Before bringing a dispute before a third-party, what internal dispute resolution procedure must a Mr. Sandless franchisee follow?

According to Mr. Sandless's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee must first bring any claim or dispute to the attention of Mr. Sandless's President and/or Chief Executive Officer. This initial step constitutes an internal dispute resolution procedure that must be exhausted before the franchisee can pursue the matter with a third party.

This requirement means that a franchisee cannot immediately resort to legal action or other external means of resolving a dispute. Instead, they must first attempt to resolve the issue internally by communicating directly with the highest levels of management within the Mr. Sandless organization. This process is designed to provide Mr. Sandless with an opportunity to address the franchisee's concerns and potentially reach a resolution without the need for costly and time-consuming external proceedings.

It is important for prospective franchisees to understand this obligation, as failure to comply with the internal dispute resolution procedure could potentially impact their ability to pursue legal remedies in the future. Franchisees should carefully document all communications with Mr. Sandless's President and/or CEO during this process to maintain a clear record of their efforts to resolve the dispute internally.