I have a game invention idea that I wanted to get a patent on and eventually put out to market. After searching the Internet for companies to assist, I found the InventorsHelpline.com site. After that, the nightmares began.
To make this story short, I was told to submit the idea to them and they would do a free marketability report. I recieved this report that stated that I had a unique and highly marketable product.
I was then told to send them $1000.00 so that they could do an full analysis because I should not wait for someone else to stael my idea.
Once I recieved the report, which was a boilerplate form to just have blanks filled in with my invention name, this guy gets me on the phone and goes over the report with me. At the end of the report there was all of these various prices involved with the process.
He pressured me that I needed to do the most expensive that I could afford in order to really get my product to market. He gave me 24 hours to decide, because there was a trade show coming up in Hong Kong that he wanted to take my idea too.
You see, part of their service is to promote your idea in large tradeshows in hopes that a manufacturer would be interested in my idea and pay for the patent process. Once this was done, I would be rich for the rest of my life.
In 24 hours, he called me and coherced me into a very expensive package that incuded promotion, brochures and camera ready advertising material as well as a U.S. Patent. Thsi cost me $9000.00. I had to rush this money off to him in order to make the show that was in a couple of days. If I missed the mail date, then my idea would not go to the show.
So, we waited for some feednback from the show, and the show after that and the show after that. We heard nothing for them for 6 to 8 months. I called them and could never get to the guy that forced me in his sales pitch. I was just told that these things take time. I did receive a letter from a Patent Attorney wanting to process my patent.
I compalined to the U.S. Patent office about the fraudalent company and some guy from the Patent & Trademark Office of America (InventorsHelpline.com) called to cool my jets. He fed me with a bunch of mumble-jumble and told me that he would send me progress reports on when my idea went to tradeshows.
I still do not have those reports, any of the promotion material they promised and I refuse to go ahead with the patent because I want my money returned.
There are many reports of people on the U.S. Patent complaint board with similar, if not exact, complaints about the fraudelant actions of this company.
The owner of this company has had several Invention companies and has been found fraudelant in some. It appears that he just closes that company and opens another.
I am alerting all of those with complaints against this company to post here. I would like a class-action lawsuit brought against them or the return of 100% of my money $10,000.00
My advice is to do the research involved to get an idea to patent and not get so swindled to make snap judgements. According to the FTC, actions like this company is doing, is a definite uncovering of a fraudelant Invention Promotion company
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