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Wed 9 Jan, 2008 12:11 pm
After a lot of hard work, I was offered a "fully financed" franchise op with zero experience in business management, accounting, etc. I knew how to clean and work hard. The remittances to federal tax, WCB etc were never made despite Jani Kings' assurances they would handle remittances as they had full control of the money. I was paid on employee paydays, not "dealer" days and only for my hourly wage or $10/per. I was told to work in the building and expected to work 200-300+ hours per month. A rep from WCB finally arrived at Jani King to get his $ and they cut a cheque for 1/2 with a promise to pay the rest but they never did. In Dec/07 I got a stern failure to file from the federal government...thousands were in arrears! My leases were terminated by Jani King shortly thereafter. They told me the $ I recieved on on employee paydays was the tax/wcb money as well as my "profit". I was working hundreds of hours in essence, they assert for a sum far below minimum wage! I'm on the hook for thousands! I didn't even pass a jani king eligability test! When it came time to fork over the money to agencys, Jani King chumped it off on me rather than pay! They cut me loose and told me retroactively that it was my responibility to cough up the money. I was not paid on dealer days, did not recieve a dime in profit and after 6-8 months of hard work in the franchise location putteing in hundreds of hours of work each month was dumped as a franchisee with them denying any responsibility for the acrewed debt which they failed to remit on my behalf. Please don't be taken in by these crooks.
Isn't this the same one talked about here?
http://able2know.org/topic/40641-1
Because I too have been involved in a franchise that failed I can sympathisize with you. We actually just filed bankrupcy as a result. Fortunately for us, we maintain enough to cover payroll and taxes which if you do not pay is criminal not just financial. So it is very important that you pay taxes and payroll.
I did do a quick search and found there is a class action suit against them. Not sure what state you are in, but perhaps you want to do a search for "Jani King class action and your state name."
Here is one suit:
http://www.topix.com/forum/nascar/TUC1HIVFLAG4MVH07
Jani King needs to be shut down.
There have been so many threads on failed Jani King ventures.
Jani King is a total rip off!
The huge tax debt & failure to remit hopefully won't result in criminal charges against me. There is a slim chance to get a ruling from Revenue Canada to determine who in fact controlled the money, who actually profited from the relationship & who truly owes the thousands of dollars. No doubt Jani King will be playing hardball. On the day my leases were terminated (last Monday), I was ordered into the office to sign a waiver absolving Jani King of any responsibility for the debt. They were very unhappy when I read the document on tuesday, passed them a $2000+ bill from wcb and asked if this was a debt they were ordering me to sign off on. They lied and bullied but I left refusing to sign.
So, a week passes and they (Jani King) still haven't coughed up a dime of the money I figure they owe me. Finally, a rep acknowledges owing approximated $1700.00 (by their calculations but begs off paying siting that one leased contract hasn't paid their bill. Lame excuse! I personally didn't believe it when I heard it. He claimed that to collect the cheque, when it was ready, I would have to go in for a meeting. My meeting days with these people are over, aren't they. Another week passes til today and I call to inquire as the $1700.00 they assessed as still owing...nobody would say they knew anything about a cheque or admit to owing a dime...this despite the fact I didn't recieve a dime for the over 108 hours worked prior to Jan 08 pay period. Just disgraceful.
the unpleasant story continues
Richard Boyd called me this morning from Jani King to say they had a cheque for me in the amount of $700 and change (less by far than the amount previously stated) which they would issue as soon as I signed the disclaimers absolving Jani King of the debt THEY OWE for failing to remit to Rev Can, EI, CPP and in part to WCB (they had paid some money to WCB). I told Richard Boyd that I would not be signing those disclaimers, which is what I refused to do in January. He then refused to release the cheque. Tried to strongarm me into signing & coming in for meetings, but I refused. The cheque they would have issued for my one & only dealer day, in the amount they offered would only have covered the remittances, not personal profit for me. Amy profit had been devoured by Jani King who also hold control of the money and how it is dispersed. Just as they are holding a cheque & refusing to release it until I sign away my rights. Did that one before when I agreed to work for these corrupt thieves. Please don't be taken in by them!
