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PMD Furniture Direct Switches to Franchising
Editor's Note: This article turned from a small news clipping with a few comments to hundreds of comments that are marginally related to the original posting. As such, I have moved it from a short-term news blog to a public forum discussion on PMD Furniture Direct..News stories come and go but forums are long-term discussions and debates on topics anchored around a specific company or issue. I would remind posters that this is a site that shares information to help readers make better informed business investments. It's not enough to say don't invest in this brand. The reader will naturally want to know from front-line operators where in this sector will make them the best returns on their investment. One last point: The Blue MauMau culture is one of civility. Readers like to focus on business issues, rather than individuals or personal issues.
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Wow, invest $50K-100K and NET profit the first year is $269K!
Hosking [PMD Furniture Direct's CEO] added that PMD should stand out as a lucrative option when it joins the ranks of franchisors. He contended that franchisees of a national sub sandwich company have to invest $300,000 to $400,000 and make less than $100,000 in annual net profit, citing a PMD attorney who previously worked with the chain.
Some of PMD's current licensees, including startups, do much better. He said the company's top rookie last year was a Pacific Northwest dealer who made $269,000 net profit on an initial investment between $50,000 and $100,000. - Furniture Today
This is the best deal EVER! I wanna buy a franchise NOW! Where do I wire the money? If I wire $100K for 2 franchises, will I make $538,000 my first year?
Yet why are they losing so many licensees?
But with financial markets in turmoil, PMD's total network sales are down because it hasn't been able to replace the 20% to 25% of dealers it loses annually to attrition.
5038 Forum Remarks
About Lionel Hutz PA
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Mr. Hutz, paralegal adviser extraordinaire to Louey the Lawyer, recaps important news.
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Newswires
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Hosking getting sued again! Unbelieveable
Just when you think it's winding down It just continues to get more bizarre. Get a load of the complaint against him now - damages for physical assault. The melt down continues.
Only he could be so crazy
According to the Franklin County Court ,Mr. Big punched a JP in the face and has caused injury and suffering. The incident took place on May 17, 2013. Maybe the guy wanted to return a defective Royal Heritage mattress and he claimed he didn't know what he was talking about. Bizarre is a very good discription of his life the last couple of years.
Wow!
Did this happen at the PMD Christmas party? He has been known to have strike out. Didn't he get arrested at the Furniture Show one year. Pretty much business as usual for Jeff and no big surpise. Who is next on his list?
Correction
The incident took place Dec 22, 2012 and the motion was filed on May 17, 2013. Jeff just seems to be in the wrong place all the time now. What's his story?
Copy cat BS
Looks like you are a PMD competitor (probably former lying manager recruiter) that is building your own PMD while taking pot shots you wish we're true. How about identifying yourself and/or giving us a link to the assault action you say has happened. If you were ever a PMD recruiter we know your probably a bigger liar than Jeff.
No chnace
Jeff was by far the biggest liar at PMD. Joe, Jerry and Rob were close seconds and then Bert and the other managers. Remember when the lawyers told Jeff that he could not use the "fraudulent" Net Income claims for the Franchise recruitment?? He said he would fire anyone who didn't believe it is $200K. Everyone sat quiet as Jeff demanded that they make the bogus claims or be fired. Now that's leadership!
Looks like the old guard PMD
Looks like the old guard PMD Beta fish are swimming in the same bowls. Jeff's , Joe's, Bert's, Conrad's, Clark's. maybe pay per-view will sell tickets to this years match ups or better yet maybe somebody will develop a reality show called slinging mattresses and suing friends.
Old Bert
Can someone tell me just why everyone seems to tie Bert with Jeff and Joe? Didn't Jeff and Joe fire Bert for lousy performance in his clearance center. That was a shock as most Managers claimed they were doing so well i.e. Stephen, Rick and Jason??
The story
Remember when Bert calls you the money is in the recrutiment and salary not working a clearance center or one day sale. The clearance center was the fraud not the managers salary, perks and trips. Beware of ex PMD managers telling you that their concept works??? Tell them to show you their financials or tax statements. Sure it works!
