]

I recommend Fact Fiends recent video on the topic, the whole thing has been blown out of proportion

[@Jokin_Jake]

Damn I bought an Established Titles certificate earlier this month. Thank goodness it was during the Black Friday sale and I had a discount code, so they didn't get that much money from me. You have my respect Holden for informing all of us about the scam and taking responsibility.

[@SubzeroBlack68]

I don't think its a big deal. As long as the land is real and money is being used to take care of the forests, then you get what you pay for. Plus, you can still put "Lord/Lady" on stuff, just not government documents. As long as they clear up the advertisement to be MORE honest and the creator ads being clearer, it should be fine.

[@rejnholten]

They have refund policy within 60 days

[@Jokin_Jake]

@@rejnholten thx 🙏

[@Ventus11513]

I wasn't aware of this, I got this during the black Friday deal for my wife and I as a cute and unique gift for Xmas... not sure what to do. She's terminally ill and what would have been her xmas gift I had given her on her bday, and this came up as a fun present.

[@jenliz6248]

I bought one for my grandmother knowing it couldn’t be legitimate years ago, but she loved it, so I’m glad I got it for her. Now that’s she’s passed I’m happy that I have her certificate she was so proud of. It was an entertaining gift.

[@ChildlikeMan]

I just find it interesting that all the detractors ignore the fact that there IS a paper trail proving that they do in fact donate to those charities and that as of a few days ago they had paid for the planting of over 2 million trees.

[@softkoala]

According to the wise words of uncle Iroh, “It is usually best to admit mistakes when they occur, and to seek to restore honor”.

[@ent66]

But not this time, RUN!

[@danielthetemp6069]

I always appreciate when creators are transparent with regards to sponsorships. Good on you for addressing this!

[@Steepphheen]

Many moons ago, Highland titles also started doing the same thing. I'm from Scotland and my partner got me it as a wee present in like 2014 but even looking into it then it was clear it was just not legally standing. I wasn't too bothered as to me it was still a pretty neat little thoughtful gift.

[@ChrisReise]

Thanx for the info. I WAS going to get a plot of land for my friend who is of Scottish descent for her birthday in February. I appreciate your disclosure and honesty and will continue to follow you on youtube until such time I can afford to subscribe to your Patreon. Your channel is in my top 5 reactions. Have a great day and I hope you and Jen have a great Christmas.

[@Sky_9621]

I have to say, that I really respect you for your decision to talk so openly about the whole situation. I have been watching your videos for a really long time now and you really deserve the growth of the channel. I just love the vibes your videos give of, I always look forward to the next video of you guys 🙏🏼 Looking forward to see the channel grow even bigger, please stay the way you are 😁

[@markieman64]

Hey mate. Firstly, great video. Hats off to you. I did cringe quite a lot at the established titles ads floating around, especially those, as you point out, that flat out lied (intentional or accidental). I'm Scottish. Not a Lord, though I do have ancestors who were. That's besides the point. I just felt very uncomfortable with some of the ads, and to be honest, I did lump you in with them, as I tended to skip them when they started to get too much, so I didn't get an accurate sense of who was saying what. For that, I am sorry. I'm so glad to hear that established titles is not doing very well. If you want to plant a tree in Scotland, by all means, I'll put one out there just now for free, and you can donate your money anywhere you want! St. Jude's sounds like a worthy cause! Also, and I'm sure it's intentional (😉), I love that you posted this on St. Andrew's Day. I do really hope this experience hasn't put you off my country! 😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@dfcarvalho]

Good on ya for talking about this ON KZbin, where the audience that would have seen the ad is. Almost all the reaction youtubers I subscribe to did at least one video sponsored by this company and you're the first one I've seen talking about it in a video.

[@amymoquin8636]

I don't subscribe to a ton of channels but my top 5 Channels that I follow have all been sponsored by Established Titles. I always thought of it like when you buy a brick that's placed somewhere in your town. You don't really own that brick. Thanks for taking the time to address this.

[@stern12akachris32]

Thank You for doing this. I have always felt that you and Jen are a Class Act !!!!!

