Inventors search Google and Bing to find help in making inventions a reality. Some want to control the process as much as possible and look for specific help with patents, prototypes and manufacturing. Others want one-stop shopping, they seek a company who will take their undeveloped idea and turn it into a successful product that pays royalties or buy it outright (extremely unlikely).
Natural fears about having brilliant ideas stolen are amplified by stories about invention company rip-offs and scams. How does an inventor make an informed choice?
The reputation of the invention business as a swamp of scoundrels is somewhat deserved, but not for the reason most inventors think. The biggest problem is not that invention companies steal ideas, it is that inventors love their own ideas too much. This makes it easy to encourage inventors to spend a lot of money on ideas that have little chance of success. When a sales rep meets an inventor in love with a bad idea, the rep can earn an easy commission by simply agreeing with the inventor. Where it gets ugly and unethical is when that rep raises expectations and sells additional services that are essentially bogus. Only a few companies do this, but some of them advertise extensively and have high profiles.
When you choose to engage an invention company you are making a decision to trust them not only with your idea but with telling you the truth. It's similar to the expectation you have with a doctor or a lawyer. The question really boils down to, who can you trust?
Do not Let Patent Attorneys and Agents Off The Hook Either
It is hard for non-professionals to evaluate work related to intellectual property. How does an inventor know if a patent search is well done or an application well written? And if a patent seems possible shouldn't the inventor be told whether or not it will be meaningful?
It is worse than you think.
Reading reviews is a great place to start. Unfortunately reviews can be gamed in all kinds of ways. There are well-known companies that treat inventors horribly but have positive reviews from sources like Consumer Affairs, Google, Trustpilot and even Rip-Off Report! (we know the truth from inventors we've worked with). Membership in an invention organization that says it's dedicated to protecting inventors doesn’t guarantee integrity either - some such organizations exist primarily to promote their sponsors and some of those sponsors are companies with dubious ethics. The most honest review source we know of is BBB for accredited members. But even BBB can be gamed if a company changes its name or if it pays people to pose as clients and then post reviews. And BBB posts reviews from people who never even hired the company - so negative reviews (possibly from competitors or people with an axe to grind) can be suspect too!
What to do?
Rely on multiple sources and read negative reviews. Well reasoned negative reviews and especially company responses to such reviews can reveal important truths about the reasons clients get upset and how a company deals with complaints*. Also read up on the people who are behind the company. Check into what they’ve done that gives them the right to claim expertise. Check to see if the company has had successful inventions that made real money and confirm that the company is actually responsible for those inventions.
Ask questions and learn from the answers. Have a dialog before making a commitment.
There are many good and honest companies and suppliers. You find them if you do not buy into flattery, do some homework and trust yourself.
Can You Provide a List of Bad and Good Companies?
We’re unable to name the names of the bad guys without exposing ourselves to a lifetime of litigation and we don’t want those names to appear on a list alongside good guys. But there is one source we recommend highly. No surprise here - it’s Invention City. Read our BBB reviews, learn about us and then give us a try. Our $95 Brutally Honest Review helps inventors in all stages of development.
