What is the Apricot Lane franchisee required to do with their telephone numbers for the franchised business?
Apricot_Lane Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
FRANCHISEE shall assign to FRANCHISOR or its designee, all of FRANCHISEE's right, title, and interest in and to FRANCHISEE's telephone numbers for the Franchised Business and shall notify the telephone service provider all listing agencies of the termination or expiration of FRANCHISEE's right to use any telephone number and any regular, classified or other telephone directory listing associated with the Marks and authorize a transfer of same to or at the direction of FRANCHISOR. If for any reason the telephone service provider will not accept this assignment, FRANCHISEE will cancel the telephone number and any listings associated with it.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 51–222)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Apricot Lane Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to assign all rights, titles, and interests in their franchised business's telephone numbers to Apricot Lane or its designee. This includes notifying the telephone service provider and all listing agencies about the termination or expiration of the franchisee's right to use any telephone number, as well as any associated directory listings connected to Apricot Lane's trademarks.
In practical terms, this means that upon termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, Apricot Lane takes control of the phone numbers used for the business. This ensures a smooth transition and prevents any potential confusion for customers who may try to contact the store after a change in ownership or management.
If the telephone service provider does not accept the assignment of the phone number, the franchisee is obligated to cancel the phone number and any associated listings. This ensures that Apricot Lane maintains control over its brand identity and customer communications, even if the direct transfer of the phone number is not possible.