later that same day
Richard Boyd & I spoke that afternoon wherein he insisted my coming in to be standard proceedure to sign the "release disolving" me from jani king (it absolves them from debt owing, is what it is). I asked for a copy of that 'release' but he refused to send it or give me a copy. I asked twice if there was anything written in our contract obligating me to sign those papers prior to recieving monies owed me by Jani King but he refused to answer other than to say it was standard proceedure. I asked for Jani King to send me a letter telling me to come into their office for a meeting or formal demand I sign their release and explain why my money would not be released including money for the 108+ hours I worked prior to their abruptly terminating my leases. Richard Boyd refused to do that also. I told Richard that no such clause existed in my contract (which I finally got a copy of!) stating I had to come into that office to sign a release prior to their obligation to honor dealer day and pay out some of the $13,000.00 they took in for Dec 07 on my accounts. Richard hung up on me. Legal options I fear are the only alternative to resolving this nightmare. If any Canadian Jani King franchisees or former ones are reading this, please lets try to unite to hold these people accountable in a court of law. I've read dozens of horror stories from the us and uk so I know you are out there.
People having probs with Jani King in the UK should use the following contacts
A friendhas sent a useful list of contacts
(1) COntact trading standards in Kingston Upon thames
[email protected]
(2) Contact the CIB at the DTI with this complaint form
http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/complaintformcib.htm
Companies Investigation Branch has the responsibility for conducting investigations into companies using the statutory powers of enquiry contained in the Companies Act 1985.
Tell them about any negligent misrepresentation and fraudulent inducement you think you have experienced
TAKE THIS ACTION QUICKLY!!
(3) Contact the BFA
http://www.thebfa.org/
I believe the BFA has kicked out jani king now
(4) Contact a solicitor John Pratt who will offer some free advice :
[email protected] or 0121 237 2020
(5) You should write to
John Fingleton
Office of Fair Trading
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London EC4Y 8JX
Fax: 0207 211 8966
my husband & i bought into a franchise july 2010 & have regreted it ever since. the deception, lies, & BS that have followed this purchase have become so over whelming that i have a hard time functioning daily knowing i have to deal w/ this crap!!! when my husband lost his job mar 09, we took our hard working $ & trusted these ppl & have since been screwed! after getting together w/ a few other franchise owners, we have emailed several complaints to janiking internat'l & this was the response, "we can't do anything about it". so, we have decided to do something ourselves...plan in action...we will succed in taking down this location, due to the, in my opinion, misappropriation of funds & all the other lies they continue to use to reel innocent ppl into this world of decept!!! stay tuned for future details!!!
@babygirl923,
Hello,
I'm am so upset with Jani-King all of our hard earn money & savings is going down the drain. I signed up for 10,000 a month contract. We received calls from the regional manager to get the start-up cost now that's paid now it's a attitude when we call to check on contracts. Our first offer was 1500$ a Month we need at least 4 employees leaving our profit a negative balance (ridiculous). The lack of communication is a problem. Now after two months the manager states were not official with corporate due to some paperwork error on his end. Stated in the contract from your official date Jani-King had 10 months to meet your requirement that you invested or they will have to refund three times the amount you invested. My question is if were not official with corporate can we get a refund? Of course Jani-King says no because they are liars.
@v782551,
hiya sorry to here all the problems but i know they wont get better as i was in Jany King uk and they are going downhill steeling money off anyone as they do
@babygirl923,
Hello I am having the same trouble I wish I found this website before signing with them in December 2010. The worst mistake of my life. Please contact me so I can get some information on what I can do or help me get started in the right direction to fix this location.
[email protected] thanks!!!
@v782551,
there is another link on here and its got loads off info who u can talk to so have a look and try that link as its much better
@hingleyc,
I have seen loads of disgruntled ex Jani Kin Franchisee comments. My experience with these guys was that I went to see them with a view to buying in. After the meeting I asked a number questions and to my surprise I got no reply. I am an entrepeneur and have successfully owned many businesses. I chased them and they made many excuses for not replying none of which stacked up. My suspicions are that I asked all the right questions and they did not want to answer them. I suspect Jani Kin look at all comments posted on here. If they are then I ask them to give me a reason to why I should not think like this. I have had many hundreds of meetings for potential franchises and none of them have refused to answer my questions. Jani being the one out of about 400. My advice is to get the contract checked out with a professional business consultant and a solicitor and be verty careful. Amar Rai
@amarai16,
Do you mind sharing what questions they have not yet replied or tried to avoid?
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