Well, here's an interesting little story. Peter Bevis, trading as Quality Design, filed an application to register the Trademark 'The Order of the Black Ermine' right here in the UK at the UK Intellectual Property Office. Since Peter Bevis is totally unknown to anybody who actually has anything to do with the Order of the Black Ermine, an opposition was filed by Richard Holland. Peter Bevis failed to respond. The application was deemed withdrawn. Subsequently, a company called 'Quality Design (CI) Ltd' made an application to the EU to register the Trademark the Order of the Black Ermine throughout the EU. Richard Holland filed an opposition to this application citing that it is clearly the same individual. Following a few simple checks at Companies House, the name Peter Bevis crops up as the Director and owner of Lochaber Highland Estates Ltd. They sell 1 sq foot plots of land in Scotland on the basis that you can then call yourself a 'Laird'. What they actually forget to mention is that it is illegal under Scottish law to register a plot so small with the Scottish Land Registry Office. So they are at liberty to resell the same plot over and over and over again, and nobody could ever know.
In response to Richard Holland opposition to the application made in Europe, Quality Design (CI) Ltd state that they have never heard of Peter Bevis. They state that they have never heard of Lochaber Highland Estates. They claim that their trading address is a PO Box number in Guernsey. Oddly, the actual address filed with the Court of Alderney as the Registered Office of Quality Design (CI) Ltd is identical to that whcih is given as the residential address of Peter Bevis at Companies House on the annual return filed for Lochaber Highland Estates Ltd. The postcode given is the same.
It now transpires that Quality Design (CI) Ltd has succeeded in registering the crest of the Order of the Black Ermine in the United States of America. On the application, a telephone number is given. A cursory google search on that number gives no mention of Quality Design (CI) Ltd, but does come up with several references as the contact telephone number for Lochaber Highland Estates!!!!
Oh, and not forgetting that on the Annual Return filed at the Court of Alderney for Quality Design (CI) Ltd, the Directors are listed as Peter Bevis and Laura Bevis - the very same people who are behing Lochaber Highland Estates Limited!!!!
Now some might ask the question, why would they go to all these lengths?
Well, the answer is actually quite simple really.
If you search for 'Become a Lord' or 'Lord Title' on the internet auction site eBay, you will see a whole range of results.
One of the most popular sellers is called 'highland_titles' which is operated by Lochaber Highland Estates. They sell 'plots of land' on the basis that you can call yourself a Lord. Except you can't. Now, the only legal representative of the Order of the Black Ermine, Richard Holland, operates an eBay account which is now called 'Lordships4u'. In his listings, he points out that owning a square foot plot of land in Scotland does not actually mean you can call yourself a Lord or Lady. Lochaber Highland Estates and the Directors of the company clearly don't like him upsetting their little gravy-train. So, to try to stop him telling the truth about their little scam, they have embarked upon a 3-year campaign to try to stop him from exposing them.
This started on16-Nov-07 when they registered an eBay account. Richard Holland had been registered and selling membership to the Order of the Black Ermine since 2005. His eBay user ID on 16-Nov-07 was 'richard7298'. Lochaber Highland Estates created a fictitious character called 'Julie Waller' using a web-based free email address and the eBay account they registered, was conveniently called 'riichard7298', identical to Richard's except for the extra letter 'i'. Now you might want to ask, why would they do this? The answer is very simple. They don't like being exposed for the con-artists they truly are. They have subsequently changed their eBay user ID to 'orderoftheblackermine'.
The ONLY legitimate eBay member who can sell membership of the Order of the Black Ermine is Richard Holland via his eBay account Lordships4u
