The Anago Cleaning Systems franchise website boasts that it has been named by Entrepreneur magazine as 5th fastest growing franchise in 2010, and that it is “ahead of the competition due to the availability of profitable markets throughout the nation.”
Like most commercial cleaning franchises (janitorial franchises), Anago Cleaning Systems offers both “Master” franchise opportunities and “Unit” franchise opportunities. According to the Anago website:
“An Anago Master Franchisor has exclusive rights to a defined territory. The Master sells and trains Unit Franchisees throughout the territory. The Master also obtains cleaning contracts to be serviced by the Unit Franchisees. A Master Franchise candidate should have a strong sales & marketing background
An Anago Unit Franchisee owns his or her own cleaning business, and the business can be started with a minimal investment.”
However, unhappy franchisee commenters have posted complaints about the Anago Cleaning Systems franchise opportunity, with some claiming the Coverall franchise is a scam.
In December, 2009, commenter “holy one” wrote on the Complaints Board website:
“I thought my family and I were making a great move by purchasing into Anago not true. This is the worst experience I have ever gone throug they promise cleaning contracts never fulfill their mission. We invested $9, 000 into this company guess how many contracts we recieved 2 that’s right. Guess how much a total of 1300.00. Please do not invest with Anago please pass the word they are a noncompliant company here in atlanta GA their out to take your money.
More recently (on the same board) “Coverall Franchise owner/until expires” wrote:
I totally agree with the complains. I am a franchise owner myself. they are totally liers. I made a contract for $20k, I gave $14.000 downpayment and we agree that I was going to pay the rest each month /deducted from my paycheck. I though I was going to get my acconts (offices to clean) in one month. But, they made me wait about a year, plus I was making $9 dollars per hour (fast and hard work) and I did not had any money to hired an employee to help me. How much I was supposed to pay if I hire one? 1 dollar? THEY ARE SCAMMERS. Yes, they are in the forbes magazine, of course because they make money but franchises dont. they will take you money and make you work like crazy. they also charge for administration but you are the one who has to comfront the office owners if something is wrong or if you want them to increase your payment because you are working extra hours. DONT MAKE ANY CONTRACT WITH THEM, They are not good, this business is not worth it at all. I am totally dissapointed :(
on the same board, jjamiranda wrote that all janitorial franchises, not just Coverall, are scams:
I bought a franchise with Anago in 2006 and when I started everything sounded great – when I actually started doing the "real thing" it was different than what I was told in my initial interview- so the first 6 months I didn’t make any return on my investment (I was spending more money than expected or than I was making) – I had complaints from companies and lots of various problems – the whole conversion into franchise owner was very unorganized and chaotic – it made me very upset and frustrated.
After a year or so I began to understand why I was having all those problems and most of the problems were because I simply did not read the contract – although the person I bought the franchise from did not supply me with the training necessary to begin my journey after we worked it out everything began to get better and I began to learn and make good money.
Being a franchise owner is NOT for everyone no matter if it’s a cleaning company or a restaurant – you have to posess the certain skills and determination to keep trucking along when times are tough and become the proper business owner that you need to be.
The thing to make you successful at anything in life -not just this is to read and constantly develop your personal skills on every spectrum of learning – from managerial skills to business knowledge in general – building your self esteem as a business owner will put you leaps and bounds in front of others.
A franchise is a learning experience – in the first half of it – consider yourself an employee you are still learning THEIR system and training and developing the skills – it is not until YOU learn how to work and run the system for YOU that you become a business owner and start making the system work for you instead of against you.
Anago is a good starting point for any franchise owner – it allows you to get in cheap and develop your necessary skills to make more than you have put in – in a short period of time compared to other big name mainstream franchises. I learnt how to make my franchise system work for me and with me beside me at all times – I hope you can too – the key = learn the system.
NEVER quit – or give up – let your obstacles guide you in a new direction – good luck!
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE ANAGO CLEANING SYSTEMS FRANCHISE?
IS ANAGO A SCAM OR LEGITIMATE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY?
SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Also read:
JANI-KING Franchise Complaints
JAN-PRO: Janitorial Franchise Warning
FTC Guide to Buying a Janitorial Services Franchise
FTC’s Janitorial Franchise Buyer’s Guide
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View Comments
The coverall case in Massachusetts was a Test case. only 3 plaintiffs were used. The Judge already Ruled that all of the Coverall people are infact employees. This is according to the LAW. This is the LAW. A 3 Pong test was used to determine if the cleaners were employees and according to the LAW and the 3 Pong test they are employees. On a later date they will be going back to court to access all of the Damages. This same Judge compared the way coverall was doing business as a Modified Ponsi Scheme!
Coverall recently started making there cleaners use time cards.
The Judge also stated that he may certify the case as a national class action challenging Coverall’s Unfair and Deceptive business practices Nationwide.
Also Rhina alveranga who bought a fake cleaning franchise with coverall was able to prove that she was an employee and not a franchisee. She recouped her loses, investment and also received unemployment benefits.
In the Jani-King case, they have obtained class certification on the claim that franchisees who have worked in Massachusetts were misclassified as independent contractors.
In the jan-pro case we are awaiting for the Judges decision for cross parties summary Judgment and for Class certification.
Jan-pro Lost a lawsuit in Rhode Island. I also know of many other Lawsuits that they have settled out of court.
If you look at the Climaco Guzman V. jan-pro case you will see that jan-pro LIES. They never gave him any accounts so Climaco Guzman had to take legal action. The Judge found jan-pro Guilty!
The Judge said that jan-pros promises were FALSE and MISSLEADING! The Judge also said that jan-pro had BREACHED the contract and committed FRAUD !
1st amendment: Now come on, no one stated that in the past 15 years. That's how old the case is that you are quoting. If you are going to "hang your hat" on things that happened that long ago than SHAME on you.
Now in regards to the "breach of contract", I stated all along that was where I agreed with you on. I think that in some of these cases, that is really where the problem is. There, you have a legitmate gripe with Jan-Pro for sure. But with a "breach of contract" your contract is between you and the "master" not between you and Jan-Pro International.
Now in regards to your customers, I can only "report" what is swirling around. There are supposed emails asking for your removal from at least one of your jobsites, I'm sure your attorneys should be able to verify. I wasn't at your "master location" so I don't know whether you are "telling the truth" or if "your lying". At the end of the day, its one or the other RIGHT?
I've told you before, I don't blame you and the other "disgruntled owner/operators" for being angry, upset and maybe even a Little "pissed", I just think you've gone about this the wrong way, listened to people that you shouldn't follow blindly. One thing I've learned in business and especially in this business, TRUST NO ONE!!!!! Some say, thats a sad way to live your life, not trusting. I trust, just not everyone when it comes to business, Trust is very much earned.
I've also told you before, I hope you lose your case. Because, if for no other reason the thirty thousand or so current owner/operators will lose their investment and there's not an attorney that you know, that's going to tell you that, because they don't care about those people.
Now, I've changed my tone just a little, let's see if you can do the same. Reasonable people can agree to disagree, but compromise is negotiated fairly and equally between parties.
It looks like more Fake cleaning franchisors keep ripping of people.
They don’t just do it here in the United States they also rip-off people in Canada.
I have also received calls from people in Canada that were ripped-off by jan-pro.
Don’t be surprised if you start to see class actions in Canada.
Please see the following link. This gentleman talks about how a cleaning franchisor ripped his family off.
http://www.thestar.com/videozone/238248--countrywide-victim-arteaga
To jerry a master franchisor with jan-pro
You are trully one sick person
You look at people and if you don't like the way they look you call them illegal aliens. The ladies who came out on those video are not illegal aliens they are American citizens and some of them have kids in the Millitary. For you to call people illegal aliens just because they look diferent than you is wrong.
How can you defend what you Posted on July 10th 2010 at 1:52 pm
The following is what jerry from indiana posted on July 10th 2010 at 1:52 pl in the janiking section of complaints
“““ You shuold be awake by now. Even in California it’s at least “taco time” isn’t it?
