‘Davison Inventions’, a service that promises to help people bring their inventions to life and make them very successful as a result. But be warned…this one has all the hallmarks of not living up to its promise.
Firstly because everything on their website looks to be truly professional, and secondly the sheer volume of testimonials and special features on Davison Inventions products that have been available for sale on a variety of shopping channels.
However first impressions can often be deceiving, and delving deeper into the service they provide and the vast array of so called quality products that have been produced and licensed through Davison International exposes the fact that not everything is as it seems.
We were first alerted to Davison Inventing purely by chance when one of visitors reported a problem with a online service with a similar name, and after some extensive investigation we discovered there is more than one ‘Davison Inventing’ online (more on that in a minute).
The most commonly reported issues associated with this company is the fact that people are being deceived into thinking that Davison Inventing will develop their product and market it to a select group of manufacturers. This does of course come at a cost to the individual, and it can often be substantial.
Worrying indeed.
You might be wondering if this is just an isolated case where an individual maybe got it wrong, and it is our job at Work From Home Watchdog to investigate such claims and establish the truth. Not only did we discover 1000′s of similar complaints, we also uncovered a Davison Inventing lawsuit served by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
You can read the full FTC report here.
During our investigation we also uncovered something very unusual. A representative of Davison Inventing had discovered one of the many public discussions online about the company, and how people believed that they had been scammed out of there money. Whilst initially coming across as understanding and willing to address any complaints, this person eventually resorted to bad mouthing individuals and the website they were posting on.
The claim by this individual about the website was that they were making revenue from ads, and individuals should refrain from making complaints on the website because it will only increase their income.
Now whilst it’s more than possible that the website might be earning a revenue from ads, it is an established and trusted website, and from experience I know that the revenue is used to maintain the website.
In my opinion, this was a cheap and underhand way for the Davison Inventing representative to try and reduce the amount of complaints made online about this company.
As mentioned earlier, our investigations also lead us to discover that there is possibly more than one instant of Davison Inventing online, and you have to question why that is? If a company is true to its word, and is not a scam, why would they need to re-invent themselves? I’ll leave you to decide for yourself. Here are the 2 suspects that we found (there could well be more):
- davisoninternational.com
- davisoninnovations.com
Now let’s pay closer attention to the actual products that have been developed and marketed by Davison, because that is the core of the business. We did notice a rather unusual way of describing products that they have created on their website…”have sold in” – see for yourself.
We wondered what this actually means, and we reached the conclusion that if the product really was something that worked for the inventor, they would list it as “sold at”, “seen at”, or “buy now”.
“Have sold in” suggests to us that it is no longer available, or at least not via those suppliers. That to us is not a good sign for a inventor with a potential product.
Next I looked at another product which was featured on QVC and that seemed to do well…or did it?
The Ultimate Breading Station made production and was featured on the show and appeared to be a good product, however the reviews were very critical of how bad the product was and strangely enough this product is no longer available on QVC.
Again, not very encouraging for someone willing to invest in their idea at Davison Inventing.
The other side to this Company is that they provide inventors of products the chance to be able to patent, develop and market their products, and once again this is an area of concern.
Numerous online complaints state that Davison actually patent the product under their name, which means the originator has no real claim to the product at all because Davison own the rights.
This is a shocking lesson to learn and if you have a product that you have created/designed, do make sure you patent it yourself first:
For the US – United States Patent and Trademark Office
For the UK – Intellectual Property Office
The above Patent Offices should also be your first port of call if you have any concerns over what is involved before wasting your money. You can also find some great advice on the inventorfraud.com website if you have concerns over a particular company.
Whilst we do not have the authority or power to say that Davison Inventing is definitely a scam, we can say for certain that there is no smoke without fire. Here at Work From Home Watchdog we utilize a sophisticated system that allows us to evaluate businesses, and it is called…common sense.
No matter how appealing and professional Davison Inventing might look, the facts above suggest that you should avoid this service at all costs.
~ Neil
WFHW Team
*Want more help with your invention idea?
> Check out all of our invention resources on Work From Home Watchdog
Oh my good God, I wish I would have found this site earlier. On June 6, 2013 I got my big call about the next step which is to prototype my idea and package it. I currently have a Provisional Patent on file. The call came from D.W. their current or one of many Directors of New Products at Davison. I thought something was up when this lady was always talking as fast as a used car salesmen on the phone and always 30 minutes late on the call to me. Did not really think anything about it at the time. Since their WEB page was so professionally done and the fact that Mr. Davison was on a morning talk show. Several months ago I was the foolish inventor and gave them $750.00 to do another patent search. Which I did not understand because the law firm that did the provisional patent already had one completed. Very long and came in a phone book thick packet.
