Comments on: PLAY N TRADE: Execs Respond to Blog Critics

By: PLAY N TRADE: The BIG Franchise Discussion : Franchise Pick - Picking the Perfect Franchise

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:40:20 +0000

[...] PLAY N TRADE: Execs Respond to Blog Critics : Franchise Pick – Picking the Perfect Franchise on May 4th, 2009 10:50 am[...] reporting on the suspension of the CA franchise registration of Play N Trade (See PLAY N TRADE: CA Suspends PnT Franchise Registration), website Unhappy Franchisee set off a lively debate about the video game retail concept and its [...] [...]

By: Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:23:30 +0000

Be sure to check out: PLAY N TRADE Forum Gets Spammed N Slammed Also, the article links at: PLAY N TRADE: Overview & Links

By: Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:30:43 +0000

Play N Trade franchise conference in Vegas kicks off. Theme is “Stronger Together 2009″
http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/play-n-trade-vegas-franchise-conference-underway/
http://www.bizzia.com/franchisepick/play-n-trade-franchise-conference/

PnT continues to try to sell franchises. Discovery Day franchise sales presentation today.
http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/play-n-trade-franchise-discovery-days-continue/

By: Izod

Izod — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:48:50 +0000

Sean, I simply think you are wrong. Posting Carol’s real name(readily available by searching) serves a very constructive purpose. It exposes her very diverse, yet time line specific attacks on a variety of topics. Take a look. A more suspicious mind might think she was paid to drive propaganda. First a several year tirade on one topic (gee funny how there was not mention of UPS stores then), then a campaign for a political candidate (gee no UPS stores then) and then suddenly, out of the blue – franchising. But what happened to the other great crusades she so obviously cared about and was so very committed to, a commitment that rivals her passion for franchising? Suddenly they were gone. In fact if you went back and reviewed BlueMauMau early on you will see where her story was tripped up a few times and she was nailed for inconsistencies, eventually she fleshed out a more coherent story line.

I think you did a disservice by deleting the comments. I believe readers really should have full access to what she does and the very diverse topics she has professed expertise in over the years, so when they read these over the top comments, and her name provided that link. Carol may be a serial crusader who runs hot to cold and no longer cares about that which she was passionate about last year, or maybe the check stopped coming that paid her to care about that topic so she went on to the next paying gig. I don’t know what the real story is here, but if you dig around it stinks to high heavens.

Food for thought.

Izod

By: PLAY N TRADE: Overview & Links | Unhappy Franchisee

PLAY N TRADE: Overview & Links | Unhappy Franchisee — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:40:47 +0000

[...] PLAY N TRADE: Will WalMart Crush PnT? May 26, 2009 PLAY N TRADE Franchise Sales Video May 18, 2009 PLAY N TRADE: Execs Respond to Blog Critics May 4, 2009 (10+ comments) PLAY N TRADE Franchise Registration Revoked April 23, 2009 PLAY N TRADE: [...]

By: Carol Cross

Carol Cross — Sun, 10 May 2009 16:46:06 +0000

Thanks Sean, for the good advice. But you are THE clever and talented blogger who attracts the people I want to try to influence on this site and on your Unhappy Franchisee site.

Since we are talking about Play and Trade on this thread, is it possible that Play and Trade are counting on playing and trading with the money of prospective franchisees because they can play and trade in all of the states in which they are registered to sell their franchise because “franchise law” is different and “blatant disregard of the law is never an encouraging sign” as Michael Webster indicates above —-but it sure sells a lot of franchises?

By: Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:23:37 +0000

I will try to remember not to mention the constructive fraud of the FTC…
Carol:
Add “Constructive fraud” to the list. “Adhesory contracts” and anything regarding Dale Nabors.
You are really missing the point here. These comment sections are meant to spark discussion, dialogue, exchange of ideas. Your mission, as you’ve stated it, is to lecture.
If you want to lecture, write your viewpoint in article form and I will post it as a guest post. Bloody Foo-ba will post it. That’s the correct format for one-way communication. Even better, start your own blog and use it as your bully pulpit. I have suggested this on numerous occasions.
I know you believe that no one will read your blog if you start one. That’s ok, it will force you to make your content engaging. If your content’s not engaging enough for your own site, it’s not fair to post it to others’ now is it?

By: Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:59:58 +0000

jd, rita, izod:
Compared to the scoundrels and thieves we’ve dealt with over the past couple of years, I don’t think that you should use up your ire on Carol Cross. She’s not meanspirited, she means well and she believes that she’s helping people with her comments.
While I’ve fought the temptation to follow suit, I can understand why Ryan & Don did what they did. She believes that it’s her mission to drop the same pedantic text into many blog posts regardless of context. It’s killed some conversations, diverted some, deadened others and ticked off a lot of commenters. She, like that Bloody Franchise moron, are simply antifranchising and believe franchisors are always wrong and franchisees are always victims. The main problem with such a black & white view (besides being simplistic and wrong) is that it’s not interesting.
But still… to me, blogging is about giving people a voice and I hesitate to ban someone simply for being annoying (Sorry Carol).
My experimental solution is to set up the Carol Cross on Franchising page (http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/carolcross/) on UnhappyFranchisee.com, where I can move any repetitive and/or off-topic comments that Carol makes, and put a link in their place.
That’s right. The Carol Cross on Franchising page is all Carol Cross, all the time. And there’s no beating up on Carol on her page. You can, however, pay homage to Carol Cross.
So go back to bullying the bullies… because now that she’s got her own page, you won’t have Carol Cross to kick around anymore!

By: jd

jd — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:26:01 +0000

Damn Sean, it sounds like Carol is calling your website third rate, and that she’s only posting here, because Ryan and Don have banned her from their websites.

By: Carol Cross

Carol Cross — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:46:20 +0000

Thanks Sean! I will try to remember not to mention the constructive fraud of the FTC Federal Regulatory policy” rescission” “Robert Purvin” Franchise regulation” fraudulent inducement, “FTC Rule in 1979, “congress” and related phrases

I understand that you are a good man who believes that Regulation will never change and that you volunteer to help franchisees through your Unhappy Fanchisee Site, at your own expense, and this site does SERVE to WARN other prospective franchisees about risky franchises. You do your share!

I appreciate the opportunity you give me to post and to try to educate failed and failing franchisees who really don’t understand what has happened to them and how they were induced under cover of official rhetoric to buy unprofitable franchises with high failure rates.

I have been banned and blocked out of Blue Mau Mau and Franchise Pundit’s websites and can neither read, nor post. I realize you have been patient with me because you don’t really care whether or not there are changes to the current status quo of regulation of franchising because you are a MARKETING expert and not a franchisor or an attorney or a franchise advisor or broker.

Thanks for posting my comments on the Unhappy Franchisee Site and NOT blocking me from posting and talking to Rita and Izod.