Does the 'Assignment of Telephone Number(s)' include any provisions for transferring existing customer contracts associated with the telephone numbers to Bumper Man?
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)
The 2025 Bumper Man Franchise Disclosure Document addresses the assignment of telephone numbers upon termination or expiration of the franchise agreement. Specifically, the franchisee is required to notify the telephone company and directory publishers about the termination of their right to use any phone numbers associated with Bumper Man. The franchisee must authorize the transfer of these numbers and directory listings to Bumper Man or, at Bumper Man's direction, instruct the phone company to forward all calls to numbers Bumper Man specifies. However, the FDD does not explicitly state whether existing customer contracts associated with the telephone numbers are also transferred to Bumper Man.
While the franchisee is obligated to transfer the phone numbers and listings, the FDD is silent on the transfer of any contractual obligations or customer relationships tied to those numbers. This distinction is important because simply transferring the phone number does not guarantee that the customer relationships or contracts will follow. A new franchisee or Bumper Man corporate might need to independently establish relationships with those customers.
Therefore, a prospective Bumper Man franchisee should seek clarification from the franchisor regarding the handling of existing customer contracts linked to the assigned telephone numbers. Understanding whether these contracts are transferable, and what role the franchisee or franchisor plays in that transfer, is crucial for assessing the continuity of customer relationships during and after the franchise term.