Complaint Review: Minuteman Press International Inc - Farmingdale New York

Minuteman Press charged its Australian franchisees AUD419.10 (AUD381.00 excl. GST) when it should have charged AUD302.50 (AUD275.00 excl. GST); an overcharge of 38,5%.

The Minuteman Press disclosure documents determines that the Annual FOCUS Fee payable is USD285.00 plus tax. The amount is payable in local currency and is to be converted on the invoice date.

Minuteman Press has franchisees in Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, USA and Australia. INFORMATION AT HAND SUGGESTS MINUTEMAN PRESS COULD HAVE OVER-CHARGED ITS FRANCISEES MORE THAN $654,126 FOR ANNUAL FOCUS FEES OVER SIX YEARS.

Below is a table of the approximate annual FOCUS License Fee Minuteman Press should have charged its franchisees in each country by year, since 2000 (USD285.00 converted at annual average exchange rate): 

CANADA (Canadian Dollars). Franchisees should have paid less than (amounts excluding tax):

2000                     CAD423.29

2001                     CAD441.25

2002                     CAD447.42

2003                     CAD399.36

2004                     CAD370.86

2005                     CAD345.42

2006                     CAD323.23

2007                     CAD305.98

2008                     CAD303.77

2009                     CAD324.98

2010                     CAD293.52

2011                     CAD281.95

2012                     CAD284.93

2013                     CAD293.60

2014                     CAD312.07

UNITED KINGDOM (GBP) Franchisees should have paid less than (amounts excluding tax):

2000                     GBP188.49

2001                     GBP197.97

2002                     GBP189.96

2003                     GBP174.56

2004                     GBP155.59

2005                     GBP156.85

2006                     GBP154.91

2007                     GBP142.41

2008                     GBP155.34

2009                     GBP182.58

2010                     GBP184.62

2011                     GBP177.80

2012                     GBP179.91

2013                     GBP182.33

2014                     GBP171.12

SOUTH AFRICA (RAND) Franchisees should have paid less than (amounts excluding tax):

2000                     R1978.53

2001                     R2450.41

2002                     R2996.29

2003                     R2155.60

2004                     R1837.22

2005                     R1816.47

2006                     R1933.16

2007                     R2010.69

2008                     R2354.26

2009                     R2399.17

2010                     R2086.38

2011                     R2071.02

2012                     R2341.61

2013                     R2752.56

2014                     R3064.39

AUSTRALIA (AUD) Franchisees should have paid less than (amounts excluding tax):

2000                     AUD491.99

2001                     AUD551.36

2002                     AUD524.52

2003                     AUD439.17

2004                     AUD387.72

2005                     AUD374.10

2006                     AUD378.53

2007                     AUD340.54

2008                     AUD340.92

2009                     AUD364.54

2010                     AUD310.48

2011                     AUD276.33

2012                     AUD275.30

2013                     AUD295.51

2014                     AUD311.24

USA (USD) Franchisees should have paid (amounts excluding tax):

Amount Minuteman Press should have charged its USA franchisees for all years from 2000 to 2014 should have been USD285.00 excluding tax.

WHAT MINUTEMAN PRESS FRANCHISEES SHOULD DO ABOUT THE OVER-PAYMENTS:

Franchisees are advised to review the invoices from and their payments to Minuteman Press for the annual FOCUS Fees using the amounts above as a general guideline. In the event of over-charges franchisees should demand a refund from Minuteman Press or alternatively could report the matter to the regulatory authority such as the USA Federal Trade Commission.

Minuteman Press reluctantly refunded some of the over payments to some of its Australian franchisees at the end of April 2014; more than 30 months after it was requested to repay over-charged amounts.

Minuteman Press:

Refunded a selected number of over payments. It did NOT refund any ex-franchisees whom it over charged. Many ex-franchisees had to close its businesses and incurred massive losses in the Minuteman Press franchise system. Many other franchisees had to sell their businesses at substantial losses as they could not sustain the business losses made in their Minuteman Press franchise stores. Minuteman Press bullied, intimidated, rushed and forced these ex-franchisees into signing the Minuteman Press brutal, grossly unfair and unlawful Deed of Surrender and Release. Minuteman Press unscrupulously elected to further exploit these unfortunate and vulnerable ex-franchisees and did not refund their over payments.

Minuteman Press calculated the refund amounts using an assumed flat rate annual charge of AUD275.00 excluding tax (AUD302.50 including tax). The flat rate is incorrect and many franchisees were refunded too little. The Australian Dollar fluctuated against the US Dollar on a daily basis. When the Australian Dollar peaked against the US Dollar, Minuteman Press should have invoiced franchisees AUD258.00 excluding tax (AUD283.80 including tax). When Minuteman Press refunded its Australian Franchisees it unscrupulously underpaid them.

INFORMATION AT HAND SUGGESTS MINUTEMAN PRESS COULD HAVE OVER-CHARGED ITS FRANCISEES MORE THAN $654,126 FOR ANNUAL FOCUS FEES OVER SIX YEARS.