INVENT HELP SOLD MY LIFE SAVING AND MY DREAMS Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
I had my idea for 13 years but did not do anything about it until i saw the add on tv for Invent Help. I called the number and they send me to the Manhattan NY location. They told me that they need 1000.00 for the research and proposal book. I told them that I do not make alot of money. I was told not to worry about it because with my idea I will make back the money plus more. So I paid the money from the money Iwas saving to buy a house. When the research came back they told me that there is no one else outh there with my idea, now i am excited. Then they told me that I need to pay over 12,000 more for them to do the marketing and everything else. I told them I did not have all that money. They told me if I can come up with 5,000 there is fininical service called Universal Payment.
Universal Payment would pay them up front and I would pay them back with a Monthly installment. I got had 1,500 they rest from my life saving and money for my house, them my dad because he believed that my invention would make money took from from his 401k to make up the difference. Every few month they sent my a letter of companies that I have never heard of before (never one of major comapnies) that they sent my idea to review. Out of they hundreds of companies that they sent it to I find it hard to believe not one of them called them back. Invent Help also said that they sent to Magazine company to set up interviews. This has been going on since March of 06.
Now i get a letter from them that my 2 year comtract has expired. I am very upset because out of the 2 years I got robbed. I am still paying back Universal Payment my bills are pilled up and I did not get to buy a house not even a shack to call mine. My kids will probably grow up leaving in someone else house. They are just robbing people, they are getting richer while we are getting poorer. They need to be stopped. I want back all my money back and for they to pay back the payment center. PLEASE HELP ME. THANK YOUI Stacia LOGANVILLE, Georgia
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Laurie
Haslet,Texas,
U.S.A.
What the Small Business Administration says
#3Consumer Suggestion
Tue, July 22, 2008
My husband and I working on getting an invention marketed and we first went to the local Small Business Administration office. We were counseled by the SBA NOT TO USE any invention company advertising on TV. All of them but even more specifically those who offered the "FREE STARTER KIT".
I also heard that CNN is advertising for Invent Help (paying for closed captioning)
I sent them an email this morning and informed that they are advertising for crooks and they need to investigate anyone purchasing advertising time before agreeing to anything. They owe it their viewers to air only legitimate businesses.
And I refered them to ripoffreport.com for more information.
John
Califon,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Yep, that's exactly what they do. Her is what YOU MUST DO....
#3Consumer Comment
Thu, June 12, 2008
What you must do:
Contact Jennifer Kelley in the PA Attorney General's Office with a complaint. Make sure you reference them as "formerly Invention Submission Corp." This is imperative! Here is the complaint form to fill out and address to Ms. Kelley:
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/bcp_form.cfm
Jennifer Kelley-Agent
Office of Attorney General
564 Forbes Ave.
6th Floor, Manor Bldg.
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219
Also send a copy here:
Office of Attorney General
Bureau of Consumer Protection
14th Floor, Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120
As well as to your Attorney General. They can be found here:
http://www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php
Also file a complaint with the United States Patent and Trademark Office-copy and paste the below address and scroll down to "complaints" and them "complaint forms"
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/iip/index.htm
Also with the FTC:
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01
Complaints about them as Invention Submission Corp. can be found here:
http://www.inventored.org/caution/promoter-complaints/
Also read what a former employee says about the way they operate:
http://www.inventored.org/caution/muha/
Make sure you reference this in your complaint in association with Invention Submission
Do not let them bully you into a partial refund. They tried the excuse that "it's been 10 years" with me-as well as a gag order. I want the full refund as required by the FTC-94 ruling. This is the minimum I will accept to even think about not talking about this scam. I have the list of alleged "companies" from their highly touted "databank" that had NOTHING to do with what I was trying to market-much less that I needed foreign patents and was told I didn't-a violation of FTC-94.
I don't care how long it's been. All this scam information and rulings have not been available for 10 years so who cares. I, myself, didn't get internet access until 1999 and was a real rookie then as to how to search and access information. I am quite a bit better now and they will pay-either me by way of a full refund or in loss of revenue which I know has already exceeded what they could/should have refunded me.
Keep us updated. We must keep these slugs in the public eye to save others from the same fate.