Please share “The JDog Report: An Urgent Call to End the Exploitation of Veterans in Franchising” [PDF] with every active service member, military Veteran, & military family member… and ask them to share with everyone they know.
Please post this link to Veteran-related Facebook groups, Sub-Reddits or email lists.
Please share it with media outlets and contacts you may have… with government agencies and Veteran organizations and urge them to spread the word and/or take action.
Please list the politicians, agencies & groups you’ve shared with and their responses (if any).
Hashtag #thejdogreport where possible.
Thanks for caring enough to act!
The JDog Report: An Urgent Call to End the Exploitation of Veterans in Franchising [UPDATED]
Download Links: The JDog Report Cover Letter [PDF] The JDog Report: An Urgent Call to End the Exploitation of Veterans in Franchising [PDF] June 6, 2024 Attached please find the latest draft of “The JDog Report: An Urgent Call to End the Exploitation of Veterans in Franchising.” I have authored this report on my own time over the past year in the hope that you will read it and share it with others interested in protecting those who protected us: American Veterans.
My name is Sean Kelly. I’m a franchise industry professional with 35 years of experience launching and growing franchise chains. I am the publisher of UnhappyFranchise.com and have been an outspoken whistleblower and exposer of predatory franchise practices and scams.
In April, 2023 I began investigating and reporting on what I believe to be the most blatant and despicable business opportunity scheme in recent history. It is a predatory scheme that targets U.S. service members, Veterans and military families.
The JDog franchise investment scheme deceives Veterans by promising them a successful business opportunity run
by Veterans
for Veterans. The true result is often personal and financial devastation… and worse.
Founded by Army Veteran Jerry Flanagan in Berwyn, PA, JDog promises Veterans a highly profitable, recession-proof business that not only builds on their military training & values, but enables them to reduce Veteran unemployment, depression and suicide.
The JDog organization has created a false but compelling success story and a propaganda campaign spread by the media and third-party partners. With a false sense of security and mission, Veterans and their families go deeper and deeper into debt as they try to succeed with the unsustainable business model they’ve been locked into.
Once they have depleted their savings, their retirement accounts, the investment of family members, their SBA and business loan proceeds and can no longer maintain their monthly payments, JDog terminates their franchise and seeks to resell their failed territory to new Veterans for new fees.
Those who dare to resist or speak out are sued by JDog for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The end result of trusting the sales promises and praise by the media is often bankruptcy, home foreclosure, loss of creditworthiness and security clearances, divorces and, in at least three cases, death.
JDog company documents report that it’s sold more than JDog 400 franchises to Veterans and military families. We estimate that more than 300 of those franchises have ended in terminations, closures or transfers of ownership. JDog Junk Removal franchise reports a three-year franchise turnover rate of 81%, JDog Carpet Cleaning reports a 3-year turnover rate of 138%. That the sellers of the predatory JDog franchise scheme are allowed to continue to openly prey on U.S. Veterans and military families, and that the SBA reimburses the complicit banks using taxpayer money, is a disgrace and a national embarrassment.
I have written, documented and now share “The JDog Report” in the hopes that you’ll join me in spreading the true story of the JDog franchise scheme, and warn every Veteran you know that, despite the lip service we all pay to being thankful for their service, no government agency is keeping Veterans safe from blatant franchise scams like JDog.
Thank you!
Sean Kelly
Founder, Franchise Truth for Veterans Publisher, UnhappyFranchisee.Com
UnhappyFranchisee [at] Gmail [dot] com Franchise Truth & Franchise Truth for Veterans Initiative The predatory JDog Junk Hauling franchise – which has resulted in over 300 Veteran franchise terminations – is just the tip of the iceberg.
There is currently no meaningful oversight or enforcement of franchise laws over the claims & representations franchise sellers tell trusting Veterans & other opportunity seekers.
Some of the most predatory franchise sellers are allowed to pass off high-failure rate franchise investments as “Veteran-Friendly” franchises by virtue of their inclusion of deceptive “Best Franchises for Veterans” lists or endorsements by seemingly reputable organizations, like the
International Franchise Association’s VetFran program.
Our initial analysis of more than 100 franchises currently promoted to Veterans through the VetFran program revealed that approximately 25% have 3-year franchisee turnover/attrition rates of more than 50%. That indicates that a high percentage of Veterans being encouraged to invest in these “Veteran-Safe” franchise opportunities will not only lose their investments, savings, credit ratings, & perhaps their homes,
some may lose the security clearances that gave them access to the good-paying government and contracting jobs they had prior to their franchise investment.
Contributions to the Franchise Truth & Franchise Truth for Veterans initiatives save countless Veterans from under-informed investment decisions.
Contribute to: Franchise Truth & Franchise Truth for Veterans Initiative URL:
https://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/support-franchise-fairness/ THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW. Documentation & More Information: Franchise Warning: JDog Junk Hauling for Veterans (Index) JDOG Franchise Dream Ends in Veteran Suicide, Double Homicide JDog Franchise News & Discussion Newsletter Sign-Up List of JDog Franchisees With Closed or Failed Franchises – UPDATED Where Have All the JDogs Gone?
OPEN INVITATION: Unhappy Franchisee extends an open invitation to all those discussed to provide corrections, explanations, clarifications and/or rebuttals. We will correct factual errors & alternative views fairly. Anonymous or signed comments are welcome below or can be emailed in confidence to UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail[dot]com. Sean Kelly is an independent investigative journalist with 35 years of franchise industry experience. Since founding UnhappyFranchisee.Com in 2006, his reporting has exposed & shut down several predatory franchise & investment schemes. Sean Kelly is a franchise watchdog who prompted and aided the FBI investigation that shut down the 165-victim multi-million-dollar NY Bagel franchise scam and landed perpetrators Dennis Mason & Joseph Smith in federal prison. Sean was featured in the ABC Four Corners expose of 7-Eleven wage theft in Australia and has served as an advisor to Dateline NBC. He has withstood bullying, intimidation & frivolous lawsuits as high as $35M and never lost. His crack editorial staff and fact checkers include Chick, Gem, Red, Pru & Joanie the Rescue Chicken. Contact the author at UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail[dot]com TAGS: JDog franchise, JDog Junk Removal, JDog Carpet Cleaning, Franchise Truth for Veterans, Jerry Flanagan, Terry Corkery, Kevin Kopa, Franchises for Veterans, Veteran scams, JDog Brands
