RICHARD BERNSTEIN of Mars Venus Coaching Charged with Theft & Fraud

Unhappy Franchisee – Richard Bernstein, self-professed executive and life coach and CEO of the Mars Venus Coaching franchise company, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and fine of $500,000 on charges of theft and securities fraud.

The Las Vegas state attorney general’s office alleges that Richard Bernstein swindled a couple out of $250,000 after they hired him to help invest the profits from the sale of their home.

Bernstein convinced the couple to invest in a new business venture, Turn-Key Financial Group, with him.  Richard Bernstein promised to match the couple’s investment, and to use their invested dollars for legitimate business expenses.

According to AG Catherine Cortez Masto’s office, Bernstein blew $125,000 of the couple’s money to buy he and his wife luxury Bentley and BMW automobiles.

Richard Bernstein was to appear today in Las Vegas Justice Court this week.  He is charged with one count of theft and one count of securities fraud, both category B felonies. 

Richard Bernstein: success coach, life coach and convicted fraudster

Up until this afternoon, the “Meet the Team” section of the Mars Venus Coaching franchise website listed Richard Bernstein as chief Operating Officer, and hyped Mr. Bernstein’s qualifications as a success coach:

Rich’s background encompasses a wealth of business and coaching experience spanning over 25 years… His background in business management makes Rich uniquely qualified to help business owners learn important strategies that can help them succeed.

Not surprisingly, the site left out Bernstein’s criminal record which, according to the Las Vegas Sun, includes a conviction for credit card fraud. Richard Bernstein also has “numerous civil judgments for breach of contract [and] two Internal Revenue Service liens totaling more than $200,000 in unpaid taxes that have been recorded against him.”

Richard Bernstein’s title, bio and picture disappeared from the Mars Venus Coaching franchise website sometime during the writing of this post.  We have contacted Mars Venus Coaching to ask if Richard Bernstein is no longer affiliated with John Gray or the Mars Venus organization.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH RICHARD BERNSTEIN & MARS VENUS COACHING?  WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

CURVES One Club’s Struggle for Survival

(Unhappy Franchisee) Not long ago, there were three Curves franchised fitness clubs in Palo Alto, CA.  Now there is one.

According to Zohra Ashpari’s story in the Palo Alto Weekly, franchise owner Susan Empey is battling a poor economy and lower priced competition to keep from joining the growing ranks of Curves failures.

Curves’ express women’s fitness competitor Butterfly Life is faring no better.  Butterfly Life’s Fashion Island branch closed a few years ago, and its last remaining Palo Alto branch is closing April 15th.

Reasons cited for Curves failures:  saturation, economy, price & apathy

Ashpari (who, incidentally, read UnhappyFranchisee.com in researching Curves), indicates a number of reasons for the Curves closures in Palo Alto and elsewhere.  Do you agree?  Feel free to add your opinion below.

Market saturation.  According to broker Todd Lipton, “the proliferation of franchises quickly saturated the market.”

Recession.  Curves franchisee Empey says “People are losing their jobs, and exercise to some may have become a non-essential expense.”

High price point.    “The up-and-coming franchises and licensing companies that we see now are priced… as low as $10-19 a month,” according to Lipton.  “Curves currently charges about $44 a month, a few dollars more or fewer depending on services.”

Member apathy.  Curves may simply be failing to motivate or inspire members to make its program a priority:  “Curves club member Anna Richert of Menlo Park said that some may have walked away because they were paying but not going to the gym.”

According to the article, the Susan Empey’s gym was the first of Curves franchise to open in Palo Alto.  Now it is “the last one standing.”

We hope that the closings of the other clubs will now allow Empey’s franchise to survive… and that Curves will not sell new franchises in areas, like Palo Alto, where previous franchisees have failed.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

COMFORT KEEPERS Caregiver Bilked Elderly Man

Comfort Keepers franchise employee Tammy M. Sainato pleaded guilty to charges of stealing more than $32,000 from a 79-year-old man in her care, according to a story in the Gloucester Times.

Police began the investigation after receiving a call from Sainato’s supervisor at Comfort Keepers, who indicated that the victim’s daughter had discovered irregularities in her father’s bank accounts  including a $10,000 Sainato cashed on Nov. 11, 2009.

 Sainato reportedly told police that her elderly patient gave her the check after he overheard her talking on the phone about her financial hardships. The man denied giving her the check.

