David Iseley founded the Oxymagic carpet cleaning franchise in 1999.
In 2005, he hired a kid fresh out of college as his V.P. of Franchise Development. Less than a year later, according to Iseley, the kid went off and started his own competing carpet cleaning franchise company. Iseley sued him and they settled out of court.
Despite having agreed on a settlement, David Iseley could not let the incident go. His anger and resentment toward the young upstart seemed to grow to the point of obsession.
David Iseley created entire blogs about how he had been wronged by the young entrepreneur.
He posted vicious, disparaging comments about his young competitor across the Internet, calling him a cheat, a liar and a thief.
Recently, David Iseley began creating and posting angry YouTube videos of himself ranting and raving about the wrongs he suffered, and the unfairness of the U.S. criminal justice system.
On his YouTube videos, Oxymagic CEO David Iseley plays media interviews of his young competitor while he makes derisive and derogatory comments.
David Iseley holds up snapshots of his daughters [See screenshot] who have supposedly suffered because of his 10-month employee’s misdeeds 5 years ago.
During the past 5 years, the college kid focused on growing his franchise company and supporting his franchisees. His chain has grown to nearly 300 franchises.
In the same timeframe, David Iseley has focused on playing the victim. Despite a 7-year head-start and almost two decades more experience, David Iseley’s Oxymagic still remains at about 80 franchises… about 1/3 the size of his alleged “copycat franchise” competitor.
David Iseley’s attempted smear campaign is doing more damage to his brand than any competitor could ever do.
David Iseley accuses the college kid of using infomercials, while his own website links to a paid-for “Designing Spaces” segment that is not labeled as an advertisement.
David Iseley claims the college kid stole his secrets, but doesn’t explain how the kid achieved 300% more growth with the same supposed concept.
David Iseley rails against the court system and the FBI for letting him “get screwed” because he’s “not Coca Cola.”
David Iseley obviously spends an inordinate amount of time on the Internet attacking a long-ago employee instead of finding a publisher for his book manuscript (he displays its supposed cover art) or updating his website (its most current training schedule is from 2008).
David Iseley claims the college kid is a phony, but is shown on video absolutely livid one moment then laughing the next (when he thought the camera was off).
David Iseley claims the college kid is deceptive, while it seems obvious that Iseley himself posts comments under multiple pseudonyms and personas. On the attack blogs, David Iseley even writes in the first person, as himself, then includes a disclaimer stating “This blog is not affiliated with David Iseley, Oxymagic, or Oxymagic Franchise Development Corp.”
Say what? His own blogs, which contain personal notes to his competitor, are not affiliated with him?
Should Oxymagic Franchisees Hold an Intervention?
At the very least, he should ask his franchisees whether THEY think he should continue using valuable time and resources on his unprofessional, personal online vendetta.
Odds are, if they are candid with him, they’ll say: Stop embarrassing us, David. Stop embarrassing yourself. Get refocused on helping us win and keep carpet cleaning customers.
Sometimes franchisors have to save franchisees from their own bad habits.
Sometimes the franchisees need to save the franchisor from himself.
For all their sakes.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE OXYMAGIC FRANCHISE & DAVID ISELEY? WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
[Note: Neither Oxymagic nor the unnamed competitor sponsored or had input or influence on the content of this blog post. The opinions expressed are that of the post author alone and are just that – personal opinions.] Contact the editor at unhappyfranchisee[at]gmail.com
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View Comments
"Not only do you look like a raving lunatic, but you put a picture of your kids in the video. Classy man! "
Oooohhh, yeah. I winced when he held up his empty wallet and showed the picture of his little girl. I was painfully embarrassed for him. His poor daughter. Wait til she gets older and sees that!
Even worse is the very end where he acts all enraged then the second he thinks the camera's off he giggles and says "Let's watch that over, huh?!"
Talk about phony.
Someone concerned like another one of Jonathan's Cronies?
If I'm so dumb and stupid then how did I build the model that was stolen and duplicated.
Someone Concerned. What have you done or accomplished? The ones that criticize the most are usually the people who have never done anything.
I posted those videos because of all the lies and deception I was seeing and have all the proof to back up. Documents, forms, emails, and even documents with Jonathan's signature. Oh, but lets not talk about facts.
I don't care about anyones opinions PERIOD! Including uh, yours.
Lets talk about the Man of integrity?
Leaves without even giving a notice.
Man of integrity?
Faxes a ND document while still employed by Oxymagic to our equipment manufacturer claiming to be the owner of the company.
Man of integrity?
Goes to our supplier in Denver and takes cleaners that he never paid for.
Man of integrity?
Failed to ship back computers from the call center that we bought.
Man of integrity?
Kept our website pass codes for nearly a month.
Man of integrity?
Still today claims that he was featured on CNN Headline News with Greg Gumbel which never happened.
That is truly a MAN who cares more about others than himself.
Oh how clear it is!
I noticed on some other threads within Unhappy Franchisee.
