They also go by, International Product Marketing Inc.

I submitted my invention to them last week. They called me the next day and wanted to know more about it. I told him how it worked and even sent him photos of me using it. He loved it and told me he would send it to the committee and they would rate it from 1 to 5. He called me Monday and told me they rated it a 4.2. He told me they could see my invention in every Lowe's and Home depot. Then he tells me he is going to send me some paperwork to sign. He tells me I have to pick option A. which is $1295 or B. $895.

I checked the BBB and this is what they said; Complaints received by this company by the Bureau generally concern dissatisfaction with company service. 21 complaints in the last 12 months. 41 complaints in the last 36 months.

I could use some guidence. First time inventor I want to do it right.

Thanks
Larry

Larry,
thanks for sharing this with us, it help many inventors.
To do it right you need to educate yourself about the whole process and follow some steps.
First read The Inventor's Bible by Ronald Docie is not expensive and has all the steps you need to follow.
You can buy it from InventNet Bookstore: http://www.inventnet.com/bstore.html

I understood that you have already a prototype this is more than many inventors that are in the idea stage.
One thing to do is to run a Patent Search to make sure your product is actually an invention and can be patented. You can read some books and do it yourself or use a profesional searching company see:
http://www.inventnet.com/psearch.html
One important thing you get from a professional searching company is the "patentability opinion"

You also need to focus on the marketabilty of your product, before going to deep in spending money.
Read this article: http://www.inventnet.com/invention.html

Eddie,

Thanks, for the heads up. I will take your advice and have a professional service do the work for me. I would do it myself, but I'm at the age where I would rather have someone else do it.

Thanks for the links, very informative. Should have came here first. I guess I need to expedite the process now, since Inventors Help Line Knows my invention.

Larry

Hi,
I checked the BBB on this company as well because I've submitted my idea to their company to do a search in hope to apply for a patent. {My idea is brilliant if I don't say so myself, and phenomonally marketable and after checking no patents were discovered on this product. I knew that because I've never seen my product on the market yet.}

I didn't think the complaints listed with the BBB were alarming considering the high amount of volume this company does and the wide variety of services it incorporates.
To have 20 unresolved issues out of 39 in a 3 year period sounds fairly reasonable considering 10 of them were service issues. Having worked in public service I know how difficult it is to please many people. Given their volume those stats are good. I researched and discovered a man who submitted 52 ideas to the company. They were all rejected because they weren't workable. I'm sure he was one of the complaints but if their not workable their not workable. If a person pays for a service and the service is rendered, then the transcion is completed. (in this incident.)

I'm not clear on why the confusion to charge for a fee. It's my understanding that the higher fee is for a corp and the lower fee is for a non-corp. Any lawyer will charge a fee because if they spend time and then you don't pay them afterward their out of pocket. They don't provide a patent search for free.



I guess there comes a time when a person has to go out and roll the dice. If I get ripped off I guess I'll have to file a law suit with a different legal company. I'll let you know how mine turns out when all is completed.

wish me luck.

I would suggest that you go to a WELL KNOWN patent attorney.The patent search will run about $500,but its well worth the money and his opinion! The one im dealing with has his name on several patents.You get what you pay for,if you want to get took by a scammer or an honest opinion from a well known adviser,the choice is yours.