Idiot competitor

Ignore him and move on

I'd wait it out. In the mean time, depending on how you're set up, a legalese "Cease and Desist" may help. But, if this is how he runs business, I don't think the storm will last for long....

The negativity your both going to generate will in the end benefit the brick and mortar dude who has established his permanency with the basement shop which I'm assuming is zoned commercial. In addition to being better established than you are currently, I'm guessing he provides repairs and service service as well that of sales.

Squabbling over craigslist listings who wrote what is juvenile on both your parts, I would abandon CL entirely then go to work on a constructive advertising campaign. print flyers and business cards to hand out.

Flyers can be put under wiper blades save on fuel and leg work go to the shopping malls, and any other places where people and vehicles gather.

Wear a goofy hat that stands out and becomes your personal trademark, any time I run into a biker wearing colours I may not know the dudes name but his colours speak volumes about the dude..

And this is why trademarks work, It's a well known fact in the advertising world that people have the attention span of a gnat you want to get your message across quickly - keep the content on your business card minimal were depending on the goofy hat trademark to leave a lasting impression.

Good ;luck.

Went back and read your starting post again when I discovered you made a rather informal introduction over the telephone, Was there any particular reason you choose the telephone over a face to face.

Any stranger cold calling me on the phone would have received the same reception from me as your competitor gave you.

Below is my goofy hat,you have to admit it leaves a lasting impression.


.

In some jurisdictions, flyer-bombing may be illegal. If so, you've pretty much just confessed at the scene of the crime- a few hundred times. Check that first

Also, do you have an area trade show? There is a huge indoor garage sale annually in our town- get a booth, and make a professional-looking display. It'll benefit you a lot.

Signs on your truck are worth it. Magnetic ones are cheap and removable.

If he's doing this in a place that isn't zoned commercially, stand back and grab the popcorn. He won't last too long....

you CAN put copyright on all your text...and if he copies it, get a cease and desist sent to him on a lawyer letterhead. If that doesn't work, sue him in small claims.....sorry I can be a prick when people pick a fight. There are more than one way to skin that cat...wonder if he has his business license, is registered with the state (all public things you can look up).

I would also take the advice from others to broaden your advertising avenues...CL really SUCKS most of the time. Use FB yard sale groups, freecycle groups, partner with schools for pickups and any number of other strategies...the above stuff is stuff I would let my lawyer remind him of if he REALLY starts messing with me and my business...it is part of doing business and you have to do it sometimes. Really he is just being a DI%^...do the things I mentioned and take a chunk of his business...hurts more in the pocket.

Originally Posted by webuyselltradestuff

you CAN put copyright on all your text...and if he copies it, get a cease and desist sent to him on a lawyer letterhead. If that doesn't work, sue him in small claims.

I just did a quick search on copyrights. It appears that your copyright has to be registered before you can take any legal action. Sure, you can get a lawyer to send a letter but there might not be a whole lot they can do. In fact, I couldn't find anything that connects copyrights to advertising.

Might be a good idea to put on some decent clothes and go meet the guy face to face. Be pleasant and kind. Like they say, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. (Not that I actually want to catch any flies.)

Other than that, sometimes it's best to just drop the fight and go about your business the best you can. It'll pass.

I have a friend who is very successful in the appliance repair business(washers and dryers ONLY). Since you have been selling used appliances you have the knowledge to do repairs or can learn it quickly.

My friend works mobile only out of a very nice pick up truck. He has several heavy duty totes in the bed which are all secured with a locked SS cable. In these totes he carries nearly every part he needs and almost never has to return later for a replacement part. He does not share his financials but for all appearances he is doing very well, his wife does not work outside the house and he has a special needs son.

I did a google search for "washer repair" and this guy(my friend)came up #4 after Sears #1 and two other paid ads. So he is #1 on google here in my area. I don't know how you get to number one on google but others on the forum could help you there.

If I was physically able this is one of the businesses I would be looking at. You have all the practice appliances you need to get the education and learn the parts supply side of it.

You may want to take this as a great opportunity to make a change in your direction.

73, Mike

Originally Posted by billygoat

I just did a quick search on copyrights. It appears that your copyright has to be registered before you can take any legal action. Sure, you can get a lawyer to send a letter but there might not be a whole lot they can do. In fact, I couldn't find anything that connects copyrights to advertising.

Might be a good idea to put on some decent clothes and go meet the guy face to face. Be pleasant and kind. Like they say, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. (Not that I actually want to catch any flies.)

Other than that, sometimes it's best to just drop the fight and go about your business the best you can. It'll pass.

