7-Eleven Franchise Complaints

236 thoughts on “7-Eleven Franchise Complaints”

• I first started with 7 Eleven as a corporate employee, supporting franchise and corporate stores. At that time the everything seemed fine to me. I must have been blind, and deaf.

  I always heard franchisees complain about SEI. Saying they stole money from franchisees, they were paying more for product and the list goes on. Then I became a fz. Boy were they not kiding. SEI is a big scam. They take 50% of your gross profit dollars. Yes you do not pay rent, you do not pay electricity, heat and ac. But boy you loose your life! Believe me I did.

  If you want to work 7 days a week 24 hours a day, 365 days a week then by all means join SEI.. BE MY GUEST!

  Do not get me wrong you can make decent money, but after you do the math, you are making less then $12 a hour. Oh you want overtime LOL, Oh you want a vacation LOL, Oh you want to spend time with your family LOL, Oh you are sick LOL. And the list goes on and on…..

  If you are truly considering a SEI franchise, just look at the franchise agreement it is over 300 pages long. Every thing is covered you can not beat them. They will fight you every step of the way. Just be careful. I am trying to help you!

• I am petitioning the IFA (International Franchise Association) to hold their franchisor members responsible for acts of fraud, threatening, stealing,lying and creating false documents to terminate their franchisees from their agreements.

  Although our franchises may be different most are members of the IFA and the IFA is stealing our rights to due process by helping these franchisors word their contracts in a way that when we sign up to start also forfeits our rights to due process should THEY commit CRIMINAL acts against our franchise.

  Please go to the link below and sign my petition. Then download it and post it to your web site so others will know and can sign as well.

  http://www.change.org/petitions/veterans-deserve-success-not-matco-tools-franchise-failure?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=friends_wall

  Thank You!

  Todd A. Peterson

• I truley believe franchising is the biggest scam going. Maybe Bernie Madoff came up with this idea a long time ago? It sounds alot like a sceme he would pull off too.

• I am in the final stages of becoming a 7-Eleven franchisee and would love to hear more opinions on this business. The comments so far are minimal, and I consider that a good things considering 7-Eleven’s size!

  Any advice on the franchise…good..bad…or indifferent?

• Please do not consider 7-11 for your future. No life, once you became a franchisee.
  You work for them is another big 24 hours headache. Also they control you by all means, for an example you can not argure with their accounting system. If you call them you will be waiting for 10 to 12 min and leave a message. They will get back to you on their own time like week or may be longer with no solution. We work for them 24/7 and their office timings are mon to fri 8 to 4 central time.

• No benefits, No holidays, No life but just headache. Not worth it….
  Our money and their system. Result $10/- an hour. Do not even think about this franchise.

• You will be your own boss. Sorry, you will have bosees…not just 9 to 5 but 24 hours….hope you understand what i am trying to say….

• owning a 7-11 franchise is nothing but headaches and hard work 24-7. My husband and I have had one for about ten years now. Your employees are constantly stealing from you. You can’t trust anyone. Their cameras in the stores are a joke. They’ve taken away our gas profits and just keep chipping away at you. We’ve had tremendous employee theft. You have to count everything and watch your back constantly. It’s just not worth it . My husband is 61 and can’t take it anymore. Yes and you can forget about vacations, We’re on the verge of selling-GOOD RIDDANCE!

• i m going to 7 eleven millersville m.d that owner have so much rodli and he have bad attiude.his name is malik.every customer upset to malik

• Just wondered if i can work at at corporate 7-eleven and a franchise 7-eleven? I work in a corporate store 5 days a week but have been offered a job at a franchise store on my days off.

