Upon termination of the City Publications franchise, what must the franchisee do with the Franchised Business telephone number?
City_Publications Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisee shall relinquish or transfer to Franchisor or its designee, at Franchisor's discretion, the Franchised Business telephone number and notify the telephone service provider and all listing agencies of the termination or expiration of Franchisee's rights to use any telephone number or any telephone directory listings associated with the "CITY PUBLICATIONS" name or any of the Marks and shall authorize transfer of the same to Franchisor or at Franchisor's direction.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 39–129)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 City Publications Franchise Disclosure Document, upon termination of the franchise agreement, the franchisee is required to relinquish or transfer the Franchised Business telephone number to City Publications or its designee, at City Publications's discretion.
Additionally, the franchisee must notify the telephone service provider and all listing agencies about the termination or expiration of their rights to use any telephone number or telephone directory listings associated with the "CITY PUBLICATIONS" name or any of the Marks. The franchisee must also authorize the transfer of the same to City Publications or at City Publications's direction.
This requirement ensures that City Publications maintains control over its brand identity and customer communications even after a franchise agreement ends. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as it protects the franchisor's brand and prevents potential confusion among customers.