JAN-PRO: Janitorial Franchise Warning

44 thoughts on “JAN-PRO: Janitorial Franchise Warning”

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• I really don’t understand why there are so many unhappy people. I to own a janpro franchise and I am very happy with it. I have 4 accounts and I make about 2,000 a month and I only work three days a week and a total of 8 hours. What people don’t understand is that you own a “BUSINESS!!!!! You are responsible to make your business grow not janpro. Yeah I can understand about them being late on giving you your contracts but when you do get them you should know what you are getting before you accept the contract. You need to read and do the math before you agree to take the contract. No one is going to hold your hand and do all the work for you. As a business owner you are in control of your own success not janpro. When I first brought my franchise I didn’t wait for janpro to fulfill my accounts I went out and start getting my own accounts, so to all the people waiting for janpro to hold there hands and get them accounts. You need to remember you are a BUSINESS OWNER. try going out and getting business for yourself. And I am a real janpro franchise owner in Arizona……………

• To Charles

  You are just someone from corporate. I don’t see how you can sleep well at night. I have heard so many Horror stories from so many people from all over the country on how they got ripedoff.

  1. No you don’t own your own business, jan-pro controls you. Jan-pro will fine you for many different reasons and comand you on what to do.

  2. When they haven’t fullfilled your contract and time is up. Tthey wont give people there money back like they say they will.

  3. If you don’t accept there contracts because there not profitable, to far away or at the wrong time they count those against you. This is a scam and a crime that needs to be prosecuted.

  4. Charles you don’t make sence, You said you joined jan-pro and then you went and got your own accounts by yourself? Why would you join jan-pro for then?
  How would you get your own accounts if you were new at the business?
  You make absolutely no sence!

  5. They underbid accounts so low that you make less than minimum wage!

  Charles by the way I have people calling me from Arizona wanting to join the lawsuit.

  Please read the following article that is about our National lawsuit about jan-pro. http://franchisetimes.com/content/story.php?article=01374

• I agree Jerry, Charles is not a real franchisee! I am an active franchisee in NC. The latest “business” offer I got is so out of reality that I will be better off working for a fast-food restaurant making minimum wage. I am hoping that the case presented in the Supreme Court gains the status of class action law suit. This business model of selling an illusion has to stop.

• Hi i am currently thinking of buying a franchise with jan pro, just at entry level. I live in N Ireland and was wondering if there is anybody else who has bought one in N Ireland and how has it went so far, having read these comments it has put me off however things may be different over here.

• I own a JanPro Franshise not really happy but the economy being what it is I bare it out. Recently I made a deal with another JanPro franchisee where I paid him x amount for his bussiness he wanted to get out because he landed a hourly job with a school. after a matter of months of having paid I started losing his accounts. Well I figure no problem Janpro garrenties their accounts you buy for one year atleast thats how ;they do it here where I live.Well I was told that since I brought the accounts from someone else and not them , and even though they were garentied to him they are not garretied tho me. I could go on and on on how oneside JanPro is. Please excuse the spelling.

• Please read this info about the situation with Jan Pro:
  http://www.llrlaw.com/pdfs/franchise_times_taking_off_the_gloves.pdf

  Also, I contacted Lichten & Liss-Riordan P.C. here is the link:
  http://www.llrlaw.com/ca_clean_fran.htm

  This is the reply I got from the law firm:
  Thanks for contacting our firm about the Jan-Pro case. We do have a case
  against Jan-Pro that is in pre-litigation in Federal Court. In this case, we
  are attempting to get the judge to approve this case as a national class action
  lawsuit. This means, that every franchise in the country that wants to
  participate in the case can file a claim. We have not had a ruling on this
  issue yet. Therefore, if the case is approved as a class action, you will
  automatically receive a notice either from us or the court and it will ask you
  if you want to participate in the case. If you would like, I can keep your
  contact information in our database so that in the event it is not approved as a
  class action, we can let you know and discuss other methods for proceeding.

  This is what I have to say:
  Please tell your fellow franchisees about this lawsuit, the more we get involved the better results we can get. I am a current franchisee in NC. I have been involved with Jan pro for almost four year. I have not seen a sign of a real business so far. I have been in business for myself since 1997 (Landscaping). I thought this “cleaning business” was going to take to the next level. What a disappointment. This business model probably worked 10 years ago. This business model is collapsing because there are so many imitators overselling it. Right now is legal scam. Do you want to ask me questions about my experiences with Jan Pro, please email me: jfcita@nc.rr.com

• this a scam

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• im in los angeles, and invested 700 into janpro im having 2nd thoughts after reading this imgoing to ask for money back

• Larry, I do not think you are going to get your money back anytime soon. Jan-Pro master’s Franchisor make their money from you (you are a pot of gold, fees, fees and more fees, or perhaps they can sell you an account that has been sold five times prior you) not from Jan-Pro’s customers. Do not forget that they are not your costumers. You in the other hand, you are an employee paying for to be a glorify janitor.

