International Law

How Much Does the Cold Stone Creamery Really Cost?

Posted on February 29, 2008
Interesting article about due diligence on the costs of owning a Cold Stone Creamery, at Blue Mau Mau, Due Diligence: Cold Stone Creamery Fees Read the entire article for some good ideas about how to read a UFOC. "There are 6 major Cold Stone fees that you should be aware of: Franchise Fee - one time payment - currently at $42000 per franchise and $35,000 for additional franchises...

The Brown Terminator

Posted on February 29, 2008
According to Yahoo Finance, Orange County UPS/MBE Franchisee Fights Shipping Giant for Her Survival "Waller's first years as a Mail Boxes Etc. franchisee were so profitable that she won numerous company awards and was even featured in an article in Black Enterprise Magazine...

Russo Sentenced in Ponzi Scheme

Posted on February 28, 2008
Frank J. Russo: Sentenced in Ponzi Scheme I had written about this real estate ponzi scheme before, but Frank Russo has now been sentenced. According to the SEC Press Release: "The Commission announced today that on February 25, 2008, Frank J. Russo, a defendant in a previously-filed Commission enforcement action, was sentenced in U...

Who Else Needs Financial Freedom?

Posted on February 28, 2008
Pacific Wealth Management Alleged to be a Ponzi According to the SEC's Press Release: "The Securities and Exchange Commission ('Commission') on Wednesday, February 27, 2008, filed civil securities fraud charges stemming from a $10 million securities fraud that victimized over 75 investors from several affinity groups, including the Southern California Filipino community, fellow church members, and military personnel...

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Advertising that Makes You Rich

Posted on February 28, 2008
Read my prediction about about how the new owners of Tasti D-Liite are going to make themselves rich, at the expense of the existing licensees, read the comment too, How To Kill a Franchise. There are approximately 45 licensees in Manhattan. None of these licensees are listed in the FFD, under item 20...

Soya Delight Business Opportunity Fraud

Posted on February 27, 2008
Here is another standard business opportunity fraud, run by that delightful Georges MacDonald, soya delight or soy delight or soy delite Couple of points of interest. "These distributorships cost over 20 thousand, they advertise in the business section of newspapers around the country and lure people with over 6 bribed people as references, who disappear as soon as the is paid...

How Much Can I Make with This Franchise?

Posted on February 27, 2008
From John W. Arden at, Trade Regulation Talk we learn about the liability of alleged oral mis representations about the terms contained in a written franchise. "A franchisor of package delivery drivers could have [in the sense of the issue being material and triable] violated the antifraud provision of the New York Franchises Law by making oral misrepresentations to ten prospective franchisees regarding the terms of their franchise agreements, a federal district court in New York City has decided...

What is New with Anti Aging Products?

Posted on February 26, 2008
Well according to the Southern District of Florida's US State Attorney "Defendants William Chappie and Joseph Wentz, both of Broward County, Florida, were sentenced today by U.S. States District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas to 96 months and 36 months in jail, respectively, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, regarding the introduction of adulterated and misbranded devices into interstate commerce in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act...

Global Wealth Pyramid Scheme

Posted on February 26, 2008
United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today a guilty plea by Andre Mitchell) "St. Louis, Missouri: Andre Mitchell, former President & Chief Executive Officer of Global Power Global Wealth Enterprises, pled guilty to mail fraud and money laundering charges involving a fraudulent investment scheme...

Franchise Regulation Down Under

Posted on February 26, 2008
Here is an interesting story about franchise regulation. Franchisors raising money to fight franchisees in [Australian] High Court "The Franchise Council of Australia is attempting to raise money from franchisor members to fund a High Court appeal against a significant court decision in favour of franchisees? rights...

Franchise Tip from Michael Seid

Posted on February 25, 2008
Michael Seid has an interesting tip over at Franchise-Chat.com, on how to Evaluate a Franchisor's Services How do you evaluate the franchisor's support? "Franchisors want to put their best foot forward when talking with a prospective franchisee. They know you?re evaluating them as much as they?re evaluating you, so you?re wise to investigate...

Who Else Wants to be a Millionaire?

Posted on February 25, 2008
Ed Dickson has a neat little post about a new advance fee cheque scam, Mega Millions Lottery spoofed in scam "The California Lottery announced that the Mega Millions lottery -- where $270 million was won last night -- is now being being used to trick people into cashing worthless checks...

Sham Candy Vending

Posted on February 25, 2008
The US Attorney General of Minnesota reports on a Candy Vending Business Opportunity Fraud(application/pdf Object) "A fourth defendant, who was arrested yesterday in Florida, was recently added to a federal indictment and charged in connection to a sham candy vending machine business that allegedly defrauded investors of more than $320,000...

Good Advice from FBI

Posted on February 22, 2008
Some excellent advice from the FBI in the Randall Joseph Ponzi scheme. "According to court records, during 2002 through 2006, Joseph solicited money from several individuals to invest in a number of business ventures. Joseph promised them a stated date of repayment with a fixed amount of return...

Can You Protect Your Parents?

Posted on February 22, 2008
Ann Gowan writes, in her article, The Thrid Age: "The older population is extremely vulnerable to exploitation. The perception is out there that the older generations were and are savers, have built up large nest eggs that are ripe for the picking. For many of these older folks, the majority of their holdings come from ownership of their homes, pension plans that were offered as part of their work package, some savings from investments and Social Security payments...

