Is the Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee for Epcon Communities refundable?
Epcon_Communities Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
se Agreement is signed by you and us.
You must also pay us or a provider designated by us a non-refundable initial marketing program membership fee (the "Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee") of $5,000, which is due when the Franchise Agreement is signed by you and us. Existing franchisees in good standing with us are not required to pay the Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee if their Franchise Agreement was signed before May 1, 2023 (and is still in effect), or, if they paid an Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee to us under their existing Franchise Agreement. However, existing franchisees in default under their previously signed Franchise Agreement are required to pay the Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee.
Source: Item 5 — INITIAL FEES (FDD pages 15–16)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Epcon Communities' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee is generally non-refundable. Specifically, franchisees must pay a non-refundable Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee of $5,000. This fee is due when the Franchise Agreement is signed by both the franchisee and Epcon Communities.
Existing Epcon Communities franchisees in good standing are not required to pay the Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee if their Franchise Agreement was signed before May 1, 2023, and is still in effect, or if they paid the fee under their existing Franchise Agreement. However, if an existing franchisee is in default under a previously signed Franchise Agreement, they are required to pay the Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee.
Item 7 of the 2025 FDD also states that payments made to Epcon Communities or Epcon Marketing are not refundable. This reinforces the non-refundable nature of the Initial Marketing Program Membership Fee, which is intended for access to web-based resources and marketing assets within the Epcon Communities franchise system.