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WatchList

ExtremeCautionList &  ISC List

Please note that there are now three lists.  One list is the "WatchList", a list of companies whom we believe merit caution, another list is the ExtremeCautionList which is a list companies who have either had published complains against them or have been the subject of government action, and the last is a special list for the biggest and oldest invention promoter, the ISC List.  

Many people who visit this page think they have a great idea and they are chomping at the bit to do something, anything with their idea.  Are you one of these people?

The reality is that you probably know nothing about the invention business, and you are an easy mark for the sharks who troll our waters.  The worst thing you can do at this point is to start throwing money around.  Take a deep breath, and spend at least several months learning about the business before  leaping.  Start with InventorEd's novice web pages.

And last, a list of service providers whom we believe to be good prospects for inventors is located at www.InventorEd.org/service/ and at www.InventorEd.org/marketorg/ .

InventorEd's Reasons For Caution

InventorEd does not add organizations to the caution list unless there are multiple indicators of problems.  The types of things which trigger addition to the list are usually more then one of the following reasons, but not necessarily all of them:

1) Deceptive sales tactics, such as a representation that something is free or contingency, when in fact there are significant up front charges.

2) High pressure sales, such as claims that the party must engage the promoter within some short period of time or miss some significant opportunity.

3) Indiscriminate solicitation of business, as in a shotgun approach, as opposed to targeting very specific markets.

4) Minimal information being provided as to who the players are in the business.  This is important because there is a history of known bad players launching new companies, and on occasion using other people as fronts.

5) Lack of association with known good players in the business.

6) A published success rate, as in xxx clients purchased services and xx made significant money, as in a profit in excess of their expenses.  The success stories must be verifiable!!

7) Customer complaints.

8) Civil or criminal action has been taken against the promoter (InventorEd does check legal and news databases for such information).

Other Organizations

Invention Marketing Companies
UIAUSA & Bob Lougher
NIFC - National Inventor Fraud Center (Note that NIFC can no longer mention ISC & Advent on their web site as a result of settlements related related to lawsuits each filed against NIFC.)

How the lists are compiled.

1) The initial list was generated by searching the FTC web site for companies or people associated with those companies whom the FTC had brought action against for their invention promotion activity.

2) Then other court records were searched and that information added to the list.

3) Additional names of people from individual complaints sent to InventorEd or forwarded to InventorEd from other organizations were added only where a company was already identified by FTC or court documents or where the company rose from the ruins of another company which had been subject to government or civil action.

4) All the above information was sorted and associated groups were color coded to allow easy visual identification of companies who are known to work together or where common ownership is clear. Associations where someone got their start in the business by working for another invention promotion firm but then went on to start their own company are not shown in the caution list. We are happy to supply such information to law enforcement or journalists.

5) Last, complaints received about companies who fit the Red Flags profile (http://www.uiausa.com/subredflag.htm) are listed in our "watch-list".  Please note that there are no known legal actions against these companies, but that we are requesting that they be investigated.

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$10,000 to $20,000 Wasted money Source FTC Jodie Bernstein