Fake Numbers for Bedding Sales or Fund Raising bedding Sales
Better make it Tax Returns and dont be suprised if those are fake. Every PMD recruiter I knew was perfectly willing to LIE about incomes so if you are being recruited for any form of BEDDING or furniture business by any of them (sometimes its hard to know who they are as they hide their names), do your homework and make them give you signed statments in writting so you can take legal action against them if you need to.
Be cautious with franchised investments many business entities
The franchise concept was developed to have a win win situation for both franchisors and franchisees. However, several rogue franchisors with near criminal thoughts got in to the game. For example, Discovery Point, Legacy Academy, and other child care franchises made big money from each sale of their franchised centers. These substandard buildings were sold for more than $2M to the franchisees with fabricated business plans that they will be profitable. In reality, the franchise and the bank knew, Franchisees had no chance to survive and the plan was to buy back the failed buildings and re-sale. Bank got compensated by SBA and the franchise. The franchise paid the gap of SBA guarantee and franchisees' payments. Very clever and completely legit except for the fact that franchisees were intentionally harmed with the help of multiple corporations!
These buildings were custom made and could not be used for anything else without major modifications. So, franchisor was the only good buyer available during bankruptcy. Everyone knows about these but there has not been any disciplinary action. These buildings were sold with other associated corporations and not directly by the franchise parent company. However, corporation ownership records clearly indicate that franchise corporate owners (husband wife) are the owners of all associated business units. Similarly, you will find these furniture will be sold to you not by the franchise but other business entities, but ultimately the money will go to the franchise corporate owners.
What a crew
Spent time in jail recently, filed bankrutcy, a loser trying to recruit anyone breathing,living in Mom's basement and they just keep throwing people under the bus. Match the names and win a free $149 Pilow Top King mattress only................the boxes are $750!
You must be talking about
You must be talking about jimmy in Texas pretty sure Jeff didn't file bankruptcy and the kitchen and dinning room in his HUGE house is probably bigger than your mamas whole hose and yours combined
Mamas hose? Whose jimmy? You
Mamas hose? Whose jimmy? You people are off the chain silly. Start a reality show, fraudulent mattress slinging Wall Street blah blah blah fundraisers.
Franklin court docs correct? Hosking filed for bankruptcy?
Not sure I get it but the cases against Hosking were closed and there was some reference bankruptcy. Has the house of cards finally collapsed? Is PMD Franchise still operating?
Former PMD Recruiters
Looks like a wishful post by those former PMD Recruiters-Managers-Advisors-Trainers that have their own PMD2. They lied so much to so many people that they had to have a new title every other year. I wouldnt be suprised if they were telling people the average fund-raiser earns a net income of over $150,000 a year working part time.Raise your hand if Armetta, Harbin, or any other PMD payroll manager lied to you!
It's true
The jokers are calling around and want anyone they can get to join their new club. They don't have any other skills than lying about their performance. Who would believe a testimonial from Bert? Raise your hand if he asked if you are having fun?
It Ain't Over Bert
By Big K2013-03-21 08:03
Like they say "IT AINT OVER
Like they say "IT AINT OVER TILL THE FAT LADY SINGS"! Some of us relate better than others to the fat lady but some wont be singing soon.
Didn't you mean?
Fraudulent Recruiters...............same old story just a new mattress cover!
The Court stayed the action 70 days
Not sure you read the entry as the Court stays the case to complete a confidential conditional settlement which, if statisfied, will resolve all issues and result in dismissal of all claims. House of Cards and Collapsed? are not mentioned only by someone wishing it were true. Interlocutory means pending final decision if the settlement is not final. Check back in 70 days!
Jeff did not
The document had confirdential settlement negotiations for a period that is still very active. The fat lady did not sing yet and any other reference is false. PMD is still operating and the court has made the franchisees and their families a priority as per Mr. Varn's request. Hold off on your celebration as the note at the end has no specific meaning at this time. Case closing is based on finalizing the terms of the settlement. If that is not accomplished it goes back to Judge Frye in June. Sorry to burst your bubble!
armettas gang
i heard joe armetta was involved with some group selling beds as a fundraising program and they were just getting pmd people and the old pmd recruiting group to do it all over again under a different name. is that the same fundraising group with bert harbin that is mentioned below or another one. it shouldnt be a shock to learn that gang could have a reunion tour instead of doing something meaningful.
