Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Fraud in Veterans Franchises Targeting Military Veterans


1888PressRelease

Protecting Military Veterans from Fraud in Veterans Franchises

veterans franchises - veterans business opportunities - disabled vets
Veterans franchises - secrets revealed in how fraud is targeting veterans


Military veterans may be considering veterans franchises consultants due to today’s slow economy and limited job prospects.  The FBI defines franchise churning as a pyramid scheme.  Churning franchises may be targeting military veterans with Veterans Franchises pyramid schemes.

Due to today’s slow economy and limited job prospects, military veterans are considering veterans franchises.  However, many franchises may be churning franchises.  The FBI defines franchise churning as a pyramid scheme.  To protect military veterans from churning franchises, franchisefraud, and pyramid schemes, Jody Whistleblower, of Veterans Franchises Videos, launched new videos to warn military veterans about veterans franchises churning and franchise fraud.


The new Veterans Franchises Videos are unique because they reveal the details of systemic franchise fraud in the franchise industry by publishing secrets associated with franchise fraud and franchise churning, claiming to be Franchise opportunities for veterans.

Jody Whistleblower of Veterans Franchises Videos stated “Military veterans risked their lives to protect freedom.  However, when they return home, there are unscrupulous veterans franchises targeting veterans, claiming to be veteran business opportunities”.  Jody also stated, “The steps to veterans franchise fraud include threats of frivolous lawsuits to coerce the franchisees to sign extortion-like Franchise Termination agreements.  A churning franchise can include a "script" the franchisees must tell future franchise fraud victims, to keep the Franchise Fraud a secret to future veterans franchises victims.  It is not uncommon for a script to force the franchisee to state that the franchisee had a fabulous franchisee experience, when in fact the churning franchise was a financial nightmare.”

 “In addition to a franchise non-disclosure agreement gag order and script, the churning franchise will have in the franchise termination agreement a statement that the franchisees volunteer to outrageous terms that are untrue, such as unpaid future royalties, which were never mentioned in the Franchise Agreement.”  Jody said.
Veterans Franchises Videos mentioned that the franchisees are coerced in the franchise termination process to "volunteer" to transfer the failed franchise, so the franchisor will not have to report it as a failure in the Franchise Disclosure Document, which keeps the failed franchise below the radar of the FTC and future franchise churning victims.

Veterans Franchises Videos calls for reform in the franchise industry by franchisors by
1) Franchisors allowing franchisees freedom to speak of their experience, without disclosing franchisor intellectual property of the business,
2) Urging governments to force franchisors to disclose UNIT operations financials,
3) Stop the use of false “transfers” to hide failed franchisees,
4) Forbid the use of a Federal Trade Commission allowed 20% threshold on the use Confidentiality agreement scripts.

Many people drive by franchise businesses, and might see what appears to be a clean business with a professional marketing appearance.  However, due to the industry use of gag orders, confidentiality agreements, and franchise termination agreement abuse, it is extremely difficult for a prospective franchisee to see if a beautiful marketed, well located franchise is viable, or a churning franchise.  The employees in the franchise unit might be the same year after year, however, the franchisee unit owner might be churned every year, and no one will ever know it due to the use of confidentiality agreements and gag order used throughout the franchise industry.
In the mean time, Veterans Franchises Videos recommends prospective veterans franchisees avoid any Franchise opportunities for veterans due to systemic franchise churning.  If the veteran is extremely motivated to buy a veterans franchise, they absolutely must hire an expert in franchise law to protect them from franchise churning that are targeting veterans franchisees.

For more information, Veterans Franchises Videos recommends that military veterans refer to the following websites:

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Veterans Franchises: Be Cautious When Pursuing a Franchise Opportunity

 Veterans franchises need to be aware of how franchise fraud is conducted as a process.  

Veterans Franchises
Veterans Franchises
 This great article by Ed Teixeira, the founder and owner of FranchiseKnowHow, explains some things to be careful of when thinking of veterans franchises.