According to the article, Sainato admitted to police that she had forged three checks totaling $6,200 between Dec. 27, 2009, and April 1, 2010, but denied making three withdrawals totaling $16,000 during the same period.

Tammy M. Sainato blamed her ”serious” financial problems, and her husband’s unemployment, for her actions. 

She was charged with five counts each of larceny from a person over 65, uttering a false check, and forgery of a check.

Related stories:  LIVHOME Senior Care Franchise Rocked by Caregiver Theft Scandal

HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE Franchise Nightmare: Everybody Loses

After pleading guilty to the charges, Sainato was put on probation until Feb. 24, 2015, and ordered to pay the victims $10,000 restitution.  The judge also ordered Sainato to stay away and have no contact with the victim and his family, and  not to engage, either as an employee or volunteer, in caring for any handicapped or elderly people.

The judge stated that the $10,000 restitution order does not prohibit the family from being able to pursue further restitution through civil court.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH COMFORT KEEPERS & OTHER SENIOR CARE FRANCHISES.  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

LIBERTY TAX Scam Exposed by Franchise Owner

Liberty Tax franchise owner Tami Woestemeyer didn’t make it through her first season without being targeted for a tax refund scam.

Thanks to her quick thinking and the alleged scammer’s overly flamboyant ways, Woestemeyer helped expose the scam that specifically directed at Liberty Tax franchise locations.

How the Liberty Tax Scam Worked.

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, the alleged scammer is 50-year-old Randall Heath.  Heath was booked into the El Paso, Texas County jail on Feb. 2 on suspicion of 23 counts of money laundering, theft, identity theft, forgery and giving false information to a pawn broker.

According to police, Heath used stolen identities to obtain refund anticipation loans from several Liberty Tax Service offices

Since mid-January, police say, Heath has been using stolen identities to try to get loans from several Liberty Tax Service offices. .

The identities had been obtained by a break-in at a home that contained records from a defunct business that contained its clients’ personal information.

Heath allegedly used the stolen information to create fake driver’s licenses and phony W-2s for each of the identity theft victims.

He then used the phony W-2s to apply for seven $1,500 loans from different Liberty offices as well as a $50 bonus for filing taxes with Liberty, for a total of $10,850.

At some of the Liberty Tax offices, Heath asked for the loans to be deposited directly into a bank account and asked for a check for the others.

According to Woestemeyer, the social security number checked out and his picture ID appeared real, so she initially processed the scammer’s paperwork.

Ain’t no Cure for Stupid, Mr. Heath
If Heath hadn’t over-acted and made some stupid mistakes, he may have been home free.

But over-act he did.  Heath arrived at the Liberty Tax office in cowboy boots, cowboy hat and vest, gold chains, and flashy jewelry on his fingers.

He claimed that he worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, though his W-2 wasn’t from the agency. 

(At another Liberty Tax office, Heath allegedly “handed over a W-2 claiming an Alaska state tax. The problem: Alaska has no state tax… Heath returned an hour later with a corrected W-2.)

Initially, Woestemeyer processed his paperwork anyway, but her suspicions grew after she thought back on an offhand-comment he made.  She called several other Liberty Tax locations and all had reported seeing the odd, bejewelled cowboy.

That’s when she called police.  When Mr. Heath returned to pick up his check, they were waiting to add steel bracelets to his fashionable ensemble.

Warning for Liberty Tax owners:  The next guy might not be so dumb.

Police seized $17,000 in a bank account Heath allegedly set up under the name of one of the identity theft victims. In addition to tax fraud, police suspect Heath attempted to use victims’ personal information to to pawn gold jewelry and try to obtain financing from a local used car dealership.

But what’s scary is that if he had not overplayed his hand with the rhinestone cowboy from Homeland Security routine, he might have continued to get away the scam.

So Liberty Tax preparers be warned:  Make sure your customers are who they say they are, especially if they have Alaskan W-2s.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

LIVHOME Senior Care Franchise Rocked by Caregiver Theft Scandal

(Unhappy Franchisee) by Sean Kelly  LivHOME, Inc., one of the nation’s largest providers of at-home care for seniors, made news this past October by announcing the launch of its franchise program this past October.

In December, LivHOME made news with the appointment of Brandon Neilson as Director of Franchise Development to lead the new franchise’s recruitment process.

