Sorry Shisya, sounds like your guy has not been very professional. Was he paid just a retainer or most of the money possibly less the PTO filing fees. If it was just the retainer then in my mind the guy has time management problems and should have been upfront with you. The drawings are no big deal If they cover the material because you can always submit corrections. If you paid most of the money for the patent upfront (which is a Big Red Flag and folks should never do), then I think this more serious.

I should have known better dond. I paid all the money upfront and went ahead on good faith.

Just goes to show, good faith doesnt amount to much in business deals.

In my limited experience, working with professionals means they trust that I will pay them for a job when it is done. I would contact the credit card company ASAP. The guy may have good intentions, but this is business.

Sanjeeth…you have nothing to fear! I don’t fool around…I am too sick to play games. I will put him in a burlap bag and bring him to you and you can kick the bag until he gives up what you want…or something close to that.

You have my phone number! Call me if you have problems with who I recommended! You don’t have to post here! I thought I had this straightened out for you last week. You should have told me if it wasn’t!

Do what you want, I called him a couple hours ago when I saw this and will call again tomorrow to follow up. I told you to ask for a COMPLETION DATE or he can take his sweet time like most patent attorney/agents do. When is the completion date?

I asked him about your patent a couple months ago, thought it was almost done or maybe the research. There is HOURS of research to be done…over 10 times the amount it takes to write a patent.

He comes through in the end and does a super intelligent job, but I told you he can delay. He got an earful from me about you. He will not rip you off…TRUST ME. I’ll take a part off his house a day and UPS it to you every day!!! I don’t fool around! Someone’s dream is not to fool with…and he won’t dare anyway….he just takes his time sometimes but at the same time Sanjeeth….he WILL NOT rush a poorly written patent in even though he could and worry about it when the office action comes.

If you cannot wait any more do what you want, but he will not rip you off. I am pretty sure you live in another country even, don’t worry, you are safe because I RECOMMENDED HIM.

Between me and you I know he got hurt pretty bad in this economy and has his back against the wall but that is his problem not ours. He is also late on one of my patents too….but I know in the end he gets things done with the USPTO that others cannot. My writing invention patent, attorneys said I would probably not get it…he got it….no problem and got me an extra year too…21 years from priority date.

My advice…don’t worry…and he and I will help you with our network in the markets in the U.S. I told you that. You had my word on all this and that does not change. I help just to help too. I don’t get one dime or “break” or anything for referring you to my patent agent….because he did me great favors that took up his time for free in the past. He lust finished law school to become a patent attorney too….he is taking on too much!!!! Call me!

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Ron,

Thanks for chiming in. I dont hold you responsible for this in anyway. I know you are ill so didnt want to bother you with this saga again.

Its great that you have that much faith and you probably know him better cause you’ve delt with him in past. This was my first dealing with him and would have appreciated a more professional conduct. Not retuning my calls or bothering to get in touch with me for 2-3 months makes it real hard to have faith and confidence in the service being provided.

After many months of waiting, I had to take action. My credit card company said that I only had couple of days to dispute this payment, else I was on my own after that and they wouldnt be able to help me. The least I expect from him is a consistent communication which I havent received.

I emailed him the other day and asked for my money back and he finally emailed me back with some drawings (which he said wont hold up in examination). It had to get to this before he would bother responding to my mails. I replied back again saying I wanted to wrap this up and needed my money back and havent heard back since.

Thanks for your help, Ron!! You’re a great guy and I really dont want to bother you too much with this. I will call on you if I get stuck.

Cheers bud :)

Sanjeeth…sorry to learn you’re having this problem. Based on my long experience, it’s very unusual for a patent agent/attorney to get so far behind on his/her client’s work. For a number of reasons, it’s just not good business to delay a client’s pursuit of patent rights. It’s good of Ron to help you out. Perhaps your agent has some personal crisis or other valid reason. Best wishes.
Don Kelly
PatentAgentPlus.com

Don…this guy does have a problem with being late and not coming through when he says, but I have personally witnessed debates with patent attorneys who come speak at my inventor’s group and he “schools them” BADLY. This guy is something amazing when he wants to be but he makes you wait sometimes…but he has also coached me extensively for free when I had a patent attorney years ago and he ended up teaching that attorney through me and the firm was across the street from the Empire State Building in Manhattan….figure they must be good…but my patent agent taught my patent attorney.