However, franchise fraud is a lot more common than you think in Veterans franchises.

If you are considering a veterans franchise, be aware that the franchise might be a churning franchise, and nothing more than a franchise fraud.  The FBI defines franchise fraud and franchise churning as a pyramid scheme.



Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Franchise Jokes

Franchise Jokes

Comedy is a great way to deal with pain. These franchise jokes may seem funny, but they are extremely painful if you are a franchisee, or former franchisee, and the bankruptcy joke is on you.

Franchise fraud is no laughing matter.

What’s a shorter way to say “Franchise”? “Fraud.”

What is the accounting department called at a franchisor? Accounts deceivable.

What is the fancy 401K rollover investment called when you roll it into your franchise? Leavenworth.

Franchisee is the future tense of bankrupt.

Being a franchisee provides security for your bankruptcy attorney.

My franchisor found out what I had – and took it!

A franchisor’s lawyer is an expert on justice, just like a hooker is an expert on love.

What’s the difference between a franchisor’s lawyer and a hooker? There are some things a hooker won’t do.

What tax shelter do you get from being a franchisee? Unemployment. Destitute.

What’s the definition of a franchisee? Someone on a three year trip to bankruptcy court (and a rest stop at divorce court). 

Definition of Comedy: when you see the truth in someone else’s pain.

Tragedy: when you see the truth in the pain, and the pain is your pain.

Franchisee: when you see the truth in your financial pain, and your franchisor is laughing at your pain while sailing to their off-shore bank with your life savings, and your name is on the back of their boat.  

In the old days, an investor bought a franchise to make money. Now, a franchisor signs up investors to just get their money.

What is the second best day of a skipper’s life? When they buy a boat. What is the best day of a skipper’s life? When they sell the boat.
What is the second best day of an entrepreneur’s life? When they buy a franchise. What is the best day of an entrepreneur’s life? When they file for bankruptcy a few years later.  

Top ways to invest your money as a franchisee:
8. Avoid franchising!
7. Go in to business yourself, with the most expensive tools, and see #8.
6. Have your spouse get a job, with another franchise.
5. Have your children get a job, with another franchise.
4. Work for a franchise for a year, get paid, enjoy benefits, and see if the franchisee owner is really making money.
3. Pick up coins you find on the sidewalk in front of a franchise.
2. Find money under seat cushions at a franchise, go to a Casino with that money, and get free drinks at the slot machines.
1. Become a franchisor, create a franchise “system” around a dubious product value, brag about your franchise training and franchise marketing materials, blame the franchisee when things don’t work, “gag” failed franchisees with franchise termination confidentiality agreements (with endorsement from the FTC via the Franchise Rule) threats of frivolous lawsuits, stay under the Federal Trade Commission 20% gag order threshold limits, and churn franchisees of their self directed 401K, second mortgage, life savings, dreams, and Hope.  

Top things to do with your money instead of throwing it away on a franchise license:
3. Go to school and get a degree, or job training.
2. Open a similar business across the street from a franchise business opportunity, and wait for the franchise to fail. Because you don’t have to pay onerous monthly royalties to a franchisor, your costs will be lower, and you can undercut the franchisees prices, and drive them out of business. It sucks to be a franchisee!
1. Go spend your life savings on a two year vacation. At least you will enjoy yourself while you burn through your retirement, instead of two years of hell marching toward bankruptcy court (and no vacations).

Franchise Financing – Beware how to finance a franchise with a 401(k).

Beware how to finance a franchise with a 401(k) with Franchise Financing

401K rollover investment in a veterans franchise opportunity Intertanglement

If you are considering investing your life savings, your self-directed 401K, rollover 401K, in to a veterans franchise for franchise financing, BEWARE. Just don’t do it to finance franchise. It’s a recipe for fees, an IRS audit, fines, penalties, bankruptcy, divorce, and enriching your franchisor.


