STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS Franchise Complaints
(UnhappyFranchisee.com) Is the STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS Franchise a scam? At UnhappyFranchisee.com, we’ve received a number of Stratus Building Solutions franchise complaints.
Strangely, Stratus Building Solutions is ranked #20 in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 (READ: Top 100 Franchise Opportunities 2011: Behind The Hype)
In fact, when Unhappy Franchisee asked for commercial cleaning franchise complaints, half of the negative comments were against Stratus Building Solutions franchise opportunity.
Why are some franchise owners calling Stratus Building Solutions franchise a big scam? The complaints are the same as those levelled against Jani-King, Jan-Pro, Coverall, Cleannet USA and the other commercial cleaning franchise companies out there: Underbidding accounts, fraudulently taking cleaning accounts from one franchisee to give to another, etc. etc.
The question remains: Why are these janitorial franchise companies allowed to get away with these despicable practices?
Chris wrote:
Stratus Building Solutions, Especially the one is Pittsburgh is a big scam. Please do not go to Stratus.
“I bought a franchise and now they plan on taking the one and only account off of me. That leaves me with zero income. The way the contract is written is that they are able to take off of you any accounts they say. They tell you they have complaints about the cleaning you have been doing. They tell you ‘We warned you now the account is taken from you. We need to protect our intrest too.’
The contract favors them. I lost $13,700 Also even tho you think you own a franchise you really do not. They get you accounts that belong to them. so you can not sell your franchise. The only way you can sell it is to go door to door and get your own accounts. You could have started you own cleaning and keep all the cleaning money yourself. Please listen to me. The contract does not protect you at all. The contract benefits them.
Please help me stop Stratus of pittsburg and Stratus corporate from swindleing any one. The solution to me is to go clean places on your own. By the way, if you do get your own places to clean while you are with stratus, you still have to pay percentage.
Ale wrote:
stratus is all bull shiet !! its a fucking fraud!!!
Javier Santos on March 31st, 2011 7:27 pm wrote:
STRATUS is A Big Scam! Don’t let them ruin your dreams they take advantage of good people to fill up their pockets.
guest on May 14th, 2011 10:15 pm wrote:
Stratus Building Solutions Franchise has received a grade of “F” from the Better Business Bureau of Orange County
http://www.la.bbb.org/PublicComplaints.aspx?CompanyID=100103761
Stratus Building Solutions Franchise complaint 1:
“Posted 3/11/2011 Summary – Consumer alleges services were not rendered as agreed.
Complaint Description Consumer alleges services were not rendered as agreed. Consumer paid your company $1000.00 down for a franchise business opportunity on 7/19/10. She completed the classes needed to get certified on janitorial services on 8/24/10. Once the classes were completed she was going to start getting job sites were she had to provide janitorial services, using her own equipment and would receive a check for services rendered minus a 25% fee from your company. To date consumer has not received job sites. Every time she calls to get assistance she is given the run around. She requested to get her money back for the down payment on the franchise however you refused. Consumer wants a refund of her monies.”
Stratus Building Solutions Franchise complaint 2:
“Posted 4/15/2011 Summary – Consumer alleges services were misrepresented and no refund has been issued
Complaint Description Consumer alleges services were misrepresented and no refund has been issued. Consumer purchaser a franchise from your company on 7/14/09 and paid $22000.00. He was promised to have his own business, his own building to provide the janitorial service that will pay $120000.00 a year. To date he has made $17000.00 in one year. He is not running his own company, instead he is introduce to clients as if he was working for your company. He had to pay 25% fee from each check for insurance, processing fees etc. When consumer complains to your company and ask for a refund of the money he invested you refuse. Consumer wants a refund of the $22000.00 he paid because the franchise was not as represented.”
Stratus Building Solutions Franchise complaint 3:
“Posted 4/21/2011 Summary – Consumer states company failed to provide proper services.
Complaint Description Consumer states company failed to provide proper services. Consumer paid $14,500 to the company. The company stated they would assist her in getting contracts with franchises, to clean their facilities. A list of potential leads would be provided to her. The lists they provided are not valid. When she requested a refund, she only received the runaround.”