But in recent weeks, media attention for LivHOME took a dark turn when one of its former employees, Norma Ruth Casini, was arrested on charges of stealing more than $600,000 from the LivHOME client in her care, and spending the money on her home lease, dog day care and a “dog whisperer,” orthodontic work, laser eye treatment, shopping, concerts, travel, and other personal items.

The Casini Caregiver Scandal is truly a family affair, as Norma’s husband Leno Casini (a department assistant with the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office) has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and receiving stolen property.  Their daughter, Anastasia Darlena Mendezkestler, has been charged with felony counts of accessory after the fact and receiving stolen property, second degree commercial burglary, and fraudulently using an access card.

The story is a public relations nightmare that could not have come at a worse time for the budding LivHOME franchise company.

Meet Norma Casini:  Senior Care Employee From Hell

According to reports posted on the Orange County District Attorney’s website, the LivHOME client who was victimized by Casini was an 85-year-old woman with no family support who required 24-hour in-home care. LivHOME entrusted employee Norma Casini to care for Nancy W. from November 2006 to March 2009. 

The Orange County District Attorney alleges that Norma Casini stole approximately $610,000 from Nancy W.’s bank accounts and credit cards for personal use.

In March 2009, Casini was terminated by LivHOME after the company determined that the defendant was not in Nancy W.’s home during her shift. A subsequent review of the victim’s bank accounts revealed that her savings had been depleted from over $700,000 in June 2008 to less than $5,000 in April 2009.

Last month,  Norma’s husband was arrested after he was linked to stolen engagement and wedding rings from a Nancy W.’s 62-year marriage.  Orange County sheriff’s deputies located the rings in a pawn shop and traced them back to Leno Casini.  Leno Casini was arrested at the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office in Santa Fe Springs where he works.

Norma Casini faces a possible maximum sentence of 49 years and eight months in state prison.

Husband Leno and daughter Anastasia each face a maximum sentence of 12 years in state prison. 

The defendants are each in custody on $610,000 bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond.

The Home Helper who Helped Herself

After being fired by LivHOME for not being in her invalid client’s home during her shift, one would think her career as a caregiver would be over.

One would be wrong. 

Norma Casini was hired by senior care franchise Home Helpers, where she worked from December 2010 to January 2011.

As Home Helpers Senior Care Employee-From-Hell, Norma Casini allegedly ripped off an elderly couple by taking the woman’s debit card, changing the password, making purchases, stealing her wedding ring and band for her alleged scumbag husband to sell to the Jewelry Buyers pawn shop.

But Home Helpers’ PR nightmare is another story for another post.  One can only describe so much vile depravity at one sitting.

Are Senior Care Franchise Companies Doing Enough to Protect Clients?  Will They Cause Their Own Downfall?

Yesterday, I posted a story on a similarly ghastly story involving senior theft on the part of a Home Instead Senior Care franchise employee (See:  HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE Franchise Nightmare: Everybody Loses).  After this, I will write on the effect this same story will have for the Home Helpers franchise.

In-home health care is a huge and growing market.  Senior Care franchises are positioned to meet this need and reap the benefits for years to come, but only if they can earn the degree of trust promised in their well-crafted marketing materials.

Are senior care franchise companies doing enough to screen and supervise employees, and to make sure their franchisees are doing the same?

What could they be doing to better both protect their clients, their brands & the reputation of their franchise chains?

In a business entirely built on trust, are they doing enough to earn it?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

Sean Kelly is a writer, Internet publisher and marketing consultant with more than two decades of franchise experience. 

He can be contacted at seankelly[at]ideafarm.net.

CURVES INTL Must Repay Members of Closed Curves Fitness Clubs

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has announced that Curves International must establish a restitution fund to repay members of 60 Curves franchise fitness clubs that closed in New York in 2009.  Additionally, Curves must pay an additional $60,000 to New York State for the costs of the investigation.

In New York, franchisors are liable for refunds on closed franchised health clubs

The Attorney General launched an investigation after receiving complaints that a Suffolk County Curves franchise had closed without notice. Since that club failed to secure a bond as was required by law and refused to provide refunds to its members, consumers sought refunds from Curves International – its franchisor.  However, Curves International failed to immediately provide refunds, denying any responsibility for the independently-owned club.

New York State General Business Law states that any contract between a consumer and a franchised health club is also enforceable against the franchisor. According to the Attorney General’s office, Curves International refused to honor that legal obligation and failed to provide refunds to the consumers.