• i been working for this franchies from one year . i realy dont like right now i am working at 5231 harbison ave philadelphia p.a 19124 . the manager her name is bibi .she is very rude .this my request to franchies plz plz aske her .the hrs i work this she did not pay me when I ask her she said whatever i wana do i will do .i am very upset . u can contact me 267 336 4765

• I wouldn’t recommend buying a 7-Eleven franchise. My reasoning is that they do not allow a franchisee to grow within the system, regardless of having money. the typical ROI is almost 7years on brand new stores, vs Goodwill stores (running stores) it is almost 4-5 years depends on what kind of premium you pay. Back to the growth. I had one store for almost 2 years now. I am now approved to buy one more stores, but what sucks is, what if I want 3 stores or more, too bad so bad, 7-Eleven will not approve that. The approval rate to buy more stores is they say 6 months, but it ends up being 1.5 years. And brand new stores are bad investment, because of unknown sales and the Roi. In conclusion a person does make money, but it is very hard to grow with this business in CA. Dallas, and Florida, however has better opportunity. One would pay anywhere from 400K to 700K in So. Cal for a Store vs in TX or FL one would pay 100K -300K for a very good store.

• Ali, you should contact BIBI and tell her that you will have to get in touch with labor department, if you do not get paid in timely manner.

• Don’teven think of it i have been in system for ten year and its nothing but scam u are just working for them at about $9 per hr without benifits they suck they think there system works but it only work for them to rip off the franchisee .
  Just call me before u buy this piss of shit franchisee @ [redacted]

• Oh weill, my friends do not think about buying a 7-Eleven franchise. I am with them and had a really bad time throught the years. We work hard and bring the business up but sorry man we did not get paid accordingly. Their share is fix, their accounting system the worst i ever experienced, Sorry to say but just do your own job, if you are getting 9.00 an hour please do not think about buying this franchaise.

• My dear friends-Do not ever, never ever go for 7-eleven. Simple do 9.00/hour is much better than the life style of owning a 7-eleven.
  Good Luck to you and God Bless you and your family….

• How come I was charged a $1.49 for a regular size Snickers

• its worst investment you can ever make or you can ever think of making. Its my way or highway thats how they do business with money you are going to investment better buy two houses and put them on rent than working with these idiots. They got bunch of illitrate people who work for corporate got job based on connections not talent. rather than owning 7eleven own a your own food cart you will be more happy franchisor treat you like shit. stay away no money 24 hours headach no money pay for your own medical minimum wage for employee no benefit for them its a mess horrible third world treatment sick company

• Dear Prospective SEI Franchisees.

  PLEASE DO NOT DO NOT consider franchising 7-11 store….these guys are very unorganized, unprofessional my way or highway kinda people. Their so called 7-11 field consultants that come to your store are very jealous kind of useless people who have no guts to be successful in their own business ventures and most of them have not been able to keep consistent jobs or come from a failed profession or experience however after 3 months training they teach us business…..and every time when you ask them can you pull this off what we Franchisees do fill SEI’s pockets they say they can’t and yet the have the audacity to teach us business.

  SEI’s new business transformation is further more complicated and isolates its franchisees with outside world so almost no interactions with vendors at all so that the company they use called Mclane to deliver groceries at our stores get big contract at all time and they alone bring most of the stuff so that SEI gets major kick back and incentives on each delivery. taking 50-53% of our profit was not enough and not they want kickback from our suppliers. Their accounting system is so bad that they control our gross profit and the percentage changes on their mood and sometime when we track it we are unable to determine how they calculate it…..and on top if it almost every month or every other month these guys take few extra dollars on maintenance cost from us which are so hard to get back and is a very simple steal for them and their field consultants are thoroughly trained to blame everything on us and if a store is doing good take credit for a great job for no reason …all they do is run few numbers for and 70% time spent with them is personal and useless talk. When u call them for serious help u should see these guys run….an amazing experience including a very useless and very snob lick my behind “market manager” under who useless FC’s work ……..there is so much to write and so much to share, I know many Franchisees and all of them are unhappy….we all make money but not enough to justify disrespect and torture. 7-11 just believes in giving free stuff to customers all the time in franchisees expense and when you ask for justification their FC stated “if you want more stores you need to go with us” and by the way they have a way to get you approved for more stores but at the end it all comes down to how much time have you sucked up to flawed belief of your FC’s and market manager. A VERY VERY VERY UNHAPPY FRANCHISEE and someday when a lawsuit loop hole is found on this VICIOUS company almost all of them will speak against them and I will be the First.. Most ethnics, the bulk of SEI franchisees contribute to the bulk of success of this bad company and SEI someday when a better Franchisor comes around you will have no support from us just my shoe and your face you SOB Joe De Pinto(CEO SEI) looking free accolades all the time, when he was on Big Boss this SOB had to pull his own rank to get things done and his face turned red in just 8hrs of work and we do it 24/7 to make u stupid look good….PEOPLE DO NOT FRANCHISE 7-11 stores or I promise you you will cry or blood out…its stressful, painful and most importantly very injurious your and your family’s health.