Rob on June 2nd, 2011 wrote:
Stratus Building Solutions Franchise in Philadelphia is a big SCAM, Please don’t made same mistake I did and do not Buy franchise from them, they take advantage of good people, You are actually paying 10′s of thousands of dollars to make between $8-$10hr. You can’t even hire people without taking a loss, the ONLY people making real money are the people selling the franchises.
anonymous on July 15th, 2011 3:22 pm (Edit)
What bothers me the most is that with all the cleaning companies out there, they all repeat the same deceptive, abusive, misleading and unethical practices. They prey on the average american who wants to legally make money and work hard doing it. Often people have invested their life savings into the hope of making a better way for their families. It is unbelievable how the state and federal government aren’t doing anything after years of complaints and law suits to protect people from these modern day ponzi schemes.
I invested my money into Stratus Building Solutions to later find out that im not a owner of my own business but merely a employee, i paid $11000 to work a job. The gross revenues arent guranteed, they underbid contracts just to build their portfolio. Some of the jobs break down to be less than minimum wage. A business is meant to grow, not keep you stuck in one place where you have to do all the work to get by. If you speak against their actions they totally cut you off, no contact, even when they still owe you money.
IS THE STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS FRANCHISE A LEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITY OR A FRANCHISE SCAM? SHARE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW.
Don’t ever become a franchisee of Stratus in Tampa Bay. Jeff is unethical, dogmatic and run his business as a dictator. I am currently seeking legal advise and plan on exposing his practice in a court of law. Tampa Bay, we can close his office down for good. Let’s do it, I know we can.
Me and my husband bought a Unit Franchise from Stratus Tampa In February. It is now May and we only have one contract. They have until August to fulfill our contract. But we don’t want to wait until then. We want out of the contract now! We told them how our scheduled worked and they said no problem, we can accommodate that. Now their excuse is oh it is really hard to get contracts because of our schedule. What’s the problem with getting contracts after 5pm? This is bogus. We really won’t out of the contract!!!!
if you arethinking of purchasing a franchise from Stratus on Long Island, Queens or Brooklyn contact me first. .
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH STRATUS. Long story short they did not abide by our contract and after giving them 3+ chances we terminated service. Now I cant get anyone to return my calls or talk to me about these bogus invoices they continue to send us. I have reached out to the owner Jeffrey Rexroat so many time and have sent emails and not one time has he returned my calls. This company is a joke. I have since reached out to Corporate, I hope they have better business ethics. Not a good company to do business with at all.
Do not purchase from John Coleman, Stratus building solution Philadelphia PA huge scam.
@Christopher in Tampa Bay, I’m also unhappy with Jeff. He is EXTREMELY unprofessional. I want to get out of my contract but am not sure how to. Any advice or the name of your attorney in Tampa Bay will help tremendously. Thank you
My investment on the floor 20% plus a payments 3 Times of a value. .i cant see no money left very little of it
Stratus building Solutions ES UN FRUADE DISFRAZADO DE NEGOCIO DE LIMPIEZA. YO COMPRE UN PLA DE FRANQUICIA CON ELLOS POR $10,800. ME PROMETIERON DARME LAS CUENTAS PARA EMPEZAR A TRABAJAR EN UN MES, COSA QUE NO OCURRIÓ, ME PROMETIERON QUE GANARÍA DE $25 a $35 Y HASTA $40 dólares por hora limpiando las supuestas cuentas que iba recibir Y TERMINE GANANDO A $9 .ME PROMETIRON DARME LAS CUENTAS CERCA MI CASA A UNOS 15 MINUTOS, TAMPOCO FUE ASÍ, YA QUE ME DIERON CUENTAS CASI A UNA HORA DE MI CASA, MI GANANCIA ERA DE $9 LA HORA Y DE AHÍ TENÍA QUE PAGAR LOS QUÍMICOS, LA GASOLINA, MANTENIMIENTO DE MI TROCA Y MI TRABAJO, ME QUITARON UNA CUENTA POR SUPUSTAS QUEJAS DEL PERSONAL DE ESA OFICINA Y NO ME ENSEÑARON NINGÚN PAPEL POR ESCRITO. NO CAIGAN EN LA TRAMPA, NO ES CIERTO NADA DE LO QUE DICEN. ESAS CUENTAS VAN DIRIGIDAS A PERSONAS DE ORIGEN LATINO, QUE NO HABLAMOS NI ENTENDEMOS BIEN EL INGLES PARA ROBAR NUESTROS AHORROS. STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS ES UNA ESTAFA.
