Description

I subscribed to trademark my company's slogan with a company called "Trademark Engine." I paid a variety of fees that trademark engine claimed to be a necessary part of the trademark registration process. Then, on July 27, 2024, my credit card was debited $175 from Trademark Engine. I immediately called them and asked what the charge was for. Trademark Engine explained that the charge was for the monthly or weekly fee for Trademark Monitoring. I told trademark engine that I was not interested in being charged $175 a month or a week for trademark monitoring and trademark engine instantaneously refunded my $175. However, on August 2, 2024, I was contacted via telephone by someone who identified themselves as the United States Trademark and Patent Office. They said the trademark monitoring service was required to proceed with the trademark registration process and I could pay $499 for 5 years of trademark monitoring. I was cautious and asked how do I know this caller was not a scam. The caller told me to google the phone number they were calling from and it would identify them as the United States Trademark and Patent Office. I googled the number and everything checked out. So I paid them the $499. Later, after a conversation with United States Patent and Trademark Office, Attorney Advisor, Ryan ******, Esq. I found out that no trademark monitoring service is required for trademark registration and the $499 that I paid was apparently part of a scam. I contacted ******** ******* to dispute the charge and was told that no investigation can be conducted because the $499 charge was assessed more than 60 days before I disputed the charge.