100 signatures reached
To: Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Stop big brands destroying lives: Fix franchise laws now
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Pass new laws to protect franchisees and stop unfair treatment from big brands.
Why is this important?
I am one of 62 former Vodafone franchisees who lost almost everything.
I took out loans to franchise three of Vodafone’s shops, only to have the rug pulled out from under me when commission rates were abruptly slashed.
The impact was devastating. My revenue collapsed, and the stress was so severe I ended up on a heart monitor. My family feared I would take my own life. I am not alone; many of my colleagues have faced financial ruin, depression, and the risk of losing their homes.
For another Vodafone franchisee and lifelong supporter of the company, Adrian Howe, the pressure appears to have become overwhelming. He is believed to have taken his own life in 2018, leaving behind a devastated family.
In the weeks before his death, his family have said he was deeply anxious due to severe financial pressure, having been required to secure what he believed was an unviable second store against the family home.
Adrian should never have been put in that position - franchisees need better protections.
From coffee shops to the Post Office, thousands of local business owners have zero protection from this kind of corporate pressure. We take the risk, but the big brands hold all the power.
Ministers have promised to look into these "harrowing stories." We need to make sure they don't just look, but act.
Please sign to join our call on the Government to follow through on creating strong and robust statutory protections for franchisees.
I took out loans to franchise three of Vodafone’s shops, only to have the rug pulled out from under me when commission rates were abruptly slashed.
The impact was devastating. My revenue collapsed, and the stress was so severe I ended up on a heart monitor. My family feared I would take my own life. I am not alone; many of my colleagues have faced financial ruin, depression, and the risk of losing their homes.
For another Vodafone franchisee and lifelong supporter of the company, Adrian Howe, the pressure appears to have become overwhelming. He is believed to have taken his own life in 2018, leaving behind a devastated family.
In the weeks before his death, his family have said he was deeply anxious due to severe financial pressure, having been required to secure what he believed was an unviable second store against the family home.
Adrian should never have been put in that position - franchisees need better protections.
From coffee shops to the Post Office, thousands of local business owners have zero protection from this kind of corporate pressure. We take the risk, but the big brands hold all the power.
Ministers have promised to look into these "harrowing stories." We need to make sure they don't just look, but act.
Please sign to join our call on the Government to follow through on creating strong and robust statutory protections for franchisees.