[@ago5022]

Big props to you for handling this situation with transparency, my man! Also, that skit was 💯 🔥

[@JynxedKoma]

It's good to finally see these cherished KZbin channels finally taking notice of these scams and actually having the respect for their viewers to call them out as well at the cost of losing income. Good man, Holden! Though I doubt SomeOrdinaryGamers will do the same. But we do admit, your skit was the absolute best on KZbin for it.

[@nathangillespie101]

love the fact you researched it yourself. good to know you make your own decisions not the one everyone else says you should.

[@ALL_that_ENDS]

It's only came to light as of recently, so your good. Integrity is everything, totally admirable of you.

[@Sm0kingGun]

I mean, one google search would've told anybody considering it that it's a scam from the start.. but respect to you Holden for cutting ties anyway!

[@davidschaufus7856]

i thought everyone knew that and was just a cute gimmick item like naming a star after someone

[@tarag7292]

It was not obvious to everyone, and I wish that people would stop saying this. It doesn't make them stupid, it just means that they didn't know the all that went into purchasing land in that country and being title of Lord or Lady. Content creators were insinuating that it was an official title, and they offered to disclaimer. So flipping it to make it sound like it's the people's fault for calling them, and evading accountability by blaming people for horribly misleading pitches is messed up. 😒

[@scoobers90]

Holden, this video speaks to your character. A channel I follow doubled down hard made a whole video refuting the claims. Not a good look. I got suspicious when tons of channels started being sponsored all at once. Good on you for this.

[@samfromthorne]

This is the first creator video I’ve seen addressing the scam and I respect it. They deceived everyone and you fixed it as soon as you found out, no guilt/blame on your shoulders.

[@MrEvers]

I got a certificate from Highland Titles for my parents. They actually exist, and you can visit the nature reserves they manage from the sales. (although they're not free from controversy)

[@anonymes2884]

So long as they're clear that you don't _really_ own the land nor have any actual title then it's just a fun way of giving money to a conservation charity. Highland Titles sound pretty dodgy to me (they're registered as a charity in the Channel Islands which means they're not under the legal oversight of either the UK or Scottish governments and don't have to declare their profits etc. so the owners _could_ for instance be drawing huge wages and only spending 5% of what they take in on conservation) but they do at least seem to have actual plots of land that they're planting actual (native) trees on. As a Scot, with no offence meant to you or your Mum and Dad, I must admit the underlying notion makes me slightly uneasy - I mean the idea of people thousands of miles away treating ownership of my country as a kind of novelty item, one that's even given away in "goody bags" at the Oscars, like an iPod or fancy hand cream - but since these i'm sure entirely well-meaning people don't _actually_ own anything I guess there's no real harm done.

[@cinemadolce]

Same. I’m wife and I actually did the same. It’s not like I actually believe I own some serious land in Scotland… but I like donating to various conservation efforts and after looking into HT, it seemed like a fun thing to be a part of. 😊

[@wyterabitt2149]

@@anonymes2884 It's not that simple, the law is not an area that most really grasp. They do "really" own the land, just not through the normal process under which the land registry is set up to deal with. The land registry is there for dealing with land at a minimum of 10s of thousands normally (sometimes a little less, but rarely not at least worth that much even if you pay less), up to millions of pounds and provide protection for this very big investment. It's not there to pointlessly deal with insignificant consumer level £30 sales or a little more. These people have essentially a beneficial ownership. This is a real ownership still. But they can't register it. Just to give two silly examples, imagine you sell your neighbour £20 of your land. You could just do it without a specific part, in which case they will have a form of beneficial interest and own £20 of the equity. Or you could draw up a specific area, identify this clearly, and sell them a 1m * 1m part of your garden. They still have a form of beneficial interest in your land from this, but under law this will work very slightly differently in that they have an interest in that specific area outlined in your agreement. They do absolutely own it but as they can't register it this also means they will always be a minority stakeholder in the wider land that is registered as one entity, all they can do is make demands in what to do with that bit of land compared to the rest under other laws dealing with contracts/consumer protection etc. The second example is essentially what is happening with Established Titles.

