My ad was cloned - an rare happy ending

General Landlording & Rental Properties
5yFollow

My ad was cloned - an rare happy ending

Rick BassettBusiness Member
Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes

This has probably happened to many of us, my advertising text for a property was cloned nearly word-for-word by a local investor in one of his ads for a rental property.   

Usually, we can't do anything about it except rattle a saber as recourse is too costly.

But in this case, the offending party happened to be a college professor from a local university, and plagiarism in publishing is a very big (and possibly careering ending) deal. After pointing that out to him and implying that I would report him to his university the text copy was gone in minutes.....

475-900-3100
Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
WebsiteView Page
0Reply
23 views

Most Popular Reply

Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
5y

If someone copied the text of the ad and used it for their own rental, I wouldn't care.  If they took my ad and tried to start a scam by pretending the property was theirs, that is another story.

10Reply
See this reply in the discussion

11 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Joe VilleneuvePro Member
    Plymouth, MI · Member since 2013 · 13k+ posts · 19k+ votes
    5y

    2 comments:

    1 - Why would anyone copy something exact when you can change a few words here and there, have the same meaning, and it would have been fine?

    2 - Why is it such a big deal for you?

    I've had it happen to me before too.  I never thought anything of it...except for a few laughs based on my comment number 1.

    2Reply
  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    OP
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    5y

    1 - Don't know the 'why' and don't care. 

    2- I don't appreciate having my work stolen from me...do you?

    475-900-3100
    Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    5y

    Stealing advertising text is pretty lazy. This isn't exactly Shakespeare-level writing we're talking about.

    I have had people steal photos quite often. I've always had success with contacting them directly, explaining ownership and copyright law, and demanding removal.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7248 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    3Reply
  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    5y

    If someone copied the text of the ad and used it for their own rental, I wouldn't care.  If they took my ad and tried to start a scam by pretending the property was theirs, that is another story.

    10Reply
  • Joe VilleneuvePro Member
    Plymouth, MI · Member since 2013 · 13k+ posts · 19k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Rick Bassett:

    1 - Don't know the 'why' and don't care. 

    2- I don't appreciate having my work stolen from me...do you?

    Your answer to number two tells me your answer for number one is wrong.

    2Reply
  • Scott M.
    Real Estate Broker · Rochester Hills, MI · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    Interesting.  Can't say I have ever noticed that someone has taken our ad copy word for word.  I have had people take other content word for word and use it as their own and that is of course frustrating and we have pursued it a couple of times.

    We have also have had people lift full listings, photos and all and try to rent our houses as a scam.  I think it is good you put a stop to it.  Stealing is never okay.  

    2Reply
  • Joe SplitrockPro Member
    Moderator
    Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
    5y

    You wouldn't believe how many times I have posted original ideas here on BiggerPocket and seen people copy them for blog articles. Education and profession doesn't mean you have ethics. The Pasteur at our old church got forced to resign for plagiarizing sermons from an online church. He is just being moved to a different church...

    People are lazy and looking for a hack/shortcut, which is often actually just stealing or cheating. They think copying someone else is a creative solution.

    Some Professors are very lazy. They work very little for high pay and they repeat the same thing over and over for years. They are protected from losing their job with tenure, so reporting them would do nothing. I would have posted the theft on social media and let people repost. It is good to raise awareness of this issue.

    You do have my curiosity peaked about this amazing advertising copy. Can you post it for us to copy enjoy.

    2Reply
  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    OP
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    5y

    @Joe Splitrock not amazing text at all, pretty routine actually. Just some text about location of the property, community access, local housing/zoning rules and our lease terms. A new ad popped up on Z and was surprised to see our text word-for-word in it.

    475-900-3100
    Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    OP
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Joe Villeneuve:
    Originally posted by @Rick Bassett:

    1 - Don't know the 'why' and don't care. 

    2- I don't appreciate having my work stolen from me...do you?

    Your answer to number two tells me your answer for number one is wrong.

    @Joe Villeneuve Your response tells me that this is a bigger deal for you than it is for me. It also reminds me why I took a break from participating/contributing to these forums. 

    475-900-3100
    Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • John Teachout
    Rental Property Investor · Concord, GA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    I've had my entire listings for rentals cloned and advertised at a significantly lower price as scams and I originally thought that is what the post was referencing. There have been literally millions of real estate ads for sales and rentals posted over the years and I highly doubt the copy in the listing mentioned was entirely unique. Not sure why this is an issue if it was referring to a different property.

    1Reply
  • Joe VilleneuvePro Member
    Plymouth, MI · Member since 2013 · 13k+ posts · 19k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Rick Bassett:
    Originally posted by @Joe Villeneuve:
    Originally posted by @Rick Bassett:

    1 - Don't know the 'why' and don't care. 

    2- I don't appreciate having my work stolen from me...do you?

    Your answer to number two tells me your answer for number one is wrong.

    @Joe Villeneuve Your response tells me that this is a bigger deal for you than it is for me. It also reminds me why I took a break from participating/contributing to these forums. 

    Let me get this straight. You post a complaint about someone stealing an ad text, and making a big enough deal out of it to report the offending person to their employer. I mention how I don't think it's that big enough of problem since it happens all the time. Look at any listing in the MLS and tell me what you just described as a "big deal" isn't there...many times over. When there's a listing text that works, it's used over and over.

    I'm not the one making the complaint.  I'm the one that is saying all of this isn't that big of a deal.

    When you have someone steal house plans from a jobsite, and try to use them to build the same house down the street (actually happened to me), then we'll talk.  Somehow, I wouldn't ever describe writing an ad copy as anything that compares.  This isn't the "great American novel" we're talking about...or is it?  How long was this ad?  More than 15, 20 words?

    3Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free