About SureSlies Blog
The SureSlies blog has been developed by former franchisees of SureSlim not to criticise the efforts of SureSlim franchisees for they are to be commended for the support and service they provided their clients in their effort to lose weight, but to create awareness of the pitfalls of franchising.
SureSlim franchisees work hard in supporting their clients to lose weight, but working hard is not enough for ex-franchisees claim the business model is flawed and destined to fail with one-hundred percent of SureSlim clinics having closed in New Zealand and similarly in Australia.
The Sunday Star Times (28-02-2009) article by Garry Sheen, states:
“Failed SureSlim franchise owners are lining up to take legal action against the franchisor in New Zealand after 17 of the 21 SureSlim diet clinics here closed their doors last year.”
SureSlim Australia Pty Ltd (now insolvent) Director’s, Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch, are back overseeing the Australian SureSlim franchise system as caretakers, and continue to promote SureSlim ‘business investments’. The SureSlim Australian and New Zealand websites state, “many franchise opportunities and business opportunities are really just investment opportunities”. Therefore, clarification needs to be made as to what SureSlim is actually selling is it a franchise investment or an individual business investment. A similar situation was recently investigated by ACCC against Personalised Chocolates 4U Pty Ltd.
A recent article published on Forte Franchise notes similar parallels to what other franchisees in New Zealand and Australia claim to have endured and experienced such as false and misleading representations, harsh contracts, unconciable conduct, third line forcing, bullying, lack of support, and a flawed business model doomed to fail. Unfortunately, this only becomes apparent once the business is operational and the franchisee is knee deep in debt and committed. The current lack of protection and the costs associated with obtaining redress are too great, therefore rogue franchisors are able to run unabated, steeling the assets of franchisee investors.
Franchisees attempt to stay in business by pumping more and more borrowed funds into their franchise only to find they still have to close their doors and walk away from their investment, hard work and clients. Many SureSlim franchisees in New Zealand and Australia are grieving over the loss of their business, loss of their homes, life savings, poor health and the strain of it all.
Therefore, franchisees nationally have not ‘reaped the rewards of their hard, hard work,’ (Samuel G, 2003, Speech to the Franchise Council of Australia), but have been ripped off, lost their life savings, superannuation funds, and in some instances have become insolvent or bankrupt. So much for the hard, hard work Mr. Samuel!!
In Canberra, Liberals Joanna Gash and Don Randall continue to take up the cudgels. Both were at the forefront of pushing for an inquiry after using parliamentary privilege while in Government to first reveal some of the franchising carnage. It is just unacceptable that the Minister for Small Business, Craig Emerson, is allowing the recommendations for changes to the franchising laws to collect dust and not be implemented.
Suggestion for the CEO of ACCC and the Minister of ACCC and Small Business, Craig Emerson:
- Use ACCC allocated funds to run a test case examining breaches of ‘Duty of Care’ to franchisees by ACCC and Franchisors.
SureSlies UPDATES:
- SURESLIM – 18 SureSlim Clinics Closed
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim-18-sureslim-clinics-closed/ - UPDATE – Franchisor made false and misleading representations
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/update-franchisor-made-false-misleading-representations/ - SureSlim’s Approach Questioned!
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim%e2%80%99s-approach-questioned/
UPDATE – Diet BLITZ by Government
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/update-diet-blitz/ - SureSlim Published Medical Claims
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim-in-the-media/ - UPDATE – False and Misleading Claims Unlawful
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/update-how-to-report-false-and-misleading-claims/ - Sparks fly in franchise debate
http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/franchising/sparks-fly-in-franchise-debate-20090820-erfi.html?page=-1Litigating - Fraud claims for franchisees
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/franchise-fraud/ - ACCC slam false advertising:
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/update-accc-slam-false-advertising/ - Misleading claims squashed by Advertising Standards Association:
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/urgent-misleading-claims-squashed-by-advertising-standards-association/ - Check new proposed franchise business agreements:
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/urgent-sureslim-franchisees/ - The regulation of the franchise relationship in Australia: a contractual analysis
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/accc-and-franchise-articles/ - Franchisor to face court after ACCC investigation:
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/update-franchisor-to-face-court-after-accc-investigation/
Please forward your SureSlim franchisee story and comments to: sureslies@gmail.com
To view comments refer to:
http://sureslies.wordpress.com/franchise-fraud/
on July 8, 2009 on 9:45 am
Dear Jenny Jankowski,
Email address for Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch:
petro@suresliminternational.com; calvin@suresliminternational.com.
