University Painters

'''University Painters''' is a privately held business, based in [[Alexandria, VA]]. The main operations of the company deal with summer work in the painting trade for [[college]] students. The firm is promoted as a college internship to students with an entrepreneurial edge.

University Painters is owned by Joshua D. Jablon. The firm recruits heavily at colleges and universities on the east coast of the United States, including Washington, DC, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Maine.

== Business Model ==
One of the most notable differences between popularized college-painter-programs and University Painters is that University Painter's business model arranges that the college student sells and manages the jobs, but don't actually perform the painting labor.

The college student, or Outlet Manager, is responsible for [[subcontracting]] the labor out to local painters. The college student is left to market his or her business, quote jobs to potential customers, and provide support to the customer along the way.

The reason why University Painters does this differently is because it makes it easier for Joshua D. Jablon to fire you when the jobs are under bid and you are unable to find anyone to subcontract the work to. This in turn allows University Painters to RUiN your credit and charge you up to $10,000 in fines.<ref>[http://www.universitypaintersscam.com/fox.htm Transcript of 2006 FOX 5 University Painters Expose]</ref>

The Ohio Attorney General and the Maryland Attorney General Commented on University Painter's Business Model on July 19, 2006 during FOX 5 Expose of the Company:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
'''Shaun Petersen (Ohio Deputy Attorney General):''' I think what they are doing is nothing more than fleecing these students.
<br><br>
'''Mary Garofalo (Narrative):''' The Ohio Attorney General's Office sued University Painters for violating 14 sections of Ohio law.
<br><br>
'''Shaun Petersen:''' Essentially, University Painters would put these students in a program that there was no way for them to make any money, and, in fact, we have discovered that not only did they not make any money, they found themselves more often than not with ruined credit.
<br><br>
'''Mary Garofalo (Narrative):''' And the Maryland Attorney General's Office went after the company in 2003 for violating franchise laws and forced them to permanently cease and desist from offering and selling franchises.
|}

== Business Track Record ==
University Painters typically recruits fifty to one-hundred college students per year. Some of these students have done well and gone on to become franchise owners. The company claims that under perfect market conditions, a college student could earn upwards of $12,000 USD in a summer painting season. However, some college students have reported massive failure rates in various parts of the country due to what they generalize as a broken system{{Fact|date=October 2007}}.

In 2003, University Painters severed contracts with almost every single Ohio college student that they recruited. The company enforced monetary claims against the students by invoking a “confession-of-judgment” clause in their contract, a ploy that put the students at an unfair disadvantage and is illegal in Ohio.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a2OUeL5G2Q Mary Garofalo Investigates]</ref><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20061206051756/http://www.ag.state.oh.us/press/06/03/pr060309b.asp Ohio Attorney General's 2006 Press Release]</ref>

Due to the contract that University Painters makes college students sign, if a student is not producing enough business, University Painters may (at any point in time) effectively fire the student and penalize the student with fees of over $3,000 USD. Some students have been charged over $9,000.<ref>[http://www.universitypaintersscam.com/cases.htm Court judgements between Maxco Development, Inc and various students]</ref>

== Legal Issues ==
In March 2006, the Ohio Attorney General filed a $300,000 lawsuit against Maxco Development, Inc (DBA University Painters) and its corporate officers - Joshua D. Jablon and Thomas Torres for allegedly duping Ohio college students into paying thousands of dollars for a business opportunity that held no realistic promise of profit, violating 14 sections of Ohio law that protect consumers and business-opportunity purchasers. <ref>[http://www.ag.state.oh.us/citizen/pubs/consumer_annual_rpt_2006.pdf Ohio Attorney General's Annual Report, Page 8]</ref><ref>[http://fcdcfcjs.co.franklin.oh.us/CaseInformationOnline/ Franklin County Clerk of the Court] Case 06-CV-003245</ref><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20061206051756/http://www.ag.state.oh.us/press/06/03/pr060309b.asp Petro Sues Virginia Company For Scamming College Student Workers]</ref>

== References ==
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== External links ==
*[http://universitypainters.com University Painters]
*[http://universitypaintersscam.com University Painters SCAM - Official Website Explaining What University Painters Really Does]
*[http://www.tsibouris.com/blog/2006/03/ohio-ag-sues-university-painters.html Ohio Attorney General Sues University Painters]
*[http://www.dc.bbb.org/report.html?compid=W8000646&national=Y University Painters Negative Record with the Better Business Bureau]
*[http://www.bgnews.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=e77cc040-b8aa-49a9-8ba4-1d3e4a6d1ad5 Students File a Lawsuit Against University Painters]