He also has accompanied me to a meeting with a very large company for a licensing deal. I wanted him there to witness all and guide me, he did that for free…plus two hours driving. He also found investors for me and set up the meeting plus attended, free again.

He just gets behind…maybe it is because of supply, demand and time management…just not enough of him to go around…don’t know.

I do know you can figure a patent to take 6 months to write up on average. These patent guys take their sweet time and can never plan their time because office actions always disrupt them. They never know really what their next week will be like and have a hard time sticking on one project.

The thing to realize though….when your office action comes in you get priority over the new applicants because you will be time restricted. This guy does not charge extra for office actions either….even of you need two more with an RCE (Request for continued examination)

I do think though maybe he has some personal financial problems setting him back time wise but he will come through for all….he always has….but usually delayed. Everyone in NJ is having real problems. Nobody could afford this most expensive state in many ways a few years ago when things were good. Everyone in NJ is pulling their own hair in frustration these days. Think that may be part of it.

Hey…I try…try my best to make everyone happy and help all. Magical things happen to you when you are that kind of a person.

I just talked to him again today on Christmas…a minute ago. The application is done and sent to you. Now you have to approve and make sure all is as accurate as you think but remember that you may not even understand the lingo used, the way patents must be presented. I get lost and can’t understand many times.

i do know he WILL NOT send an application into the USPTO if it is not right just to appease you with time.

Overall your application has been completed in less than average time. You may have anxiety because you are in another country but Stan will also help you forevermore with meeting investors, infringement/suing on contingency and putting you in touch with any companies he may know.

You can still do what you want. Still ask for your money back or whatever. I have my own stuff to worry about but I will always help as much as I can…to anyone here if they are serious and diligent. Always want to help a potential winner…I just enjoy the show watching them go down the road to success.

Hi,

Are you still interested in pursuing your idea, if yes then I would suggest you look into other avenues as you may never know unless you try.

Just a thought!

Swissair.

Just received Stephen Key’s newsletter and this was part of it. None of this is new news but, maybe it could help a new inventor.

How to Avoid Getting Scammed.

I recently read an article on Inventor’s Digest that was intended to help inventors avoid getting scammed. It listed many “red flags” that inventors should be aware of when working with an invention promotion company or someone who wanted to represent their product. Although the information was thorough, I felt the article really missed the bigger picture and the more important message: self-sufficiency and self-empowerment. If you don’t want to get scammed or taken advantage of, you will need to educate yourself.

I am also extremely displeased with the lack of responsiveness and the service I’m getting from the same patent agent recommended by Ron. Ron is a great guy and has been incredibly helpful in so many ways. And apparently, at one time, this patent agent was on top of things in the past, but he is being incredibly rude and unprofessional by not returning phone calls or emails for weeks at a time and also I was really upset when I got the latest round of drafts back on my patent application. The agent didn’t incorporate more then half the changes he and I discussed. Luckily I took notes during our last phone call but apparently he did not. I contacted him last about mid-January and still haven’t received a phone call back. Like Jeeth, I too paid this guy everything up front and am now really upset at myself for it. I also feel like this guy is scamming me and would like my money back but doubt that would ever happen. I was trying to save money (its not like I have so much disposable income) but now it looks like I’ll have to hire an attorney to finish up what this loser won’t come through on, despite repeated assurances. Anybody got any recommendations for an attorney who gets the job done, returns phone calls and emails (they’ve never been excessive, only asking for status updates when I don’t hear anything for months on end) and won’t charge me an arm and a leg?

Hi Lorraine,

Email me and I will give you the name and number of my partner – he’s a patent attorney, and maybe he can help you.

Mark

NONE of you are getting ripped off. I PERSONALLY would not allow that. I can go to his house and take pieces off his house until you people are satisfied if he ever ripped you off. I’ve done it before. You take someone’s window or door off the house see how fast they give up what they owe.