Yours sincerely,
SureSlies
on August 23, 2009 on 12:13 pm
From: SureSlies
To: jwbfrancis1@worldonline.co.za
Date: 23 August 2009
Subject: Re: SureSlim Franchisors fail to reply
Dear Joanne,
SureSlies information is factual unlike the unsupported medical claims made by Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch to franchisees prior to them purchasing, and published advertised medical claims to the general public. Full story can be viewed at: http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim-in-the-media/
Yours sincerely,
SureSlies Group
From: Joeanne
To: sureslies@gmail.com
Date: 2009/8/23
Subject: Re: SureSlim Franchisors fail to reply
Remove me from the rubbish mailing list
Joeanne – SureSlim Rosebank – 0833062876
From: SureSlies
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009
Subject: SureSlim Franchisors fail to reply
SureSlim Franchisors internationally and the ‘claimed’ SureSlim International (SSI) Director’s, Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch (who are the 100% shareholders of SSI), have failed to reply to date to any request requiring clarification!
Read story at: http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim-in-the-media/
on August 24, 2009 on 12:26 am
Why should the Directors reply? They are too busy trying to help the rest of the Sureslim Franchisees.
Sureslim programs work and if anyone wants proof they are more than welcome to come and see my walls covered in before and after photos and testimonials from clients keeping their weight off after 12months.
How dare you [SureSlies] try and bring us down!
Barbara Joondalup Clinic (Australia)
on August 24, 2009 on 12:20 pm
Dear Barbara,
Thank you for your response. Please advise which Director’s you are referring to? Are the Directors of Australia or some other country or enterprise? Also, please confirm in what capacity are they helping you in Australia?
Thanking you,
SureSlies Group
on August 25, 2009 on 9:54 pm
From: JN>
Date: 19 August 2009 11:13:51 AM AEST
From: Julia N
To: SureSlies
Subject: Re: SureSlim advertised claims require supporting evidence
Dear SureSlies,
I continue to be interested in your project to investigate and bring to attention what is ‘possibly a fraudulent organisation’. I received this week a letter from my consultant. No surname, no signature, but an email address of someone I could speak to about my diet program. I paid up front for my year, and only attended 5months of consultations. The astonishing thing is that ‘the franchisee’ (a woman I had grown to trust and whose guidance and kindness seemed genuine) claimed the business in Sydney had closed on 12th January this year. My appointments with the franchisee had continued until late March, and yet she did not once tell me about the collapse of the SureSlim Franchisor [SureSlim 2006 Pty Ltd]. The franchisees letter only confirms my suspicions that a fraudulent activity has taken place. I don’t know whether the franchisees are involved, but to send a ‘caring’ letter with no return address, surname or signature smacks of a great degree of fear of litigation in my view.
Sincerely,
Julia N
on August 25, 2009 on 10:09 pm
Dear Julia,
Unfortunately, SureSlim franchisees in Australia and in New Zealand have not had the support that they were supposed to get from the SureSlim Franchisors. For three SureSlim Franchisors have been declared ‘INSOLVENT’ since 2006, two in Australia and one in New Zealand as listed below:
1. SureSlim Australia Pty Ltd – Director’s Petro TULLOCH and Calvin TULLOCH who are also the 100% shareholders of SureSlim International Limited being the SureSlim international Franchisor. The Tulloch’s always claimed to be the Franchisors of SureSlim International; when legally challenged they then claim to be just shareholders! The TULLOCH’s currently reside in Kiama, NSW, Australia.
2. SureSlim 2006 Pty Ltd - Directors, Geoff ADAMS and Melissa HAINES-ADAMS. They appointed an Administrator on the 12 January 2009. Australian SureSlim franchisees have not heard from the Adams since January 2009 and were left unsupported with many broken promises. The previous ‘failed’ Franchisors, Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch, are back overseeing the SureSlim Franchise business in Australia. Geoff ADAMS and Melissa HAINES-ADAMS currently reside at Henley Beach, South Australia, Australia.
3. NRGNZ Ltd (ex-SureSlim NZ Ltd) – Directors, Geoff ADAMS and Melissa HAINES-ADAMS. They were the Franchisors of New Zealand (NZ). They sold their NZ Franchisors rights in 2006 then declared the company insolvent whilst they were the new Australian SureSlim Franchisors as Director’s of SureSlim 2006 Pty Ltd which was also declared insolvent in 2009. Since then 100 percent of all SureSlim NZ franchise businesses have failed. Geoff ADAMS and Melissa HAINES-ADAMS walked away from their Franchisor position leaving many franchisees lives destroyed.
The point being, many SureSlim franchisee investors have severely suffered here in Australia and in New Zealand due to poor support and unfair contracts enforced by the SureSlim Franchisors. Many franchisees tried to keep their business going in hope that a new Franchisor would take over which never happened as the Tulloch’s have remained in control. Many franchisees here in Australia and in New Zealand have lost their homes; their life’s savings; superannuation funds; and some are now living in caravans, renting or on the pension as they were robbed of their funds and life’s savings. SureSlim Franchise investments failed as they were doomed to fail as the business model is flawed which franchisee investors only discover once operational and knee deep in debt. Many claims and representations were made to franchisees by the Franchisors prior to them purchasing their SureSlim franchise business, only to find those claims were false and misleading.
