The word is getting out!

Agreed Dale. Corporate's idea of a perfect franchisee is one that pays their fees and keeps their mouth shut.

To ask Peter his opinion is probably useless. Usually, when people who work for a company have a certain attitude, it's because it comes from the top down. John's attitude is that way most likely due to Peter's attitude being that way. If that wasn't the case, John wouldn't be working for the company.

John V: He was the one who held me and my Club Staff hostage to listen to a Pyramid scheme during what we were sold was a "Regional Training" day? The day we wasted paying hourly wages and traveling expenses with several staff; 75% of the day completely wasted on a high pressure sales pitch about MLM. It was maddening and Sad. The tactics and ways Zee's were pressured into Writing large checks; right then and there in the conference room in front of their staff and other clubs for THOUSANDS of Dollars to join at higher levels of this Multi Level Marketing company. Not entry level. I remember my heart going out to one middle aged lady who seemed to be in overall Bad health . She didnt look like she had extra money to spend on clothes; yet she wrote out a check for over 1,000 that day and John Voskamp happily took it.

The same guy trying to shame and HUSH this Forum. Franchisee's simply looking for corporate to open its deaf ears and grant relief from Corp's newest Franchisee burden- Fitware. And he wants us to think we are out of line...? On 9/1/16 - his tone was a complete Turn around from above. What is going on? All of a Sudden : they are trying to portray the perception of always looking out and listening to our slightest of complaints...?? Whoa. If I had to guess the reason for the sudden shift and changed Rhetoric... it was the work of THIS FORUM....Thank you Dale coupled with the threat of legal action that would cost Corporate more than if they gave in on this issue or seemed to give in to Squash the strength building in this forum.

Corporate likes to talk about being proud of the Success of Snap Corp. The only possible thing they have done to secure any notariety is centers Scamming someone into Investing in them and wording their Franchise Disc Documents so that NO One can knows what they are really signing. Even Attorney's have a hard time with Snap's language and contradictions in the agreement. Great job on creating Flawed "SIGNATURE Features" and Charging for Expert advice and giving Sub Par advice at best. That's why Snap's everywhere are drowning. Drowning in Corp fee's at the same time being offered the LOWEST LEVEL of helpful programs; Support; Training, Advertising and Marketing that exists with any of Our Direct Competitors. Somehow; Snap/ Lift Brands seem to always be a dangerous distance Behind the 8 Ball with their business model and over blown under delivered Fitware product Engager ENHANCEMENTS.

IF you are a Survivor from 2006 or 2007; You were smart enough to make sure you planned to lose money for a few years before being able to pay a dime to yourself for working tirelessly. Because you broke from the Snap business model and stepped up your game before Snap would admit how much change was needed.

Imagine that; Snap's founding model was not based on sound proven systems ; and obviously not based on Expert Fitness Club advice. That's why you join a Franchise. The One and only thing they did better than the rest; and inclines me to believe they did hire Experts for is : Fast Selling of Franchise Licenses. This is The only reasonable conclusion for earning the title of Fastest Growing Franchise under this seriously Flawed Start up Model. They did not even bother Qualifying owners based on Industry Knowledge, work ethic or business sense. As long as you could get the $ to open- it was a done deal. The Main Flaws of Snap's signature model was the most attractive part of the fraudulent Sales Pitch; the operating costs price and ABSENTEE OWNERSHIP; In FACT they liked to sell 3 Packs (poor people who bought this line) No need to staff more than 20 hours/wk; 4-7pm ; mon-fri; Sat; 9-noon. Club Build Out Plans designed and installed by the Snap "SWAT" team did not include: a Shower, a Drinking Fountain, A Desk FACING the members walking in and not the WALL (Cubby that FACED A WALL) a Designated Sales area with a computer, a stretch area, A space for Pers Trainers to do floor excerices with a Client or host a class of any size, Snap was NO CONTRACTS only offering month to month ; no Contracts or Commitments, didn't teach you to look for CERTIFIED TRAINERS who could be trained to also Staff and Run the club. I have not had 1 staff person even those beyond the 1 year mark that were not completely frustrated with the Fitware system finding it Glitch Filled and Ghost Like even after Corporates "Enhancements. Never ending issues they would sometimes try to fix and just make worse but not tell us. We would have to find the NEWly Created problem ourselves. And exciting ENHANCEMENT announcements turning into more Amazingly messed up daily sales functions as with the Member/Prospect Engager. Another botched Job by their Developers, Techs and Testers for which we pay a seperate fee for.