You might hate your job, be over aged and can’t get a job interview because you are overqualified, and the nice franchise broker is reassuring you that you can safely use your self-directed 401K for a “franchising financing”. My experience is: Don’t use your 401(k) for franchise funding. I am telling you from personal, painful experience, that Franchise Churning is a very real business plan for a franchisor.

It is very risky to finance franchises with intertangling your 401K with a franchise that might end up being a franchise churning operation.

Check out the smoking gun proof of this at the link “Franchise termination” I never thought it could happen to me, but it did. I bet my life savings to finance franchise, (my self-directed 401K), into what was thought to be a “proven” franchise concept, only to find out that it was really a franchise scam.

The risks to you of investing your 401K plan for franchise financing in a franchise scam that is: Franchise success rates are a myth; chances are you will lose all the franchise funds you invest in your franchise. We could try to explain it on this website, but the best source is to purchase & read Robert Purvin’s book “The Franchise Fraud”. The book is $18.99, plus shipping, and the best investment in franchising that you can make.

I wished I had known the book existed, let alone read it, before I found out I used my 401(k) for franchise financing in a franchise churning business: http://www.amazon.com/Franchise-Fraud-Protect-Yourself-Before/dp/1419688626/ref=tmm_pap_title_0/179-4743220-2334908

When (not If, but when) you lose your money in the veterans franchise, you will owe the franchise funds money back to your 401K, and the IRS is going to be looking for you.

There are financial organizations that claim to allow you to access retirement accounts without penalty before retirement, such as your self directed 401K. It’s expensive to keep the 401K “finance franchise” structure in place, nearly $1,000 per year, and that will do nothing to protect you when the IRS calls.

Your franchisor will likely have had you sign documents that keep them off the hook, and you total liable for using your 401(k) for franchise financing. In October of 2008, the IRS took notice of the practice of rolling 401K money in to a business for franchising financing. The IRS calls it ROBS, and the acronym tells you something of what they think of the practice of using your 401K for a business opportunity start up, such as risky franchise financing: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/rollover_guidelines.pdf

The coming franchise investment bloodbath

A must-read article on the franchise system and franchise financing. If you have a sizable amount of money to invest for franchise funding, and can’t get a job (because you are considered over qualified, too old, wrong sex, wrong race, don’t fit reverse discrimination quotas, etc), you need to read this link before you finance franchise: http://www.franchiseremedies.com/franchise_investment_bloodbath.htm

FDD franchise disclosure document 0/0/0/0/0 page is worthless and misleading

Don’t bet your life savings on the FDD franchise disclosure document 0/0/0/0/0 page!

The following page is contained in a typical FDD franchise disclosure document / UFOC franchise document.

It is required by the FTC for Franchisors to present this page to potential franchisees. When you look through the UFOC franchise, FDD franchise disclosure document, and franchise license agreement, several pages will stand out. These pages will have rows and columns filled with 0/0/0/0/0. An example is below. Licensed Consulting Practice Status Summary FDD franchise disclosure document 0/0/0/0/0 page is worthless and misleading information  

For the period ending December 31, 2010, and years ending 2009,2008, 2007, 2006 Data is displayed corresponding to the years as 2010/09/08/07/06 State Transferred Cancelled Not Renewed Reacquired by Licensor Left the system Total Operating at year end AZ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ AL 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ AR 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ CA 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ CO 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ DE 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ FL 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ GA 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ MA 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ MN 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ MO 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ PA 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 8/4/2/1/ WA 1/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/1/0/0/ 0/1/0/0/ 0/1/0/0/ 3/1/1/0/ Total 1/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/0/0/0/ 0/1/0/0/ 0/1/0/0/ 0/1/0/0/ 75/49/25/12

This page in the uniform franchise offering circular UFOC and FDD franchise disclosure document is worthless information!

This worthless page enables a franchise scam!

