TESTIMONIALS
We are in urgent need of your support to keep operating!
We need not only financial support (from those who can afford it), but also, just as importantly, your moral support, and your public support of our legitimacy and the importance of our mission.
If you’ve been helped by Sean Kelly, UnhappyFranchisee.Com or the Franchise Truth made possible by our franchisee whistleblowers, please share a word of support below or email us at UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail[dot]Com.
Since 2006, Sean Kelly & UnhappyFranchisee.Com have provided a safe space where franchise owners could share their candid experiences and opinions with the protection of anonymity.
The impact has been significant. Thanks to franchisee whistleblowers, we’ve exposed and hastened the demise of a dozen or more deceptive or troubled franchise organizations.
Our franchisee whistleblowers:
- Contributed information and interviews that shut down the multi-million dollar NY Bagel scam and sent two perpetrators to federal prison.
- Exposed & hastened the demise of more than a dozen deceptive and/or troubled franchise concepts before they claimed more victims
- Exposed the abusive actions of a tyrannical CEO, leading to her and her personal attorney being removed from the organization.
- Enabled the Armed Service Veterans and military family members the opportunity to warn their brothers and sisters about the true risks and franchisee failure rates of the JDog Junk Hauling franchise and the JDog Carpet Cleaning franchise, a company whose image as Veteran-friendly had never been challenged.
- Likely saved hundreds, if not thousands, of families from the financial and personal devastation of failed franchise investments.
None of this would have been possible without a website dedicated to doing the right thing, and a fearless advocate committed to those who play by the rules.
We are under constant attack by those who will do or say most anything to hide the truth and prevent prospective franchise investors from making fully informed investment decisions. Please support us with your experience and opinion of UnhappyFranchisee’s legitimacy, advocacy, integrity and importance!
Here’s what one franchise industry veteran & advocate posted on our site recently. Kim Perrotta is a respected franchisee advocate, advisor and founder of WorldWise Franchise Development :
To whom it may concern,
My name is Kim Perrotta and I have been involved in franchising for nearly three decades. I have known Mr. Sean Kelly for nearly as long.
Mr. Kelly has repeatedly been a valued resource for factually substantiated information as far back as I can remember. I refer many to his articles and information concerning anything to do with franchising and in particular how to avoid problematic scenarios where due diligence is required. Mr. Kelly’s work should always be part of a potential Franchisee investor’s due diligence.
He has assisted many in coming to know truthful and unbiased information concerning problematic franchises, franchisees, franchise salespeople, franchise organizations, franchise lawyers, and the aggregate damage done to investors when they deal with those who are less than honest, unethical, and unregulated.
Mr. Kelly, as a respected well-known individual within the “franchise space,” is a journalist of the highest caliber and integrity. His sources are always consistent with the facts and he has never failed to invite opposing opinions whenever he publically prints an article, blog, or interview.
If the reader can take away simply one thing from this note it is that Mr. Kelly has saved many from unscrupulous individuals involved in franchising including brokers, consultants, franchisors, lawyers, accountants, professors, and franchise sales organizations that do very little to protect potential small business owners and franchisees in the highly unregulated franchise space.
I further respectfully submit this note in support of Mr. Kelly and his work and am fully aware of the slanderous comments made about him by one with questionable ethics and the lawyer supporting this unethical behavior. Frankly, all those involved who have “come after” Mr. Kelly should be ashamed of themselves as it only serves to prove that money can buy almost anything even a claim of false accusations and, in this case, a “fee for letter” attorney who should likely focus on his behavior and the behavior of his client rather than that of Mr. Kelly’s.
I am available at any time to add anything additional to this statement to the extent that I am aware of and can be contacted directly through Mr. Kelly or via the email address included in the note.
Thanks to everyone for their support!
Sean Kelly
Publisher, UnhappyFranchisee.Com
Founder, Franchise Truth, Franchise Truth for Veterans
To whom it may concern,
I was once a franchisee and felt I was very much taken advantage of and lost a significant amount of money to a large franchise company.
Sean Kelly helped bring myself and other franchisees together, he helped us to understand more about what was happening in the franchise world as a whole and with the UnitedFranchise Group specifically.
Sean helped me to get involved in legislation that was being proposed and to better understand how franchise companies work. I think Sean and his work and website are very valuable and help others to potentially not be taken advantage of or not lose a lot of money like so many of us have.
From what I have witnessed with my own experience he has done nothing slanderous and has not posted or written anything that is not true. I stand behind Sean and everything that he is doing. The information he writes NEEDS to be brought to light. Too many people are losing their life savings to these large franchise companies and brokers and it is not right.
If anyone is unscrupulous and slanderous it is NOT Sean Kelly.
He is standing up for so many who haven’t had a voice and is hopefully saving so many others from the same financial hardships.
Thank you,
Melissa Morrissey
Previous Experimac Franchisee
Sean and unhappyfranchisee.com is a great source of truthful content, experience and one of the very few who are looking to stand up against an industry that has been deceptive for decades. I was also a franchisee of a company that did not tell the whole story or provide any meaningful help once I joined the franchise. Because of the scam I invested in, I and at least seven other franchisees lost all of my retirement savings within a year of joining such an organization.
