Leave it to crafty bootleggers to take advantage of tragedy for financial gain. Since the May 22 attack outside the Manchester Arena, where Ariana Grande had performed for a crowd of thousand, dozens of online vendors have begun selling unauthorized Grande Manchester merchandise, shirts and other apparel referencing the “One Love for Manchester” concert taking place on June 4.
Universal Music Group, parent company of Bravado, the only authorized vendor selling product with proceeds earmarked for the “We Love Manchester Emergency Fund,” has had to issue dozens of cease and desist notices to e-commerce platforms hawking the fake merch, with the largest quantity being distributed on Etsy and Redbubble.
Says an insider of the eBay competitor: “It’s particularly shameful for Etsy as a public company to be profiting off this.”
Official Manchester merch went onsale this morning (June 3) via the “shop to donate” tab at onelovemanchester.com.
