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Text Content

CertaPro Painters Franchise - CertaPro Complaints



  II









...


  
"CertaPro Painters Franchise: Selling dreams that become nightmares"     
  


   >>>   Don't Buy A CertaPro Painters Franchise  
That's the advice and opinion of a former CertaPro franchisee


Franchise Failures Demonstrate the CertaPro Painters franchise sucks:

 

HUNDREDS of franchise failures!




VIEW CERTAPRO PAINTERS 2022 FDD & FRANCHISE AGREEMENT


  (pdf format)

It's important to note that NOT ALL FRANCHISEES are
included in franchisee financial data provided (e.g., p. 37& 38)

"The information provided has not been audited nor has it been
independently verified"


 

NAVIGATION

Home The Myths FDD Franchise Agreement How Much Do Certapro Franchisees Make?
High Franchisee Failure Rate Where Are They Now Lawsuits Lies The Gag Agreement
Contact Here's an alternative to that unbelievably expensive painting franchise


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Partial listing of failed franchisees
(this is unbelievable--horrendous)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't take my word for it. Check for yourself.
Download franchise listings from several years apart
and compare an older list with a newer one
to see which are missing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                 Search:  

Match All Any term in Search Index: [ All ] My Realm 1

Keywords:

 

Wanted: Year-End RAAG Report
If you're a Certapro franchisee, please consider sending me a copy of the
year-end RAAG report.
Email to: certaprosucks(at)gmail.com or contact me.
If you don't live too far away, I may be willing to help you peel the wrap from
your van in return.




Franchises do NOT have a greater chance of success
than independent startups
Small Business Administration

 

 


HOW DOES FRANCHISE SURVIVAL COMPARE WITH INDEPENDENT BUSINESS SURVIVAL?

"Survival among independent businesses and franchises appears to be similar, as
they have similar age distributions."

In other words, franchises do NOT have a better success rate.

source: Small Business Administration


  CertaPro lawsuits:
CertaPro's franchise agreeement includes a binding arbitration agreement, so
franchisees will probably not be able to sue but will, instead have to go to
arbitration. Arbitration is secret, not public. However, I have been able to
find a few lawsuits related to CertaPro in the public domain. Check out the
lawsuits


A Record Of Failure:
Nearly 70% Of CertaPro Painters Franchisees Gone In Six Years




Comparing CertaPro Painters' Franchisee Listings shows that nearly 70% of the
franchisees listed on Dec. 31, 2004, were no longer listed on Dec. 31, 2010.

Nearly 70% gone in six years.

When a franchisee fails, there remains a 10-year franchise agreement which could
precipitate an emotional and financial disaster.

A major reason for franchise failure, in my opinion: Minimum sales requirement.
It only guarantees that CertaPro will make money.

The myth that's a lie:
Franchises do NOT have a greater chance of success:
Franchises have greater failure rate than most believe.



Terrible Franchise Agreement:


CertaPro's franchise agreement is written to favor CertaPro and it places severe
conditions, restrictions and financial obligations on the franchisee.

CertaPro Painters franchise agreement is TERRIBLE for franchisees!
CertaPro Painters gets the mine and the franchisee gets the shaft.

You are signing a contract agreeing to pay CetaPro at least $250,000 in addition
to the franchise fee and other payments:
The franchisee signs a contract which LEGALLY BINDS him/her to produce at least
$5 MILLION in revenue and pay CertaPro at least $250,000 over the 10-year term
of the contract.

If you don't make that much revenue, as many don't?
Too bad. You still owe the money.

If you go out of business after, say, 3 years?
Too bad. You still owe the money.


  Minimum franchise fee agreement:


CALENDAR YEAR GROSS SALES 1st calendar year $450,000 (min. $22,500 franchise
fee) 3rd - 5th $500,000 (min. $25,000 per year franchise fee) 6th - 10th
$650,000 (min. $32,500 per year franchise fee) source: CertaPro's 2011 Franchise
Agreement


CertaPro's "Success" Stories:
Many/Most will become "Failure" Stories

The death of a CertaPro Painters franchise doesn't come quickly, as a rule.

It's usually a long, slow, painful and expensive process which can last 2-3
years or more.

 
  

Blame the Failed Franchisees:
"He/She Didn't Work Hard Enough"


Certapro's answer, when asked about failed franchisees?

They blame it on the franchisee!

"He didn't follow the plan", or
"She didn't have what it takes", or
"He didn't work hard enough" (lazy).

That's bullshit. A lie.

When a franchisee is looking down the barrel of a huge financial loss, you'd
better believe they will bust their ass to try to make it work.

 

"Quality" and Subcontractors?
(Headache and Heartburn City)


CertaPro's marketing includes buzzwords like "quality" and "professional",
probably to invoke a sense in customers that they're going to get a top-quality
paint job done by CertaPro's seasoned, experienced painters.