[@anonymes2884]

@@wyterabitt2149 Pretty sure it actually is that simple where the law is concerned. Under Scots law land ownership is a "real right" (as opposed to a "personal right"). It's absolute. In the context of the video, "Established Titles" (actually the Hong Kong company that owns them) holds that "real right" to the land (in the thread's context the company in question is "Highland Titles" but it's the same idea). That's it. There's only one right of ownership and they have it. That right of ownership needs three things in order to be _legally_ transferred to another party - a contract, conveyance and _registration in the Land Registry_ because in Scotland land ownership is (partly) _defined_ by registration in the Land Registry. You literally can't _legally_ own land that _isn't_ registered to you and until it's registered you don't own it, even if the first two requirements for transfer have been met. This has been true since the 1600s. Some of these companies will point to the Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act (1979 and then later 2012) which mentions that "souvenir plots" _can't_ be registered. They then spin this to claim "souvenir plots _don't need_ to be registered" as if you _can_ still legally own land in Scotland without registering it. As it currently stands though civil law, common law and all qualified legal opinions i've seen are agreed that this just isn't the case. Where we totally agree though is that what "Established Titles" customers hold is a _contract_ with the company saying, effectively, "We agree you own this land" (and _maybe_ also "And we agree to conserve it"). This is a "personal right" of contractual obligation. No plot "owner" has the rights conferred with land ownership in Scotland (the rights to use, enjoy the fruits of and within the law, do what you wish with the land). No one else needs to recognise their "ownership" as binding. If Joe Bloggs comes in and buys _actual_ (legally recognised) ownership of the land from "Established Titles" (or also, depending on the specifics of the contract, if "Established Titles" e.g. decides to tear up all the trees and build a hotel there), those customers _could_ then sue "Established Titles" for breach of contract (though I don't see it going very far given the "novelty" nature of it) but they have absolutely no recourse against Joe Bloggs because they have no "real right" of ownership in the land and never did. Their connection is with "Established Titles", not the land. Similarly, if "Estabished Titles" goes bankrupt tomorrow so goes their customers' "ownership". (I realise BTW that i'm just some rando on the internet but if you google around this you can read multiple sources, including Scots property lawyers, weighing in on the situation and to them too it's clear-cut)

[@awright119021]

@@cinemadolce it only costs $1 to plant one tree at the actual tree planting charity. If everyone had just donated half of that ridiculous amount to the charity, so many trees could've been planted. Instead everyone gave the scammers all the money for something they could've printed off the internet for free 🤷‍♀️

[@Polymathically]

I learned it was a scam ages ago, and I'm so glad you realized it as well. Thank you for stepping up and doing right by your viewers!

[@OccasionalVegan9_34]

Your skits are always the best, that one was particularly hilarious 🤣🤣🤣🤣 we appreciate you guys, Holden. Thank you for being so transparent with us 💕

[@sphinx3r]

You did good in sorting this out. I wish more creators would be aware of these scams and other shady companies. Like NordVPN, who youtubers all over are shilling for, even though they had a major security leak and didn't tell their customers for 8 months.

[@TrekTrav]

The thing is. My first thought was like, if you owned the land then in twenty years time when they wanted to buy it then they would have to logistically contact thousands of people in order to get the land. Which to me says SCAM. No business is going to sell tiny bits of land.

[@Whitewingdevil]

Thnks for putting this video out Holden, I knew about the controversy, but I hadn't heard it explained from the creators perspective in such a calm and reasoned way.

[@nugget3687]

I want to throw something out there, Scott left out information of his own, or at least did zero research and made assumptions, when he said it's impossible to track how much money they have to the charity BECAUSE THE CHARITY'S WEBSITE TELLS YOU! Your can go to the charities website and they list established titles as a partner and how many tress they helpt plant. At most they are being dishonest about what you get, but they are not being dishonest about where your money is going, and that is to a charity that plants trees.

[@mathewlang5749]

First, personally, is say that you should not feel too bad. Keep the money and keep making content but just do a little more research into future sponsors. I did want to encourage you to do research into the entire Tree Planting industry and the history behind that. It's full of people who care but also full of scams too. Ultimately it's allot easier to do good with your own two hands whenever possible and I'm sure you do your own charity work.

[@thefilmpunch]

This is crazy! I’ve heard so many different KZbinrs, streamers and podcasters do ads for this company. Thanks for posting or else I probably wouldn’t have known!!!