• Are any Canadian Franchisees being hounded by their master franchise regarding WSIB? I have a documented answer from the WSIB office regarding volunteering your time and working for free. Since we are business owners, then we are not covered under WSIB. So I do not understand why the head office say as franchise owners you are covered for WSIB. As independent contractor you do need to show clearance certificate to confirm that you have paid WSIB premium, but only if you have employees. If you do not have employees then you don’t need to provide one. I choose to work for free for my husband’s sole propertorship company thus WSIB premium is not required. Does anyone know why the insurance is based on percentage? Shouldn’t it be fixed monthly amount? We pay other insurances (house, car, etc.) by a fixed monthly amount. Why it Jan-Pro insurance percentage based? How much is Jan-Pro’s insurance on a monthly basis? Why can we be provided with this information. Why are we being deducted $50 for no good reasons at all. They chalked it up to service or complaint fee. Such greedy master franchisor.

• Jan-Pro is bullshit just got my check and they chagred me $50 for a complaint I don’t understand when did they start chargeing for customer complaints calling them punivtive fees 19.3 can they do that they did not do this about 3 years ago this is something they just started Im in Houston, TX. And they told me after the training class never call the coprate office that’s a RED flag RED flag all the way please someone reply and tell me can or cannot they do this……

• Keith,
  Keith,

  It is BS considering the source “Jan-Pro”. Jan-Pro makes money by selling janitorial jobs, and if this is not enough they will charge you fees to you until you quit so Jan-pro can lure another “franchisee” into their revenue machine. By using this business model they can sell more franchises and charge more fees! Remember Jan-Pro is not in the cleaning business. You are the janitor, you clean, you pay the fees to them and you get minimum wage and the headaches and frustrations. Jan-pro is in the business to sell and sell and sell, and guess what you are the biggest costumer because they sell you a janitorial job for thousands of dollars and the charge fees on top of that. My advice: do not invest in a cleaning company that is not in the cleaning business.

• Keith I’m a lead plaintif in a lawsuit against jan-pro. You can find my number in another site and call me. You should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Get together with other people who have been ripped-off by jan-pro and take apropiate action.

• Everything folks are saying on this website are true. Have owned a Jan Pro franchise for a few years. Worst decision of my life. They are in it for themselves. The business is hard enough dealing with clients and employees. Having to fight Master Franchisor just to get what’s due makes it even worse.

• I have also been ripped off by JanPro.

  I purchased quite a large account December of 2008. I was given mostly accounts that had been in trouble at the hands of other franchisees(so JanPro says) The truth is their auditors ( who are supposedly the franchisee support system) go around to the customers and point out discrepancies and offer a different franchisee to service their business. They have the customer sign a paper stating the discrepancies and that they want a different franchisee.

  Let’s get realistic. JanPro is not about cleaning, it is about selling franchisees, therefore they want to take accounts from the present franchisees and sell them to the new franchise buyers and therefore make multiple money for a single account. However, if a customer agrees to change franchisee after 2 have not performed, wouldn’t one think that they would snap and figure that maybe JanPro is not the right company for them and not that the franchisee was not performing well?

  Anyway, back to my problem, they took 4 customers away from me in a matter of a week and stated that because of my losing so many customers and the way that I reacted to me losing them, ( I argued regarding the reasons for my losing because of the abusurdity of the accusations, one being my employees being out of dress code 4 months prior to the compliants, they decided to take my franchise away from me. Two of the customers had been by two other franchisees prior to me, one was a customer who is a property manager for a large company and gives all her customers to JanPro (smell a kickback rat) and one was a JanPro corporate account.

  The customers who refused to take another franchisee before my franchise was rovked have all informed me that they will no longer continue to be serviced by JanPro once their contracts are up.

  Do not buy a JanPro franchise, they are not about cleaning, they are about selling. they sell franchises and accounts over and over and make a great deal of profit on paper products. This is also a warning to customers, you will never have the same franchisee because JanPro will make sure that they keep offering you new people over and over.