This data is misleading with a franchisor that is practicing franchise churning!

Franchise churning organizations can present data on these pages by filling in as many 0/0/0/0 as possible to make them look good. Too many 0/0/0/0/0 would be suspicious. Because there is no perfect business, there should be some failures. So, there will be a few, very few rows & columns with a few 1’s and 2 are sprinkled in.

There is no way for you to accurately know if this FDD franchise page is correct.

The franchisor could have 100% failure of each franchisee per year. If the franchisor has 23 franchisees per state, and each one failed year after year, the data should look like 23/23/23/23/23.

However, the use of the FTC approve transfer rules along with FTC approved non-disclosures published in the FTC The Franchise Rule allows the churning franchise to present the data as 0/0/0/0/0.

You are betting your life saving on this completely misrepresented data in the FDD franchise disclosure document.  

Buy “The Franchise Fraud” by Robert Purvin, Jr. http://lesstewart.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/the-franchise-fraud-by-robert-purvin/

veterans franchise program | veteran franchises | franchising for veterans

Beware of veterans franchise programs!

This website cost a franchise fraud victim their life savings. Don’t have this happen to you through a veterans franchise program!

This franchising for veterans fraud warning website exists to warn you from sailing your financial ship upon the treacherous rocks of franchise churning.

As stated in the book “The Franchise Fraud”, veteran franchises don’t have a chance.

The FTC will not help you.

You will be broke from trying to make the franchise business work, and there will not be any lawyers willing to take on your franchise fraud claim as a contingency case. Like other failed franchisees, you try to salvage what you can financially and quietly row your boat on to another life.

If you do more research, you learn that Franchise Fraud has been around for 20 or 30 years, and the franchisors have the money to retain lawyers, and hire lobbyist to keep the law on their side.

You can read the FTC The Franchise Rule, and see how much the FTC knows about franchise gag orders and franchise confidentiality clauses in the franchise industry, but does nothing about the franchise scams.

This franchise fraud victim recommends to potential victims of veterans franchise program: Go in to business for yourself, and avoid franchising!

If you still feel a need to try franchising, read the book The Franchise Fraud. If, after reading The Franchise Fraud, you found a gem of a franchising for veterans business you can’t stop thinking about, have the AAFD (American Association of Franchise Dealers) review it.

Otherwise, the day you sign your franchise agreement papers, you might as well be presigning your bankruptcy papers.

This franchise fraud victim recommends you avoid any veterans franchise program until it is regulated like stocks are by the SEC. The SEC disclosure requirements of a business would give you much more disclosure as to the true viability if a franchise, and reveal if it is in fact a churning franchise.

Don’t throw your financial life away to veteran franchises!

Beware of Veterans Franchises

Beware! Marketing of veterans franchise & veteran business opportunities

A discount on a veterans franchise scam is still a franchise scam.

The day you sign a franchise agreement as a new veterans franchise, you could be signing your future bankruptcy papers.

If you are a military veteran, seeking a new civilian career, there may be veteran business opportunities claiming to be veterans franchise systems, which are actually franchise scams.

There are franchise scams and franchise churning businesses that are claiming to be veteran business opportunities. These franchise scams have slick looking websites, and marketing materials, but in reality are franchise rip offs that practice Franchise Fraud and Franchise Churning.

Search the internet for a veterans franchise, and there are a number of websites that claim to help with franchises for veterans.

The reality is that is it virtually impossible for anyone to determine if the opportunity is actually practicing franchise fraud. Franchise Rip Offs can follow the money.

The easy mortgages of the 1990's made it easy for home equity loans to finance a franchise, and because of the access to this easy money, franchise scams targeted individuals with home equity.

When the home equity market dried up, the Franchise Scams followed the money to the 401K investment market. Many people had sizable 401K’s, and the Franchise pyramid schemes targeted people with 401K’s.