Now I see how all this came about.
He had to chime in with his stinch not long after Oxymagic was highjacked. Yep more cronies.
Critical of others but yet, what has he done?
Someone Concerned
You would put your name on this blog but..... You are a mouthy coward!
David, I've had employees do the same thing to me so I get your anger.
Something I don't get is that you sued and you both came to a settlement agreement, right? Did he have to pay you?
When you make a settlement agreement, don't both sides have to agree that the matter is settled?
Why is the dispute still going six years later if you came to an agreement?
I'm not sure how settlements work but I thought they "settled" the dispute.
This company is just as unehtical as the founder Jonathan Barnett. He is the most SHADY person that I have ever come in contact with. He had a huge lawsuit against him for being a thief and liar with Oxymagic and he tries to cover it up and look like the good one to all his franchise owners and employees. The truth about him is he is greedy and does such horrible things. He is a cheap businessman and incorporates his family and friends into his business to make himself look bigger and more successful. His mother Natalie is a supposed franchise owner whom never paid for her territory his uncle Ted is the franchise owner in Amarillo, his buddy Tj owns Des Moines, his other buddy Nonzo owns Kentucky, his father recently became a franchise owner, his girlfriend Lindsey is a Lead generator for franchise development... These are all things he does not share with his business partners and really is very important. He hacks into other businesses Tools for success to benefit off their website so once again he looks like the better person. Jonathan also bribes his employees by cutting them checks to keep stuff quiet... Really investigate this guy because he is SHADY and is operating a very SHADY business... Just like his call center... The reps are trained to say they are local to whichever franchise the customer is calling from... Now isnt that just a little WRONG?!?! If he had nothing to hide and he was 100 percent honest why would he train his Call Center Reps to lie to their customers???? Just really think about all this and maybe call and question anyone at OXIFRESH about this... THese are not accusations- Everything written here is the truth... Nothing but the TRUTH!!!
"His mother Natalie is a supposed franchise owner... his uncle Ted is the franchise owner in Amarillo, his buddy Tj owns Des Moines, his other buddy Nonzo owns Kentucky, his father recently became a franchise owner…"
Wow, OxiFresh sounds like a fantastic family business. It must be very successful if the founder's mother, father, uncle & two best friends all invested in OxiFresh franchises. What an endorsement!.
Are you saying none of the Oxymagic founder David Iseley''s friends or family wanted an Oxymagic franchise? That seems to speak volumes also. It's not surprising that Oxymagic's growth is stunted if those who know the business and the owner best don't see it as a good investment, is it?
Hey Guest or should I say a Barnett Cronie!
Just to let you know uuuuuhhh...
Natalie, TJ and Uncle Ted and Zo where his first franchise owners. You know false social proof.
They did not get in when they seen that Oh My God this is a great business, if you know what I mean.
And when did size ever become a factor in the success of the organization.
Oxymagic is nearly a debt free company. Bet you ol spend 99cents to make a dollar JB can't say that.
I know I'll just call all my franchises two franchises tomorrow and double grow my business. But yet I'm not into deception like that and paid endorsements like Entrepenuer, Franchise Business Review, etc... etc...All Paid Endorsements!
Oxymagic David Iseley asks "when did size ever become a factor in the success of the organization."?
Size is always a factor in the success of an organization.
If the "size" of sales is greater than in the previous year, that is called "growth"
If the "size" of chain's number of units is steadily increasing year after year (like OxiFresh), then that is a successful, growing chain.
If the size of a chain's sales or number of units is stagnant or declining, then that would a chain that is less successful than the group mentioned above.
It appears that OxiFresh has acheved much more growth and therefore success than Oxymagic in a much shorter time. With all your videos and rants, David, you keep calling attention to that simple fact.
Oxymagic David Iseley writes: "I’m not into deception like that and paid endorsements..."
Really? How much did you pay for the phony Oxymagic Designing Spaces appearance, David?
It is definitely ironic if Oxymagic is criticizing another company while they have a Designing Spaces segment posted on YouTube and all over their website. Designing Spaces spots are paid advertising disguised to look like real shows. The LA Times did an expose on O2 Media & Designing Spaces not long ago:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/03/entertainment/la-et-onthemedia-20101103
Here's an excerpt:
"Programs like "The Balancing Act," and its O2 Media cousin, "Designing Spaces" on WE TV, in contrast, will fool at least some viewers, who will not understand that many of the featured companies and products did not exactly earn their airtime. They bought it."
"Stacey Kannenberg, a Wisconsin mother who writes a blog and books about preparing children for school, turned down a pitch from "Designing Spaces" that came with the same $38,500 price tag. She said she thought her publications should be featured based on their merit, not whether she would pay.
"The people who are losing in the end are the consumers who don't realize these are paid segments," Kannenberg said."
This website should do some posts on 02 Media and these stealth infomercials.
It seems like $38,500 is the going rate for a phony TV spot. David, is that what Oxymagic paid for the "Designing Spaces" appearance?