Why BBB Promotes Fraud

Posted on February 22, 2008
The BBB innocently enables fraud by allowing this sort of nonsense to be part of the "received wisdom" Troy Franklin's Business Blog: <b>Choosing An MLM Business Opportunity Wisely</b> Troy Franklin writes: "Check with the Better Business Bureau since they know if a company is legitimate or not...

DQ Franchise Lawsuits Multiply

Posted on February 21, 2008
From the QSR News, Lawsuit Against Dairy Queen Grows "According to Carmen Caruso of Schwartz Cooper, "The addition of these regional associations makes clear that the forced conversion by IDQ/ADQ is a national problem, not a problem isolated to one particular region or state...

Can You Beat this Market?

Posted on February 21, 2008
Doug French has an interesting claim Does Neuroscience Support Austrian Theory? "Dr. Read Montague in his book Why Choose This Book? [has a fascinating account of crashes] Dr. Montague takes us inside the brain to understand how we make decisions. Montague is no economist...

Lawyers Guilty in Ponzi Scheme

Posted on February 21, 2008
The Daily Report is reporting that Bilked investor balks at [law] firm's deal in the Mobile Billboards of America. "Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker has asked an Atlanta federal judge to approve a settlement of a case alleging that some of the firm's Los Angeles lawyers helped clients sell investments in roving billboards that they should have realized was a scam...

What Do You Know About White Collar Crime?

Posted on February 20, 2008
Sam E. Antar is written up by Fortune last month, Takes one to know one "Sam E. Antar is a convicted felon, and he will not let anyone forget it for a minute. Whenever you find yourself starting to think of him as merely a fast-talking yet charming New York character, he'll come out with something like: "I had no remorse whatsoever as a criminal...

Do You Know How to Make Money with Coupons?

Posted on February 20, 2008
According to this great article, The Coupon King - WSJ.com the answer is simple: cheat. "For years, Chris Balsiger ran the nation's biggest clearinghouse of discount coupons redeemed by consumers at supermarkets. But he still didn't care too much for the industry...

3 Sites To Help You Find Unbiased Information on Franchises.

Posted on February 20, 2008
Here is a list of franchise websites worth visiting. First up, is Meal Assembly Watch. Meal Assembly Watch is an interesting look at the meal prep industry. Asking such questions such as: "So you still think meal assembly is a good idea? Do you somehow believe that one day you?ll be profitable? Are you convinced the market will change and customers will come back? Think I?m just a naysayer and the only who thinks meal assembly is a bad investment?" Second up, Franchisepick...

The Truth about Franchisor Support and Training

Posted on February 19, 2008
Many prospects reading the article Buying A Franchise would assume that Mark Harris would know what he was talking about when he wrote: "The number one benefit of becoming a franchisee is that you will not be starting from scratch on your own. When you buy a franchise you have two distinct things on your side...

Tips from The Cheesehead State about Franchising

Posted on February 19, 2008
Who knew the that the State of Wisconsin had such a neat little site on franchising, called What is a Franchise? The site is written in plain language. Here are some examples. "Franchising is a package deal! To be a franchise under the Wisconsin Franchise Investment Law the deal must include: 1...

Material Changes in UFOC

Posted on February 19, 2008
Here is an interesting problem regarding the information in a UFOC. There was a controversy at the franchise pundit's forum about the number of Play N Trade Video Game Franchises. One poster claimed that "There are over 125 Play N Trades open now." This would seem to be a simple factual problem to resolve...

What is New with Fitness Franchises?

Posted on February 18, 2008
Some fitness franchises are hitting a wall, Problems for 1-2-3 Fit and Butterfly Life franchisees. "It sounded so simple. It made so much sense. Experienced, knowledgeable people banked on the marriage of a well-known sandwich chain and a fitness industry legend to create an exciting new circuit club franchise...

Are You Just Like Me?

Posted on February 18, 2008
Fascinating article in the New York Times about persuasion called, How to Build Rapport "Psychologists have been studying the art of persuasion for nearly a century, analyzing activities like political propaganda, television campaigns and door-to-door sales...

Franchise Due Diligence from the Franchise Rep

Posted on February 18, 2008
One of new RSS feeds, which I have enjoyed, is Franchising Craziness-A Franchise Reps Life "Due Diligence. If you have already bought a franchise, there isn't much you can do now except give the straight story to the people who call. If never ceases to amaze me how many people can be told during due diligence that the location, or type of business, or whatever wouldn't be right for them, but they buy anyway...

To Terminate or Not to Terminate

Posted on February 17, 2008
In Ontario, the equivalent of the FTC Rule, the Arthur Wishart (Franchise Disclosure) Act, created a private cause of action. The enforcement of the Franchise Disclosure Act is done by means of a civil suit. If a franchisee doesn't get a disclosure document, they may elect to rescind the contract, before 2 years, and the franchisor has 60 days to repay the franchise fee, repurchase inventory and supplies at the cost sold to the franchisee, and also make good any losses...

Franchising Info From Trade Regulation

Posted on February 15, 2008
Focus on Franchising : "Focus on FranchisingThis posting was written by John W. Arden. Due to the efforts of Chicago lawyers John R.F. Baer of Sonnenschein, Nath, and Rosenthal and Joe Sheyka of DLA Piper, the Illinois State Bar Association has decided to form a Standing Committee on Franchising and Distribution Law...

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