In legal terms, how would you call someone who steals customers by using your business name?
This is what happened:
I am a residential cleaning business owner. Three months ago I decided to sign up with ServiceMagic to get some leads. Since this was not working as I expected I terminated their services after a month.
Well, today I was googling the name of my company (just wanted to check what appeared in the web) and noticed that my business' name that appeared listed in the local google pages and the Service Magic profile, that was supposed to be deleted, were still there under this company's contact information. You know what I mean? It was my Company's Name and Profile but instead showing my phone number it showed theirs.
To make matters worst, a current customer called me and said he referred a friend to set an appoinment with us but he was unable to do so. Well, guess what? He typed the name of my company in Google and found us in the local business, when he entered the web page it happened to have ServiceMagic number and was told by a representative that my company did not serve his area and recommended a different company that was nearby and, of course, in business with ServiceM. I was taken by surprise! Can you imagine??? Someone was looking for my business and ended being directed to a different telephone number that has nothing to do with ours and also be referred to a competitor.
I want to take legal action immediately and don't know exactly how to start. If someone looks for my business online because of our reputation "well gained" and end finding ServiceMagic number I am in serious trouble again. I will lose this prospect due to this @#$$! Help Please!
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Corporate espionage
Call a lawyer, have them send a threatening letter. It usually works.
That sux. I own a cleaning company and that hasn’t happened to me yet ,but my mom owns a bridal shop and it happened to her. You need to have a lawyer send a threatening letter to them and usually that’s enough. People are so shiesty these days!
Only help you will get on here is non-professional. You need to seek the advice of a lawyer who deals in commercial fraud frequently. This company defrauded you by acting as though they were still your agents, and this is fraudulent, not to mention immoral. You are due some sort of monetary compensation, but in order to find out how much you need professional help!
same thing happened to me.
I stopped getting business about the time I asked service magic to help me get leads.
I paid them thousands of dollars for bogus leads.
I let them go and like you went online and googled my name. Looking for anything that could help me get even one phone call. just one damn job so i could eat!!!
I found that service magic stole my google site, my online presence in its entirety and was redirecting my name to their sales force. I have since reported it to the fbi online- IC3.gov. you should too. right away!~!!! screw servic3we magic- god damn thieves!!!