Earlier this year I came out with a much needed product for AFX tracks that would allow controllers with alligator clips to connect directly to an AFX terminal. This eliminated the need to splice the toy like AFX plug with their skinny wire onto my nice HO controllers. It also converted the track to be able to run 2 and 3 wire controllers. It is one of my favorite products not because it makes me crazy amounts of money, it does not, but because it solved a problem.
Now I find that some random company on eBay has copied it. They are not even a slot car company which makes it weird. They make, or maybe I should say copy, other products for the automotive industry.
Below are my messages from eBay between us after I asked them to remove my name from their eBay ad.
THEM:
Dear Customer, Thank you for your email and for taking the time to explain your concerns in detail. We truly appreciate you reaching out and sharing this information with us. We understand how important it is to protect your intellectual property, and we take such matters very seriously. Out of respect for your rights and to ensure we handle this properly, we have immediately forwarded your concerns to the relevant department within our company for a thorough review. To help us verify the situation more quickly and accurately, would it be possible for you to provide the patent number(s) related to the product in question? This will allow us to investigate more effectively and take appropriate action as needed. Thank you again for your patience and understanding. We truly value clear and respectful communication, and we hope to resolve this matter as smoothly as possible. Best regards, Customer Service Team
ME:
Lawyer response, wonderful. You certainly know this is not patented. This is a small niche hobby item with very low volume that you figured you can copy and make a buck off of. It boggles the mind that you would copy my product without knowing slot racing at all. I looked over what other products you sell and they have nothing to do with slot racing. You will not be able to answer any question a customer has for you. Offering a quantity discount for this item is ridiculous as most customers only have the need for one or two at the most. I asked that you remove my name, Difalco, from your description and you did. I have already had a couple customers complain that they were fooled into thinking this was made by me. I hope you made thousands of these so you will get stuck with all that inventory when I let our small racing community know these are a rip off and that you are not any way involved in racing and just trying to make a buck. Next time pick a better product to copy and rip off the businesses ideas. Jim Difalco
THEM:
Dear Customer, Thank you for letting us know. We will verify the relevant regulations and take corresponding measures. The verification will take some time. Thank you for your understanding. Best regards, Customer Service Team
ME:
Pretty obviously an AI generated response. END
I thought this would be interesting to post.