• I am a 7-11 franchisee.

  I am a current FZ in San Diego, California. The only way to fight these scum is by uniting against them. I have set up a google group “FZLegalOffensiveFund”, my idea is to get our resources together and file targeted lawsuits until we find a weakness and then we slam them with a frigging class action lawsuit.

  All members of the group will be anonymous, I have and will continue to speak out openly against my Market Manager (Judy Soper) and Zone Manager(Tom Lesser) and I have copied the CEO(Joe DePinto) on emails letting him know exactly what I think of SEI and the people working for them. I do not have the resources to fight all by myself. If you are interested you can email me @ [redacted] or cal me @ [redacted]

  NOTE: Paul we don’t allow the posting of contact information or solicitation unless a person or company has been properly vetted and identity has been verified. Contact unhappyfranchisee[at]gmail.com for more information. Thanks, ADMIN

• I bought a development store back in 2012, it was an underperforming store being run as corporate, so my initial invenstment was only $25,000. The balance of the franchise fee I could pay over 2 years, OR work it as 0 debt by increasing my overall gross profit % by a certain amount.

  The day after my ‘changeover” I called Joe Depinto, the CEO and demanded my money back. I was offered a deal due to the good documentation I had of the mess. I am a former 711 employee, and my changeover was a trashed mess. Many items were not set up, the store was filthy, the parking lot and landscaping looked like a third world country retailer. It was just hard to even watch. I was so very sad to watch my dream being supported by this company full of trailer trash employees,

  711 as a company is just too big, too soft, too fat, too lazy, and it is not going to get any better. They are for profit, and the bottom line here is that this includes not caring for franchisees if that is what is needed o save a buck. Very lazy, uneducated people rule the roost at 711, I am most certain of that. It is affordable for a franchise, and looks like fun. It is not fun, and they simply lack the passion and business acumen needed to support you. DO NOT BUY ONE!

  Tim

• …also, I do thing that Joe Depinto is a good guy, but he is stearing too big of a ship. he really has no idea how bad it is out there, how could he.

  So many lazy employees he has, I feel bad for him in some ways, from a business perspective I do. Still, DO NOT BUY a 711!

• Tim, I don’t know what you mean when you say DePinto is a good guy, who exactly is he good for? The Japanese investors perhaps and maybe all the SEI employees who are rewarded by him for ripping off franchisees. Believe me all the policies and expansion being implemented by the dumb ass Zone Managers like Tom Lesser are coming from the top. These idiots are just the tools of upper management. I sent an email to DePinto pointing out in detail (spreadsheets, graphs, historical data) how I lost $55,000 in just one year because they opened not just one but two stores within a half mile of me. Guess what, I did not even get the courtesy of an acknowledgement. The email to DePinto was sent after I had already met with scumbag Tom, he is the one who asked for the meeting to discuss my concerns, when I presented him with my findings his answer “so what do you want me to do about it”. In preparation of this meeting this jerk had gathered data that was inaccurate and incomplete and when I brought that to his attention that is when the meeting ended because all the moronic arguments he had prepared to refute my findings just got tossed out, and of course being the dickhead that he is, he could not come up with anything on the spot and hence his idiotic answer.

