4 Comments

1. Several inventors have asked me to put my research skills to work to locate any meaningful information about site ownership and success.

   Apparently the site appears in search engines though inventors are skeptical of associating with websites void of key business information, a resume, or anything meaningful one expects from a professional even if they were working from home.

   What we know so far is there are two Johnny Apple seeds (ladies) calling themselves Julie Schaeffer and Brenda Marx placing seeds (website links) in chat rooms directing inventors to WIS (Worldwide Invention Solutions). One claims having been greatly serviced but is unwilling to provide the address, phone, or any details of her fabulous experience with them. In fact, she ignores questions. Why do I find that odd?

   Inventors usually like to help each other but not in this case. What harm could there be in providing a phone number or address? How about something basic such as where her alleged invention was sold, marketed, or who it was licensed to? What’s the big deal!!!

   We return to who is behind this adventure? Since the website is void of value though it has lots of PR and what I personally deem to be puffery - let’s get down to basics:

   1. Josh Lichter appears to own it. Who is Josh Lichter? Is it Josh Lichter? The only Josh Lichter we found which could be him is here:
   http://www.bluelinemarketing.com/events/business-networking/attendees.asp

   2. He has an alleged secretary (but it could be a girlfriend or wife is named Neely Wells). One assumes she is a secretary but since one can’t contact her directly either, who knows?

   3. No address or phone number to contact. Their “Contact Us” page requires inventors supply info to be contacted not the other way around.

   4. No evidence of successes.

   5. One receives (what I personally deem) a poorly worded two-page document titled, “Licensing Information.” It bears no signature so one doesn’t know who wrote it. I’ve read a lot of licensing dicta and this puppy was written by the hand of a babe in swaddling clothes.

   6. So far I have found no corporation registration in Josh Lichter’s name as “CEO” but I’ve got about twenty-five states left to check so let’s see if he/it turns up somewhere.

   7. When the site was registered on August 14th 2007 its address listed a PO Box in California and a phone number. Enter these into Google and up pops a plethora of scam notices. Even if it was registered as a proxy site, why on earth would one NOT check its pedigree before choosing to proxy register through it? (What alleged marketing and licensing agent wants his name associated with scurrilous business practices?)

   8. Let us turn to names I’ve been called: “a Moron” told to “put your mouth where your ass is and do something with your life.” It didn’t stop there next came, “If I had to guess, you don’t have much of an education or anything useful in your life so you “site” around here all day.” But wait there’s more; the volley ended with, “And by the way…your name is Penny. That is enough cause not to listen to you.”

   Personally, I find it extremely “odd” I would be fired at for seeking answers to:

   Address?
   Phone number?
   References?
   Resume or CV?

   Were I to have asked questions required under the “American Inventors Protection Act” of 1999 related to their marketing successes, one can only guess what spew might have been shot my way.

   Inventors reading this should cursor down to “Section 4102, Integrity of Invention Promotion Services” on the below link as these are questions you are required to ask of invention promoters. Promoters who state the law does not apply to them I suggest one run in the other direction from for were they in their right minds they would want potential clients satisfied:

   http://web.archive.org/web/20010504043528/www.wenderoth.com/statute.htm

   If anyone can shed any light on Worldwide Invention Solutions since they are, after all,
   “worldwide” kindly post them here.

   ==================================================
   ERRORS OF FACT ARE WELCOME IF THEY CAN BE SUPPORTED AND VERIFIED WITHOUT UNDUE INVESTIGATIVE WORK ON MY PART.

   Comment by Penny Ballou — August 29, 2007 #

2. Penny, so many thanks to you for uncovering this ruse. Being new to the invention circuit, I may well have stumbled upon wis myself, and may have provided, unwittingly, too much information for my own good.
   Even my e-mail address would have been too much for those “lazy, idle, little schemers” to quote James Joyce’s Portrait Of An Artist As Young Man. I must say though, that since I have not written to them or heard from them in the past, I really have no basis upon which to make this slur, other than the obvious bull they flung upon you. You certainly survived their punishing tirades in excellent style. Thanks again, David

   Comment by david westmeier — August 29, 2007 #

3. Thanks David!

   Lesson learned: do not correspond with invention promoters no matter what they call themselves unless one has recourse avenues should things go wrong. What are “verifiable” recourse avenues?

   Address (use Google satellite to see if it’s a house or an office building).

   Phone (if only a cell phone it’s a problem as we all know - here today and gone tomorrow).

   Business Registration information: (did they file a corporation or are they acting as a “sole proprietor”?) One can trace registration via a local state Business Kicensee office “if” one knows what state they are in, in the first place. If a corporation those are easy to find if one knows what state they are in though some businesses file in Delaware or Nevada while they are located in say in Florida as tax advantages are better elsewhere.

   Dealing with and signing contracts with websites where there is no recourse to fight back is dealing with smoke and mirrors in my personal opinion.

   Penny

   Comment by Penny Ballou — August 30, 2007 #

4. I agree with Penny if a company can’t give you verifiable proof of their successes you need to run in the opposite direction.
   Any company worth using would be proud to show you their accomplishments, not hide them.
   You need a company that is open to scrutiny and is willing to answer any question you pose to them to make you feel cormfortable. After all it is YOUR idea and YOUR money you are putting on the line.
   As the old saying goes ” Roaches run when the lights are turned on.”

   Comment by Roger Brown — September 20, 2007 #

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