  Most of the franchisees are immigrants and if you notice one of their promotions is “the largest growing minority franchisee”. I have spoken to franchisees who do not speak english and have been threatened by JanPro personnel if they call the customers that they have lost. If this happens they will lose their franchise, which is what happened to me.

  JanPro is a major scam and should not be allowed to take money from honest, hard working people.

• Ina,

  I feel you pain. I am in the same situation. I did pay big money for this BS so called franchise. We are not more that employees that purchase a janitorial job! Shame on me, shame on me, call me stupid, please do not fall in the Jan-Pro trap, you will be sorry….

• Just lost an account today the master franchisee takes sides with the account you are wrong all the time never right and will fine you $50 dollars im asking can Jan- Pro fine you $50 a few years back they didn’t do that why now some body give me feed back thanks………..

• JAN-PRO is playing a dangerours game that needs to stop im suprise no one has went off on somebody at jan-pro the shit needs to stop…..

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• Janitorial franchise is a ripoff. I have JanPro bid on 1 of my acount fot the half price, I charge and they lost it. YOu know why? MY customer care about their bussines. But I feel sorry for the franchisee that will buy one of their acout that way underbit. You ask why? becouse you wil lmake less then my emploee, and work to get your money back, then qiut. So they sell it again. But it up to you. Just think twice. Start your own cleaning.

• Greetings,

  Janitorial franchise companies are in the business of building their business, not their customer’s business. They sell through fear, intimidation and pray on their prospect’s insecurities. It would be easy to write pages and pages describing all the smoke and mirror tactics used, but…. it’s just easier to suggest two things: First do a quick Google search on any of the franchise companies and that will speak volumes. Secondly, only consider a franchise after researching your particular issue (what makes you hesitant to start the business alone) and not finding acceptable resources online. There are forums, associations and articles after articles available online either free or at nominal charges.

  Good luck with your efforts!
  Thomas Anthony
  Facility Support Services

• I am a former cleaner that worked for a short period of time and wished I never worked around Jan Pro at all. They hire people/supervisors that pay you in cash and then dont pay you at all. Very generic way of running their company. You can not trust anyone that has your social security number and then leaves you out of your pay that you worked for. Its so easy to be scammed in this Jan Pro profession. When you are hired you are not told that you are a sub- contractor and that you will have to fill out a 1099. You are also lured into cleaning for the individual with a false starting wage. There are so many other companies to work for , just please dont choose this one or people that work for Jan Pro. Too scary.

  Learned the hard way,
  Lori

• I am a current Jan Pro franchisee out of Burr Ridge.

  I have had 3 contracts, Jan Pro keeps 60% of my profits.
  By the time they deduct all of their fees, out of $931 I get $250 q month.
  This isn’t even minimum wage!!

  No sooner than I pay off my contracts, they find an excuse to transfer them to another franchissee. They make money off of these contracts. They advise the customer and I do not contact each other, just talk to the Pers Ops Manager.

  I lost a law firm in February and last week behind my back, they transferred Sandbox Day Care in Orland Park, IL wrongfully accusiong me of burning a floor.
  Now I have 2 small contracts which I will make nothing on, as Jan Pro will keep all the proceeds.

  Yes, they 1099 me, as if they did not make these profits, yet they are keeping most of my earnings

• Fraud, fraud, fraud and until ALL victims band together and start fighting the REAL enemy it will continue. Because franchising has become the PERFECT STORM that destroys all and will not go away. It will just resurface in another franchise scam under a different name. Franchising and the organizations, including the Federal Trade Commission, involved in it are PROMOTING the fraud. Even when there are MULTIPLE victims and a scam is identified WHO really wins in the end? It sure isn’t the victims!

• Lets just say that I’m glad that websites such as his exist as I was about to make a pretty big mistake
  Thanks to all of you for sharing, really really appreciate it

• I too fell for the Jan Pro line. I bought my franchise a year ago. They kept on giving me contracts. I started with 917 month I stopped at 6300 per month in less than a year. Then one day I got a call from the Jan Pro saying they we terminating my franchise come in and bring in my keys. I signed the bill of sale but my husband who’s name was on the contract with mine did not sign. We are now suing for wrongful dismissal. The contracts are told we are franchisees but they have no idea that their cleaning service is being sold. We made no decisions on our business. We cleaned that is all. The contract if had any problems would call Jan Pro. We could not let the contract know we had a company name. It’s not your own business. You just pay to work. Not work to pay.

