after handling a large number of franchise disputes, the author concludes that most of the cheated franchisees have this experience: searching for well-known items in the market on a startup network or Baidu (milk tea industry such as Xicha, Diandian, Yihetang, Guming, etc.); Convenience store industries such as Meiyijia; Hardware industry, such as Dayi, Dongcheng, etc.), and then a webpage will pop up, allowing franchisees to fill in personal information to obtain the detailed list of joining fees and the current investment introduction of the project. Then, a customer service person claiming to be a well-known headquarters will contact franchisees to inform them that the well-known project has no quota in a certain area, or that the joining fee of the well-known project is as high as 511,111 to 611,111 yuan, far exceeding the franchisee's expectation. The headquarters staff will then promote the company's new brand, claiming that the new brand is an upgraded version of a well-known project, In fact, this is the beginning of the "scam".

so, how should we avoid the pit before we decide to join the project?

1. Register the national enterprise credit information publicity network or websites or apps such as Kaixinbao, Tianyancha and Shuidi Credit, enter the company name, and inquire about the company's registration status, such as registration time, number of shareholders, subscribed capital and paid-in capital, whether there is a trademark, food business license, patent, domain name, abnormal business operation, administrative punishment, lawsuit, etc.

2. Log on to the unified platform of the business system of the Ministry of Commerce-Commercial Franchise Information Management Network, enter the name of the company or the franchise brand to make an inquiry, and verify whether the company or the franchise brand has been filed and the details of the filing;

3. Go to other franchise stores of the company to make a "wait-and-see" inspection, see how the passenger flow and sales volume of the franchise stores are, whether they meet the expectations or not, and you can also go into the stores to check the overall decoration, etc. Seeing is believing, and you know fairly well.

4. Before signing the contract, understand clearly the store location, store design, purchase of machinery and equipment, the difference between the purchase price of raw materials and the market price, the charging standard of later service fees and other items related to charges;

5. When signing the contract, it is required to write all the contents promised by the company into the contract, and there is no guarantee for oral commitment;

6. Keep the original contract, receipt or invoice, which is important evidence for your future rights protection;

7. If you regret joining, remember to make good use of the "cooling-off period" to protect your rights in time.