• This is for any attorneys who may be reading this. It seem far fetched but if tried and proven could prove devastating for 7-11. I think most, if not all, franchisees will agree with me that we are not truly independent contractors, however, most franchisees for various reasons will not pursue litigation.

  Employees are not bound by any contract, so unlike franchisees they are not required to go to mediation/arbitration. There are about 7,000 7-11 stores in the U.S., assuming an average of 10 employees per store there is a total of about 70,000 employees. What if these employees were to file a class action lawsuit stating that 7-11 is not truly a franchise and more a front for SEI to get cheap labor. If franchisees are not found to be independent contractors then all the franchisee’s employees are in effect employees of SEI. If, and I know this is a BIG IF, this can be proven then the employees in effect have a claim against SEI for failing to provide all the benefits they would be entitled to as SEI employees. This has the potential of a claim of hundreds of millions of dollars against SEI, not to mention all the legal fees, fines, costs etc.

  Why, you may ask, am I bent on destroying SEI. The fact is I am not, all I am trying to do is get SEI off the franchisee’s backs and stop them from treating us like their managers. If any attorneys are interested in pursuing this, go ahead and contact the web admin, and he can put you in touch with me.

• Do not think about 711 – sorry to say but do something else …anything but not 711

• 711 is a very hard business to make any money. I own franchise for 12 years and SEI take way too much money. We are in Queens, NY and pay extra for a nightly security guard and SEI never fixes problems in accounting system. We just pay and pay. There are only two things that have kept me in profitable business over the years. First, I am a silent partner in the building so I get a good share of the rent. The other thing is that I sell a lot of coffee off accounting. My outside coffee supplier also provides 711 cups so during morning coffee rush I make most all my monthly profits outside reporting.

• I am currently franchisee. This company is nothing but SCAM. You are buying a boss. You pay 250k to buy a store. I know a store which got a breach for being 10 cents below equity. if you have 3 breaches, they take back your store. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL STORES.
  You can buy pepsi from out side 15 dollars a case. Pepsi delivers to 7-11 for $26 a case. So who is getting commission. THEY RIP OF SELLING YOU ITEMS.
  If they give me and refund me 50% of franchisee fee, i will me more than happy to return the store.
  I BEG YOU- NOT TO BUY 7-11. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR LIFE…YOUR SAVINGS- YOUR SOUL.. YOU WONT BE ABLE TO LAUGH OR CRY….HELL ON EARTH EXPERIENCE..

• Wow. I was planning to buy a 7-11 franchise.
  Based on all the negative feedback (with substantiation) I am reconsidering it.
  You ‘guys’ accomplished what you set out to do (warning about the 7-11 franchise).

  Your comments were well taken and very much appreciated!

• WOW, I WAS PLANNING TO BUY FRANCHIES,AFTER LOOKING TO COMMENTS,I THINK I WILL PASS,IN INDIA THAY PAY 9%INTERST ON NRI ACCOUNT.I WOULD CONSIDER THAT OP.

• This is how it works they split 50% percent of everything you make. so pretty much after the split, payroll expenses, maintenance fees, taxes and the list goes on and on… you only make the hours you put in, so say you work 50 hours a week multiply $10 an hr x 50 = 500x 4 weeks you could make only that 2k a mth and if your lucky and 7eleven decides to give u a good month profit then you can make a couple more g’s or else u can also go negative. I realized with this company it’s all about luck not how hard you work or how smart you are. They don’t know shit and don’t do shit to help you make money but waste money. it’s bad enough we deal with the store 24/7 but dealing with the consultant who comes every week to help to supposedly help improve sales is the worst part of the week and If you don’t get along with them too bad bc his boss is just like him/her. if you complain all they say is to sell your store that’s the worst thing someone can tell u after u invested over 250k with them. if someone gave me half my money I invested I would walk out today and work somewhere else as a full time employee.
  Bottom line – SAVE YOUR MONEY!! DO NOT FRANCHISEE!!! KEEP YOUR DAY JOB!!!

• @Tim, how did you get the CEO’s number? or maybe email?

