InventHelp is a company that helps inventors turn their ideas into real products by offering support with things like patents and marketing. However, in recent years, the company has faced several lawsuits, which have raised concerns about how they do business. In this blog post, we’ll explain the InventHelp settlement, how to claim and deadlines.
About Inventhelp
Inventhelp is a well-known company that offers invention promotion services. They help inventors patent their ideas and connect with companies interested in new products.
However, in recent years, Inventhelp has faced criticism and legal action over alleged deceptive practices. This led to the filing of multiple class action lawsuits against the company.
Class Action Lawsuits Against Inventhelp
The Inventhelp settlement resolves several major class action suits, including Calhoun v. InventHelp, Austin v. InventHelp, and Miclaus v. InventHelp.
These lawsuits alleged that Inventhelp engaged in misleading and deceptive practices that harmed inventors. In March 2023, the court granted final approval of a settlement agreement to resolve these claims.
Inventhelp Settlement Details
After a lot of discussion, a settlement was reached, and the court gave its final approval in March 2023. As part of the agreement, InventHelp must have a customer care team to handle complaints, and they need to keep electronic records of the complaints and how they respond. They also have to make sure their Data Bank is up to date, so that information is accurate and submissions are sent to companies that are active and interested.
InventHelp also agreed to start a program to reach out to customers, checking how satisfied they are and improving services based on feedback. They must change their advertising, removing the names of companies that aren’t in their Data Bank and avoiding exaggerated numbers related to temporary license agreements. Before customers sign any service agreements, InventHelp must give them written information about how long the services will take.
To settle the claims from inventors, InventHelp agreed to pay $3 million, and the lawyers involved in the class action asked for $1.5 million in legal fees.
Plaintiff Allegations On Inventhelp
The class-action lawsuits, including Calhoun v. InventHelp, Austin v. InventHelp, and Miclaus v. InventHelp, alleged that InventHelp engaged in deceptive and fraudulent practices. Plaintiffs claimed the company misled inventors into purchasing expensive marketing services that often failed to deliver the promised results. They argued InventHelp’s promotions gave customers false hope and wasted their money.
The lawsuits accused InventHelp of making unrealistic promises about their ability to successfully market and license inventions. Plaintiffs say InventHelp led them to believe the company had lucrative connections with manufacturers looking for new product ideas. However, the suits claim those relationships were not as fruitful or extensive as InventHelp purported.
Response From InventHelp
While agreeing to the settlement, InventHelp denies any wrongdoing or liability. The company maintains that its services have helped many inventors over the years. InventHelp decided to resolve the lawsuits to avoid further litigation costs and uncertainty.
As part of the agreement, InventHelp will make several changes to its business practices. These include better complaint handling, ensuring the accuracy of its Data Bank submissions, implementing customer satisfaction outreach, modifying advertising, and providing clearer disclosures about service timelines. The company aims to provide more transparency and improved service through these measures.
Eligibility For Settlement Claim
So who exactly is covered by this settlement? All U.S. residents who purchased services from InventHelp or its related entities between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2022 are eligible. This includes customers who bought invention promotion services during that 8.5 year period.
If you believe you qualify, you’ll need to submit a claim form by the deadline, which will be announced on the official settlement website. Required information will likely include your name, contact details, and documentation of your transactions with InventHelp.
The $3 million settlement fund, minus legal and administration fees, will be divided among approved claimants. Exact compensation amounts will depend on how many inventors file eligible claims. The more people who participate in the settlement, the smaller each individual payment will be.
How To File A Claim?
If you think you’re eligible to participate in the InventHelp settlement, the next step is filing a claim. The process is fairly simple and can be done online or by mail.
To submit a claim online, you’ll need to visit the official settlement website. There, you’ll find a claim form to fill out with your contact information and details about your InventHelp purchase. You may need to provide documentation, like a receipt or contract, to prove you’re a class member.
If you prefer to file by mail, you can print out the claim form from the website and send it to the listed address. Make sure to include any required supporting documents.
Whether filing online or by mail, be sure to complete the claim form carefully and honestly. Inaccurate or incomplete claims could be rejected. If you have any questions, reach out to the settlement administrator for help.
Claim Deadline
The deadline to submit claims for the InventHelp settlement was December 31, 2021. This date was important for anyone who used InventHelp or Western InventHelp’s services between January 1, 2014, and June 30, 2021. If they wanted to get compensation, they had to send in their claims by that time.
If they missed the deadline, they lost their chance to receive any benefits from the settlement. It’s always important to follow deadlines in class action lawsuits to make sure you don’t miss out on any money you might be owed.
Conclusion
The InventHelp settlement dealt with several lawsuits, leading to important changes in how the company handles customer care, advertising, and service transparency. Even though InventHelp did not admit to any wrongdoing, the settlement aims to improve their services and protect inventors in the future. If you used InventHelp’s services and missed the claim deadline, this is a good reminder to always keep track of deadlines in class-action lawsuits so you don’t miss out on possible compensation.
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