What is the deadline for a Dq Treat Participating Location to submit a written claim to dispute an invoice?
Dq_Treat Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- **11.
Billing Disputes.** To dispute an Invoice, or a portion thereof, Participating Location must, within thirty (30) days of the date on the Invoice ("Dispute Due Date"), submit a written claim fully documenting the reasons for the dispute (the "Claim") via certified or overnight mail, return receipt requested, to the address below.
After receipt of the Claim, Acumera shall undertake an investigation of the Claim, so long as Participating Location has not waived its rights pursuant to this paragraph to make the Claim.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Acumera will notify Participating Location of any amount determined by Acumera to be correctly charged and such amount will become immediately due and owing.
If the Claim is not sent by the Dispute Due Date, Participating Location waives all rights to dispute the applicable Charges, unless otherwise provided by law.
All billing disputes must be sent to the Billing Department at the address listed in the first paragraph of this Agreement, and to bcreceivables@acumera.com
Source: Item 17 — The following paragraph is added to the end of Item 17 of the Disclosure Document: (FDD pages 70–378)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Dq Treat's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a Participating Location has a specific timeframe to dispute an invoice. To dispute an invoice, or a portion of it, a Participating Location must submit a written claim within thirty (30) days of the invoice date. This 30-day period is referred to as the "Dispute Due Date." The written claim must fully document the reasons for the dispute. The claim must be sent via certified or overnight mail with return receipt requested to the specified address. Additionally, a copy should be emailed to bcreceivables@acumera.com.
Upon receiving the claim, Acumera will investigate the dispute, provided the Participating Location has not waived its rights to make the claim. After the investigation, Acumera will notify the Participating Location of any amount they determine to be correctly charged, which will then become immediately due and owing.
If the Participating Location fails to send the claim by the Dispute Due Date (30 days from the invoice date), they waive all rights to dispute the charges, unless otherwise provided by law. This strict deadline underscores the importance of promptly reviewing invoices and addressing any discrepancies within the stipulated timeframe to avoid forfeiting the right to dispute charges. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as franchisors need to maintain predictable revenue streams and resolve disputes efficiently.