I too, a former franchisee was financially ruined by Cold Stone Creamery. I’ve lost more than 1 million dollars and will be paying off debts for the next 10 years. I still have thoughts of SUICIDE…I now get to retire in a trailer on a fixed social security income…I live with the stress everyday knowing I let down my family and myself by ever investing in a Cold Stone Creamery franchise and for believing their lies
--A Former Franchisee

If I knew I was responsible for people losing their homes, children’s education funds, savings and retirement, I’m not sure I could go on in this life, but I don’t think the Ducey’s and on and on and on care as long as their paychecks keep coming in, I’m sure they are thinking “To Hell with the Rest of You.”… They are liars and scam artists.
--A Former Franchisee
 
Doug [Ducey] and all the rest of them are going to get whatever they deserve for LYING and misleading people all over the country… Anyway, after walking away and losing everything, I’m just happy I still have my friends and family and I thank God every day for that.
--A Former Franchisee
 
The many good people that you have victimized are going to make sure that you get what you deserve in both the civil court system and the criminal court system. Some of you guys will be going to jail eventually. So enjoy spending our money while you can. The clock is ticking. Your day will come.
--A Former Franchisee
 
Cold Stone Creameries is not the “Disneyland of Ice Cream”, as they would have everyone believe, but rather the “Evil Empire of Ice Cream”.
--Broke in TX
 
What motivation is there for the Creamery to negotiate a lower food cost when they are kicked back on every dollar we spend? I believe that their lack of accounting of kick back dollars or advertising is at best immoral, at worst illegal.
-- Current Store Owner
 
It truly is sad what Cold Stone has done to so many lives. [I] risk losing our home, what little assets we have left and more than likely file bankruptcy.  This franchise is nothing but a pyramid scheme aimed at taking advantage of hard working individuals with entrepreneurial spirits.
--A Former Franchisee
 
They are scam artist and we all got took. Until the FTC or someone steps in, they will keep doing this to us. I am a young widow who lost everything to them also and now don’t know how I’m going to help kids with school or even keep a roof over our heads. I have just enough money left for about 2 years. I knew I wasn’t going to get rich with Cold Stone Creamery, I just needed enough to keep roof over our head, and food on the table and I thought Cold Stone Creamery could provide that, because I was sure willing to work for it.
--A Former Franchisee
 
I feel extremely bad for all the people who have lost so much money with Cold Stone. I have a degree in criminal justice and I don’t see how this is not fraud. When I think back to all the promises that Cold Stone made us trying to get us to buy the store, it’s easy to see why you all feel this way. I would feel the same.
-- Forever Grateful
 
Yes attitude is everything but when someone comes in and intentionally feeds you lie after lie with docs to back it up, it then constitutes FRAUD… Most of us have been devastated by these unscrupulous vultures and it may not be in this life but they will answer for it, hopefully & prayerfully it will be in this life and I want to be there when it happens.
--A Former Franchisee
 
You will lose everything if you get involved with this company, and they will shrug their shoulders and say “That’s Business”! A far cry from the “We won’t let you fail!” that you are served up before you invest. This is not the company you think it is when you are getting that $4 treat. The next time you think about walking into a Cold Stone, think about all of the families left in ruins by Cold Stone’s lies.
--A Former Franchisee
 
Most of these people are very hard working people, dedicated to their business, Cold Stone Creamery did many people wrong and are continuing to do so, Cold Stone Creamery had better look to the higher being (God) and ask for help, because the very bottom line of it all is, you just don’t treat people that way! You may think you are getting off with ruining people’s lives and I pray for those who you have done in, but in the end you will be held accountable for your actions on your fellow man.
-- Laurie
 
What ever happened to “Do the Right Thing”?... How did I ever get involved with these people? I have lost everything! And I don’t know where to turn.
-- Distressed Franchisee
 
