Is this what you mean?
Some of the most common misconceptions we hear are about our Romanian vendors. Sceptics claim that gang members fraudulently buy copies of The Big Issue and force others to sell it, driving them to and from their pitches. This is rooted in several key misunderstandings:
- Firstly, it is not possible for anyone to fraudulently buy the magazine. Vendors must register with their nearest office (either in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, or Sheffield) before they can buy magazines. With around 250–350 vendors working at any one time, our frontline staff quickly get to know vendors by face and name.
- Secondly, and most importantly, the vendors (usually men) mistaken for gang operatives are simply fortunate enough to come from large, loving families. To save time and money, it is common for large families in which multiple members sell The Big Issue to pool financial resources to purchase a car. One member can then use it to buy everyone’s magazines for the week and to drive their partner, siblings, parents, children, cousins, aunts or uncles who also sell the magazine to and from their pitches.