Actually you CAN do a simple DCMA takedown notice by the poorman's copywright (ie just putting that the text it is copyrighted, etc). Usually that is enough to scare people off. I have only had to send a DCMA once...someone was displaying a logo they they said they made for me...which was NOT true. I sent it to their ISP since I could not find a way to send directly to the owner (they didn't list anything at whois). Let's just say it was down within 24 hours....otherwise the hosting isp ha to shut off their site. Now not quite the same with CL, but I still think they would pay attention to a DCMA.

Anyways, plenty of other ways to handle it as myself and others have noted. People are pricks, sometimes you have to choose to play the game differently because you understand the rules better than they do...far too easy to hurt someones pocket. Oh and Karms...she a B%^&h when she comes around in most cases.

Originally Posted by hobo finds

I once found a Dyson Vacuum someone had cut the cord, I called some Vac repair places they wanted $100 to replace the cord, I asked them if they would want to buy it for parts. They did not want to deal with a person who scraps as well...

Check ebay for prices of used parts on that model. If prices warrant it put on any cord and test it out then sell the parts yourself. There is profit to made in the used parts market.

74, Mike

Originally Posted by yungwizkid

A wise man once said if you argue with a fool , it's hard to tell who the fool is. I wouldn't worry about it. He'll be out of business in a few months.

Best advince anyone can give anyone but hard to put into practice when tempers flare and egos clash.

Op I have to ask because no one else did: are you loosing business with his ad copying? If not, I wouldn't worry about it. Either way it's going to be a waiting game before he eventually folds as people know who's who usually. I found Facebook groups is where it's at anyway - the base is real time and will usually get back to you right quick.

Originally Posted by webuyselltradestuff

you CAN put copyright on all your text...and if he copies it, get a cease and desist sent to him on a lawyer letterhead. If that doesn't work, sue him in small claims

I purposely didn't address this comment because it contained an ambiguous statement. If you are talking about having your attorney send a cease and desist letter, that's a good idea. I figured that's what you meant, so I didn't address that part of your comment. But it can also be taken as a suggestion to copy your lawyer's letterhead and draft your own letter on it. That can get someone into a lot of hot water.

As for suing for monetary damages in small claims court, I would definitely contact an attorney before doing so. Monetary damages for loss of business due to a copyright breach needs to be documented and proven, and for most of us it's a difficult thing to do.

Originally Posted by webuyselltradestuff

Actually you CAN do a simple DCMA takedown notice by the poorman's copywright (ie just putting that the text it is copyrighted, etc). Usually that is enough to scare people off. I have only had to send a DCMA once...someone was displaying a logo they they said they made for me...which was NOT true. I sent it to their ISP since I could not find a way to send directly to the owner (they didn't list anything at whois). Let's just say it was down within 24 hours....otherwise the hosting isp ha to shut off their site. Now not quite the same with CL, but I still think they would pay attention to a DCMA.

Anyways, plenty of other ways to handle it as myself and others have noted. People are pricks, sometimes you have to choose to play the game differently because you understand the rules better than they do...far too easy to hurt someones pocket. Oh and Karms...she a B%^&h when she comes around in most cases.

I had a similar, but different situation a few years ago. I had to deal with a competitor who used unfair and misleading statements on their website, which is also illegal. I sent a "friendly" email to them asking them to remove or modify those statements. Nothing happened. So I contacted and hired an attorney who specialized in that area. I don't want to go into any more detail than that, but suffice to say that you can't expect a letter from an attorney to change everything for the better. Your attorney should also point out any further legal remedies that are available and how much it would cost to pursue them, including the filing costs.

Also, I have experienced someone copying my Craigslist ads word-for-word and posting them on other advertising sites. One of those ads was placed on a site run out of China, believe it or not. I tried to get it taken down but nothing happened. It's still happens from time to time. I have recently found three of my ads placed on other sites, word for word. I chose to do nothing because they left my website information intact.

In addition, recently someone posted an ad on Craigslist claiming I stole their "stuff" and that I am not to be trusted. I chose to respond to that ad and post a rebuttal rather than contact an attorney. While I'm not ruling out taking legal action in the future, hopefully the action I took was sufficient. Again, I don't want to give any more information away because I can't be sure this issue is over.

I want to make sure it is understood that in no way am I trying to hijack this thread. I'm not looking for any further advice. I just want the OP to know that he's not the only one in this boat. Just remember that if you do decide to take action, stop and contact an attorney first.

No. It's not a burden to place on the landlord. It's not his area of responsibility either. Like I said, contact an attorney if you want to pursue this any further. Trying to play games and getting involved in battles can result in doing things that you might regret later. Keep a cool head and do the right thing.