• Jan pro is the funniest of all….after I worked for five month they told me to retrench the key for another franchise from the same company(jam pro) I had a chance to talk to the new guy about it and he paid for that account means they charge me and the new person for the same single account…..I don’t understand this and even they can not show me policies and procedures that support their action….so I contacted lowery

• I have not seen a post since early 2014. I was wondering is Jan Pro a good investment in Michigan? Someone please advise before I put my money down to start my own franchise!

• I can relate to some of the things you guys are talking about… It seems like thing are not getting any better… I joined Jan- pro around the first of the year I finished my classes in april and they have not found me anything they have not called or anything…. I’m really thinking about asking for my money back….

• How about I’m former franchise of Jan pro and they told me you are not allowed for 1 year to work in cleaning business or open my own cleaning company…… after termination
  Are Jan pro own copyright of cleaning business….

  I see no sense on that anyone has any idea about that BS
  Thanks

• Jack, most courts do not enforce non-compete clauses, especially the ones that involve low skilled (and mostly manual labor). Of course, more facts are needed for a stronger analysis.

  Here are a few of the issues that are involved. You will be able to come up with your own analysis.

  1. What are the geographical limits? (The larger the distance, the more likely that the court will not enforce it….)

  2. What is the nature of the work that is involved?

  (Advanced trade secrets and highly skilled work (1. building and designing rocket ships, will likely be enforced) (2. Cleaning, will most likely not be enforced))

  3. Was there consideration (money paid to you, or something of value) for your agreement to the specific non-compete clause?

  (If you were paid $100K to not compete, then the clause will likely be enforced. If your were not paid anything, especially involving incredibly low skilled labor, then the clause will most likely not be enforced.)

  Courts hate non-compete clauses because they impair an individual’s right to earn a living and enter into contracts.

  Please speak with an attorney. And print this information because all the work (and heavy lifting) has already been performed.

• You could include Jan Pro Canada in the list. Long term investment on short term contracts garanteed for first year without being able to get profitable. You need to pay more to keep up with your initial business franchise after loosing a contracts past the first 12 month for other than unsatisfied customer (closed or moved business), and so on. Under bids contracts leading to longer working hours. Since you won nothing but a vacum and mop, you’re a cheap subcontractor disguised in franchisee paying for non profitable business…for what it is, absolutly financialy worthless…

• If you are in Louisiana and thinking of Jan Pro PLEASE read this. Charles and Melissa are the Master Franchise owners and some of the biggest Liars and Crooks.

  Everything he says is manipulated to mislead the Franchises. Hence the reason for so much turn over with Franchises. He lied about how many months that you would have to have Franchises fees taking advantage of new business owners that has not been in the business world before.

  The worse part about it they pretend to be this God fearing couple that want to see everyone be successful. Couldn’t be further from the Truth. They operate their business and their lives as the Devil on Earth.

• Wow thank you for sharing. I knew this was too good to be true after seeing their FP schedule. Jan-Pro advertises on the radio here in SC and I’m wondering “why would they need so many franchisees in our little corner of the world that they will pay for continuous advertising? Well now I know. Knocking on doors and cold-calling doesn’t seem so bad after reading these comments.

• I too feel i’ve been legally scammed by jan pro. When i first started everyone was nice a willing to talk to me whenever i wanted how ever soon as i paid my initial fee (5700) i couldn’t get anyone on the phone everyone was always at lunch or out of the office. I asked for my money back before i received my 1st account but Susie Ferger told me i couldn’t get a refund. So the gave me 4 account to start off with small and manageable so i began to think maybe this will work. One account told the Master franchise owner they didn’t believe one person was able to clean their building (this was was before i even cleaned it). So they asked for another cleaner and Jan pro held it against me as a lost account. When i retrieved my check after 2 months of work it was a total of 300 dollars they took out a finance fee that they were only suppose to take out when i reached 2000 a month. This went on for about 7 months until i called and informed them that i was allowed a refund under the contract i received because they didn’t give me the amount of business within the 180 day time frame. That’s when all a sudden Jan pro wanted to pile on a bunch of businesses at once to try and meet the requirements of the contract. The businesses they offered were not in my location i requested nor the time frames…DO ANYONE KNOW OF A OPEN CASE IN NC OR AN ATTORNEY I CAN CONTACT.

