Competitor copycat problem

[martin bressel]

As it wasn't bad enough that another local guy copied my van colors, lettering style and compares himself as an equal cleaner (imitation is a form of flattery, thanks, but no thanks!)

BUT NOW he's published the name my company with a .info on the web - clearly using my name over and over on the page and info on how to contact him.

Anyone have a similiar experience? Do i really have to secure every "dot" extension? Suggestions?


Martin

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Whats the name of your company and have you called him up to talk to him?

 

[John Olson]

Wow. Sorry to hear that. You need to make sure that people know what this person is doing. Maybe put out a Bulletin for people to beware of an imposter attempting to confuse and take advantage of your good name. Explain if they are willing to lie and cheat to gain buisness what else will they be willing to do for money? That isn't accusing them of anything that isn't true

 

[Goomer]

I would guess the name of your company starts with the name of your town?

 

[Ron Werner]

How many years have you been in busn with that name?
How big is your client list?
Is it a registered name, Ltd, or incorporated?

 

[Brian R]

I would guess the name of your company starts with the name of your town?

I'm thinkin.

 

[randy]

Unless you trademarked your business name, he can do it. Especially if your name is any town carpet cleaning.
Do a trademark search online (patent & trademark office) and trademark your business name, consider trademarking the color scheme/design of the truck lettering also. I believe the filing fee is still $175 if you fill out the paper work yourself.

 

[Wayne Miller]

If you're talking about AAA it looks like SEO at work to me.

 

[Jeremy]

Have Tom pull him over and give him some stick time!

 

[Becker]

I agree with Wayne Miller.

Big problem with naming your company after your city.

A local guy hired a SEO want to be.. This guy attacked anyone in the local area that used the phrase carpet clenaing with the city anme ahead of it.

 

[Royal Man]

Sounds like sour grapes to me.

You can't tell your competition to NOT put "name of town" in their copy or their website domain choices. (it's just a function of SEO.)

Get over it!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Walt]

I think you should call the guy. If you dont get satisfaction I'd call an attorney. If your name is the name of company has the city name or is descriptive you are probably out of luck.

Btw- I feel your pain. There are several companies that use my company name in their online advertising and on there website. One company bought a similiar url and made a very similiar website. More than one of my customers has been confused. It can be very frustrating.

 

[idreadnought]

If a company is intentionally confusing customers then you have a case for a cease and decist. whether you trademark your name or not, just by using a certain color scheme and name will give you rights. Contact a lawyer, you would be surprised what your rights are even with out trademarks.

 

[Goomer]

If a company is INTENTIONALLY confusing customers then you have a case for a cease and decist. whether you trademark your name or not, just by using a certain color scheme and name will give you rights. Contact a lawyer, you would be surprised what your rights are even with out trademarks.

It would be impossible to prove intent..

 

[Becker]

A leason, try to avoid using a city name in your business name.

 

[Royal Man]

I don't see a conflict?

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=n ... 84dda1c17c

 

[martin bressel]

Yes, it's my city name, and i've had it for almost 20 years.

I'm not sure what a SEO is? A web site optimizer guy?

@ Wayne - yes.

 

[Goomer]

Yes, it's my city name, and i've had it for almost 20 years.

I'm not sure what a SEO is? A web site optimizer guy?

@ Wayne - yes.

Your in a tough situation. There is obviously no way you could have anticipated this problem 20 years ago when you decided to name your business.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the act of optimizing several things, one being your website itself, so that your website is recognized and indexed better by the major search engines. One basic aspect of SEO is keywords. Keywords are the words people will tend to enter into the search engine to find what they are looking for. If you want your business to be found easier, you have to "Tell" the search engines which keywords you want it to respond to, and show your website. Obviously, anyone living in, say, Bumblefuck New York, looking for carpet cleaning, would most likely enter the keywords "Bumblefuck New York carpet cleaning". Now any carpet cleaning business in Bumblefuck New York would want to have these keywords strongly associated with their website, and would use them in all their SEO efforts. This would obviously cause a conflict if there was a company called "Bumblefuck Carpet Cleaning".

Remember that not everyone entering those keywords is necessarily looking for specifically "Bumblefuck Carpet Cleaning" so much as "a carpet cleaner IN Bumblefuck", just as, not everyone is necessarily looking for specifically your company, when they enter what happens to be your company name into their search engine, so much as ANY carpet cleaner in your city.
They are not so much stealing customers directly from you, but merely claiming their piece of the pie.

 

[Guest]

Be the first to put the words. ""The Original"" this will imply that your being copied and will sure make him look bad IMO...I would even see if you can register the whole phase ""The original your city carpet cleaner"" This guy needs the game played back. Also mention to be aware of copycats on all ads! This works well in the very competitive food industry.

Sorry to hear but use this to your advantage any way you can.

Darren

 

[Becker]

Be the first to put the words. ""The Original"" this will imply that your being copied and will sure make him look bad IMO...I would even see if you can register the whole phase ""The original your city carpet cleaner"" This guy needs the game played back. Also mention to be aware of copycats on all ads! This works well in the very competitive food industry.

Sorry to hear but use this to your advantage any way you can.

Darren

I 2nd that!

 

[Shorty]

I would be advertising something like:

Sonora Carpet Cleaning by Martin Bressel, the original owner for over twenty years.
Often imitated, never beaten on quality cleaning.

You do send a newsletter to your past customers don't you.??

I would even have the above on your truck.

Anywhere you advertise your services.

All the best.

Shorty down under.

 

[Wandslinger]

I like his website!

 

[Ron Werner]

I know laziness and greed are the motives behind doing something like that, but in a small community they have to know its going to get noticed.
If you've had the same colours, name etc for 22 yrs, it would be worth the letter to tell them to change or else further action will be taken.

 

[Royal Man]

As it wasn't bad enough that another local guy copied my van colors, lettering style and compares himself as an equal cleaner (imitation is a form of flattery, thanks, but no thanks!)

BUT NOW he's published the name my company with a .info on the web - clearly using my name over and over on the page and info on how to contact him.

Anyone have a similiar experience? Do i really have to secure every "dot" extension? Suggestions?


Martin

This is the site Martin is talking about;


http://www.sonoracarpetcleaning.info/

Here is Martin's:

http://www.sonoracarpet.com/

The .info copy cat site Does look very misleading and is not just a SEO function.

The only glimmer of it really being AAA is from the picture of the van.

This van picture is not on all pages leaving no clue what so ever of it not being Sonara Carpet Cleaning.

This AAA guys needs a cease and desist letter from your attorney or maybe a cleaner from this board clould pay the guy a "visit".


AAA also has :

http://www.sonoracarpetcleaning.com/

Which is under development.

What a sleaze bag!!!

 

[Goomer]

Unfortunately, he left the door WIDE open, in not putting "cleaning" in his own site's name.
Sanora Carpet could also imply a installer or retailer.
Big mistake.