“If you do business in New York, then you have to play by the rules. Curves International – like any franchisor operating in the state – must refund the customers who prepaid for memberships they ultimately could not use,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “My office will continue to ensure that consumers are treated fairly, and I encourage New Yorkers to learn their rights and report offenses to our office so that we can take action.”

More Than 60 ‘Curves’ Health Clubs Across the State Accepted Fees, Then Suddenly Shut Their Doors…

In 2009, 60 Curves health clubs across New York state went out of business without providing refunds to their members. 

According to the Attorney General’s press release, the closed Curves franchise club locations, by county, include:

County	Curves Closed ‘09	County	Curves Closed ‘09	County	Curves Closed ‘09
Albany	3	Madison	1	Queens	4
Bronx	1	Monroe	1	Rensselaer	1
Broome	1	Montgomery	2	Richmond	1
Chautauqua	1	Nassau	9	Rockland	1
Cortland	1	New York (Manhattan)	1	Saratoga	2
Dutchess	3	Niagara	1	Schenectady	1
Erie	6	Oneida	1	Suffolk	3
Kings (Brooklyn)	3	Oswego	4	Wayne	1
Livingston	1	Putnam	1	Westchester	4

More than 1000 Curves franchises closed in 2009

From 2007 to 2009, the Curves franchise chain shrunk by about a third in the U.S., from 7,748 at the beginning of 2007  to 5,208 U.S. sites at the end of of 2009. 

In 2009, more than 1,000 Curves franchises closed their doors, while just 35 new locations opened.

Read:  CURVES: 1000 Franchise Clubs Failed Last Year

When asked for the reason for the widespread closings, Curves president Mike Raymond said it was part of a plan to “prune the system,” sparking outrage from the Curves owners whose investments and livelihoods suffered from the pruning of franchisee-owned clubs.

Read:  CURVES Franchise Owners React to Comments That They’re Being “Pruned”

According to this month’s Franchise Times, Curves International has been sued by more than 266 franchisees and franchise groups.  Curves franchise owners have documented their struggles and frustrations by posting thousands of comments on posts on UnhappyFranchisee.com.

Read:  CURVES: Curves Posts on Unhappy Franchisee

How New York members of Curves clubs that closed in 2009 can apply for a refund.

The NY Curves restitution fund is being adminstered by the Better Business Bureau.  Consumers who believe they are entitled to a refund from Curves International should contact the Better Business Bureau at 212-358-2857 at 30 East 33rd Street, 12th Floor, New York, New York 10016. 

New Yorkers who have had a similar experience with a different business and would like to file a complaint are encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Helpline at 1-800-771-7755.

Source:  New York Attorney General’s Office

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE Franchise Nightmare: Everybody Loses

(Unhappy Franchisee.com)  – by Sean Kelly  Home Instead Senior Care of East Bridgewater was paid $3000 per month by the family of 80-year old Joseph Guarino to care for the decorated Korean war veteran.

The Home Instead franchise sent Debra Belcher, aka Debra Blair, 29, – a woman with a history of passing bad checks who had been fired by another Home Instead franchise – to care for Guarino.

According to news reports, Belcher allegedly left Mr. Guarino unattended for hours in a locked car.  Unbeknownst to the Guarino family, police say Belcher also was stealing money from her elderly client, as well as jewelry and tools that she and her husband pawned.  She may have even taken Guarino’s war medals from his uniform.

When the family complained about Belcher, the Home Instead Senior Care franchise (owned by Richard M. Sasso and Harriet C. Sasso of Brockton, MA) reassigned Belcher to an elderly couple named Sergio.  According to police, Debra Belcher went on to steal cash, jewelry, and silver flatware from the 71-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s and her husband.

The new caregiver assigned to Joseph Guarino by Home Instead Senior Care of East Bridgewater was caught on video stealing food.

In franchise nightmares like this, everybody loses.

Home Instead Senior Care has terminated the East Bridgewater franchise owned by Richard and Harriet Sasso for their “multiple lapses in judgment,” according to company spokesman Dan Wieberg.

The Home Instead Senior Care franchisees lost their business. 

50 to 65 Home Instead employees lost their jobs.

65 Home Instead clients lost the help they thought they had, and the trust they thought they could put in what they thought was a respected company.

The non-profit agency that recommended Home Instead to Belcher’s victims – Old Colony Elder Services – has lost credibility.

The Home Instead Senior Care franchise brand and the reputation of its franchisees nationwide has certainly been tarnished by the negative publicity brought on by its franchisee’s allegedly unscupulous, thieving employee.