Davison’s search came back and to me on a DVD. It took a month later, June 6,2013 for her to tell me what the dollar amount was going to be to bring my invention to a manufacture. She said I would need to have a $1000.00 to her by end of the week plus another 5,465.00 with the balance of $5,310.00 due by August 6,2013. If I made all the money by the August date, I qualified for a 6% savings. Oh Joy. Well I sent her an E-mail the next AM. I told her the money was too much. I have found the link in another posting from Teri above; http ://www.inventorfraud.com/suggested.htm to perhaps help me get back the $750.00 I spent on a new patent search. A search that I had done when the original patent was filed. I look now for another avenue on bringing my patent to life in the market place. I am sure glad I found this, it has opened my eyes!! Inventors beware! I just wish I would have found this before May 2013. Thank you all.
Hi James,
Thank you very much for your comment.
I am very happy that you did not go ahead with DV because you would have lost all your money.
Cheers
Neil
WFHW Team
Can’t thank you guys enough. Just spoke with this company today! Now I have to move quickly to get the product patented myself…thanks for the above links.
Thank you so much,
Valerie
Hi Valerie,
You are welcome.
Cheers
Neil
WFHW
i just gave them 715.00 on feb.15,2013..now i read all this and i know the contract said i have three days to back out.i have to write a letter to them to get my money back.who do i contact about my idea now
Hi Charles,
Have you patented the idea yourself?
Because this should be the first thing you do.
The sites are in the post above.
Cheers
Neil
WFHW
I TO AM PROABLLY A VICTIM I HAVE SPENT CLOSE TO $ 5,000.00 TO DAVISON FOR MY INVENTION THE SCAM WAS BOUGHT TOO MY ATTENTION BY A FRIEND SHE IS LIKE A SISTER TO ME, I AM COPYING EVERTHING SHE SENT ME ABOUT THE COMPANY AND SENDING THEM A COPY OF IT AND THEN SEE WHAT THEY SAY ALSO ASKING FOR A REFUND AND MY PROTOTYPE BACK…..LUANN BURRIS
Hi Luann Burriss,
We wish you all the best with getting your money back.
Cheers
Neil
WFHW
I talked to Davidson representatives about my invention idea over a several month period. They originally told me it would cost me $500.00. After several other conversations, I talked with a representative and she told me it would cost me $7,000.00. Why the lies and why so much money on an idea that at the most would only cost a couple of hundred dollars? It sounds like a scam to me.
Hi Robert,
Yes, we were not very happy with how the price rises so rapidly at Davison, hence we don’t recommend using them.
Cheers
Neil
WFHW
I gave then $795 to check my idea and they said that they would take on my project for a fertilizer distribution system for floaters, then an additional cost for designing the item of $5850, they got the product designed and sent it to me and it was not at all what was sent to them, it was a picture of a poorly drawn up lawn spreader, now after they wanted me to sign the design pattern (which I won’t) they won’t call me back, so they will use my idea and sell it to AGCO or CASE making them millions and me nothing!
Hi David
Sorry to hear that you’ve invested so much with Davison Inventions with no return. Your feedback may help prevent others from experiencing a similar situation.
All the best,
Terri
WFHW
What can be done to ensure that they don’t patent my product, this has happened within the last month, I have turned them into the beter busness bereau and have not gotten the paperwork! Thank you for replying back!
David I have done some research and found a site that provides steps you can take to help you recover the money you gave Davison Inventions and to protect your invention from being patent without your permission. http://www.inventorfraud.com/suggested.htm
Keep us updated on your progress.
We wish you the best
Terri
WFHW
David, I’m glad i just read your comment on this watchdog site. I have a killer idea but have not given Davison a penny yet. how did your situation work out for you?
Hi Matt,
Thank you for your comment.
Cheers
Neil
WFHW
OMG !!!! I was to be contacted tomorrow by the Director of Productions. I did read about the amount of money they required. Since I am “broke” I have none to give. I assumed, as I should never do, they would cover the costs and receive their money once my product sold. I am too gullible.
Thank you for your hard work on this.
Mary
You’re welcome Mary!
We are pleased to hear that we have at least alerted you to the costs involved, and the earnings/payment structure going forward.
Wishing you the best with your future ventures.
Marcus
WFHW
Thank you all for this blog. I am suppose to be contacted next Tuesday about my idea. After reading so many bad reviews I’m having second thoughts. I’m a single mother of two babies there’s absolutely no way I can afford to patent my invention idea. I just seen the video that they sent about a lady who had her idea invented for a cat/dog cot. They seem real convincing but guess that’s part of there whole scam.
Glad we were able to shed some light on Davison Inventions for you before you got to involved with them.
We wish you all the best with your future endeavors.
Terri
WFHW
To the anonymous blogger,
Customer service is vital in all businesses and is imperative when operating a successful business. Customer concerns upset everyone and our staff works very hard to troubleshoot them so communication errors are kept to a minimum. From reading your complaint there appears to a communication breakdown and you are upset. We are acknowledging your post so let’s fix this.
In truth, customers are not always right and companies are not always right. The effort to curing issues of concern, listening intently and calmly addressing issues is a role our Chief Consumer Advocate’s office has enthusiastically taken on.