Afshin Cangarlu new owner of Stratus Building Solutions
First Republic Bank A California Bank v. Afshin Cangarlu Et Al
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, Case No. CGC 10 505523
Superior Court Judge Arlene T. Borick, presiding
What does this tell you about the “new owners” still scamming people!
Afshin Cangarlu of Stratus Building Solutions stole over 100,000 dolloars of First Republics money!!!
. The same issues in Nashville, Tennessee. My mother- in -law bought into the franchisee to provide a means of income and allow her children to grow a business. She pays Stratus thousands of dollars a year and performs the work. She cant pay employees she is the employee.
They lease to her very old outdated equipment that she has to pay to repair.
Stratus charges her unbelievable amounts of interest over the year for a very old vacuum ,along with the $25,000 plus fee she pays them to get her the cleaning accounts. She and my husband personally perform the work. My husband spends money paying people to help and is not making $ 900.00 a month not including travel expense. He does not tell her how behind he really is an how much he spends. The amount he actually receives is less than minimum wage once a month by the way.
She was diagnosed with Cancer and is trying to leave something behind for her children and family. She is a very sweet lady and she believes in honoring her contract. I believe she has been taken advantage of and feels she cant get out. She is an employee of Stratus and she pays them equal to her take home pay. She performs the work and pays them more than she receives to do the work.
Keep us in prayer.
Please don’t make business with Stratus Philadelphia especially with John Coleman
He liar and scammer and still from me and my partner 15000$ and then i drove from business.
Beware this company.
Stratus Building Solutions in Utah have same issues taking accounts from clients to re-sell it to another clients, promises about income and never accomplish those promises. I think a franchise is a good opportunity to start your own small business but if you end in those hands like this family in Salt Lake City you will be in serious trouble losing your money, they are targeting Latinos who don’t speak English and taking advantage of them , because nobody know where to file a complaint against this franchise.
I have a franchise with Stratus in Utah. So far I’ve had more good experiences with them than bad ones. I’ve only seen them take away accounts from other franchise owners if the business requests it due to bad cleaning. At least 5 of the accounts that I currently have were offered to me due to the previous cleaners not doing a good job. I average $20 an hr after paying stratus’ cut and account acquisition fees. I will make more after the fees have been payed off. The thing that bothers me the most is that it’s really hard to get an answer from the office, if they ever say “I’m not sure, I will have to ask Jared” then you’ll probably never get an answer.
I invested 3500 in stratus on Craig road in saint Louis. One year later I quit because they was taking all of my money. I was only invoicing for 305 at the end I only get 150. So I let my invoice add up then quit because I have kidney problem. They held my money hung up on me and just told me they ain’t giving me my money. 2 months later I get a check for 175 for 5 months of work. So because I quit they charged me for stuff I didn’t even do. 200 for carpet Wich I wasn’t trained on not did I mess up. 200 for fees for quiting on them 200 for bathroom twice. Bathroom was the only complaint I got. My check was 700 short
We used Stratus for one month, and paid for the next month in advance…well, the regional manager quit, and the franchisee quit as well…and then finally, the person who was performing the job quit…and we have been unable to get the money back for the month in advance…
very unreliable company …now we don’t even get replies from anyone there…shady company for sure!
Read the reviews in glassdoor by their employees…they are all unhappy! That says volumes.
I don’t have a franchise with Stratus but my mom does. She’s in her 70’s. I wish my mom would of ran the contract with me or someone else. She now realizes that the way the contract is written by Stratus is JUST to benefit them. They have taken contracts from my mom without any notice and then make her continue to pay for the account although she is not working them anymore. This company is horrible and what they are doing is wrong.