Alphabet City Residents Furious Over Noise Coming From Nearby 7-11

Via CBS

It is quite literally the city that never sleeps for residents of Westminster in the East Village.

Tenants filed complaints over noisy air conditioner and refrigerator units that cool the 7-11 convenience store on Avenue A.

They told CBS 2 that they haven’t been able to rest at night since the store opened last year.

“For too many months, Westminster’s concerns about 7-11’s noisy units fell on deaf ears. We completely agree with local residents – the units installed and owned by 7-11 need to be moved, and we’re working to make sure it happens,” a spokesman for Westminster management said.

The store has received violations from the city along with a cease and desist order, but still residents toss and turn.

“It sounds like, in some apartments, you’re living in a wind tunnel,” said state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan.)

“We’ve had to move out of our bedrooms on the third floor, as well as the first floor, in order to be free of the noise,” another tenant added.

In a statement, 7-11 said that it has been working with the landlord of the property to resolve the issue.

The landlord was scheduled to appear at a hearing of the environmental control board to present a plan for relocating the refrigeration units.

The landlord did not have a comment on Monday night.

Alphabet City Residents Furious Over Noise Coming From Nearby 7-11 [CBS]

Related

Residents annoyed at 7-Eleven’s loud refrigerator in East Village [ABC 7]
Local pols blast 7-Eleven for blocking order to remove noisy refrigeration unit at 170 Avenue A [EV Grieve]
7-Eleven’s Noisy Fridge Unit Forces Family to Sleep in Living Room [DNA Info]

Previously

Full Coverage on the AC Units at 170 Avenue A [No 7-Eleven]

Yet Another Lawsuit Brought Against 7-Eleven

Here we go again.

7-Eleven franchisees in Holyoke, Massachusetts are taking the corporation to court to keep their Slurpee machine and other income generating items like lottery tickets, hot dogs and gift cards. The 7-Eleven corporation revoked these services from franchisees Mohinder Grewal and Mann Grewal claiming the husband and wife had an unexplained $131,000 cigarette shortage during an 18-month period. The franchisees claim the frivolous lawsuit is the result of their refusal to stock unpopular items that didn’t sell well.

If this sounds familiar it’s because this is 7-Eleven’s go-to tactic to punish franchisees they consider subordinate. According to the Dallas Business Journal and other sources, 7-Eleven Inc. is the defendant in more than twelve lawsuits alleging that the company terminated franchise contracts without proper cause. Plaintiffs in the suits claim that 7-Eleven targeted stores in high-traffic locations, enabling the franchisor to offer the locations to new franchisees willing to pay higher fees.

Dilip Patel and his wife, Saroj, said the company used “storm trooper interrogation and isolation tactics” in such sessions. The couple, who sued in March, ultimately gave up their Riverside store, which they had run since 1995, with no compensation from 7-Eleven. It’s gotten so bad in California that The Franchise Owner’s Assn. of Greater Los Angeles was created. It represents more than 1,200 members who are accusing 7-Eleven Inc. of racial discrimination, invasion of privacy and illegal surveillance and mistreatment.

Holyoke 7-Eleven fighting to save Slurpee-selling rights in U.S. District Court [Mass Live]

7-Eleven Emits Piercing Sound to Prevent Panhandlers

A 7-Eleven in Sacramento has installed speakers that emit a piercing noise to keep panhandlers away from the store.

The high pitch beeping is so loud is can be heard from across the street. Drivers and customers have complained about the noise and managers at the nearby Golden Coral restaurant say they’ve received several complaints.

“How can people work here and deal with that squeaking all the time? It would drive you nuts,” said 7-Eleven customer Richard Kellenberger.

It’s unclear if the device was installed by the franchisee or part of 7-Eleven’s corporate policy in dealing with panhandling.

7-Eleven Emits Piercing Sound to Prevent Panhandlers [Fox 40]

This Franchisee Lawyer Keeps Dreaming Up New Ways to Sue 7-Eleven

Via Business Insider

Gerald Marks has spent the last year suing 7-Eleven. The New Jersey lawyer is representing plaintiffs in a dozen lawsuits against the Dallas-based chain, including allegations that 7-Eleven violated labor laws, an anti-stalking statute, and discriminated against immigrant business owners. Marks’ latest action, filed last week in federal district court in New Jersey, seeks back pay for a group of 7-Eleven corporate employees and paints the chain as a bully that uses its heft to push franchisees out of their stores. 7-Eleven disputes the allegations.

In his most extreme accusations, Marks says that 7-Eleven targets South Asian immigrant store owners in profitable markets, looking for contractual breaches to give the 53,000-store chain leverage over its franchisees. If a franchisor can convince a store owner to walk away from his franchise license, the company can re-sell the store to another buyer. In legal filings, Marks has alleged that 7-Eleven has made more than $10 million off the strategy.

Continue reading This Franchisee Lawyer Keeps Dreaming Up New Ways to Sue 7-Eleven [Business Week]

7-Eleven Franchise Owners Stage Protests Against Joe DePinto

Via Unhappy Franchisee

7-ELEVEN Franchisee Protest Photos: 7-Eleven franchise owners continue to stage protests against their franchisor 7-Eleven, Inc., CEO Joe DePinto, parent Seven and I Holdings Co. and Seven and I Chairman Toshifumi Suzuki.

The photos below were taken at a 7-Eleven protest outside of CBS Studio Center, 4024 Radford Ave, Studio City, CA on August 27, 2014 and posted to Flickr by dukhiloga.

Information by dukhiloga indicates that 7-Eleven Joe DePinto was at CBS Studio Center for business-related taping. Other 7-Eleven personnel were also spotted entering CBS. Joe DePinto was reportedly spotted in a black SUV, which quickly sped away from 7-Eleven franchisee protesters.

Continue reading 7-ELEVEN Franchisee Protest Photos [Unhappy Franchisee]