Not surprising
I really thought that Bert was not a fan of the Armetta team. That just shows you the type of individuals they were and are. Look at Joe's new business and you can see selling mattresses has more validity than his tired lies and misinformation. Joe believes going to Disneyland makes them a client for his services. Is Bert still selling bags or did they bag him too??
What a story PMD has been and
What a story PMD has been and look how the lies have caught up with Jeff. Ask any number of former PMD dealers, franchisees, employees, vendors, or past lawyers to find out real quick that Jeff Hosking and Joe Armetta lied and lied a lot. On a more positive note Joe vanished and Jeff has been such a recluse the last three or four years that nobody has to deal with him any more. Jeff lost his legal pit bulls and lost his ablitity to scare and intimadate people into kissing his rather large back side. If Jeff wants to see me face to face he can do it at the up coming High Point market.
so let me get this straight.
so let me get this straight. the dealers association, charlie colwell, and a number of other pmd flunkys have gone into business with bert harbin. the same bert harbin which contributed immensely to the fraudulent activity that took place at pmd. the same bert harbin which they likely would have sued for fraud if he was still with the company at there time of enlightenment. you just cant make this stuff up. and now to top it all off they have joined fraudulent forces and created a mattress fundraising business called custom fundraising solutions, where they are likely scamming high schoolers into selling their no name mattresses. i can already picture the teary eyed speeches from thibodeaux and clark about how custom fundraising solutions changed their lives. hahahaha. just keep your guard up, because these same people that will sell you on the legitimacy of their business will later try to sell you on the scam of it. i wonder if they started this fundraising business out a garage in ohio? i wonder how long it will be before jeff sues all of them for breach of contract, or idea theft or whatever else pops into his head? i wonder how the class action lawsuit against all of the former pmd managers is coming along? This is truly a never ending story......good luck to anyone crossing their paths.
Bert's story
Didn't Bert create the $150K Net Income ruse. Joe fired him because his clearance center was so bad. Having fun? He recruited dealers while he was being shown the door. If he calls don't take his call.
Maybe Bert's building another
Maybe Bert's building another huge house on the backs of people who fail in the mattress fundraising business. I remember hearing how nice the one was he built while he ran PMDs recruiting. I guess my money paid for his game room.
He never understood success
The man was driven but he didn't have the nerve to stand up to Jeff and Joe so he looked the other way He wasn't man enough to stand up until they fired him.
He was the front man
Jeff paid him well to make believe the business was successful. The revolving door of dealers didn't bother him or his managers. They just kept selling the dream. Armetta turned their dream into a nightmare when he convinced Jeff that Bert and his buddies were no longer needed. Goodbye Bert no trip for you! Stay home and sell some mattresses.
Maybe they have job wanted
Maybe they have job wanted ads in those high school news papers
Right on Joe!
You are so right! What I don't understand is how Geroge Varn can write a letter to the FCCC claiming that Jeff is so important to the lives of 24 families when he is no longer associated with the day to day challenges of the business. I guess he believes the model in on cruise control. The man never really had a clue and today he is even more clueless. Remember when Joe said the train is about to leave the station to the dealers who didn't want to sign the Franchise agreement? That train is about to drive off the tracks.
Correction
Jeff was never, never associated with the day to day. He hated the day to day and paid Armetta to deflect the day to day. The company has no growth in the last two years and Jeff is a beaten soul. His legal representation smelled his demise and walked away. I wonder if they will sue him for non payment. Everyone else is so jump on board.
Yes they are stealing, and
Yes they are stealing, and they will all end up like the 20 to 30 other copy cats whoe were stealing and violating their agreement then sued. Loosing!!!! After they spend a lot of money on lawyers and a lot time in depositions, $450 an hour pay it and cry, they will be able to join Jimmy and live with their mommy.