The IRS clamped down on using 401K’s, so it appears the franchise scam industry is following the money to people who have access to money that could be applied to a franchise scheme.

Veterans franchise programs appear to assist veterans, but can be nothing more than a “discount program” to lure unwary veterans into a franchise fraud. Veteran business opportunities mention financial incentives, but in reality all the veteran franchise offers is a discount.

The Franchise Scam needs people to join the franchise churning program for cash flow reasons, just like a normal business needs to offer a discount in order to maintain cash flow to stay in business.

If one reads the specifics of Veterans franchise programs, veteran business opportunities programs are nothing more than a voluntary effort by some franchisors that is designed to encourage veterans franchise ownership through offering financial discounts to veterans. That’s it.

Veterans franchise programs are nothing more than discounts.

A discount on a franchise scam is still a franchise scam.

If you are a military veteran considering a veterans franchise program, please be aware that many veteran business opportunities are nothing more than franchise fraud.

You must invest in a copy of the book “The Franchise Fraud” by Robert Purvin. And Read it; don’t just put it on a shelf and think you did. http://www.amazon.com/Franchise-Fraud-Protect-Yourself-Before/dp/0471599476

Check out the knowledge of gag order and non-disclosure "agreement" using by the franchise industry in FTC The Franchise Rule.

Beware of franchise brokers who might sell fraudulent churning franchises.

If you have fallen for the myth that franchising is safe, then you are on your way to being financially destroyed by a franchise scam.

You might be going through franchise business broker to help you find the right fit franchise for your personality and skill sets.

The author of this website highly urges you to look at other franchise fraud articles on this website so that you become educated in the ways of franchise scams.

If you think franchising is safe, like I did, you are already on your way to bankruptcy court.

The franchise brokers might not even know that the franchise they recommend to you is really a franchise scam.

This is because of the flagrant use of franchise confidentiality agreements in the franchise termination phase.

The Federal Trade Commission is aware of the use of Gag orders, or confidentiality agreements in the franchise industry, but has stated in the FTC The Franchise Rule that they think it is okay.

This might be good for franchisors, but it is an invitation for you to go bankrupt. Read the other pages in this website so that you can be educated in the ways of franchise fraud, and how franchise business brokers can unknowingly recommend you to franchise churning. You have been warned.

Agreement for franchise - franchise fraud secrets

 

Industry Top Secret: steps the franchise industry doesn’t want you to know about an agreement for franchise.

How the franchise scams will churn you Franchise scams rely on you seeing what appears to be a successful franchise outlet. You drive around and see franchised business, but what you don’t know it the franchisee is suffering financially, and when (not if, but when) the franchisee fails, the franchisor churns the unit, and makes more money off failed franchisees. Read Robert Purvin’s book, “The Franchise Fraud”.

How the serial killers of entrepreneurs work in the franchise system.

When you turn in your franchise termination, the franchisor will hit you with a secret two-stage franchise termination process that you had no idea would ever be pulled on you. Here is how the franchise scam happens to you:

 

Franchise agreement termination Steps

1st email
This Franchise agreement termination email is sent to you if you are over $10,000 behind in royalty payments. You are behind because you have been working their “franchise scam system” on a full-time basis, per their franchise agreement template. Their “franchise scam Systems” isn’t producing the revenue you projected, and you are trying to keep food on your table, hoping something improves. The $10,000 behind number is important because the Franchisor has to pay a franchise lawyer to send you a letter, and the $10,000 royalty threshold is enough make it worth their expense. Also, as a part of the franchise termination ‘system’, by now, they know you are financially exhausted, won’t be able to sue them (even though you can prove what they did is illegal), and they can begin the process of shutting you up with a “Gag order”, also known as a franchise termination “Confidentiality Agreement”.

