HOLLYWOOD TANS FRANCHISE COMPLAINTS

[MATT A]

The site's not liable.

[sunsally]

Originally Posted by rosefarm

Thank you for the heads up SunSally! I am only reporting facts. The truth! I really dont believe a company can bring about a suit for simply sating the truth! I really appreciate your concern and imput as well!

I am NOT a lawyer, nor do I even TRY to play one.:)

I know that anyone can sue anyone for anything. Whether they will be successful or not is another story. But if I'm a little guy and somebody else has deep pockets -- how far can it go? When you mention company names and titles (that will imply a person) - e.g. "the CFO emailed me and calculatingly said..." it is open to interpretation as to whether that is fact, opinion or libel.

Franchises are very strictly regulated. If you feel you have been wronged, a much better place to seek "justice" than a tanning chat site would be the Attorney General for your state as well as the federal FTC (Fair Trade Commission) who regulates franchises if I remember correctly. And of course - an attorney who specializes in business contract law.

In terms of if this site could be liable or not, again, I'm no attorney. I just believe I recall in the case of the LAST chat site that had posts derogatory about a franchise -- the franchise wound up owning the site. I don't know the details, nor are they important to me since I don't own the site nor serve as an adminstrator. Just a "CYA" based on things that have occurred in the past.

The World Wide Web is a very big place. Be careful out there is my advice to my kids, but the same is true for all of us! :)

[tanningchain]

I apprieciate this thread....... its called EDUCATION and KNOWLEDGE.
Whether rosefarm is right or wrong, well that is yet to be decided.

[PatParadise]

I feel sorry for the Salons that Franchise. If you have access to $250,000 you sure as **** do not need a Franchise to get you started. I wish I met the owner that purchased three Pl--- What Ever's. I could have saved him at least $75,000 - $100,000 in up-front costs for each salon. Franchise's typically charge 5 - 7% fees on all sales forever. I cannot imagine being forced to purchase all materials from one source and have every advertisement and price be approved in writing. It is foolish to pay a $1500 - $3000 more for each tanning bed simply to have a custom sticker and label pasted on a standard ETS tanning bed.

I cannot even imagine opening a franchise salon and then have two fancier salons open up practically across the street and then undercut your prices, which has happened in the nearby city of Blaine. Franchise tanning salons are hardly like being a Franchised Hamburger restaurant that are the closest thing to guaranteed success. Tannng salons are high risk and if you have the cash to start a viable business you do not need someone adding markup to everything your buy or sell. One Franchise salon owner I met a few years ago could not even purchase Wolff lamps for their tanning beds. Kind of hard to compete with top prices and tanning lamps printed with made in Asia. Believe me customers are smart enough to read the labels on your tanning lamps.

I am a licensed engineer and know many architects. For the $25,000 to $30,000 franchise fee I could provide certifed P.E. and Architect drawings ready to bid and build out a salon. These drawings would even include wiring diagrams down to all the cables and parts needed to connect to a T-Max Manager. The crazy part is you still pay Architect and Engineer Fees these but they hiddened in the salon build-out costs when a Franchise serves as a middle man. My wife can load Sun Touch into a computer, program all your service costs and connect cash register, credit card machines, and program tanning beds in a matter of a couple of hours. T-max can be connected even to older beds with their T-3a Timer and multiple bed manufactures can all operate on the T-Max System. Franchise businesses only make money for the Franchise, PatParadise, (IMWW)

	Superior UV

[eileen]

Very well said Pat!!

and rosefarm your emails in court are called digital footprints...they can't be erased. i would imagine they would settle out of court on that fact alone if you have evidence in email. it is one reason why i won't discuss things over the phone when there is an issue, i want everything in email. digital footprints are better then a paper trail and WAY better then a phone converstaion.... they can't be destroyed!

[eileen]

Originally Posted by sunshakchattano

I apprieciate this thread....... its called EDUCATION and KNOWLEDGE.
Whether rosefarm is right or wrong, well that is yet to be decided.

I totally agree. LOL am I scaring you? ;)

[CHUNN]

Originally Posted by sunsally

I'd be very careful about what you post in an open forum like this and the exact language you use. Not just the original poster, but any participants in a thread.

There is another very popular tanning chat site where the site owner was sued - and lost - by a major tanning franchise based on things written on his site........

Just a heads up, for those that may not remember that history and story.

If I remember correctly Bruce was sued because of statements that he was personally making against the Planet Beach.

[MATT A]

Originally Posted by CHUNN

If I remember correctly Bruce was sued because of statements that he was personally making against the Planet Beach.

Bruce was making the statments.

[sunsally]

Originally Posted by CHUNN

If I remember correctly Bruce was sued because of statements that he was personally making against the Planet Beach.

And I don't remember exactly, hence my comments as a general "be careful out there".

Regardless -- only Chunn has any worries about if the board is sued (and he isn't worried). But Rosefarm and others have themselves to look after. I recall another poster from another franchise making other "true statements" -- and it caused some ruckus. And "Bruce", as noted - lost a TON in his case.

I don't normally post this many times on one topic. Bottom line remains the same - be very careful when making specific comments where you name names, companies, titles etc in any sort of public forum. The exact language you used can be picked apart - and be shown to be libelous. Not everyone is the best or most careful writer -- a choice of a word can get you in trouble.

More importantly - this avenue is good for "venting" - but nothing else. Call the sources I listed in my above post if you feel you have legal claims. Only they can help that process. If they feel you have a suit, they will go through their channels and methods to find "support" for your case from other potential or current franchisees. You don't have to do that legwork.

Best of luck

[caribbean tan man]

what happened?