Can Bumper Man use the assigned telephone numbers for purposes other than those related to the franchisee's business?
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 Bumper Man's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, at the franchisor's option, a franchisee will notify the telephone company and all telephone directory publishers of the expiration or termination of the franchisee's right to use any telephone, telecopy, or other numbers and any telephone directory listings associated with any Mark. The franchisee must authorize the transfer of such numbers and directory listings to Bumper Man or instruct the telephone company to forward all calls made to the franchisee's telephone numbers to numbers Bumper Man specifies. This clause becomes relevant upon termination or expiration of the franchise agreement.
This means that Bumper Man retains control over the phone numbers and listings associated with the business. Upon the end of the franchise agreement, Bumper Man can either take over the existing phone numbers or redirect calls to a number of their choosing. This ensures that customers continue to reach Bumper Man, even after a franchise location closes.
For a prospective franchisee, this highlights the importance of building a strong customer base that is loyal to the Bumper Man brand rather than to the individual franchisee. It also means that upon exiting the franchise system, the franchisee will not be able to continue using the same phone numbers, which could impact their ability to start a similar business independently. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as it protects the brand's identity and customer relationships.