Fact is both of these patents are written and it is a matter of changes now. I am sorry there are delays…there is some problem with Stan…alot of good men are going down in this economy but YOU WILL NOT GET RIPPED OFF SO KEEP MY NAME AND CREDIBILITY OUT OD THIS SINCE I TRIED TO HELP PEOPLE FOR NOTHING HERE…DON’T DRAG MY NAME…THAT IS NOT FAIR.

Lorraine and Jeeth…your patents will get completed with changes. You are both brand new to this field. In the end you will have a quality patent application that I do promise and IF YOUR IDEA FAILS…you will be so grateful to me and Stan that you only dropped have the money because of getting a patent for half price.

I wouldn’t have any patents if it wasn’t for Stan. Being mad is one thing….but putting my name on here is WRONG. Again…you WILL get your patents with the minor corrections as you wish. I talked to him again yesterday.

I say dispute it and get your money back.

Try Kevin Prince from dirtcheappatents.com I have used him in the past I was very pleased.

Its pretty late right now, and I’m gonna keep this short.

Ron, Your credibility is INTACT. NO ONE is trying to hurt you. I didnt even mention your name in my original post.

Its just that you have had good experiences with Stan and we haven’t. Your expectations and Stan’s way of dealing with things have worked well for you, unfortunately that wasn’t the case for me and Lorraine.

Simple as that.

Lorraine even said this about you… “Ron is a great guy and has been incredibly helpful in so many ways”

So trust me, YOUR CREDIBILITY IS INTACT. :)

This is not about you Ron. You did not call us or ask us to get in touch with Stan. You just provided good references to Stan based on your experiences. Now we are expressing our opinions on the service. you are allowed your opinion, we are allowed ours…

So now stop making this about you! :)

Hope all is well bud.

Later

If I were you I would place a dispute with the credit card company because I have an agent and he never asked me to pay anything until he was done with what he promised. I of course did sign a document making him my agent and agreeing to pay him. Some ask for a retainer, but definitely not all the money. If he promised you a specific date I am not an attorney but that is a verbal contract. If he put it in writing all the better because you should not pay someone that does not keep up their end of a contract.
My second step would be to contact the US Patent office to insure they do not do this to anyone else. An agents job is to represent you, which means he has to submit the drawings and documentation 100% accurate seeking to get the patent first time around. Even when they do that sometimes they get requests for other changes. If he submits an incorrect drawing then he is going to charge you more for the extra work. I would report him to the better business bureau in his area. They can be your advocate and even if he is not a member that dispute stays on record for others to beware.

You can always make a complaint with the USPTO and they will put the person on a public list, a list of attorneys, agents that did inventors wrong or there were discrepancies. The USPTO has a list for these cases similar to the better business burea. There is also malpractice. A patent agent or attorney can be sued for malpractice just like suing for medical malpractice, and the license is lost too just like in medical.

The USPTO will also conduct their own investigation if you call and complain. They did this for me after I told them a story about a patent attorney I was dealing with. They were VERY concerned and investigated the attorney’s submitted patents and other paperwork. The USPTO cares very much about inventors and inventions because they realize the importance for the welfare of the country.

Lets say I have a friend who has a sports website called; http://www.CoopersPick.com what kind of patent protection should I tell him to get beyond the provisionals and items he may already have?

I would say he may be able to patent a NEW WAY OF SPAMMING…you can patent a method of doing something.

To be honest though, inventors are the most intelligent gamblers on earth. We are the intellectual gamblers I believe above the next smartest, people who study and invest in the stock market…but your friends sports betting…no…f……no…not for inventors, we have smarter things to bet on….ourselves.

Lorrine: Couple of times when I enquired about the delay, he told me that he was sick. I felt bad and kept giving him more time.

I finally reported the situation to my credit card company and then noticed a refund for half the money. He then sent me a bare bones document without much of the material I had provided him asking for permission to put it through the patent. It appeared like he just did the job to get me out of the way.
After months and months of wait and nothing to show, he was suddenly to able to whip something up in about 2-3 days after I complained to my creit card company. Makes me wonder what took it that long.

To top that, he even mentioned that the drawings are not up to par but he could fix it later!

Inspite of that, I still was giving him the benefit of doubt, thinking he might have really been sick and used up my cash. But now when I hear about your story, looks like there are more skeletons in the closet and smells like a shady business practise.

Lorraine, Lets talk. shisyaedison@yahoo.ca