Does the 'Assignment of Telephone Number(s)' apply to toll-free numbers used by the Bumper Man franchisee?
Bumper_Man Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- (d) Disassociation in Communication Methods. Franchisee will, at Franchisor's option, assign to Franchisor (or its designee) or cancel any electronic mail address, domain name, search engine, website, or Social Media account that associates Franchisee with Franchisor, the Bumper Business, System, or Marks. Franchisee will notify the telephone company and all telephone directory publishers of the expiration or termination of Franchisee's right to use any telephone, telecopy, or other numbers and any telephone directory listings associated with any Mark, authorize the transfer of such numbers and directory listings to Franchisor in accordance with Exhibit G, or, at Franchisor's direction, instruct the telephone company to forward all calls made to Franchisee's telephone numbers to numbers Franchisor specifies.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 45–180)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Bumper Man Franchise Disclosure Document, upon termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, the franchisee is obligated to either assign or cancel any telephone numbers associated with Bumper Man.
Specifically, the franchisee must notify the telephone company and directory publishers about the termination of their right to use any phone numbers or listings associated with the Bumper Man brand. The franchisee is required to authorize the transfer of these numbers and directory listings to Bumper Man, or, if directed by Bumper Man, instruct the phone company to forward all calls to numbers specified by the franchisor.
This obligation ensures that Bumper Man maintains control over its brand identity and customer communications even after a franchise agreement ends. While the FDD excerpt does not explicitly mention toll-free numbers, the language regarding "any telephone, telecopy, or other numbers" is broad enough to include them. A prospective franchisee should confirm with Bumper Man whether this interpretation is correct and what specific procedures apply to toll-free numbers.