Can a Bumble Roofing franchisee independently market on the Internet or conduct e-commerce?
Bumble_Roofing Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
[Item 12: TERRITORY]
Among other rights, we specifically reserve the following rights, which we may exercise without any compensation to you or other franchisees:
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- We reserve the right to use the Marks and the System to sell any products or services, similar to those, which you will sell, through any alternate channels of distribution within or outside of the Territory. This includes retail locations and other channels of distribution such as television, mail order, catalog sales, wholesale to unrelated retail outlets, or over the Internet. We exclusively reserve the Internet as a channel of distribution for us, and you may not independently market on the Internet or conduct e-commerce. If we use the Marks to sell the Products and Services that you must sell to a customer in your Territory over the Internet, we or our supplier and manufacturers may, in our sole discretion, provide you with a credit in an amount solely determined by us.
Other than as described in this paragraph, you may not solicit or accept orders from customers located outside your Territory or use other channels of distribution, including the Internet, catalog sales, telemarketing or other direct marketing.
Customers from your Territory may purchase Services and Products from us and our affiliates or designees over the Internet, or in other reserved channels of distribution without compensation to you. If you advertise or market your Roofing Business outside of your Territory, unless otherwise approved by us, you will be in breach of your Franchise Agreement, and we would have the right to terminate your franchise.
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 37–39)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bumble Roofing's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are restricted from independently marketing on the internet or conducting e-commerce. Bumble Roofing explicitly reserves the internet as its exclusive channel for distribution.
This means that while a franchisee operates within a designated territory, Bumble Roofing retains control over online sales and marketing. If Bumble Roofing uses its brand to sell products or services online to a customer within a franchisee's territory, Bumble Roofing may, at its discretion, provide the franchisee with a credit, the amount of which is solely determined by them.
Furthermore, franchisees are prohibited from soliciting or accepting orders from customers outside their territory through the internet or other channels like catalog sales or telemarketing, unless expressly permitted by Bumble Roofing. Unauthorized advertising or marketing outside the designated territory can lead to a breach of the Franchise Agreement and potential termination of the franchise. This policy ensures that Bumble Roofing maintains brand consistency and manages online customer interactions, while franchisees primarily focus on local, territory-based operations.