| The Federal Trade Commission has rule that are | | | | pretended to be a prospect, later dump hydrofluoric |
| supposedly in place to protect franchise buyers from | | | | acid in the tanks of one of my franchisees a couple |
| fraud from franchisors who might attempt to mislead | | | | of years ago to cause him to damage the paint on |
| them into purchasing a franchise. Part of the | | | | customers car so he could pick up an account from |
| franchise rules are addressing required disclosure | | | | an auto dealer our franchisee washed for. We did not |
| paperwork. In this disclosure document, which is | | | | figure out what happened for quite a while and only |
| required to be given to franchisees 10 days before | | | | learned of it after the damage and an employee of |
| any purchase is made are the names, addresses, | | | | the competitor became disgruntled and told us. What |
| phone numbers of all franchisees in the system. For | | | | if that were anthrax?Even more scary is the fact |
| smaller home based franchises this means home | | | | that I had several former franchisees who were |
| numbers, addresses and personal information.I am | | | | Muslim, who often discussed their despise of our |
| very concerned about our company, The Car Wash | | | | government. Which I guess was probably them |
| Guys and the possibility that International terrorists | | | | exercising their free speech, which is allowed of |
| might use our mobile car wash trucks as tools to | | | | course, yet now it does not seem so innocent. There |
| distribute biological weapons. We use trucks and | | | | are so many franchises out their that have free |
| trailer units that have capacities in excess of 600 | | | | access to facilities, such as; Shred It, AmeriSpec, |
| gallons and low volume, high-pressure sprayers. Our | | | | American Leak Detector, Environmental Biotech, |
| team has washed cars at office buildings, military | | | | Merry Maids, Service Master, Terminex, ChemDry. I |
| bases, mass transit districts, rent a car companies, | | | | have personally seen the ease at which our company |
| airports, malls, QSRs, grocery stores, shipping and | | | | transverses through airport fencing, security gates, |
| distribution yards, truck stops, parking structures, golf | | | | etc. They see the truck and the uniformed employee |
| courses, media buildings, etc, etc. We wash things like | | | | and wave us forward. Now think about this problem, |
| shopping carts, wheelchairs, school buses, trucks, | | | | our team without knowing it could deliver a bio |
| aircraft, boats, awnings, concrete, decks, playground | | | | weapon simply by an evil-doer dumping something in |
| equipment, etc, etc. In a single day our crews may | | | | a tank. Very few lawn companies or termite pest |
| be at 10-20 locations, in a week each truck/crew | | | | control companies lock their tanks, I know this |
| maybe as many as 120 locations, throughout a given | | | | because our company washes these trucks, and |
| city. And we have set up franchises in 23 states so | | | | rarely are their any locks on the tanks. The smaller |
| far and that means in a lot of cities. What concerns | | | | the franchisee the more unaware they might be. Are |
| me here is this:In our UFOC (Uniform Franchise | | | | all these companies sure they have trustworthy |
| Offering Circular) there is a list of franchisees, with | | | | employees, and even if they are, do they secure and |
| names, addresses, phones numbers, and areas. It | | | | lock tanks and vehicles? Not just parked behind a |
| contains the perfect information of everything an | | | | fence, anyone can scale a fence. If an evil-doer is |
| evil-doer needs, except a map of how to get to the | | | | willing to die for his cause, I doubt if a fence will slow |
| franchisees location. Even of more concern. Many of | | | | down or stop him/her. An evil-doer could also order |
| our franchisees own multiple trucks (units) and many | | | | services and hijack the truck or unit. Remember in |
| park such units at their homes. They are not guarded | | | | San Francisco when Thieves would order a pizza |
| they are just parked there. Someone could easily | | | | from Dominos and then shoot and kill the delivery |
| walk up and put something inside of the tank and | | | | driver for the $50.00 in cash on him? There are so |
| walk away and our franchisees would then be | | | | many ways to use a franchised unit to do these |
| spraying chemicals of mass destruction all over the | | | | things. We must protect the franchise model, |
| city the next day. That would be bad. Not only from | | | | reputation of brand name and the American people. |
| a franchisor's stand point and damage of brand name, | | | | We should not make it easy by giving away all this |
| but also from a stand point of what damage it could | | | | information freely for no real reason. That would only |
| do to America. I am not alone in this problem. Think | | | | hurt all franchisees of any system all over the |
| about TrueGreen ChemLawn, Pest control franchises, | | | | country. The American Federation of Scientists |
| etc. We are all at risk, yet nobody is thinking | | | | announced that it deleted 500 pages of sensitive |
| there.We have set up special precautions to protect | | | | information on their initial review, and this is one of |
| our Water Supply Tanks, have other franchisors? I | | | | the most pro-freedom of speech supporters in the |
| believe it is up to each franchise system to do a | | | | country.These are our most brilliant minds. We are |
| RISK EVALUTION of such things, put it in writing and | | | | smart enough to follow their lead. With all this said, I |
| protect ourselves and our franchises. The franchising | | | | wonder why we are putting these UFOCs on the |
| community, together can do our part. Think about | | | | Internet at FranData, why state agencies copy them |
| the idea of a direct mail franchise company, there are | | | | for mere copy fees to anyone who asks and why |
| many like Money Mailer, Coupon Clipper, etc. | | | | anyone expresses an interest to buy a franchise can |
| Additionally; I propose a simple idea. Delete the | | | | get one, with lists of all franchisees, addresses and |
| section of the UFOC with listings of franchisees, | | | | phones numbers. Since franchisors cannot discriminate |
| names, areas and addresses. Until a more final phase | | | | based on ethnic sympathies, we must give out this |
| of the sale and after the franchisor receives a | | | | information freely. WHY? Some information is |
| ten-year background check from the prospect. Or | | | | dangerous in times of such threats. We should make |
| perhaps only if it is asked for from the prospect in | | | | this a new policy today, not tomorrow, there is no |
| writing later. Putting out a list of everyone who owns | | | | time for committees, no time to talk about it. Just do |
| a ChemLawn truck in the country is just stupid right | | | | it. If a franchisee wants to call on other franchisees |
| now. How about the name brands which are | | | | they are certainly allowed to do so after things have |
| American icons, like McDonalds. After all last time | | | | checked out and after they submit a written request |
| they went after AMERICAN AIRLINES and UNITED | | | | along with a background check. |
| AIRLINES. I have already had competitors who | | | | |