• As a former JanPro franchisee in Greenville, SC, I can also bear witness that JP, like most franchises, is set up so that the franchisee always looses and the Master Franchise always wins. Jobs were fraudulently underbid to get the contract and then sold to the franchisee as a legitimate business. After paying the franchise fees, I made just over minimum wage which is exactly what they planned. They want you to get discouraged and sell the contract back to them at a fraction of what you paid for it so they can re-sell it to someone else. Worse yet, if the client complains about your “minimum wage” cleaning, the Master Franchise can contractually take the account away from you and blame you for loosing it, when , in reality, they lost it to begin with when the job was woefully under-bid. I managed to get most of my money back because I threatened to sue for fraud. I now caution everyone interested to avoid JP and other cleaning franchises like the plague. After I left, I printed my own business cards, called on local businesses and offices, and within two weeks I had my own cleaning contracts and was making way more money than I ever got with JP. You can do the same!

• I have known several franchisees for Janpro. I completed there taxes for them. Just like with so many franchises today and I would venture to say it is the majority of franchises. The franchise system is nothing short of a shell game. Because the franchise agreement binds you legally to the franchiser it does little to protect you. And even the protections is does afford you doesn’t mean anything unless you are willing to challenge the franchisor in the court of law or show you have the financial means behind you to challenge them. This is why franchising for the most part is a scam. Franchisors search for every possible way to cut expenditures and have no issue taking your money to ensure they can cut expenditures at will.

  I have seen many times where a franchisor uses a Franchisee or a number of franchises to financially reward someone who has been loyal to the company. Paying loyalty is fine but stealing isn’t and never will be. But once again unless you have the resources to challenge the franchisors and be able to do it in a jurisdiction that will allow you to and be fair in the rulings you are basicly screwed. And even if you do win, after you successfully defend your rights in court, I guarantee your business will be finished pretty quickly because the Franchisor cannot afford to have franchisees willing to go to the wal, defending there rights and showing others how to do it. So examples have to be made and they are quickly.

  As a franchise grows and sees some success this is where the abuses start to escalate and they normally get out of control pretty quick. Fact is franchising is a game for suckers and fools. And I was both at one time and it cost me over a million dollars in real money and 10years of my life along with my health and members of my family. Don’t fall for the franchise shell games. Take your home equity and do not allow them to steal your family’s security and future. If you have what it takes to be a business owner you do not need a franchisor to help you! This is not my opinion it’s fact!

• With JanPro as with so many cleaning franchises as a Franchisee you only get the illusion of owning a piece of business. Honestly the Master Franchise owns it and they only own it if the Franchisor allows them too or allows them to have an illusion of owning it! Even if you go out and get your own business as a Franchisee the Master Franchise at any time can take that piece business from you and give it to someone else pretty much at will and you have little to no recourse., this is not an uncommon practice in the cleaning franchise business. If any of what I have explained sounds like you own your own business I have great Franchise I will sell you, just kidding I am not a thief! If you just want to be a janitor and not mess with owning a business there are now plenty of places hiring janitors and are looking for hard working loyal, honest janitors and you can be rewarded nicely that way with no risk.

  Don’t think that by becoming a Master Franchisee that it gets any better because it normally does not. The Franchisor can do just about whatever the want too. People need to wake up and look at these business models and realize you don’t want another much larger entity to be in business with you. You want to be in it by yourself. If you have what it takes all the support and learning is readily available usually for free If your willing to go after it. The money you normally would throw away to a franchisor can be used for marketing and sales because starting out you need both to succeed .

• Hi Guys, Is this a US chat group? I am in Canada and lured into Jan Pro franchise paying 18K from my savings and guess what… I am in the same shit as you guys
  Jan pro is a nasty game of making money and hardworking people loose big time.

• Hey Guys my name is Carnella Times was a franchisee my contract ended june 8th 2022 didn’t know all these things about Janpro wished I never gave them my money they took advantage of us I lost big time very hurt and disappointed the guy I worked with said to me business is business

• I’m a franchise. And let me tell you !! This was the worst decision I’m ever made . I’m in NY and I signed up in NJ . All I do is loose money . Haven’t gain anything yet . The people in the office in the northern district is disgusting. They’re money grabbers . And you get burned out with these nickel and dime contracts. The contracts also cheap. You can’t even employ anyone to work it. I absolutely hate this job and Jan-pro.

• Michelle:
  I am sorry to hear about your experience with Jan-Pro… but not surprised, unfortunately.
  Please contact me (in confidence) about your experience with Jan-Pro.
  The only positive you likely can gain is the good feeling of having saved others from the same mistake.
  Sean