International Star Registry

But what will telling the family this actually achieve?

It will prevent other families getting conned. They are probably happily telling everyone how great it is and giving these con artists massive free advertising. You need to be very careful and tactful in how you discuss it, but I think honesty is the best policy.

Bart.

We've also been asked about this before in the club, this is a total con job indeed !!

I personally think they are noting but a bunch of scumbags. Making a profit from praying on the innocence of the deceased family is sick.

It will prevent other families getting conned.

The problem is that much as we despise the scum who peddle these type of scams we must remember that to the people who buy them, they've only been conned once its explained to them. If they never find out then they remain just as happy as if all this were real and official. If you tell them you are turning them from happy customers into con job victims.

My advice is to definitely dissuade people from buying in advance, if possible. However once its too late, just say nothing, unless they ask you a direct question like "Is my star name recognised by the IAU?" Where you have no real choice but to tell them the sad truth.

Comedian, Billy Connolly once said that "If you beleive in God, then he does exist. At least for you." Apply this to this context and you see that if you beleive that a star in the sky is named after a loved one then, at least for you, it is.

What's needed here is some sort of way to be able to challenge these scumbags in the courts and puit a stop to their con job.

The problem is that much as we despise the scum who peddle these type of scams we must remember that to the people who buy them, they've only been conned once its explained to them. If they never find out then they remain just as happy as if all this were real and official. If you tell them you are turning them from happy customers into con job victims.

I couldn't agree more, and that is why I'm not sure anyone should tell them - they have enough on their plate at the moment with the suicide of a loved one without the added shame of finding out that they are con job victims.

What's needed here is some sort of way to be able to challenge these scumbags in the courts and puit a stop to their con job.

That is the other side of the coin - to challenge them in court, you need their victims to speak. And their victims cannot speak until they know they are victims.

The victims have a right to know.I would prefer to be sad but know whats happening than happy and ignorant.these people should definetly be chalenged in court but like what country are they from?