Xentel

Conservative call centre company has chequered legal history in U.S.

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Charities & non-profits, Electoral fraud, Xentel
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Glen McGregor and Stephen Maher – March 1, 2012

The company that handles the Conservative Party’s computerized voter-identification system and powerful fundraising machine has a chequered legal history in the United States, where it operates call centres that have repeatedly been the subject of lawsuits and complaints over its telemarketing practices.

Media reports say Elections Canada is broadening its investigation of harassing telephone calls in Guelph to include former employees of Responsive Marketing Group in Thunder Bay, who called the RCMP to report concerns about calls they were making to direct voters to the wrong polling stations.

Plug pulled on charity after audit reveals money misspent

Topics: 
Charities & non-profits, Xentel
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Craig Copland

David Bruser – March 7, 2011

An organ donation charity that made emotional pleas to Canadians to help save lives has been shut down after federal auditors found most of the money collected went to fundraising and administrative fees.

The Organ Donation and Transplant Association of Canada was first exposed by the Toronto Star in 2007 as one of six health charities that raised tens of millions of dollars in Canada but spent 70 per cent of the money on telemarketers and other expenses.

Telemarketer hit with $500,000 CRTC fine

Topics: 
Charities & non-profits, Xentel
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0

CBC News – December 17, 2010

The federal telecommunications regulator has hit a Calgary-based telemarketing firm, Xentel DM, with a $500,000 penalty for misusing the charity exemption to the National Do Not Call List rules.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said Friday that Xentel called consumers who had registered their numbers on the list and promoted events on its own behalf or on behalf of organizations that were not registered as charities with the Canada Revenue Agency.

Feds aim to revoke children's AIDS charity after audit

Topics: 
Charities & non-profits, Xentel
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Craig Copland

David Bruser – March 16, 2010

A national charity that collects money in the name of children with AIDS is spending more than 80 per cent of its donations on telemarketing and other non-charitable expenses.

That’s according to an audit report – prepared by Revenue Canada and obtained by the Toronto Star – notifying Pediatric AIDS Canada that the federal government has found plenty of reasons to revoke the charity’s license. Pediatric AIDS now has time to respond to the findings.

Shady kids' charity has licence yanked

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Charities & non-profits, Xentel
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Craig Copland

David Bruser – May 12, 2009

A Toronto-based charity that claimed to be helping the world's neediest children has had its licence revoked for participating in two tax shelter schemes and paying back millions to fundraisers.

The Children's Emergency Foundation (CEF) was exposed by the Toronto Star in 2007 as one of six health charities that raised tens of millions of dollars in Canada but spent 70 per cent of the money on telemarketers and other expenses.

Charitable empire has high costs

Topics: 
Charities & non-profits, Xentel
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Craig Copland house

Expenses eat up 70% of the millions donated to charities created by Craig Copland.

David Bruser – November 4, 2007

The causes tug at the hearts and wallets of millions of Canadians. The pleas for cash are delivered by charities whose names alone could soften even the most callous into making a donation: Cancer Recovery Foundation; Childhood Asthma Foundation;Children's Emergency Foundation.

Starting from addresses around Toronto and now from his new, three-storey lakefront house in Muskoka, 57-year-old fundraising consultant Craig Copland has helped create an empire of health charities that has taken tens of millions of dollars from Canadians.

Charity's ploy 'horrifying'

Topics: 
Charities & non-profits, Xentel
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Debbie Bielech

David Bruser – August 4, 2007

Organ Donation's pitch is emotional but only 10% goes to transplant research. Give $150 to save the life of a Canadian needing an organ transplant. That's the message being aggressively telemarketed to millions of homes nationwide by a Toronto-based charity called the Organ Donation and Transplant Association of Canada.

Tens of thousands of Canadians moved by the emotional pitch have pledged their hard-earned money. "It's about saving a life," the telemarketer says, promising donations will "go towards providing a much needed organ to someone who desperately needs it." The problem is, the donations do not save lives.

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