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

Play N Trade video game franchise continues to draw fire on the Unhappy Franchisee website, with the number of contentious comments on one lively blog post (PLAY N TRADE: CA Suspends PnT Franchise Registration) approaching  500.
One commenter claims that there are an enormous number of what’s called SNO (Sold, not Open) Play N Trade franchises due to the sale of multi-unit packages.  However, the commenter contends these stores may never open due franchisees being disillusioned with their initial store and declining to open the additional stores they purchased the rights to develop.
On September 4th, 2009, Insider Knowledge wrote:
Here is why …read more

Video Game retail franchise Play N Trade continues to be a contentious topic of discussion.
The number of contentious comments on one lively blog post (PLAY N TRADE: CA Suspends PnT Franchise Registration) will soon pass 500.
One commenter, Former PNT Owner, recently wrote:
I left PNT in June. I suggest everyone read a suit from the state of Oregon: Willamette v. Play N Trade.
The PDF is out there on the net* and is shows how many shell corporations PNT had, the items that were not disclosed and more details on the unethical business practices used by PNT Corporate to sell franchises.
I don’t …read more

Will Play N Trade’s love and devotion to their video game concept be enough to hold off an attack by WalMart?  Or is big trouble heading their way?
According to a post on UnhappyFranchisee.com, nation’s largest retailer “has turned its hungry eye and voracious appetite for growth on the used video game market.”
According to the post (PLAY N TRADE: Should PnT Respond to Wal-Mart Threat?) WalMart will test a game and DVD rental kiosk system in 77 of its New York and southern New England stores.  If the test is successful, it could go expand the program nationwide, enabling gamers to …read more

While Rapper 50 Cent was promoting his new video game at a Play N Trade store in Manhattan last week, PlayNTrade Franchise Inc. Founder Ron Simpson and President and CEO Larry Plotnick were appearing at franchise discussion site Unhappy Franchisee, defending their company and brand.
In 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 franchisor.
Some commenters  allege that Play N Trade used deceptive tactics to achieve its rapid growth, and was …read more

When FranchisePick.com asked IS PLAY N TRADE A GREAT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY?, we got an earful… and 100+ comments.
According to Unhappy Franchisee, the California Department of Corporations has issued their opinion of the video game retail franchisor Play N Trade, and it ain’t good.
In fact, California is revoked the unit registration, denied the master franchise registration renewal and is recommending  heavy fines and penalties for alleged deceptive practices and violations of CA franchise law.
Play N Trade Franchise, Inc. has 60 days to respond to the complaint.
Read the legal document and penalties here: PLAY N TRADE: CA Revokes PnT Franchise Registration
WHAT DO …read more