As my “master” took his yaht out today, I was forced to go into the basement and feed/water all of the illegal aliens we are “training” to become the next batch of owner/operators
Now to show that I’m not as mean the “master”, one of our illegal aliens gave birth last night despite our best efforts to have her wait at least ten (10) days, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. To show that I’m not without feeling, I immediately explained to the illegal alien, that “wet foot, dry foot” didn’t apply to her as she was coming into the world. I then took the mother, sold her a starter kit at 5X the cost of the products and equipment given to her, forced her to take a tremedously underbid account, called the customer and told them I was putting an illegal alien into their facility,
What you ask about the baby? Well the “master” and I have decided to “sell” the baby to the highest bidder and pocket the money. We wil make a large donation/gift in the baby’s name to the owners of Franchise Times, Frannet, Vetnet and any other “net” willing to name us in the top “5″ of their franchise list. ”””
1st amendment: Obviously, as a PARODY it was quite funny. You obviously don't understand the word, not really my fault, maybe you should do some research this time. Of course, probably not, since you didn't even bother doing any due dilligence and you still handed a "stranger" 10K without even blinking an eye.
Can I ask you a question, where do I come to get my 10K from you. You're pretty gullable, thought I would try. Did you ever find out from "guest" that you didn't need a license yet?
You make it sound like when people walk into their area Jan-Pro office, they are going to be met by someone who is going to grab their purse, take their check book and write themselves a check and force the person to sign it before they ever speak to them about Jan-Pro. Now come on, just because you basically did that, doesn't mean everyone is like you. Now I guess you're going to tell me you have a mother who was in the Military and I should leave you alone too!
I mean really, everyone that 1st amendment knows is in the military? I live in a city of nearly 1.5 million people, I'm around 40 to 50 people every day, I only know about 1 or 2 that have family in active Military duty as we speak. 1st amendment knows hundreds of people and of course nearly 100 of them are active military, do you live near a base or something?
And of course, EVERYONE that 1st amendment knows of Hispanic decent are ALL legal aliens or U.S. Citizens. Here's a little secret, I don't believe you! I'll bet a dime to a dollar that most are here illegally, that's why they are in the "shadows" and that's why they hide their faces on the TV interview and that's why they aren't party to your LAWSUIT, which by of course, YOU are the lead plantiff in!!!
Did your attorney have a talk with you yet about how they aren't going to allow you on the stand? It's ok, I understand that Jan-Pro attorney will be asking for you to take the stand.
To jerry a master franchisor with jan-pro
I guees that the truth is coming out, all you do is look at people and you label them. That is wrong. If you see that someone looks different from you, you attack them. For your information this country is made up of people from all over the world. We are here talking about how jan-pro has been ripping of people and what do you do when you are loosing your argument. You let out your deragatory and racist views.
Two years ago if you saw one of the supreme court justices walking down the street would you also call her deragatory names? Would you also call her an illegal alien just because she looks latina?
You know that what you said is wrong. For you to be labeling everyone that works for jan-pro as an illegal alien is very WROING!
For your information 30% of the people that have called me are white, 30% Black, 30% latino, 5% Asian and 5% european.
I guess if you can’t win an argument you turn to deragatory remarks and you label everyone that bought a fake franchise with jan-pro illegal. You can try and explain your comments to the Supreme Court.
Please see this NEW video on how Douglas Adams talks about how he got ripped-off by a cleaning franchisor.
http://www.thestar.com/videozone/238246--countrywide-victim-adams
1st amendment: Do you think that Sonia Sotomyer would be wearing some sort of scarf over her face in front of the Jan-Pro office in California now too? There's your "picture of the day", "dude love has been replaced" by Sonia Sotomyer wearing a black silk mask in front of a Jan-Pro regional office with Telemundo and their "cracker jack" reporter talking about how Jan-Pro is equal too or worse than "global warming", "nuclear holocost", Iranian dictators, Sadam, Osama, Robert Byrd and others.
Wow, that's a stretch even for "guest" to cover up for you on.
Just a word to say how awful Anago of South Florida is. We had been customers for 12 years and had to close our business at the end of June. We sent them 3 emails and a letter as notice which they claim they never got. Although our office space was empty, they say they continued to show up throughout the month of July and early August, and want payment for this period. Now, if I were a cleaner, and I saw the place was empty, with no trash to empty and nothing to clean, wouldn't you notify the company? They are continuously harassing me, even though I am sure no work was done. If this is how they treat their good clients, you better be careful before doing business with them.
Cleaning franchisors rip-off the people who clean and the customers. It's all a ponzi Scam. These cleaning franchisors have many lawsuits and they need to be put in jail.