The negative publicity is a blow to the industry as a whole, and to the contention that hiring a national senior care franchise provides enhanced trustworthiness and safety.

Worst of all, the victims and their families lost more than possessions as they suffer the anguish of being preyed upon when they were at their most vulnerable.

The loss of freedom to be suffered by Debra Belcher, aka Debra Blair, and her husband once the criminal and possibly civil courts are done with them can certainly never compensate for the harm they’ve caused nor the pain they’ve inflicted.

Related stories: LIVHOME Senior Care Franchise Rocked by Caregiver Theft Scandal

COMFORT KEEPERS Caregiver Bilked Elderly Man

Is this an isolated incident?  A Home Instead Senior Care problem?  Or tip of an industry-wide iceburg?

Home Instead Senior Care claims to be “the leading provider of in-home, non-medical senior care worldwide,” “the most respected name in the industry,” and “the most trusted source of home care in the world.”

If that’s true, and this could happen to the industry’s most trustworthy company, it’s a scary situation indeed.

The fact is that there are people out there who feel no hesitation in taking advantage of those who are most in need, whether they are draining their bank accounts, stealing their war medals or prying gold from patients’ teeth.

They are psychopaths.  They have no conscience.  They feel no remorse.

The growing senior population desperately needs protection from scammers and thieves like these.

If franchise companies like Home Instead Senior Care and their competitors wish to be the providers of that protection – without undue government  interference and regulation – they will have to provide more effective protection than the Guarinos and the Sergios received.

Related reading:  LIVHOME Senior Care Franchise Rocked by Caregiver Theft Scandal

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE FRANCHISE? HAVE YOU HAD EXPERIENCES WITH THEM OR OTHER IN-HOME CARE PROVIDERS? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW.
Sean Kelly is a writer, Internet publisher and marketing consultant with more than two decades of franchise experience.  He can be contacted at seankelly[at]ideafarm.net.

To contact UnhappyFranchisee.com, email UnhappyFranchisee[at]gmail.com.

DAIRY QUEEN Franchise Closes After Franchisor Rejects Sale

Unhappy Franchisee – A Dairy Queen franchise that has operated for 25 years will close after Dairy Queen Corporation refused to approve a transfer to a new owner and subsequent relocation.

The Dairy Queen franchise is the only ice cream shop in Boulder, Colorado’s Gunbarrel community, according to a story in the daily camera.

The franchise owners, Carl & Mandy Patron, will lock the doors for good this Friday after struggling for years to make money.

The Patron’s bought the Dairy Queen franchise in 2001, and have struggled in recent years.  They reported that during the winter months they survive off a line of credit, which they spend the summer months paying back. 

According to franchisee Carl Patron, “There is very little overall profit with the store.”

Franchisees hopes rise with new prospective owner

After years of struggling to make a profit and unsuccessful attempts to sell their store, the Patron’s finally got a break.  A prospective buyer emerged with a plan to move the Dairy Queen to a nearby location and turn it into a co-branded store with Orange Julius.  The new franchisee was the most qualified the Patron’s has encountered.

Three weeks ago, the franchise owners secured a contract on the sale of the business and were near closing when officials Dairy Queen Corporation refused to approve the transfer of the store.  According to franchisee Patron, the denial was in part, was due to the new buyer’s plans to relocate the business even though it was only a short distance and would still be within the same shopping center.

With their plans to sell to the new owner crushed, the Patron’s have decided to take the loss, close the 25 year franchise and move on.

From Wednesday to Friday, the store is offering everything at 50% off until it’s gone.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE DAIRY QUEEN FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY?  WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

Related reading:

DAIRY QUEEN Sues Franchisee for $13M Extortion Scheme

QUIZNOS Franchise Failure Blamed on Corporate Policies

Quiznos franchise failure in Elgin, Illinois is being blamed on Quiznos corporate policy decisions, the recession and prolonged street construction according to a story in the Courier News.

After eight years in business, Quiznos franchise owners Joe Follrath and Suzanne Pfaff said they’ll shut their doors for good next week “unless someone makes us a last-minute offer to buy the place.”

The Douglas Avenue sandwich shop, which has been in business downtown for eight years, will stay open until it runs out of stock, which probably will be by the end of next week, they said. The owners plan to hold an auction sometime thereafter.

