Advice needed with regards to franchise

[rp84]

Hi all,

apologies if i have posted this in the wrong section.

Really long post but i need some help/advice please

I invested in a food franchise by paying the franchise fee. C20k in Q3 last year.

A lot of promises were given to me and they said support would be given at all times and we would get the ball rolling with a site

An existing franchise then decided to sell, and we made a deal that i would take over it. However after 3 months this fell through by apparently the existing owner then wanted to keep it. (But the franchise team were slow trying to get it moving)

I was then promised we would start to look for a new property this year. (apr) but nothing happened

Going forward, i hardly get any contact with them, i call, email and text but constantly getting ignored. Whilst they keep opening new franchises with other people.

I find properties and then i send them to the team, i get a message back but then nothing really happens.

I found a really good property, i showed the franchise team, they said it looked good but after they just ignored me. I find out today that another franchisee is using the site with their branding. So i feel though I recommended it for myself but they passed it someone else

I found another property, which looks good. One member of the team did come out to view and promised they will get the proposal done by the next day. Again i hear nothing from them and just get ignored.

Im not enjoying this process with them and i think personally they have something against me,

Is there anything you can advice, or how i can get my money back?

 

[MBE2017]

Is there anything you can advice, or how i can get my money back?

Go an see your solicitor ASAP.

 

[Ozzy]

My first question is; what was provided to you and what commitments were given when you paid the franchisor? Are they are in breach of any contract or commitment for example.

What do you want out of this? Depending what you want will make a difference to how you would approach this...

Just seen @MBE2017 reply to say exactly what my next statement was going to be as I was typing this. Answer the above questions and take that to a solicitor.

 

[2020Lawyer2020]

The most relevant question is have you signed anything and what does it say about all these matters? Basically that contract is king in all this. I have done a lot of franchise disputes over the years. YOu paid £20k so probably did sign a contract. Have they done what it says in the contract they will do (not what they verbally promised you which probably does not count)?

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Do you really want to continue with this company, is it infarct a ltd company or individual?

If your getting the run around now , long term is likely to be the same

As above go to commercial solicitor straight away and take all paperwork adverts etc with you

 

[fisicx]

You paid then £20k for what? The way I read it you don’t even have a property yet. Which as others have said looks like you ain’t got nuffin’. They obviously don’t care about you which suggests they have spent your money and are now just laughing at you.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Ask for your money back.

When I say ask, I mean start a process which could potentially end up in court, so keep records and treat every piece of correspondence accordingly

There is clearly no goodwill or trust here, so now is the time to get out