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• T.A ..
  It’s Japanese owned company.
  Followed by all CEO from services.
  These all CEO (most of them) came from failure
  Circuit city.
  You may google it with the name JoE Depento
  His IRS public info says he is worth 40mlion dollars.
  If the person is being paid million a year and four
  five years in service, how much you can save.
  You can buy soda for 18 dollars from market, they
  Sell it to franchisee for 28 dollars and list goes on
  You have to be ass kisser to get a second store.
  If by chance you said some thing against 7/11 .
  .You will be done. First is FC inspector . Second is
  Marketing manager inspector. Third is cleanliness inspector
  And list goes on …. All Japnese care about is how much
  Profit their CEO’s is making.

• THERE IS SO MANY 7-11 store some franchisees they bought store last 3 to 4year 60% STORE NOT MAKE ANY MONEY THEY WORK ALL DAY BUT 7-11 NOT HELPING ANY FRANCHISEE

• Newell wv 26050 the midnight worker is very lazy I mentioned I was in a hurry running late for work she told me to get out refused me service told me to come back when I had more time I’m about to file charges on this woman I have never give Anyone problems in that store I’ve been shopping other from the time they opened till now that lady won’t get up an wait on anyone I’ve called the chester store on her they said they had many complaints on her but she’s not with that store all they can do is give me a number to call

• WOW! I was seriously considering buying a 7/11 franchise. NOT ANY MORE.
  I can see myself struggling with corporate over cost of good. They totally jack up the cost of goods compared to market cost. This feedback really helps. FORGET YOU 7/11. CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS PRACTICES OR YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL.

• I was wondering how does corporate handle complaints about their employees at the 7 eleven store. One clerk insist on scratching the first number of lottery for my friend. Until on day it was a million $$$ win. He decided that the ticket is his. The worst part, is the clerk is the manager and the brother of the store owner. After reporting it to VA Lotto and 7-eleven corp. We received a call from the store owner that they want to split the winning in half because they were worried that VA will keep the money. Then they changed their mind. I am curious how will corporate handle this. My friend is considering to sue both 7-eleven and both employees.

• 7-11 is the modern day American scam. If you franchisee a 7-11 store u will be subjected to ridicule. You are better off selling peanuts on the street then franchising a 7-11.store. You franchise a store and are responsible for all maintenance on a building that 7-11 leases or owns. For example the toilet gets clogged and they need to dig up the floor and fix, guess what you are responsible. You are. The list of unethical business practices is endless. What ever you do DO NOT FRANCHISE a 7-11 store.

• I am also having the same kind of problems even far more than that, and nobody is prepare to take the responsibility, but the question is how can i make them accountable?

• If things are so bad then why are so many franchisees seeking a 2nd or 3rd store? There are several references in these comments to people with stores commenting on getting another one or trying to. No company is perfect and there seems to be a common theme about accounting department has issues but there must be an up side as well and if you get a decent store or improve it to become one then the potential to make decent to good money must exist or you wouldn’t see so many existing franchisees seeking additional stores and spending more of their money. What am I missing?

• I am glad that you are having a good experience therefore you don’t know what you are missing, and I wish its stays same
  I believe every franchisee has their own experience; lot of time it’s also depends on your supporting team, but overhaul the company has harsh attitude towards their FZ. Nobody is prepare to take responsibilities of their own failures, and if anybody dare to ask them than you are in deep trouble. If the company is so big it does not put them above the law they are still answerable, but to get that answer you have to go through a legal process which is a time consuming exercise at the same time company with a positive attitude towards their FZ resolve the issues amicably, but so far I am fail to understand why the upper management pay no attention to FZ’s issues after all communication with open mind is the best tool to resolve any kind of dispute. I just hope that somebody from upper management would want to see other side of the coin.

• I have owned a 7-Eleven for going on 15 years. This is the WORST WORST WORSSST franchise to own. DO NOT even consider franchising a store. 7-Eleven is not your business partner, they are your boss and treat you like dogs. Constant threats for breaches because you threw out 10 sandwiches, but accidentally missed one. You have weeds in your parking lot. The list just goes on. This company is a joke, they treat you like dogs and have absolutely ZERO respect when talking to you. All they know how to do is yell and threaten you. I have talked to so many franchises, NOBODY IS HAPPY! The list just goes on and on.

