Cheap Self-Patent Sites Safe?

Will “Self-help” Legal Sites Protect My Invention or Idea?

Navigating the online legal waters

Many self-help patent sites and invention companies we see being advertised to inventors offer no patentability opinions with their patent searches and offer every inventor a cheap provisional patent filing. We caution all inventors about the cheap 15 minute online provisional patents that are being advertised.
These are simply vanity applications for patents that expire worthless in 12 months unless filed correctly. Nobody at the patent office ever looks at them unless they are converted to a Utility Patent within 12 months.
Getting JUST a patent search (with no attorney-prepared legal opinion) is like trying to read your own blood work lab results. For certain things you should rely on professionals.