Sean made it comforting to know that I was NOT the only one who fell victim to deceptive practices in the Franchise industry and he also took the time to explain to me just how franchises truly work which lined up exactly with the experience I had witnessed from my own situation. I highly encourage anyone to thoroughly read through unhappyfranchisee.com and review numerous owners’ situations. Also please take the time to reach out to the resources found here. What you find could very well save your LIFE!
This platform is needed and must be supported, IF the First amendment is a right then why are franchises constantly trying to shut this down?? It’s an industry that needs to be exposed for what it is and this website along with Sean is the leading and in my opinion the only way it’s going to happen. Not all Franchises are bad BUT there are a majority of them that have been ruining peoples lives for a very long time.
Please heed my and all the other prior franchisee warnings. Due your research and DO NOT TRUST a single franchise’s claims without validating every single ounce of their claims. In some cases it can just take a couple weeks to get into a franchise but years to completely get out of it.
My only regret was not discovering Sean at the beginning of my franchise journey, if I did then I know for a fact that I would not have joined the franchise from the start. Sean is diligent, truthful and thorough and will do everything he can to help expose these corrupt businesses and their practices. During my time with Sean I did not witness him do anything untruthful, he did great research and a lot of the info came from the franchises themselves.
Sean has beaten these lawsuits before, and he will again!
To whom it may concern,
I reached out to Sean Kelly nearly 2 years ago as a very angry and frustrated former franchisee in the midst of a lawsuit (which was dismissed) against the Franchisor–Hounds Town USA and its founder Mike Gould.
Sean Kelly published a 3 part blog series on our very costly and horrific experience we had with Hounds Town USA and Mike Gould. I found Sean’s reporting to be very accurate, fair and transparent all the while maintaining ethical standards and objectivity throughout.
Because of Sean Kelly and his reporting the TRUTH, I can see much more clearly now and understand why there are so many problems in franchising.
Sean has obviously struck a nerve with those bullies attempting to harass and intimidate him. He is exposing the TRUTH and standing up for all of us “little people” who have no voice.
I stand behind Sean Kelly 100% and sure wish I would have known him before venturing down the fateful path we did with Hounds Town USA and Mike Gould. It would have saved us $600,000!
Our world would be a much better place if there were more Sean Kelly’s in it!!
Kind Regards,
Sarah Bigelow
Former franchisee of
Hounds Town USA
Sean Kelly is a respected journalist in the franchise industry, known for his integrity and thorough research. He has exposed unbiased information on problematic franchises, unethical practices, and highlighting the harm to investors. Committed to accuracy, Sean relies on reliable sources and ensures opposing viewpoints are always represented in his work.
The franchise industry is often portrayed as a path to business ownership and financial freedom, but it has become a devastating financial trap for many. Without Sean Kelly’s investigative work, franchisees like myself would have had little to no way of uncovering the truth about the deceptive practices used by some franchisors. Sean has given franchise owners a platform to share their experiences, ensuring that those who have been misled, exploited, or financially ruined are not forced into silence.
Sean has dedicated his career to exposing critical, fact-based truths about franchises that operate in bad faith. He thoroughly researches every case, verifies sources, and presents multiple perspectives to ensure fairness in his reporting. His work isn’t about attacking businesses but protecting people from predatory systems and holding powerful franchisors accountable when they use manipulation, deception, or coercion to trap franchisees into financial ruin.
Without independent watchdogs like Sean, the franchise industry would become even more dangerous, with bad actors operating unchecked, knowing they are immune to exposure. Many of the tactics used by these franchisors border on or even cross into criminal behavior—from fraudulent financial disclosures to the systemic destruction of small business owners’ livelihoods. If journalists like Sean are silenced, franchisees will lose one of the only lifelines they have to uncover the truth before it’s too late.
Because of Sean’s work, many of us were able to connect, share our experiences, and push back against Phoenix Franchise Brands before they could deceive even more people. His reporting has stopped countless aspiring business owners from making life-altering mistakes and has forced franchisors to answer for their actions.
The franchise industry desperately needs oversight, and without people like Sean Kelly ensuring transparency, franchisees would continue to be exploited with no recourse, no voice, and no hope of justice.
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to express my unwavering support for journalist Sean Kelly and his fundamental right, as a reporter, to seek and report the truth. In today’s world, where misinformation and “fake news” are increasingly prevalent, it is crucial that we stand behind those who are committed to honest, fact-based journalism.
Journalism is a cornerstone of democracy, founded upon the pursuit of truth, transparency, and accountability. It is a profession that requires both courage and integrity, especially in an era when the media is frequently under attack. Journalists must be free to investigate, question, and inform the public without fear of retaliation or censorship.
Sean Kelly exemplifies these values. Personally, his work has helped me navigate a minefield of lies and deceit from Phoenix Brands. His exposure of their fraudulent practices has given me peace of mind, knowing that another person or family will not fall victim to a franchise system designed to fail. I am incredibly grateful for his thorough research, unwavering commitment, and bravery in confronting deceptive business practices, especially those driven solely by greed.
His reporting is not just informative; it is a lifeline to those who seek justice. Sean Kelly’s courage and dedication to uncovering the truth in the face of adversity deserve not only my thanks, but the support of everyone who values integrity and fairness.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for your consideration in supporting the rights of journalists like Sean Kelly to continue their essential work.