If you are a client, we are sure that you received our initial printed brochure, visited our website and received subsequent materials – all of which thoroughly described our services. In addition, you would have received simply written contracts that clearly describe each service offering and the fees associated with those services. When you have the opportunity please re-review the materials.
One of the things you will notice is that all of our contracts and the disclosure documents that you received said explicitly that we don’t evaluate product ideas. So, if you were thinking that you had the greatest idea in the world, it wasn’t because the company was offering you services or telling you that.
If you still feel as though you did not receive the services that were described to you in writing, you should contact our offices. We try to communicate in a very complete manner while recognizing the fact we are contacted by individuals from all over the world. Sometimes communications can be difficult because of cultural barriers. Thus, the great need to place all of our service offerings in clear and easily understood agreements.
When someone contracts with us for design services, they are contracting to have our company prepare a design and build a sample. Sometimes, the way that a client proposes that a product should look or function is not an efficient or even workable way to make something. Sometimes, clients with little or no design or engineering experience decide that things should be a certain way without having any idea how to make the product or get it to do what they want.
We are proud of the quality of our work and employ the latest technology and quality controls in producing product samples and packaging. If you have an issue with the quality, contact us and we will examine it. Anonymously taking to the internet doesn’t get your problem fixed.
Also, we would like to note that in the past competitors have posted false and malicious complaints about us on the internet. Instead of choosing to compete by offering economical product design, development and packaging services they have chosen to confuse consumers with false information. We don’t know if this person is a client or not because they did not include any contact information, not even an email address. We have found in the past that competitors hide behind “internet handles” rather than out in the open where their own conduct can be questioned. If a real client has a complaint they were really trying to resolve, why would they post anonymously?
Since we don’t know if this blogger is a competitor or not, below is a brief description of the services we offer and the way that we offer them:
Step One: All customers must acknowledge invention development is high risk. In order to do so, each prospective customer is provided with an Affirmative Disclosure and an American Inventors Protection Act disclosure, which includes a description of all of our services and estimated fees. All potential clients must acknowledge that they received and read these disclosures before we accept any idea submission from them. Thereby, we ensure that the general public understands that inventing is time-consuming, costly and rarely results in profit. As a result, none of our clients reasonably can have the impression that inventing is easy and financially rewarding. Inventing can be educational, fun and exciting as long as everyone keeps in mind that there are no guarantees that profits are imminent.
Step Two: Pre-Development Service Offer: After receipt of an invention idea we could offer to perform preliminary design research services on the project. This would include researching prior patents and other products that are for sale or have been for sale that are similar to the one submitted. Any service offer made to a potential client is made in writing. Therefore, consumers are assured of exactly what services they are purchasing and when they will receive them.
Step Three: Invention Prototype Services Offer: If the inventor does not have a professional quality sample for use, we can perform one or more services, including brainstorming new product designs, designing components, creating prototypes, building working models, virtual reality renderings, and complete product graphics and packaging. Again, any service offerings are outlined in a written contractual format. Therefore, clients are assured of exactly what services they are purchasing.
Step Four: Licensing Representation: Once projects are designed, built and packaged our team presents them to companies for licensing consideration
The above is a basic outline of how our company does business. Clearly, all of our services are provided with full risk disclosures and on a written contract basis only. If you are ever contemplating any development services, we hope that you will consider us. We think that you will find our prices to be very reasonable for the services we offer.
For over 20 years, we have helped people prepare and present their ideas to corporations and manufacturers to see if they would be willing to license the product ideas. Our exclusive idea to product method is responsible for more products on the store shelves than any other competitor in this industry.
Quick facts about our company and our process
We are based in Pittsburgh, PA and work with clients from around the world.
We have been in business since 1989.
Our company’s products have been sold by over 1,000 stores & online retailers.
Our staff designs products for both individuals and corporate clients.
We have over 250 staff members.
Our staff has won numerous design awards for innovative product designs.
We are a member of the Online Business Bureau.
Our services include research, prototype development, and packaging design.
We hope you found the above helpful, but if you want additional information on anything concerning the company, please email cca@davisoninvents.com
CCA
Thank you for your reply.
Please read our follow up to your reply on the following page:
http://www.workfromhomewatchdog.com/davison-inventions-scam-new-developments/
We would love to hear your thoughts!
Regards,
Marcus
WFHW Team
Thanks for putting in the effort on this one.
I very nearly fell for the sheer professional look of Davison Inventing, but decided to do a bit of homework because it seemed too good to be true.
Thankfully I found some really good reviews, and this one confirmed everything that I needed to know. I certainly won’t be using them now, so you’ve saved me a lot of stress there!
You have a great site here…it’s refreshing to see, so keep up the great work.
Best wishes,
Brian
That’s great to hear Brian!
Yes, there are plenty of negative comments online about this particular service, so we felt it necessary to take a closer look.
We are still seeing an alarming amount of posts on the Internet from people who are unhappy with the service at DI, so we felt it was really important to let our visitors know too.
Thanks for the positive comments about our site…we are glad it has helped!
Marcus