FDD Items 3 & 4 · 2024 filing
Pet Supplies Plus litigation history
What Pet Supplies Plus disclosed about lawsuits, arbitrations and bankruptcy in the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 3 lists the material legal actions a franchisor must report; Item 4 covers bankruptcy. This is the franchisor's own disclosure, not a court record, and not legal advice.
Items 3 (litigation) & 4 (bankruptcy) at a glance
What the filing discloses
- Cases disclosed
- 3
- Item 3, as counted in the filing
- Largest settlement, franchisor's own cases
- None stated
- Bankruptcy (Item 4)
- None
- Franchisor, parent, predecessor or officer
- Filing year
- 2024
- Disclosures cover the prior ten years
Extracted from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document
Item 3: litigation
Three affiliate litigation matters involving Buddy's Franchising and Licensing LLC: two cross-arbitrations with former franchisee MMS Group/Joseph Gazzo over breach of franchise agreement, Lanham Act, Defend Trade Secrets Act (in settlement negotiations); one FTC consent order (2020) regarding antitrust compliance for rent-to-own operators. No direct PSP Franchising LLC litigation disclosed.
Item 3 (litigation) · 3 matters disclosed · 2 pending listed
Litigation cases
Parent, affiliates, master franchisor and subfranchisor
Pending (2)
Buddy’s Franchising and Licensing LLC v. Joseph Gazzo III a/k/a Joseph Gazzo, Bi-Rite Holdings, LLC and Buddy’s Rollco LLC
pendingBrought by the franchisor · Buddy’s Franchising and Licensing LLC · filed 2023-05-10 · American Arbitration Association · 01-23-0002-1135
“… Case No. 01-23-0002-1135, American Arbitration Association.”Page 14 of the 2024 FDD, Item 3
MMS Group, LLC v. Buddy’s Franchising and Licensing LLC
pendingBrought by a franchisee · Buddy’s Franchising and Licensing LLC · filed 2022-11-29 · American Arbitration Association · 01-22-0004-9922
“… Case No. 01-22-0004-9922, American Arbitration Association. On or about November 29, 2022, a former franchisee, MMS Group, LLC, and its owners filed a demand for arbitration, alleging that Buddy’s”Page 13 of the 2024 FDD, Item 3
Concluded (1)
In the Matter of Buddy’s Newco, LLC
settledGovernment or regulatory action · Buddy’s Newco, LLC · Federal Trade Commission · 191 0074
“… FTC Matter No: 191 0074. On May 11, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) issued its Final Decision and Order in connection with its civil investigation of Buddy’s Newco, LLC, a parent of Buddy’s, Aaron’s, Inc.”Page 14 of the 2024 FDD, Item 3
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
Disclosure signals that moved the score
How this shows up in the verdict
- Litigation involving affiliate (Buddy's) regarding franchise agreements and unfair competition raises questions about corporate governance and potential systemic franchise agreement issues
- FTC settlement with Buddy's Newco regarding reciprocal purchase agreements suggests franchisor may have imposed unfavorable supplier relationships or tied purchasing arrangements
The verdict grade is FranchiseVerdict's editorial assessment across SBA loan performance, unit growth, revenue and disclosure signals. It is not investment advice.
Before you weigh a lawsuit
How to read Item 3
A franchisor must disclose pending actions and any material civil action involving the franchise relationship, plus convictions or civil judgments for fraud, unfair or deceptive practices, or franchise-law violations, going back ten years. A case the franchisor brought against a franchisee counts too. Item 3 does not include every dispute: settled claims below the materiality line and matters resolved in private arbitration can be absent.
Questions worth asking current and former franchisees, using the contact list in Item 20:
- Were you, or anyone you know in the system, party to a dispute with the franchisor?
- Was it resolved by settlement, arbitration or a court, and on what terms?
- Has the number of disputes gone up or down since you signed?