Macbob: Hi All, hope this does'nt get removed but I need to get this story aired.

Stopped trading as a Smart franchisee in Jan this year as couldn't make the system work for several reasons, anyway returned my van and equipment to Smart in the hope they could pass the van lease on to a new franchise on, however Nick Bicknell gave the van to a new franchisee (lives in Banbury, Oxfordshire) who could'nt get finance from Mercedes Charterway without my knowledge!!!!. I only found out when I contacted Nick to say that I'd had enough and I was coming to get the van and return it to Mercedes. Anyway as this was a way to get my Contract Hire monthly payments covered I went along with this. But the new franchisee has just given me hassle after hassle and each month had to chase him for the monthly payment as he never set up the standing order for as set out in the agreement that I sent him and that he never signed. Anyway decided enough is enough and told him I was coming to repossess the van. On the morning of me repossessing van phone me to say he won't be in and leaves spare key under bin. I get there to find that he has completely stripped out the van right back to the removal of the internal panelling that the van left the factory with; also removing the customised racking and all-weather awning which are part of the Contract Hire Agreement. I didn't do anything to him to deserve this,he has just done this to get back at Nick and James Bicknell as he hasn't been paying them also for the last couple of months.

This is now in the hands of the police as a case of criminal damage and theft.

Thanks for reading this and any info on the whereabouts  of my Mercedea Vito racking and retractable awning would be gratefully received as I now can't return the van in its original condition and configuration and will be hit severely by financial penalties by Charterway even more so than if the van was in the proper condition.

Thanks ,

Robert.

SmartABC lies about their franchisees success rate and earning potential. I now have the evidence to prove that over 32 franchisees have ceased trading and another 28 are seriously struggling, that gives them a failure rate of nearly 70%. After SmartABC have misrepresented the facts and have taken your hard earned money, some franchisees have failed within the first few months, but then SmartABC being the ethical company they are! then demand from you the remainder of the 5 years management fees plus products that you may have ordered from then in that period, in some cases demands have been for £30,000+ and if that’s not enough and you don't pay up, they then get debt collectors to chase you for the debt, 2 people have already declared themselves bankrupt and some are about to lose their home. Would you buy a franchise from this company?

For all those regretting spending 20k on a Smartabc franchise, Smartabc have just slashed 10k of your investment today, as per advertisement in Daily Express 2/08/10, they are now selling their franchises for £9,975 instead of £19,950. Good sign of a quality franchise! It would seem that they are now desperate for cash, what must this do to the moral of their current franchisees who have just paid out 20k, this demonstrates the disregard with which Smartabc treats its existing franchisees. it is clear that there only concern is to sign up new franchisees to be thrown onto the waste pile.

I went to an open day at Smart and I was  impressed with the  the repair they have done. When meeting with Nick the director I asked him how many franchiseee have been failed He told us only 2. They are all telling lies the repairing time is not true, the amount of money which we are going to earn is not true and even the equipment is not giving the correct reading either.They just ruining pepoples life. I took a loan from the bank and paid the full franchise fees and I am not making any money to even to cover my bills . I will loose my home soon and I will become Bankrupt.They told me they have put lots of effort to develop this system utter lie they brought from other companies and put their labels and filling their shelves . This business is not going to make any money. And in my knowledge nobody is making any money at all.

Just for the record, over 40 smartabc franchisees have now ceased trading, some failed within the first couple of months, failed several failed within 6 months............. and another 28 are seriously struggling, that gives a failure rate of nearly 70%....remember everything we write here is the truth, (if it was lies don't you think Nick Bicknell(MD) would of got this site closed down!!) so guys if you are thinking about buying a franchise, just remember there is 70% chance that you will fail!!... they have now reduced the price of there franchises to £9975, knocked a wopping 10k off!! but in reality can you afford to lose £9975? and also remember you are still left with lease agreement of 42 monthly payments !!