Nickname: wendy

Review: My husband has an invention. We have been getting help from a company called INVENTION HOME a division of jacob Enterprises . can any one tell me about this company please?

Date reviewed: Oct 8, 2007 7:12 PM

Nickname: Busyboi

Review: I've actually tried the patent company called invent tech and yep, I spent a little over $9200 and got nothing. I called and asked about what they were doing to advertise for my invention and they said they go to trade shows and show it there (in a book). I asked if I could go but said that I couldn't. I wanted to make them accountable but I got scammed.

Date reviewed: Sep 17, 2007 10:02 PM

Nickname: Balnk_doubt

Review: The old adage: "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is"! I was recently sent an e-mail (at Yahoo) regarding how I won a bit of some world-wide contest through MSN and that for a mere $1500.00+(mailing fee, insurance, other fees/taxes) I could receive a cheque in the mail for a cool million+ or so thru FEDEX. They claimed they had some "legal" mumbo jumbo form to fill in for the folks that didn't wanna finalize the reception of the cheque. I told 'em to send the "legal" form and have'nt seen it nor shall I. The phone #'s and addresses were in Asia. I didn't call anyone.

Date reviewed: Nov 24, 2006 4:40 PM

Nickname: Erin

Review: I think I have been conned. I sent money to a company up front for a loan. I figured they were legitimate because they are listed with the Better Business Bureau. Can I get my money back or am I screwed?

Date reviewed: Oct 24, 2006 8:24 PM

Nickname: bill

Review: This was a very useful and critically necessary article. Untold numbers of people fall for these scams. i did a couple of times!

Date reviewed: Sep 25, 2006 11:42 AM

Nickname: Silvaggio

Review: You must trust your feelings to unmask a con artist.

Date reviewed: May 25, 2006 8:47 PM

Nickname: David

Review: A few years back I was turned on to a book called <i>Vultures in Eagles Clothing and How To cook a Vulture</i>. The basic premise was that paying income taxes was voluntary for anyone who is not a state or federal employee, a corporation, living in D.C. or any of the "territories," etc.. Their solution? A "Pure Trust." Needless to say, whether their premise is true is not the point. How well your trust or patent (as reader commented earlier) can be defended. I should have figured it out when they sent me a bunch of photo copied forms with typos and misspellings and a generic certificate with a Golden seal that can be purchased at any Office Max. This debate about the income tax has been going on for decades. They also had a book with instructions on how to claim money paid into SS and how to rescind your SS number. They were arrested a few years ago. I lost $1800.00; still have the books though! They were vultures too it seems!

Date reviewed: May 2, 2006 2:55 PM

Nickname: Ed

Review: As the article points out, beware of these phony patent promotion companies. As a scientist, I was involved with developing a patent for a university, but it did not work out in the preliminary patent search process. I attended a local workshop for inventors which was hosted by my university, local patent attorneys, patent holders, and a state-wide inventors association. Every one at the workshop blasted the patent development companies as being 100% fraudulent, with no exceptions. If you have a patentable idea, see a competent patent attorney. They are not cheap, but they provide the best odds that your patent will be defendable. Patents are only worth something if they can be defended, and only a competent patent attorney can guide you through this process. Also, the speakers at this meeting stressed that selling and marketing your patent is something that can only be done by the inventor and patent holder. No outside company can (effectively) do this for you.

Date reviewed: Apr 19, 2006 4:51 PM

Nickname: Andrew

Review: Do your homework when planning a small business!!! It amazes me how many people don't do this, costing them precious dollars that should be spent developing and marketing their products and services. Whether its a phone call to the BBB or a trip to the library, checking out potential suppliers, partners and investors is a smart way to get off the ground. It's called due diligence and all the big companies do it. It's a problem if a company crows about dollar signs and you're not sure what they really do or sell. It's worse that they come to you. Be careful and do your homework!!

Date reviewed: Apr 18, 2006 9:07 PM