Letter supporting SB 610

This is one response I received on my email asking for support  of SB 610. I have taken the name off because the business owner was afraid of retribution. It is really important that I get your letters.
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Thank you for sending this.  I added a small paragraph telling only a bit from our long  nightmare with our franchisor.  We recently got out of that  franchise contract as we filed suit for several of the same exact abuses you describe in this bill.  We were lucky but it was terribly costly.  Others in our franchise will not be so lucky as they will bear the brunt of the vindictive nature of that franchisor.  This is an important bill to protect the franchisees who really have no voice.  The contracts are so one-sided that you feel like you have become an "indentured slave" to the whims of the franchisor. 
 
"I was a franchisee for over 14 years and had to deal with numerous threats from the franchisor even though we operated in the terms of our agreement. The franchise retaliated by leaving us out of important emails and just plan ignoring us as we were vocal about questionable legal and ethical business practices we observed. We filed suit and were able to get out of the contract but this would not have happened had they been fair and ethical in their dealings. We sold one franchise unit where they used underhanded tactics costing us over $40,000 in the final sale but could have resulted in a lawsuit by the seller with claims of up to $250,000. This bill is important to protect franchisees from unscrupulous franchisors."

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Scott Hauge
President
Small Business California
2311 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA  94116
shauge@cal-insure.com
415-680-2188