Stanley Dub

People Often Ask Me — Can a Franchisee Ever Terminate His Contract and Get His Money Back?

Our office has helped many franchisees from around the country terminate their Franchise Agreements. In some cases we have also gotten the franchisor to reimburse business losses, even where the business had been operated for several years.

Remember that thick document they gave you when you bought the franchise? It was called a Franchise Disclosure Document (“FDD”), and it had to comply with complicated state and federal rules.

If your franchisor did not give you an FDD, or gave it to you late, or gave you an FDD that didn’t fully comply with the rules, you might still have the right to give your franchise back and get a full refund, even if a few years have passed since you bought it.

You might even be able to get the franchisor to reimburse your losses and pay your attorney fees.

Sometimes businesses are operated under arrangements that look like a franchise, but are called something else, like a License Agreement or a Partnership. These arrangements often involve use of the other company’s trademark, and significant control over many of your business decisions.

Sometimes these arrangements are just franchise relationships masquerading as something else, and the arrangement may be subject to state and federal franchise laws. Usually no FDD is provided in such cases, and that failure can provide the basis for a claim to get your money back.

If you’re a franchise owner who’s lost money on his investment, you should consult a franchise lawyer to discuss your options.

I have successfully represented dozens of franchise owners from a variety of states in claims involving disclosure violations.

Call me, Stan Dub, today for a free consultation at 216-991-4480.