Copy cat

[jase158]

I was on facebook before xmas and found a business that has the same name as My business, but is Plumbing and Heating not plumbing maintenance.

I would appreciate others views as this is something that really bothers me, but am I over reacting,

1. I picked the name because it was Unique
2. I was going to change to Plumbing and Heating this year in line with getting the gas card
3. He blatently did no research or did research it and decided to copy.
4. He is offering powerflushes at £200, Services at £40 and boiler installs from £799.
5. In my area, powerflushes are £300 + services are atleast £60+ and boiler installs start at £2,000+. I dont want people going to his website and expecting the same prices from me
6. and finally if he does a bad job, I will look bad, and visa versa.


I know he is in the wrong, because he started october 2012, I started October 2010.
But where do I go from here?
His advert:
Union Plumbing & Heating, HUDDERSFIELD | Plumbers, Gas Engineers, Boiler Installations, Boiler Cleaning, Servicing & Repair - Yell

My website:
Plumber Aylesbury, Aylesbury Plumber, Plumber in Aylesbury, Aylesbury Plumbers, Plumbers Aylesbury,

My new logo design which was going to be rolled out in next few months:
Plumber Aylesbury, Aylesbury Plumber, Plumber in Aylesbury, Aylesbury Plumbers, Plumbers Aylesbury,

(hope hes not a member??)

 

[secret squirrel]

I don't think there is anything you can do unless your a ltd company.

 

[Barry98]

Think you'll find he his not seen him for yonks though

 

[kay-jay]

You are in areas miles apart i can't see it causing any problems

 

[jase158]

Think you'll find he his not seen him for yonks though

How do you know this???? The all seeing all knowing eye of BOD!! lol

 

[vern]

Lmao it's Bod.......love the tun dish not piped up in the pictures also

 

[Barry98]

Iremember talking to him was 2011 though

 

[Barry98]

Lmao it's Bod.......love the tun dish not piped up in the pictures also

Sod off lol

 

[jase158]

So should i get a written confirmation that he is happy to run jointly as i spoke to him on facebook and he now knows that I know!! But am worried that if i change to plumbing and heating, he will then be in the right and i will be in the wrong!!

 

[Barry98]

Have you registered the name ? You want me to let his tyres down lol

 

[vern]

Have you registered the name ? You want me to let his tyres down lol

Don't bother Bod, they run on solids like my first BMX, unstoppable !

 

[jase158]

Have you registered the name ? You want me to let his tyres down lol

does he live near you then?

 

[Barry98]

Not a million miles away , don't know which house exact

 

[Keefy]

You've got nothing to worry about as his business is nowhere near yours. If one decided to sue the other it would be laughed out of court.

 

[jase158]

You've got nothing to worry about as his business is nowhere near yours. If one decided to sue the other it would be laughed out of court.

Really?

Just looked it up and apparently you cant copyright names, but you can copyright logos!! would mine be different enough to be deemed as not copyright?

 

[Barry98]

Ill get a pic of his van next time I see it about 99% sure his doesn't have a tap on it for a start

 

[jase158]

Thanks everyone, Think I will just go for it.

I will stop worrying so much.

Just remember when you see "Union Plumbing" vans everywhere that it all spanned from me and they are all copying me!! lol

 

[Keefy]

Really?

Just looked it up and apparently you cant copyright names, but you can copyright logos!! would mine be different enough to be deemed as not copyright?

I don't think your logos are too similar tbh.

 

[Barry98]

Or there part of your fleet wink wink

 

[secret squirrel]

Or there part of your fleet wink wink

With the same level of poor quality work😛arty:


Couldn't resist it was too easy.....

 

[Keefy]

Only problem you might have is finding yourself on the construction blacklist for having 'union' in your name. :28:

 

[PlumbersMate]

People say about registering names I've looked into it latey but told I can't register my name unless I'm a Limited company? I don't want to be Limited until I have to due to charging VAT but I want to set the name so nobody can steal it

 

[REDSAW]

change it to onion.lol

 

[Nostrum]

You register the company but declare it as dormant. You have to pay about £30 a year to file a return saying the company is still wanted but not trading kind of thing 🙂

 

[PlumbersMate]

You register the company but declare it as dormant. You have to pay about £30 a year to file a return saying the company is still wanted but not trading kind of thing 🙂

Cheers pal. Can I still get signed up and business stationary etc with the company name on it if its dormant?

 

[Nostrum]

You can't claim to be ltd unless you are trading as a ltd company. You can however register joe blogs plumbing ltd, declared as dormant, and still trade as joes blogs plumbing.

