I met Wayne McGuire on the website LinkedIn. There is a group there for independent inventors. Mr. McGuire said his company, American Inventor Services, LLC could help me get my product patented and to market. He said he was a patent agent with several agents working for him with representatives all over the country. He loved my idea, said it would make millions. He also ripped on Davison and other companies and that they gave him a bad name.
While AIS, LLC got me a provisional patent and helped develop a prototype, he stalled when it came to brokering my idea. He said he did a market study to determine the value of my product. Every time I asked to see it, he said it wasn't done. It needed the costs of material for the prototype. When he received those numbers, he kept putting off completion of the study, kept saying, "It will be done next week...", even citing on two separate occasions that his grandfather died, as an excuse for not getting the work done. That was in July and I still have not seen that work, though he claims it is done.
Meanwhile, a friend of mine has a contact with a manufacturer who may be interested in the product. AIS was all for that meeting, but when it came time to make the arrangements, they refused. He told me to look at our agreement, where he slipped in an exclusivity clause that prohibits me from contacting anyone for 6 months. This is a guy who had my best interests at heart?
I sent him an e-mail and certified letter asking for a refund. There is no market study, in my opinion. He hasn't delivered the work promised.in addition, a REAL patent agency did a search that turned up patents very close to mine! AIS did not find these. Mr. McGuire responded by saying that I was acting like a 5 year old (Great business attitude, Wayne) and that all the work is current (Still haven't seen it, Wayne), and that I could "roll the dice" in court in trying to get my money back, said he was broke and blamed me for it because I was his only client.
However, a few days later, he goes on a radio show and says he is a licensed patent agent (USPTO says he is not, there is no listing for him), has agents and representatives working all around the country for him (interesting, the only person I ever spoke to was Wayne, and his business number is his cell phone). If business is so good, how come he is broke?
By being an Invention Marketer, he also failed to fully disclose his business under the USPTO American Inventors Protection Act of 1999, section 297. Look it up and ask for this, although by law, they are suppose to do so without asking, PRIOR to signing any agreements.
I have given him every opportunity to repay the money. Now it seems like very nasty is the only option. That starts here by getting the word out about American Inventor Services and Wayne McGuire. The man is a slick talking con artist. I am on Social Security Disability Insurance and the man took that money. He should be ashamed of himself.
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