In the past week, the website UnhappyFranchisee.com was hacked and dozens of posts and hundreds of comments critical of some specific franchise companies were deleted.  Most posts related to Play N Trade and hundreds of comments related to that company were deleted.
Here is a nearly complete copy of the UnhappyFranchisee.com post PLAY N TRADE: CA Suspends PnT Franchise Registration that was originally published April 23, 2009.  Also included below are the 379 comments the post generated through 7/25/2009.  We hope to restore the 100 or so comments left in August, 2009 shortly.
PLAY N TRADE: CA Suspends PnT Franchise Registration
April 23, …read more

Unhappy Franchisee is a website where franchisees, franchisors, franchise industry professionals and some individuals with an unhealthy preoccupation with franchising get together to disclose, discuss and debate the hidden world of franchise owner discontent.
Active disputes currently on UnhappyFranchisee.com:
Children’s Orchard:  Franchisees of a troubled chain started a negative website to get their franchisor’s attention.  Unfortunately, the attention is coming in the form of lawsuits – four so far this year.
Play N Trade:  If business is like a video game, franchisees complain the PnT franchisor has been using cheat codes to zap’m with an non-viable business model.  The state of California agrees.
Curves …read more

Unhappy Franchisee is trying to put itself out of business by giving franchisors tips on how to keep their franchisees happy (and avoid ending up on the UF site).
Please post your thoughts and suggestions to this post: Top 10 Ways to Keep Franchisees Happy? Share your Thoughts
Here’s what they’re looking for:
If you are an unhappy franchisee (or unhappy ex-franchisee), what could your franchisor have done to keep from creating unhappy franchisees? Where did the trust and confidence break down? What could they have done to build a stronger, more collaborative environment?
Can you remember the moment your relationship changed? Specific …read more