Its a common way of securing the ltd name at the beginning to ensure that if you are successful and decide to go limited and form a company, no one can steal your trading title etc.

theres nothing to stop 2 businesses trading under the same name, but 2 companies cannot have the same name, or sometimes even similar.

 

[BLOD]

People say about registering names I've looked into it latey but told I can't register my name unless I'm a Limited company? I don't want to be Limited until I have to due to charging VAT but I want to set the name so nobody can steal it

Yu can trade as a limited company and not charge vat (providing your turnover is below the vat threshold)

 

[erpkid]

I was on facebook before xmas and found a business that has the same name as My business, but is Plumbing and Heating not plumbing maintenance.

I would appreciate others views as this is something that really bothers me, but am I over reacting,

1. I picked the name because it was Unique
2. I was going to change to Plumbing and Heating this year in line with getting the gas card
3. He blatently did no research or did research it and decided to copy.
4. He is offering powerflushes at £200, Services at £40 and boiler installs from £799.
5. In my area, powerflushes are £300 + services are atleast £60+ and boiler installs start at £2,000+. I dont want people going to his website and expecting the same prices from me
6. and finally if he does a bad job, I will look bad, and visa versa.


I know he is in the wrong, because he started october 2012, I started October 2010.
But where do I go from here?
His advert:
Union Plumbing & Heating, HUDDERSFIELD | Plumbers, Gas Engineers, Boiler Installations, Boiler Cleaning, Servicing & Repair - Yell

My website:
Plumber Aylesbury, Aylesbury Plumber, Plumber in Aylesbury, Aylesbury Plumbers, Plumbers Aylesbury,

My new logo design which was going to be rolled out in next few months:
Plumber Aylesbury, Aylesbury Plumber, Plumber in Aylesbury, Aylesbury Plumbers, Plumbers Aylesbury,

(hope hes not a member??)

I would not worry the numpties cannot even orient a photo correctly. Key with weasel pricing is always from.......

 

[jase158]

I rang him today and we had a chat, both happy to work alongside my questions now are
1. will I be able to register my business under inland revenue as the same name?
( I am guessing yes as there are loads of ja plumbing and pt plumbing etc, just cant get union plumbing and heating ltd if he gets it first)
2. will gas safe be ok with us both having the same name as he has registered first?

 

[jase158]

and I have just been on companies house and found:
union properties ltd
union properties (tayside) ltd
union properties (kx) ltd
union properties (sa) ltd

so i am assuming they arent the same company, they have obvioulsy used the same name but with the initials in front

 

[Rickster123]

Blimey jase you are getting way too worried about this mate. I don't think you will have a problem with anything. And as for gas safe, you could call yourself Micky mouse as long as you pay your money every year!

 

[gasmanrob]

Just looked at his link you put up and on the bottom left there is the Facebook 125 people like this and who's face is looking at me? Croppie! So guess he is a member

 

[jase158]

Just looked at his link you put up and on the bottom left there is the Facebook 125 people like this and who's face is looking at me? Croppie! So guess he is a member

thats my page!!!

 

[jase158]

Blimey jase you are getting way too worried about this mate. I don't think you will have a problem with anything. And as for gas safe, you could call yourself Micky mouse as long as you pay your money every year!

I am a lil too worried but also want to make sure everything will be fine before changing to plumbing and heating as when its changed it will be too late to go back.
this is a massive thing for me, changing to plumbing and heating as it is a new relaunch of the business, with a huge advertising campaign going to take place, new website, new logo, seo work on website etc and if i do all the work and then someone turns around and says "sorry you cant use this name" i would be gutted.

 

[Keefy]

Call it 'Plumbing & Gas' instead of 'Plumbing & Heating'.

 

[kozak1968]

Like secret squirrel says you cant do anything..... Is his name Dave Union?

I don't think there is anything you can do unless your a ltd company.

 

[Nostrum]

Jase,

for starts you don't register your trading name with inland revenue. It's irrelevant to them, you could change your name every week for all they care, so long as you pay your 'personal' tax return.

Going limited is a different ball game as a company is a legal entity in itself. That is why you need to give the entity a director. Companies cannot share the same name. You will probably find that the 4 you listed above could well be owned by the same organisation or run by the same director. Maybe not, but sometimes they prohibit you from having a similar name, or one company can apply to get you struck off if they feel you have used a name that is to similar to there's and are having a direct effect on your business.

long and short is, if you want to secure the ltd for just in case do it now if it is available. In the mean while, it's make no difference legally if you are trading under the same name as another sole trader.

 

[vern]

LOL Jase ask him what his tax bill is and swap! That will teach him

 

[peteheat]

Brake fluid over his van should let him know you mean business.

Register " Union Plumbing and Heating The Originals Ltd.

T/A Union heating or whatever you want.