SureSlim franchisees tried to stay in business by pumping more and more borrowed funds into their SureSlim franchise only to find they still had to close their doors and walk away from their investment, hard work and clients. Many SureSlim franchisees in Australian and in New Zealand are grieving over the loss of their business, loss of their homes, life savings, poor health and the stress of it all.
Yet, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) the Governing body of franchising in Australia has done nothing about the SureSlim Franchisors whom are back overseeing SureSlim again in Australia. The SureSlim Franchisors care not for the grief they have caused franchisees and their clients and only care about making more money out of innocent unsuspecting investors being franhcisees and clients.
Therefore, please contact ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502 about your concern that SureSlim is ‘possibly a fraudulent organisation’.
Read more at: http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim-in-the-media/
Yours sincerely,
SureSlies Group
(Ex-SureSlim franchisees)
on August 26, 2009 on 10:56 am
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: kettering@sureslimuk.com
Date: 2009/8/26
Subject: RE: SureSlies BLOG posting
To: sureslies@gmail.com
I continue to be un interested, boring boring boring get a life you sad
persons zzzzzzzz.
on August 26, 2009 on 11:32 am
Dear SureSlim UK Kettering franchisee,
It is sad that you are not interested in knowing more about SureSlim and claim it is boring boring boring! Are SureSlies readers to conclude that your SureSlim investment is boring..
You have published a number of medical claims pertaining to SureSlim on your website but fail to provide any source of reference in support of those medical claims. Therefore, please provide the substantiated medical research evidence in support of the SureSlim medical published claims which state:
• “[SureSlim] The only truly medical eating plan that corrects Glucose Metabolism by controlling the hormones that control body weight.”
• “Each person has a different metabolism. People with weight problems tend to have a metabolic problem, which we [SureSlim] establish through the blood tests.”
• “This [SureSlim] plan is designed to stimulate or suppress hormones, which helps rebalance glucose metabolism. This results in rapid weight loss – Min 10lbs per month, by correcting the problem the weight disappears”.
Thus, please advise why the founder of SureSlim is still over weight when you claim “by correcting the problem the weight disappears”. Is that another ‘boring’ aspect of SureSlim that you cannot explain!
August 17, 2009, SureSlies requested that the International SureSlim Franchisors and Directors, Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch (who are the 100% shareholders of SureSlim International Limited), provide documented evidence in support of their published medical claims and confirm in writing the name of the physician friend and scientists, and the South African institutions that they claim undertook extensive medical research in collaboration with Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch that ultimately led to the creation of the SureSlim Weight Loss System. Due to the copious SureSlim published alleged claims of ’medical research’ SureSlim Franchisors have been asked to provide evidence in support of those claims.
SureSlim Franchisors internationally and the ‘claimed’ SureSlim International (SSI) Director’s, Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch (who are the 100% shareholders of SSI), have failed to reply to date or supply any evidence in support of their medical claims.
Regards,
SureSlies Group
(SureSlim ex-franchisees)
Reference: http://www.sureslimuk.com/index.php?q=node/21; http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim-in-the-media/.
on August 27, 2009 on 1:49 pm
From: “SureSlim Ipswich”
Date: 27 August 2009 9:43:37 AM AEST
To: “SureSlies”
Subject: Re: SureSlies BLOG posting
Reply-To: “SureSlim Ipswich”
Can you please stop sending me this crap coz I am not interested!!!
Petro has supported me all the way so just back off!!
Regards,
Kerrie
Consultant
SureSlim Ipswich
Ph. 3281-2511 Fax. 3281-9284
ipswich@sureslim.net.au
http://www.sureslim.com.au
on August 28, 2009 on 3:46 pm
Dear Kerrie (SureSlim Ipswich consultant),
The SureSlim Ipswich Clinic and eight other SureSlim clinics, nine in total, became insolvent in May 2009. The nine failed SureSlim clinics were owned and managed by Laura Taylor the Director of Bien Pty Ltd.
Apparently, some ex employees of Laura Taylor took over the management of some of the failed nine clinics as supported by Petro Tulloch. Therefore, Kerrie, are you not an ‘employee’ of Petro Tulloch as the ‘consultant’ of the SureSlim Ipswich Clinic which explains your recent claim that “Petro Tulloch supports you”.
Some employees and existing franchisees act ’sycophantically’ to win favour by flattering their Franchisor or senior manager. “Sycophant” basically means suck-up, lick ass, a yes man, flunky, fawner, flatterer, parasite. (Source: YourDictionary.com; http://www.definition-of.com/sycophant)
Therefore we ask, did Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch ’support’ Laura Taylor when her nine SureSlim clinics became insolvent in May 2009, or the other failed SureSlim franchisees of Australia and New Zealand ?
Read full story at: http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim-multi-site-franchisee-in-liquidation/; http://sureslies.wordpress.com/; http://sureslies.wordpress.com/sureslim-franchise-update/.
Yours sincerely,
SureSlies Group