I gave them everything that I had. All my money and all my trust. They were worthy of none of that. Now I have nothing but a black hole masquerading as an ice cream parlor. Now to find out that they have been taking illegal kickbacks to the tune of $8 million dollars behind our backs. I don’t want to believe it either but I do. They do not know how to tell the truth. They are GREAT BIG LIERS. Where’s the justice. I want justice. This is America and they cannot do this to us. I am so very mad and hurt. I can no longer even pay my mortgage because of this store. I am so mad at them.
-- A Mad Franchisee
 
There were a lot of good, hard working employees in the sub-prime mortgage industry too. Thousands of them are without a job now because their employers became corrupt and were making their fortunes by ruining the lives of their unsuspecting victims.
-- Cold Stone is Like the Sub-Prime Mortgage Business
 
I am also a former franchisee who lost his life savings and will be paying back loans on this disastrous investment for years to come. And I’m not some sad sack who just fell off the turnip truck and wandered into this business in a fog…I had years of business and marketing experience before signing on with Cold Stone…My wife and I put 80 hours a week into our very high volume store and we were repeatedly feted by Cold Stone as one of their top 50 best stores for operational excellence. We were also told by a top Cold Stone executive that we had one of the best marketing plans in the country. Yet in four years of operation, all we could do was lose more money each year under the crushing expenses resulting from the Cold Stone mandated system. There was nothing more that we as franchisees could have done to be successful…And almost no one at Cold Stone really cares. Once they can no longer collect their royalties from you, you are treated with about as much respect as yesterday’s trash. At minimum, Cold Stone, under its former management, was inept, but I have since come to believe that it was much more than that. Some people on the corporate side have done quite well while the franchisees floundered in ever growing numbers. And I believe the blame can be attributed too just pure old fashion greed on their part. Good luck to anyone who can pull together a class action lawsuit and bring some much needed justice and possibly a little compensation to a lot of hard working people who put their money and lives into this organization and lost it all.
--Former Franchisee in the Midwest
 
It thought one of the best days of my life was my Grand Opening of my Cold Stone, largest GO of any business in my hometown! But the tables turned very quickly and after 1 1/2 years and $400,000 later, the best day of my life was the day I closed my door for the last time.
--A Former Franchisee
 
We finally had to close our Cold Stone store after 2&1/2 yrs and a loss of $650,000! The business model is NOT profitable, the corporate staff does NOT give franchisees the support they need in any timely or effective manner, and they are really only concerned about collecting their franchise fees, royalties, and marketing fees without true regard for what is happening to their franchisee community. It is criminal. The 3 people who owned and operated our store are business consultants and an MBA in business! We worked with both passion and skill throughout our store’s longevity. 80 hours/week was normal.
--A Former Franchisee
 
My son in law purchased a store in Ca. three years ago. They put lot of time and money into the store and were told by the company they would make a good living. Well now they are going into bankruptcy and are going to loose the business and house and kids money for school. Think twice before going into business with this outfit.
--Dick
 
We have filed chapter 7 and are coming out of it finally feeling alive once again after owning 2 Cold Stone Creameries in the Atlanta market. We were lucky that my husband was able to get back his previous job and we were able to keep our house as it was double mortgaged to pay our Cold Stone bills.
--A Former Franchisee

Another politician with a big head...

"We as franchisees or those that were area developers that lost everything they invested and more think the concept is flawed and that Doug Ducey had an ego that destroyed the company." - Former Franchisee

But wait, there's more!

"Cold Stone was going to be my future-I did not mind the hardwork or hours if I could have seen some light at the end of the tunnel. This is FRAUD 100% FRAUD…What did Doug Ducey get when he sold out? All I know is whatever he got $400,000+ of it is mine!"
- "Future Deferred"

Let's see what former coworkers and employees have to say...

"Ducey was fired for his inability to run a business"…I thanked the day he was let go. - "Old Co-Worker"

I may be in the middle of a financial disaster but at least it puts a smile on my face to see the truth about these crooks coming out. It was only a matter of time. Cold Stone turned out to be the ultimate scam. These guys are the Enron of franchising & some of these guys should be in jail for the lives that have been ruined because of their greed and arrogance! - "Long-Time Franchisee"

More to come...