[@J___0926]

We need more media makers like you

[@Fonny222]

What’s interesting to me is there are so many variations of this exact thing. The one that has stood the test of time is the ones that you can pay to “Name a Star”. The companies that do it have no authority to name stars so multiple people have probably paid to put their name on the same star. This specific version that is on KZbin now seems to pop up every few years with different companies and when I first heard of it I even found one company that sold plots of land on the moon. However, I don’t remember any of the other companies (especially the moon one) having the charity tree planting aspect.

[@shaharadegan9993]

Thank you for such an up front in-depth conversation about a serious situation. Bravo😊

[@plutoniumparker3849]

Omg when I saw the title I was like "Holden, ur really making a separate video to advertise?" Then I saw the thumbnail and I was like "OH NOOOO"

[@TeOnlyGunMan21]

Thank you for making this video. I didn't know anything about all this and bought as package deal on Black Friday from Established Titles because if your ad, as well as over KZbinr Ads I watch. I sent them a email with my order number so hopefully I get a refund but, I'm not holding my breath on that.

[@Kryptarch]

First like! Been a long time fan of your channel, Holden, ever since the “My Friend Reacts” series. I always appreciate the time and care you put into your videos. You and Jen bring a unique character to your channel not present in other React channels. Much love and support from Alaska!

[@ambibambi1021]

Yea this has happened to so many others and I’m sorry you got called out for trusting a company.

[@ALECTHEAVERAGE]

Really appreciate you talking about this Holden! I have to say though, from the first time I heard about it,through another KZbinrs sponsorship, it screamed scammy in some way.

[@caycecarson]

It's always reminded me of those websites where you can "buy a star", but since a patch of grass in Scotland is easier to get to than a ball of gas a million light-years away, it seems more deceiving, somehow.

[@troyboi7662]

i usually dont care about these videos but for some reason this got my interest lol. Ive seen a lot of established title ads and thought it was a cool company with a cool idea. sad to see the truth of it all, but glad that you've brought it up or I would've never known. Thanks for being so real with your audience!

[@jameswhiteside6716]

Thanks for posting Holden. I almost bought this as a Christmas gift for my son (went with Displate instead...you should get them to sponsor you). Also, as a Canadian, I'd buy a house from you....I see how you decorate (house comes with a large screen TV and theatre seating...may or may not include dogs) :) Love the channel.

[@dansegelov305]

I have commented on videos of several of my subscribed channel creator's videos about Established Titles. I will subsequently decide on whether I continue subscribing based on whether they continue to advertise them. I understand thay they pay quite a lot for advertising them, so I can understand to a degree. Well done for going the extra step and making a video acknowledging the problem.

[@ofthenearfuture]

I loved the skit! Thanks for addressing the situation directly, not that you even really had to address the drama lol

[@Timbuktu407]

I bought a certificate during the Father’s Day sale. I never took it as anything more than a novelty, a fun and goofy thing. I’m surprised anyone took it so seriously.

[@redmdlee]

Im glad to hear a very clear the summary of the controversy from you guys. Been trying to look into this recently and I do agree that most do get swept by the mob mentality which kinda detracts from the real issue. Its a shame the sponsorship was a scam, the premise was really good. I wonder if there are any content creators that would band together after this controversy and actually reach out to a legit tree planting organization

[@Allaiya.]

I appreciate this. I almost bought this for my aunt and uncle as a Christmas gift last year as they’re hard to buy for but themselves are tree farmers & environmentalists. The price would have been around $200 when I was looking. I thought the land purchase would have been legal but it’d be so small that it would be of no consequence. Also, I thought they’d be able to use the titles but that it would also not really mean anything other than ‘landowner’ in Scotland. For the $ I could buy more trees myself. Glad they were exposed.

[@JimityJamity]

Another scam that still sponsors many channels to be wary of is "Better Help." Although they do offer some of the services they advertise, it has been found they do not use actual therapists, which itself is dangerous for anyone actually seeking therapy.

[@Jaserocks2]

I am an actual therapist that works for better help. And know of actual therapists that have used it to supplement their income

[@HypocritesExposd]

Scott Schafer has an updated video just released today. Established Titles changed their website and claimed their website ALWAYS said those things. They keep lying.