• Plain and simple truth:

  Look at it this way. Joe DePinto needs to increase his profits. He obviously cant just force people in stores to increase sales. Best way for him to show profits is “inventory turn” Franchises are inventory, he needs to get them in and out of the system as much as possible. Why??

  Because when a new franchisee comes in the system he pays his $150,000 franchise fee. He leaves in 5 years, they get another $150,000 from the new franchisee. Best way to get people out of the system is by breach of contracts, threats and force them to work beyond their means and set unrealistic standards. Write them up for everything and steal profits and make the franchisee work work work until they are fed up.

  7-Eleven is opening new stores at every corner. Yes that is stealing your sales as mentioned above, but guess what.. 7-Eleven gets their franchisee fee of $150k anddd they still get their sales as they rotate through franchisees :-) Wonderful idea!!

  If 7-eleven owns 9000+ stores and still opening in the U.S. If Joe DePinto get get 2% of franchisees to rotate through the system by driving them nuts and working them until they simply cant work anymore, he rotates through 180 store franchisees a year. 180 x 150,000= $27,000,000 in extra profits while keeping the stores clean and franchisees working. Its a plain and simple scam. Once you’re in you have no choice but to work your behind off and get your money back.

  My story: I purchased my store with okay sales. A year after owning my store my market manager came and told me they are pulling my gas pumps. Ever since my pumps have been pulled (5 years ago) my sales have never been the same, im not making any money and I’m working constantly. The only money I make is when I pay myself 10 dollars an hour to pick up a shift and in the summer months I’ll make a couple thousand. But aug-jun… forget about it. Worst Franchise EVER! Trust me! Its a shame!

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• It is very unfortunate; we should consider the idea of sharing our experiences on Facebook, and twitter

• Thank you all for changing my mind about “researching” on owning a franchise as a way out of working for the governent. These horror stories make my job a dream job to most.

• The 7/11 in Ridgefield Park, NJ is causing me some problems. I won the lottery and one of the employees there is jelous of my luck. he treats me very badly every time I am in the store. He threatens to call the Police on me. I am a Viet Nam Veteran and I don’t like the way he traet
  me. He thinks that he can boss me around. Who gave him the authority to yell at me?

• I was down on my luck and a family member sent me a 100 dollar money order from 711/western union. NO 7-11 would cash it and they were in fact very rude, I was told by 7-11 corporate offices that any corporate store would cash it, but they are liars. no store would cash it. screw 7-11 and the idiots that run that company.. how are you going to sell money orders and not cash them for people. I had to pay 10 dollars at a check cashing place just to get formula and food. 7-11 is a joke, their corporation makes all this money but yet cant cash a 100 dollar money order..complete garbage..if you cant cash them, don’t sell them

• Warren:

  First, why are you complaining about check cashing on a discussion page about owning a franchise?

  Second, who are you to demand that a convenience store provide bank services? Do you realize how stupid you sound complaining that you had to go to a check cashing place to get your check cashed? Do you complain that your doctor won’t change your oil and your mechanic refuses to make you a salad?

  Third, what are you doing buying formula and food at an overpriced convenience store? Are you kidding me?

  Fourth, how much of the $90 went for cigarettes?

  You say you’re down on your luck but luck clearly has nothing to do with it. Get your head out of your butt, stop blaming others and take some responsibility.

• Philip f Carroll :

  You won the freaking lottery! What do you care about some 7-11 employees attitude. Of course he’s pissed he works at 7-11, taking crap all day.

  Dude, fly down to Rio, you’ll feel much better. Go to Amsterdam for a month. Tip the guy $100 for a slurpee then make him admire your vacation photos. Better yet buy the 7-11 and fire his ass!

  You won the lottery. No one feels sorry for you.