They are all gone!
Jeff, they are gone! Jimmy, Darren, Burt, Mitch, Cliff, Dooley, Cristell's, and 300 other's. Just think if you were any good at managing people??? You might have 200 dealers at least not 17. Hear you might be living in Mom's condo soon.
Blah, Blah, Blah, they all
Blah, Blah, Blah, they all have a thing or two in common like being trained by PMD, making a lot of money with proprietary information they learned, recruiting and teaching others how to do it, PROMOTING THE HELL OUT OF IT, and now stealing it to do it outside of PMD. GUILTY
How Ironic?
Mr. Blah Blah Jeff Hosking who has been found guility of Fraud now sits in judgement. Your proprietary info is invalid based on your conviction. Everyone is no showing you hand! Get use to it loser! So people are copying your recruting methods. I don't think so. I hear the judge showed you a real stop at the door recently. You look so thin in orange!
Like they say "IT AINT OVER
Like they say "IT AINT OVER TILL THE FAT LADY SINGS"! Some of us relate better than others to the fat lady but some wont be singing soon.
Bring it on Jeff!
We hear about the threats that Jeff is planning a new assualt on the copy cats who worked for him. Go for it Big Guy! Good Hunting!
Nice and bold without saying
Nice and bold without saying who you are but if your in the cross hairs alrady it wont be a hunt just a pull of the trigger
Theres a lot of new bad guys
Theres a lot of new bad guys now that the original gang is split up. There is probably odds for betting on which group gets sued first and for who they get sued by first, Jeff or one of the people they lied to in their new recruiting story.
Mike Sholar and others like
Mike Sholar and others like him should read their gag order in the settlement
Thanks Jeff!
How about Jeff giving Mike advice on a legal issue. Maybe he could get Sheila to go after him Sheila's gone? How about Cooper and Elliot? They are gone? Jeff needs to revisit the legal judgements against him before he provides legal advise to anyone.
copy cat
Your welcome Bert. Go down to Florida and talk to darren about the party your invited to.
and check the rec for non
and check the rec for non comp violators when yor down thers
Will do Jeff
You truly don't know what end is up. How was your stay in the Franklin County Hilton? Did you have a comfortable mattress or the $150 pillow top from Royal Heritage? How was your roommate?
I've started a franchise
I've started a franchise business due to Perry Belcher. I followed his lessons and now I can brag that I have a successful business. I've read all your concerns about this type of business and I can tell you that every business has positive and negative aspects. This isn't a reason not to try your luck.
Same People Same Character
Bert Harbin and a couple other key PMD guys tried to get me to join their new version of selling beds last year and I agree with Mike Sholar about snakes. Bert and Joe Armetta worked hand and glove on the great PMD job bait and switch program that was full of lies and I don't know how all of them didn't go to jail with Jeff. Jeff may have been a bully but he didn't seem like the master mind for lying to people to get them in the net. I'd love to see how many people already failed at PMD 2. Mike posts some real facts and gets attacked so I bet the attackers are some former PMD master minds that are out recruiting for a new matress company. SAME SNAKES with a new snake oil bottle and Mike was right on. Watch out for the former PMD recruiter nearest you.
New 90 day program
Burt now gives the newbies 90 days and then he throws them under the bus. So why was he so upset when Jeff and Joe drove the bus over him? Raise your hand if Burt ever told you the truth? Just when did he figure out that PMD was a fraud? He also influenced the Dealer Association friends to settle and buy from him?
Sounds like same old same old
The story just never seems to change. How do they keep misleading everyone and just keep churning and burning?
Surprise
Like Gommer Pile would say "surprise, surprise, surprise!” Ask Darren Conrad how warm the water is against legal hurricanes for Jeff’s ex-accomplices in the mattress business. Joe Armetta and Bert might be together again like the wonder twins of old “wonder twin powers, activate” BOOM: we have a job for you, you can make an amazing amount of money with no risks! Were going to 200 locations and you wouldn’t believe how good it is, no one fails. It sounds like the in-Justice League is back together again with all the recruiting super heroes.
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