[@ComicBookMalc]

It's kinda like the naming a star thing I was going to buy one then phoned the royal astronomical society and found you can't actually do that. But fair play for taking the ads down and talking about this in a good clear way. Well done sir

[@alexkramerblogs]

Cool to see you taking the response from wider audience and talking about it!

[@IamMiaga]

I bought a "title" as a funny little gift, even after googling the legal side of land ownership and lordship titles and very quickly finding out that to be hogwash. The second thing that clued me in that this might not be completely on the up and up was checking the plot location on google maps and seeing the rinky-dink little shrubbery plot of forestation that was designated; some quick mental math later and even just hundreds of buyers would have had overlapping plots.

[@Chippa33]

Well done Holden ur a class act my friend.. so I’m thinking that whoever runs the company over there knew they would only have a somewhat short window/lifespan w the chance to make some $ before the jig was up n that now kind of explains why almost every sponsored video I saw on YT for about a month or so was for Established Titles, they knew what they were doing n wanted to rake in as much $ as possible before the house of cards collapsed on top of them..

[@Rob_F8F]

I thought it was a novelty gift as well. As for owning a foot of land, it seems similar to when a zoo let's you "adopt" an animal. You are not taking it home and you will not be able to build a house even if you bought a 100x100 foot square of 1-foot plots. It seems like a fun and different way of getting people to domate to planting trees on this Scottish estate.

[@duralireha]

The kilt and the accent was fun, I'm sorry you have to cut them but it is what it is, I guess. Thanks for being transparent about it, and also being a nice enough human being to say you were decieved.

[@Xman_supreme]

I saw a video from Shadiversity talking about Kamikoto. And it looked BAAAAD. He broke down the quality of steel used vs regular price of similarly made products...did a few use and wear comparisons. It all looks bad.

[@noahfortner8519]

Respect you a lot for this, man

[@benjamindoyle3741]

Love your content and I appreciate you making a video about this. Not that I would ever use anything any KZbinr promotes! That said I respect and commend your honorability.

[@BichaeldeAngelo]

My respect for Holden is now S tier

[@GAZMAN2002]

Thanks for letting us know its a shame to hear this after black Friday I can only imagine they hit a lot of sales in that time for Christmas presents

[@slmott399]

Huge respect for you Holden, admitting you're wrong seems to be a dying practice these days and it's refreshing when people don't hesitate to admit their mistakes.

[@MeyaRoseGirl]

I agree. It was pretty obvious it was just a novelty item, and you're not REALLY a lord. (It's like a friend of my parents that proudly wears a tie pin that says he's an owner of the Green Bay Packers, even though he gets no proceeds from the team. He just donated to the team and they sent him the stupid tie pin.) But it certainly entered my head that if they tell you that you own a square foot of land in Scotland with a parcel number or whatever, then that should mean you could get on a plane and go see your square foot of land, if you so desire. Same if you sponsor a tree. As for "shady business dealings" with shell companies and the like, that's really just normal business practice, like you said. And you brought up Disney, since it's such a huge, recognizable name that owns so many other things. If Disney looks to buy land or invest in something, they HAVE to use a shell company (and keep changing shell companies) because if word gets out that Disney is interested, it artificially jacks up the price for that land, investment, etc. And when it comes to a non-profit organization, non-profit does not mean that company doesn't keep any money for itself. It needs money to operate, more than you probably expect, so you're lucky if you are donating to an organization and the majority of the money you donate actually goes to the charitable cause rather than to the operation of the charity. It's why fundraising galas are actually really stupid. More money goes into making it a fancy party to impress the rich people than actually gets donated to the charity as a result of the fundraiser. I understand your desire to donate to St. Judes because battling childhood cancer is certainly a worthy cause, but that charity spends SO MUCH MONEY on marketing. I mean, I've seen ads for that at prime times on television, plus youtube, plus billboards, plus junk mail, etc. I mean, maybe other companies donate some of that, like a cheaper rate for advertising time, but still...