It would be funny to me if people hadn't risked their families financial future on trusting Peter and his followers who didn't find it important to make sure this Founding Model could sustain itself. Starting in 2009; Clubs closing in the middle of the night all around us. 2-3 years is all they could endure sticking to this Severely Flawed Founding Model. WE realized "the signature part of their model" was not ADEQUATE to secure a place in the market at the price we were asking. SO; 6 months or so in; We began evolving; adding genius things like: a drinking fountain, Private showers, TRAINERS as staff, a stretching area, work station w computer that FACED the customers walking in instead of the wall. Also ;other Value and relationship building member services like Free Instructional's and FitScores which we PAID our trainers to provide against corp's recommendation to have Trainers provide them for Free.

If we hadn't; we would be gone like the HUNDREDS of locations that folded- the ones Snap pretends they never lost. Snap didn't look inward for reasons why those clubs sank so fast. They didnt start to evolve into new Branding til atleast 2012. Then it was the Owner's fault; they couldnt figure out a way to be in 3 places at the same time and/or just stuck too close to Snap's start up model too long and SANK.

Now.. Us the survivors are bogged down with almost 3 years of fighting for an ADEQUATE Operating SYSTEM and MEMBER ENGAGER system that has TANKED Revenue and Burned the hours we used to use on CREATIVE and fun ways to motivate members to excercise and REVENUE GENERATING tasks. Instead we get weighed down by trying to find our way around issues with Day to Day functions and Reports and Operational Failures with billing and converting and renewing and down grading and upgrading gym memberships. Investigating and documenting system flaws that resulted in Terminated Memberships or corporate changing dues to Zero. Then time trying to find Management tools that are not completely useless for sales trends and Membership Attrition and New Membership stats. We pay a PREMIUM PRICE for their Fitware System. IF something works; it is cumbersome and inefficient / slow and times out on you with NO SAVE BUTTONS til you Hit FINISH after 7 - 10 screens of info.

On top of this ; Snap built in features that ASSESS NEW and undisclosed Fee's and generate even MORE corporate Revenue if left broken or outdated. So why would they fix it?

This is Exactly why they won't unless they are being forced. Without being held to Fair Standards by an Association Group and Atty ; it will only be a matter of time before they go on to implement more new and COSTLY features/ programs designed to make money for Corporate not to provide needed support to the Franchisee.

None of us left standing are afraid of hard work; just TIRED. Tired of Spinning our Wheels and being Deceived and Played.

Our only real shot at protecting our businesses from continued Fraudulant UnFair Systems and Fee's could quite possibly be best served in a large Unified stance with an Attorney practicing Franchise law. One who ONLY provides counsel to the Franchisee Side. They are out there and would have to be more effective and efficient than a firm that also protects the interests of Franchisor's.

Ah yes, the wonderful scam that was "Truestar". We bought into it for our clubs at the Snap convention: hook, line, and sinker. A years or two later, I ended up selling a bunch of canisters of various product for something like $90 on eBay. We took a huge loss. Several people from corporate admitted to me what a colossal failure it was. Yet, no compensation was offered for all the money we wasted on it.

Another reason we need a franchisee association. The more franchisees interested and willing to become a part of this, the less it would cost. One of the best firms in the nation requires only between a $5K and $10K retainer depending upon the amount of initial work that needs to be done. That's a pretty small number if we could just get 1/10th of the 'zees' willing to be a part of. We'd all get that investment back in droves. Once we have an association in place, corporate would think twice before becoming vindictive or wanting to "make an example" of someone as doing so would cost them a pretty penny.

I wonder if anyone has ever been allowed to close their snap without retribution or lawsuits and paying them a hefty price to do so other than when it's time for contract renewal?