In fact, many CertaPro franchisees use subcontractors and it appears the
subcontractors may get the short end of the stick.

Relying on subcontractors can result in some unhappy painters whose primary goal
is to get the job done as quickly as possible. It can also result in some angry
customers and many headaches for you.
  

The Majority of CertaPro Franchisees Will Fail,
based on CertaPro's history of franchise failure


The Majority of
Franchisees
Fail

Possibly 90% or more fail

See The Failures Yourself
(Most of those "boxes"
are now six feet under)


Forget CertaPro's marketing hype.
Believe The Reality


CertaPro's marketing hype is designed to paint an image of success in your mind
(and you may believe that a franchise is practically certain to succeed.
Actually:
Franchises have a greater failure rate than most believe.
And:
You probably will NOT find all the buried CertaPro skeletons.
You will find precious little on the web from failed franchisees.
CertaPro wants it that way (see "Gag Agreements", below).



CertaPro Franchise Failure
Here's An Example: Florida
August, 2007 to January, 2012:



Ask CertaPro about their franchisees' failure,
and they may very well blame the franchisee.
However, the failure rate, as illustrated in Florida,
strongly suggests CertaPro's "blame the victim"
approach is a lie and that CertaPro's
"business in a box" doesn't work well.

Are you willing to risk your life savings
or go deep into debt
on a franchise with a success rate like this?

(Oh, and if CertaPro tries to tell you Florida
is an aberration, don't believe it.)

Also see: Startup Failure Rates - The REAL Numbers


Did they tell you that
you'll make a lot of money?

Take a look at some of
CertaPro's own numbers

It's amazing to see how they compare to
CertaPro's "minimum annual sales" requirements.

Do you think franchises are
a "sure thing"?

That's False: Franchises may fail more
often than non-franchise startups!

 

Due Diligence:
You Think You'll Check Out CertaPro Before Buying?
Think Again -- The Deck Is Stacked


Think You're Gonna Do Due Diligence Before Buying A CertaPro Franchise?  Think
Again:
        Gag Agreements:

Many (most?) Former franchisees are forbidden to make negative comments about
CertaPro. Click here to view a CertaPro gag agreement ("non-disparagement
agreement").

WHAT don't they want you to hear?
And WHY?
   



  

 

You're Thinking of Buying a Painting Franchise...
...and you know nothing about the professional painting business?

Are you nuts???

They may tell you "no experience required", but (based on my experience) it's
utterly false.
You will end up losing money for "on-the-job training" (trust me), and you may
end up with some VERY angry customers.
  

CertaPro Painters Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)


VIEW CERTAPRO PAINTERS 2015 FDD (PDF FORMAT)

      A look at some numbers from the FDD:



CertaPro Painters Franchise Agreement

View Certapro Painters 2015 Franchise Agreement (pdf format)    

 Former Franchisees:

Care To Share Your Story?

CertaPro Forum
    

 About This Website:

This site was established by a former CertaPro Painters fanchisee,
to inform the public regarding the CertaPro franchise "opportunity".

My purchase of a CertaPro franchise was the worst and most costly decision of my
life. I believe there may be hundreds of other former CertaPro franchisees who
share that experience and view. I've heard some of the others' stories.

I bought a Birmingham CertaPro franchise which failed after about 3-1/2 years.
The guy who later bought the same franchise also went out of business after a
few years. My neighboring Birmingham franchisee went out of business about a
year before I did. I have related some of my personal experiences here.

I believe the vast majority of those who buy a CertaPro franchise risk losing as
much as $150,000 or more within a few years and ending up emotionally
distressed, saddled with debt or forced into bankruptcy, faced with demands from
CertaPro for more money or finding themselves sued by CertaPro.

In my opinion, CertaPro's deceptive marketing and onerous contract, combined
with its actions which serve to hide information about the many failures,
represents an intentional effort to deceive and misrepresent. I believe they
must KNOW they are making money at the expense of others and that most new
franchisees are probably destined to fail.

Potential victims of CertaPro's actions should know about the dark side of the
CertaPro franchise and the high probability of failure (perhaps a 90% or more
failure rate).
  


There's MORE




| The Myths | CertaPro Complaints | Franchise Forum | contact me | Failures|
Videos |

CertaPro Painters Franchise

Follow CertaProSucks on Twitter:

 


AVIATECH:


After establishing this website, I noticed what appeared to be a "reputation
management" effort by Aviatech -- a company hired by Certapro. In my opinion,
based on what I observed, Aviatech relies upon sleazy tactics.
(IOW, a perfect partner for Certapro)

Note: Aviatech is now part of Mainstream Interactive.

Read more about the Aviatech-Certapro tactics

 
  


CertaProSucks.org
Proudly disseminating facts about,
and sharing personal experience with,
the Certapro Painters franchise
since 2009

"Because the public needs to know"

 



 

 

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