[@ZarathosDaimaoh]

I both agree and disagree with him on the whole "usual business and shell companies" deal . It is regular , except this was mentioned there because EACH of those shell and different companies seems to be accused of behind a scam or faulty product . hardly the same as purchasing an umbrella of companies under multiple IDS , and some of them screwing up or being plain shady ... here they all intentional are , apparently

[@Dannydarko27]

Holden definitely a man of great character. Dude said screw his sponser if they're no good

[@claytorizzle]

Great video. I never thought that creators should feel all that bad for this because it’s not really realistic to do that much of a deep dive into every company you sponsor and you were lied too. But this was a great genuine response

[@Fatbond0007]

Im surprised no figured out it was a scam sooner as they always had an 80% sale on which is instantly a red flag amongst other things

[@Bensonders]

When I saw a react video to the actual video "exposing" extablished titles (and I guess most of us found out about all of it this way for maximum mob mentality) I immediately thought "oh, I wonder when Holden will get crucified by his fans for it". I only saw ads for ET from 2 KZbinrs, you were the second one and honestly, you almost got me with it. I even wrote a comment about how I donated scottish wildlive charity in the past and this would be a cute way to get a little more visibility for it. But I didn't pull the trigger because I had no money, haha. When I saw the list of all the youtubers who got sponsor deals with ET I mostly felt sad, because there were big names on the list, names who already fell for these kind of scams and names who have employees just for these parts of the business. And they still fell for it, again. So I didn't really hold it against you, but it shows again what a bad place youtube can be and how easily people can get used, both you as a creator who trusts a sponsor and the viewers who trusts the creator. When I had my first sponsor here on youtube - 10 or so years ago, back than this was rather rare - I was so nervous about every step and people were more sceptical about all of this, too. Now you see a multi million sub KZbin Channel who reports the news taking a sponsor deal and you think "ok, this has to be legit" and you feel save if you make ads for the same sponsor. Its so easy to get negligent about all of this. Anyway. Good that you made a statement about all of this and I don't think that you realistically could've done anything better about it. If you look for a nice charity that is located in scotland I recommend the Scottish Wildlife Trust (just google it, its the first result, I don't put links into comments) and especially "Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels", Its part of the aforementioned trust.. Its an interesting and very sad story, that even involves the amercian grey Squirrels, most people don't even know about all of this.

[@chrissanders1037]

But it's SO obvious that you are not actually buying land or a title... how anyone genuinely thought they were getting those is beyond me It is a novelty gift which benefits a charity. It's like when you sponsor a panda, you're not actually buying a panda but you're contributing to looking after a panda/its habitat

[@corporealghoul]

Skit was great. Bravo for doing this. It makes me sad seeing other channels claim that ET was "obviously" a gag gift and that makes it okay for them to claim you will own the a souvenir plot. Youre all good bro.

[@SomeRandomMario]

Dear Holden, If you decide to donate your sponsor money, I recommend going with a tree planting organization. it keeps with the purpose of the sponsorship's stated purpose and it seems fair. As someone who raised over 15k for st. jude. I'd be wary of doing future donations. yes, the patients and their families pay nothing, and the donations pay for the whole stay. but I did not like that 5% of all donations are stated to go to the administration. (and that's what they publically state, the reality could be far more especially with how easy it could be for some donations to go unaccounted) that may not sound like a lot but when you consider how expensive the medical procedures are and the massive amounts of donations given to st. jude on a daily basis that 5% is ridiculously high considering how relatively small the administration is compared to the hospital staff, the fundraising division (recruiters and school liaisons). for example, when I was raising funds for them they told me that it takes about 2 million dollars A DAY to run st. Jude. that means that the administration is collecting 100k daily for every day of operation, this was in 2015/16, now it supposedly about 2.4 million.

[@keny1555]

It's my opinion that you do whatever you want with the sponsorship money and that this video explaining your stance/thoughts on the matter is enough for me as one of your viewers. My 2 cents as a regular viewer. Keep doing what you're doing man.

[@vcknol2538]

half to St. Judes, and half to a tree planting chairty?

[@madisonwhovian943]

I've seen these ads on the Cinema Therapy channel for months and didn't know it was a scam. I hope they know by now!