Your email response to the 1st email from franchisor
You will respond with a solution to the threat of a franchise termination. You trust your franchisor, and think they will work with you. After all, you invested your life savings with them, right? You believed all the myths that franchising is a lower risk way to “own your own business”. You believed the government statements & support of franchising (but don’t know those reports are based on faulty surveys). A franchise termination solution might be sending the franchisor more borrowed money in the form of a check, from your home equity loan, a self-directed 401K, or a relative. The money doesn’t come from revenue generated from the “Franchise scam business” because the franchise scam is not making enough money after several years to pay for itself, let alone your personal income expectations. If you are financially exhausted from the franchise scam, you might offer a payment plan, or a promise to pay up based upon future royalties on deals you have in your pipeline.

2nd email (response from franchisor)
If you don’t send in the money, it’s as if your franchisor didn’t read your response to their threat of franchise termination. They just demand your franchise royalties, and threaten to terminate your franchise license agreement on a specific date. You are stunned that the Franchisor that you invested your life savings with is now squeezing you for everything you have, including your relatives money, just to keep your business afloat.

Your response to 2nd email from franchisor
You have to find a way to pay up the past royalties, or your franchise termination is imminent. If you pay your fees, you are stunned by how the franchisor is now back to being your best friend. You continue to struggle to keep the franchise license agreement afloat- the contract says you must work the franchise scam system full time! If you decide you have had enough of the franchise scam system, because the franchise scam just isn’t working, in your territory, for you, or for whatever reason, you notify the franchisor you want out, so you can stop the bleeding of the monthly franchise license agreement royalties. You read the franchise license agreement several years ago before you signed it, and you might have read it a few days ago. It appears to you, in the franchise license agreement, that if your royalties are paid up, you can terminate franchise agreement, and not owe any future royalties. That is not the case with Franchise Fraud. You are about to learn with franchise scams, the Franchisor owns you. Forever.

You are stunned by the next step, an overnight package arrives from the franchise lawyer.
In it is a series of documents, including a TRA, also known to franchise termination lawyers as a “Termination and Release Agreement”, but to you it feels like an Extortion letter, and Gag Order.

The first part of this franchise termination package will be an extortion letter. The extortion letter will threaten you with a frivolous lawsuit.

The second part of this franchise termination package will be what you have to do in order for your franchisor to not go after you with the frivolous lawsuit. This is the instant you realize your Franchise business was Franchise Fraud all along, and that your Franchisor is destroying your entrepreneur dreams. You thought the franchise scheme you bought was to sell their product, but you realize their real franchise system all along was to get as much money out of you before they silence you, and churn your license to the next victim, and gag you in the process.

The FBI website calls this Franchise Fraud, but when you call the FBI, they will ask if you signed a franchise license agreement, and when you say yes, the FBI will not help you. At this point of your franchise scam journey, you will likely be financially ruined, imminently facing bankruptcy, (even a divorce), and cannot afford to fight a long and frivolous lawsuit, pay the fees of the arbitration (arbitration is likely stated in your franchise license agreement), arbitration most likely in another state (of the franchisor’s choosing to their advantage).

After you check with franchise lawyers, call the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) http://www.fbi.gov/ , FTC (Federal Trade Commission) http://www.ftc.gov/ , Small Business Administration (SBA) http://www.sba.gov/ , Department of Commerce (DOC) http://www.commerce.gov/ , and call other franchisees, you will see there is little you can do.

Your franchisor has the money to pay the franchise lawyers for the frivolous lawsuit. The franchise termination lawyers might even be on retainer with your franchise churning business.

The state of California has a new certification for these franchise lawyers, called a “Certified Legal Specialist, Franchise & Distribution Law”. Do you think you can fight this franchise scam on their home turf, while you are on the verge of filing for bankruptcy?

After you sign the franchise termination package, the franchisor has an internal franchise termination system set up where you are removed from their website, and your franchise license is listed as transferred, (not failed). This Franchise Misrepresentation gets a pass from the FTC Federal Trade Commission, even though your franchise license has a huge failure rate.