The Quiznos franchise owners have been looking at options for about six months but the business is no longer financially viable.  They plan to hold an auction once they run out of stock.

In addition to the tight economy and downtown construction, Quiznos onerous company policies helped cause shrinking margins tight and dwindling profits.  According to the article:

“We originally chose to open a Quiznos franchise because of the company’s growth potential and the quality of its products,” said Follrath. “We did great business for the first few years, but sales have been swiftly declining since we hit our peak in 2007.”

According to information provided by Elgin’s Downtown Neighborhood Association, with the recession on the horizon, between 2007 and 2009, more than 1,000 franchisee-owned Quiznos closed.

“Franchisees cite rising Quiznos-distributor food costs, drastic coupon discounts such as buy-one, get-one-free sandwiches, and other corporate policy decisions,” the release stated. “Currently, Quiznos is requiring its franchisees to undergo a complete interior renovation and point-of-sale system upgrade.”

Tonya Hudson, executive director of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, said she is amazed that the Quiznos franchise owners persevered as long as they did, calling it “a testament to the loyal customer base they built in downtown over the past eight years.”

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE QUIZNOS FRANCHISE?  SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH A COMMENT BELOW.

Also Read:

QUIZNOS OVERVIEW & DISCUSSION

Failure Rates of the 10 Most Popular Franchises

Franchise Owner Claims It’s “Impossible to Make Money” With Quiznos

QUIZNOS Franchisee Blasts HQ’s Coupons and Discounts

QUIZNOS: Franchisees Lost $2.25 per Sub on Giveaway

Gary Heavin on ABC Secret Millionaire: What do CURVES Franchisees Think?

Unhappy Franchisee – Curves founder Gary Heavin and his wife Diane will be featured in an episode of the new “inspirational” ABC series “Secret Millionaire.”

We ask:  Do Curves franchisees perceive Heavin’s Secret Millionaire participation as positive brand exposure that will benefit existing clubs? 

Or do they perceive it as a slap in the face, an ego-fueled insult to the thousands of failed or failing Curves franchise owners who are now, themselves, suffering financial hardship by investing in Heavin’s franchise?

Feel free to share your view below. 

There’s more to this story than it seems… – Gary Heavin

The promo clip for the episode begins with ominous music and a dramatic voiceover:

[Narrator:]  “Tonight… A couple who has created a health club empire…

[Gary Heavin:]  “We’re kind of the McDonald’s of fitness…”

[Narrator:] “…Will experience life in one of the nation’s poorest cities…”

[Diane Heavin:] “I’m not sure I understand poverty in America like this…”

[Narrator:] “…For six days days they will be stripped of all luxuries…”

[Gary Heavin:] “Six dollars and fifty cents a day… Wow…”

[Narrator:] ““…And assume new lives as secret millionaires… Looking for deserving people who need their help… In the end they’ll surprise community heroes with tens of thousands of dollars of their own money…”

[Diane Heavin:] “We really want to do something special…”

[Narrator:] “After revealing their secret identities as…”

[Gary Heavin:] “There’s more to this story than it seems…”

[Narrator:] “The Secret Millionaire.”

For six days they will be… looking for deserving people who need their help… – Narrator

A television show about the founders of Curves having to search for deserving people in financial crisis may strike some as a tad ironic.

The Wall Street Journal reported 1000 franchises Curves clubs failed in 2009 (Read CURVES: 1000 Franchise Clubs Failed Last Year).  Since 2007, 2/3 of Curves domestic franchises – more than 2500 clubs – closed their doors.  The financial toll on many franchise owners has been devastating.

On UnhappyFranchisee.com, failed and failing Curves franchise owners have reported that instead of receiving assistance and support from their philanthropic franchisor, they have received threatening letters, demands for closing fees and payments, and been mercilessly harrassed by an IL law firm/collection agency claiming to represent the Heavin’s company. 

Curves franchisees, many of whom were “stripped of all luxuries” long ago, have voiced their discontent in more than a thousand comments on UnhappyFranchisee.com (Read CURVES: Robert Lay’s Story and  CURVES: Curves Posts on Unhappy Franchisee).

None have, so far, reported receiving a call from Gary or Diane Heavin offering to do something special for them.

We really want to do something special… – Diane Heavin

The Secret Millionaire series will debut on Sunday, March 6 at 9/8c.   

The short clip above is a teaser from one of the first episodes of Secret Millionaire, which features Diane and Gary Heavin, scheduled to air on April 3.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW!