If Imitation is the Best Form of Flattery, I’d Rather a Compliment

Being a business owner sure has its challenges. Between supply issues, scheduling, marketing, managing personalities, and drumming up business - my father (who owned more than 12 businesses at one time) always says, “Business is not for the faint of heart!” 

My disposition is part lamb and part lion.  I am a go-getter with a strong fight for justice. But I’m also a deep feeler who wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s a weird combination. Where Brent can easily skip over things with his logical outlook, I muse, fuss, and feel and eventually square my shoulders to tackle the hill.

While we were away on our summer holiday, I answered my phone to a potential customer (who is now our customer) who informed me that he received our door knocker along with another company’s and wanted a quote. When I asked him the name of the other company, he shared the name and once off the phone, I googled it. 

To my surprise, most of the homes on the website were iStar homes. Not only did I know where each home was located,  I knew the names of each homeowner, their professions, and in every case, I would be able to recite rough ages of their children. In fact, one home was my brother’s house. 

Brent consoled me while we sipped our morning coffee. My main concern was that people might look at both websites and think we were being fraudulent. Within a few minutes, Brent contacted our lawyer and we set up an appointment to get some advice.  

After meeting with our lawyer, we contacted each homeowner as per his advice and discovered none had been contacted by this company. We also discovered that the company was registered in March and was claiming on their website to have done more than 80 installs. 

Our lawyer sent the company a letter outlining that their conduct was fraudulent and misleading concerning both the quality and amount of work completed. We learned that there are both Provincial and Federal laws as well as Common Law that expressly prohibits such conduct. The company was notified that unless the images were removed within 10 days, that we would reserve the right to seek injunctive relief, punitive and other damages from a Court of Law in Alberta and also to report their business practices to Service Alberta, The Competition Bureau of Canada and other such agencies to put an end to the illegal conduct.  We are thankful they removed the images. 

I get that imitation is the best form of flattery, but really - next time I’d rather a compliment!

Thanks for stopping by!