[@ZarathosDaimaoh]

The issue there , is that most YTers don't even check how legit their sponsors actually are , and would only react after some news obviously . And honestly without some real due diligence , all that talk about integrity from all of them is moot . I know that most were not aware of issues with those companies , and aren't out to scam people ... but they are still not paying attention really , beyond their own interactions with those companies feeling legit and professional enough . But at least YOU addressed it , did not just swept thing under the rug , and did not play the ostrich . Kudos for that

[@harlequingnoll5]

It's a step up from getting a star named after you, at least a tree gets planted

[@TychoCelchu]

The guy who exposed the scam has posted a follow-up video. Apparently one of the content creators sponsored by Established Titles made a video, in which they call him racist for pointing out that the business was all Hong Kong based, and one of the directors being Chinese. When in reality, he was showing that the company had zero ties to Scotland or any other part of the U.K. Established Titles has then been sending a link to that video to other content creators, in an attempt to discredit the guy who exposed them. They’ve also been editing the text on their website, while claiming that they haven’t changed anything. Cutting ties with them was absolutely the right choice. Well done for sticking to your principles.

[@jmhaces]

The fact that this became a thing and that a lot of people are shocked that you don't actually become a lord is honestly hilarious. I never would've thought that anyone was confused about it being a novelty gift and not an actual title that made you Scottish nobility. Amazing. What a time to be alive.

[@kai_demon_axb9697]

How dare they hate on your skit! That skit was amazing!😂

[@sodblitz3445]

It's a novelty it was always a novelty.... The people calling it a scam are the people who were stupid enough to think that it would make them a real Lord

[@NYXBAR]

OMG! I watched that fushigi ball video a while back and did not realize you were the same person! lol

[@r.j.h.l2031]

It says a lot that you would take the time to clear things up and be so upfront about this!

[@DayyHughes]

When I bought this like, 15 or so years ago, you could put Laird (not Lord) or Lady on your bank card etc, here in the UK. No idea if things have changed since then. I don't know if it was with Established titles either.

[@juliant]

This is why is skip all promotional material in KZbin Videos, from Established titles to Vessi shoes. I ain't buying none of it.

[@Thebigm8283]

Hey apart from them being a scam your accent wasn’t too bad(47 year old Scotsman here) it’s an unfortunate situation but keep your up head up and the great content coming big man! < a Scottish compliment

[@DromeG60]

Oh no! Holden, better inform Scimandan, he loves Established Titles and we love that guy!

[@HoldenHardman]

I love SciManDan! Dear oh dear.

[@marvellkrypton]

It's funny that just last week I discovered this myself. Good to see you covering this, you're the first KZbinr that was sponsored by them to speak out.

[@Jansenbaker]

No, at least two of my subbed channels have addressed it before today.

[@jdrummerdd]

There are thousands of KZbinrs they sponsored lmfao how do you know every single one hasn’t acknowledged it

[@marvellkrypton]

I was speaking for myself really, obviously others exist that I'm not aware of.

[@omrmajeed]

Thanks for this video. Love this perspective.

[@ohchristusername]

This video alone is completely enough for me, reasonable takes all around!

[@DireHammer]

Good on you for owning up to the mistake. Hopefully these scammers will go out of business now, but there are still some KZbinrs with no integrity who are still shilling for them.

[@oskarprotzer3000]

Thank you so much :) Dont worry I dont think that anyone of us viewers hold it against you! Btw your scottish skit was amazing :D Is it weird that I feel proud or like starstruck that my comment was used in this video? omg :D

[@stephenmather5625]

I appeciate this video being made, my friend bought a pair of 'titles' from ET back when I was in law school. It's a fun gag for sure but the slight of hand in the marketing is just slimmy, a simple omission of the most pointed information is why many end up buying and being dissappointed

[@philipforchrist2239]

Beyond the Esttablished Titles claim I think that everywhere it's used, the whole planting trees concept is misleading in itself. If anything productive is happening, "tree planters" are either relocating trees that were already growing somewhere else and hopefully they are pledging to preserve the tree's location, or they are actually planting seeds which may or may not germinate given the right conditions. I wish that organizations that are claiming to be "planting trees" would openly have more transparency about what they intend to do. It is easy to assume that they are adding trees to the earth, but in reality, it may be more of a feel good gesture than anything of value and nobody likes being played a fool. I enjoy the channel Holden. The only content that I don't watch is reactions to things that I have not yet seen. I'm glad that you took some time to address this sponsor. Merry Christmas.

[@ultimate4hed667]

Another reason why Holden is not just a great youtuber, but an even greater person. I Knew you'd address this as soon as I heard about it being a scam.