Flattering Fraud
 

Here is the situation and we need advice:

We sell our scooters to dealers all over the US. Recently we were approached by a dealer who wanted to buy scooters from us and we had to turn him down because he was located in the same territory as an existing dealer.:shrug: (Unlike some scooter distributors, we protect the territory of existing dealers) Well this dealer was not happy at being turned down so he is now advertising a scooter that is not ours but using our name and reputation in his ad.:wtf: This of course angers our dealer who has spent a lot of time and money developing the name in his area.>:

So not only is this dealer misrepresenting his product by pretending that it comes from us but he is also dissing his current supplier by not using their name. Now I'm flattered and all that our reputation is desirable but fraud is fraud. We don't have lawyers and patent and trademarks or any of that stuff. We are a small family run business that has worked hard for the last 10 years to develop our reputation. We are not the type to sue people as too many in this coutry have become. So really not sure what recourse we have or our dealer has other then the Amish approach. We can only hope that this dealer is shunned into shame by the scooter community.:shrug2:

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Forgot to mention the dealer doing the nasty is Scooters to go in Gran Rapids MI

thanks,
John Dikov

Scooter 2 Go Grand Rapids Misrepresenting Scooters
 

This is Jason, Owner of Grand Rapids Scooter, I am the local dealer that has sold and promoted the Amore 50 locally in Grand Rapids Michigan. We get the Amore 49cc scooters from John (above) at Valley Scooters. I wanted to ad that while we are used to "Scooters To Go" piggy-backing on many of our marketing campaigns locally, flagging all our cragslist ads, talking bad about us to anyone who will listen and under cutting prices, I feel Scooters To Go has crossed yet another line here.

If I was a consumer I would be outraged! Not only is Scooters 2 Go Lying to you before you even walk through the door of their business by advertising Znen Amore scooters when they KNOW they are NOT an Amore scooter, they are also destroying importer's livelyhoods and YOUR CHOICES as a consumer!

I chose John and Linda at Valley Scooters to get our scooters from for 2 reasons. They cared about quality and they cared about people.

Help me help them, continue to be one of the very few companies bringing in high quality Chinese moped scooters with the best specs and value. You deserve the choice to buy the best Value (price/quality/warranty) moped scooters in the market today.

Please reply to this post with your opinion/input. Feel free to post in other forums as well.

How would you feel if you were sold an "Amore" scooter that you researched online and for $300 less than you could buy it anywhere else. Then, discovered it wasn't really an "Amore" and it lacked many of the features and quality components that the REAL "Amore" scooters have?
BTW: You would have little legal recourse and would be stuck with your purchase.

Let's shame Scooters 2 Go in Grand Rapids Michigan to start doing the right thing! SOUND OFF!>:(

Jason
Grand Rapids Scooter

Wish I was closer I would help more. I know we have a lot of members from Michigan and I am certain karma has that guy's address so no worries he will reap what he sows..

Here is the ad Scooters To Go posted today
 

CL > grand rapids > all for sale / wanted > motorcycles/scooters - by dealer
ReplyReply to: tnwpp-3699269628@sale.craigslist.org [?]

flag [?] : miscategorized prohibited spam best of
Posted: 2013-03-23, 1:56PM EDT
Znen Amore' 50cc! Brand New Moped / Scooter. BEST PRICE IN TOWN. - $999 (Grand Rapids)

http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3...d9ea111192.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3...50ab4f1e57.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3...17dc751cf6.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3...a9cff614b1.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3...a75f7d1ace.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3...f913251d12.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/thumb/3...8cea2f1cb8.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3Id3N93...d9ea111192.jpg
Brand NEW 50cc Moped / Scooter.

These ride and look like a motorcycle!

BLACK PEARL!! PAINT JOB.

MADE BY ZNEN. GREAT QUALITY .

Call SCOOTERS TO GO at:
877.569.5691

or stop by at

Scooters To Go
7085 Division Ave
Grand Rapids, MI 49548

• Location: Grand Rapids
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

THIS IS NOT AN "Amore" Scooter!!!!!!!!!!! No Trunk, No foot plates, no chrome muffler, no chrome gear case cover and that's JUST what I can tell from the picture! How many other engine, electrical or transmission specs it lacks is unknown but clearly, it is NOT an Amore scooter from Valley Scooters! No wonder they can sell it for $300 Less:lmao:

Some people.. >:

I would contact the BBB (Better Business Bureau).


And if they're using your name or brand, unauthorized in any way, I would send them a Cease & Desist letter immediately. If you don't want to have one written up by a lawyer, just find one online and adjust it to suit your needs. ;)

I'll flag em every day... I would suggest my fellow dawgs do the same.

Thing is we don't have all that expensive stuff like trademarks and patents etc... If we spent money on that we would either be selling at a lot higher price or just be out of business. It is a shame that people cannot just do business the old fashioned way, HONESTLY. If we had more of that and a lot less lawyers and paperwork everything would be less expensive.

Thank you Cookees, we appreciate the help in protecting ALL of us effected by this type of business practice! If you ever need anything, let me know.

Jason
Grand Rapids Scooter

Sorry guys, live in FL here. Wish I could help, but hardly think that a public scooter forum is the appropriate place to discuss disputes.
If they don't hear in private, a lawyer is your best way out.
If it is true that the other company is in wrong, and refuses to cooperate in his slander of your company, a lawyer can take the case at no cost to the winner of the case.
If you have been wronged, you most likely will be the winner of the case, and the lawyer cost could easily be paid by the settlement sum of the ruling.

a cease and desist letter costs nothing and them using your name is enough wrong to ask them to stop

I appreciate your input and suggestions prodigit. You make a valid point. However, my personal views prevent me from "Lawyering Up" everytime someone steps on my toes. I also think this is the perfect forum for discussing this travesty that is occurring in the scooter market. It hurts innocent consumers, it hurts ethical dealers and it hurts ALL importers. Keeping quiet about it just enables companies to operate in this dispicable manner and encourages many others to do the same.

Consumer's voices will ultimately determine my business' fate as well as all of ours, not a lawyer or a judge.

Jason
Grand Rapids Scooter

Karma will get them in the end. I wouldn't even let it bother me.

John,
Unlike many you are looking to protect your dealer network. Kudos to you! Funny thing I noticed just today that pricing is no longer on your website. I assume that is also to protect and encourage sales through your dealers. Again thats great, nothing worse than being a stocking dealer and competing against your supplier.

Jason,
I'll flag the post every time I see it and ask others to do the same.

All the best to both of you.

Be Big,
AMAC

A cease and desist letter is not "lawyering up" it's something you type or print on your own. It's simply a warning. Most people will take them seriously enough. If they are not delivering a real Amore 50 then that is plain and simple false advertising.

One thing I might recommend that definitely affects tons of businesses here that doesn't cost much but relies on the good will of local communities is yelp pages. If they have a yelp page people here can leave comments and reviews. Yelp is now known to make or break businesses in big cities. Grand Rapids is a big enough city with enough web savvy young'uns wanting to get into scootering that any scooter place that won't listen to a cease and desist letter would most definitely take notice of a bad yelp review.

The reason being a cease and desist letter doesn't hit them in the pocket book as immediately as a bad yelp review.

Agreed...qwertydude
 

I agree with your comment and have sent John a form letter to use if he wishes.
From your post, I'm sure you'll enjoy this video....

http://smallbizazz.blogspot.com/2013...eth-godin.html

Jason
Grand Rapids Scooter