Franchise Graveyard: Dial-A-Husband
December 22, 2006 by FranWorst
More like Dial-A-Deadbeat…
The August 29, 2006 edition of the Montreal Gazette carried this story of an alleged franchisor scammer who sold Dial-A-Husband International handyman franchises then split with the fees. Two of the franchisees have carried on under the same name, and the franchisor is on the run.
Moral of the story: Do background checks on the principals before handing over your check.
Excerpt from the Montreal Gazette story:
“It’s been a real interesting struggle,” said Carmine Maurizio, the first Quebecer to invest in a Dial-A-Husband International Services Inc. franchise in July 2004.
Stephen McCavour followed suit three months later to become the second Dial-A-Husband in the province.“We dished out $70,000 and $60,000 each,” Maurizio said.
Besides the $35,000 franchise fee, he invested that much again on trucks, tools, advertising and workers, only to be left high and dry along with about a dozen other franchisees in Ontario and Calgary by Dial-A-Husband founder Jim Gillingham.
“He has closed his doors and disappeared with all monies franchisees gave him,” Ontario franchisee Garry Shearer said yesterday from his Peterborough operation.
“When we confronted him and asked to look into the (company) books, he vanished.”He is thought to be in Canada, but nobody knows where he is, including the police.
Maurizio recalled cornering Gillingham at a Home Depot convention in Toronto last September and having him run out of the building.
“We had security chasing him and he knocked over my partner, Stephen, who was trying to take photos of his licence plate.”
Dial-A-Husband, which Gillingham ran with his wife Sharron out of Mississauga, Ont., was dissolved at the end of 2004.
Maurizio, McCavour, Shearer and the few other remaining franchise owners have launched a lawsuit against Gillingham in Ottawa, claiming breach of contract and breach of Ontario’s franchising act for not fully disclosing his history.
Shearer noted the Gillinghams are wanted on fraud charges and warrants are out for both for not appearing in court to face the charges against them.
A January 2005 letter from the Suffolk County bureau of licensing in Hauppauge, N.Y., states that there were five open complaints and one closed complaint against Gillingham’s Ottawa-based JTG Construction Management LLC.
R.I.P. Dial-A-Husband,
Posthumously entered into the FranWorst Hall of Shame
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE DIAL-A-HUSBAND FRANCHISE? LEAVE A COMMENT!
Hello
Great book. I just want to say what a fantastic thing you are doing! Good luck!
G’night
Jim gillingham is back in Ottawa, His son Richard Gillingham is in Tween living behind a church for $300, posible he is trying to raise some money to live on.
Do the authorities know where Jim is hanging out? Is he still wanted on fraud charges?
I’m glad his son has found religion. Imagine the role model HE grew up with… keep an eye on that collection plate.
If you see Jimbo, tell him to contact Richard Quick, Esq. at Franworst.Com. I’ve got some great new businesses that can be run from anywhere… even prison.
RQ
Jim’s son Richard is in Cloyne. He had a construction business in Tweed for a while but didn’t even last a full year. Ripping too many people off. Using too many “twisted scriptures” trying to justify his ways.
Richard was looking to religion to raise money. Jim’s partner in Suffolk County & Massachusetts was just convicted 3-5 years on 24 counts.
“A pair a full house couldn’t beat…”
Richard is now sitting in jail in Napanee for 3 counts of fraud charges, 3 counts of “uttering false documents” (whatever that means), as well as one count of breach of probation. Apparently more charges are pending as more victims come forth.
This is horrible! Fraud crimes really increased in number. We must act against these. this is a serious problem for each and every on of us.
I live in Gilmour where the Gillingham family comes from. Several years ago, I contracted Richard Gillingham to renovate our cottage after we were hit by a tornado. He did almost no work at all and everything he did has since fallen apart.
Yes, he was working towards being a Minister in the Church and always went on a Wednesday for his teachings in Cloyne. The rest of the time, when he found excuses as to why he couldn’t come to work, (sore knees, bad weather, daughter sick, etc.) he was usually in N.Y. state working with his Father or, he was in Ottawa, also working with his Father.
These people have been involved in many companies, all of which didn’t survive; the only ones who did were Richard and his Father who walked away with millions of dollars from us unsuspecting people.
My family have been left in a state of destitution because of this man and his sweet words.