Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All prospective franchisees to whom the Company delivers a Franchise Disclosure Document, and to the Company in the delivery and recording of that document.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 These Terms govern the acknowledgment of receipt of the Company's Franchise Disclosure Document: what a signed receipt evidences, the disclosure period that precedes any signing or payment, consent to electronic delivery and electronic signature, the limits of the acknowledgment, and the record the Company keeps. These Terms govern the receipt only. The offer and sale of a franchise are governed by the Franchise Disclosure Document and, where a franchise is granted, by the Franchise Agreement.
1.2 The Franchise Disclosure Document controls the offer and sale of franchises. No provision of these Terms, no receipt signed under these Terms, and no content in any portal makes any representation concerning earnings, sales, revenue, or profitability of a Franchised Business.
1.3 Where the franchise law of the state in which the Franchised Business is to be located gives a prospective franchisee rights greater than these Terms, that law prevails to the extent of the conflict. If a provision of these Terms conflicts with the Terms of Use, these Terms control for the subject they govern.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 Company: All About Pawz, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.
2.2 Franchise Agreement: the franchise agreement between the Company and a Franchisee granting the franchise for a Franchised Business.
2.3 Franchise Disclosure Document: the disclosure document the Company provides to a Prospective Franchisee under the Federal Trade Commission Franchise Rule and applicable state franchise law, in the form and with the content the Franchise Rule requires, including the receipt pages the Franchise Rule prescribes.
2.4 Franchised Business: the business a Franchisee is granted the right to operate under a Franchise Agreement.
2.5 Franchisee: a person or business that has been granted a franchise by the Company and is a party to a Franchise Agreement.
2.6 Platform: the websites, applications, and services the Company operates under the name All About Pawz, including aapawz.com.
2.7 Prospective Franchisee: a person or business that receives a Franchise Disclosure Document from the Company in connection with a possible offer or sale of a franchise, before any Franchise Agreement is signed.
2.8 Receipt: the acknowledgment, signed by a Prospective Franchisee, that evidences delivery of the Franchise Disclosure Document to that Prospective Franchisee on the date the Receipt states.
Article 3: Delivery of the Franchise Disclosure Document
3.1 The Company shall deliver the Franchise Disclosure Document to the Prospective Franchisee before any Franchise Agreement is signed and before any payment is accepted in connection with the offer or sale of the franchise, in the manner and within the period Article 4 states.
3.2 Delivery may be made in paper form, or in electronic form under Article 5 where the Prospective Franchisee has consented to electronic delivery. The method of delivery, the date of delivery, and the identity of the recipient are recorded in the Receipt and in the Company's record under Article 8.
3.3 The Franchise Disclosure Document delivered is the current document as of the delivery date. Where the Company revises the Franchise Disclosure Document in a manner that applicable law treats as a material change, the Company shall deliver the revised document and obtain a new Receipt, and the period in Article 4 runs from delivery of the revised document, as the Franchise Rule and applicable state law provide.
Article 4: The Disclosure Period
4.1 Under the Federal Trade Commission Franchise Rule, a Prospective Franchisee shall receive the Franchise Disclosure Document at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the Prospective Franchisee signs a Franchise Agreement or another binding agreement with the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the franchise, and at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the Prospective Franchisee pays any money or other consideration to the Company or an affiliate in connection with that offer or sale, whichever event occurs first.
4.2 The Company shall not request a signature on a Franchise Agreement, and shall not accept a payment in connection with the offer or sale of a franchise, from a Prospective Franchisee before the period in Article 4.1 has run from the delivery recorded in the Receipt, or before a longer period that applicable state franchise law requires has run.
4.3 The Receipt evidences the start of the period in Article 4.1. An error in the date recorded in a Receipt is corrected by a corrected Receipt, and the period runs from the actual date of delivery as the record establishes it.
Article 5: Electronic Delivery and Electronic Signature
5.1 The Company may deliver the Franchise Disclosure Document in electronic form where the Prospective Franchisee consents to electronic delivery. Consent may be given in writing or electronically. By consenting, the Prospective Franchisee agrees that: (a) the document may be delivered in the electronic format the Company designates; (b) the Prospective Franchisee is able to access, download, and retain the document in that format; and (c) an electronic signature on the Receipt is the signature of the Prospective Franchisee for the purposes of these Terms, with the same effect as a handwritten signature on a paper Receipt.
5.2 A Prospective Franchisee that does not consent to electronic delivery, or that withdraws consent by written notice to legal@aapawz.com before delivery, receives the Franchise Disclosure Document in paper form, and the period in Article 4 runs from that delivery.
5.3 The Company shall provide the Franchise Disclosure Document in a form the Prospective Franchisee may retain. A delivery that the Prospective Franchisee cannot access or retain is not a delivery under these Terms, and the period in Article 4 does not run from such a transmission.
Article 6: What the Receipt Evidences, and What the Receipt Does Not Evidence
6.1 A signed Receipt evidences one fact: that the Prospective Franchisee received the Franchise Disclosure Document identified in the Receipt, on the date the Receipt states, in the form: paper or electronic: the Receipt states.
6.2 The acknowledgment in a Receipt is an acknowledgment of receipt only. The Receipt is not, and a signature on a Receipt does not constitute: (a) an acknowledgment that any statement in the Franchise Disclosure Document or in any other material is true, complete, or accurate; (b) an endorsement of the franchise, of the Company, or of the investment; (c) an agreement to purchase a franchise, or any obligation to proceed with a transaction; (d) a waiver of any right under the Franchise Rule or under state franchise law; or (e) a representation concerning earnings, sales, revenue, or profitability, by either party.
6.3 The Prospective Franchisee shall sign and return the Receipt as the Franchise Disclosure Document instructs. A refusal to sign a Receipt does not extend the period in Article 4 where delivery is otherwise established by the record; the Company shall not treat a signed Receipt as a condition of the Prospective Franchisee's rights under the Franchise Rule or state franchise law.
6.4 Each person who receives the Franchise Disclosure Document on behalf of a Prospective Franchisee entity signs a Receipt in that person's own name, so that the record identifies the individual recipients, as the Franchise Rule requires.
Article 7: States in Which Franchises Are Offered
7.1 The states in which the Company offers and sells franchises are the states listed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document. The list is stated in that document and is not restated in these Terms; in the event of any difference, the list in the current Franchise Disclosure Document controls.
7.2 No offer of a franchise is made in a state in which the offer or sale of franchises requires registration or qualification that has not been obtained, or in which the offer or sale is otherwise not permitted. An offer directed into such a state is not effective in that state. Delivery of the Franchise Disclosure Document alone is not an offer where applicable law provides that delivery is not an offer.
Article 8: Records
8.1 The Company shall keep each signed Receipt, and a record of each delivery of the Franchise Disclosure Document, stating the recipient, the date, the method of delivery, and the form of the document delivered, as part of the Company's franchise sales records and for the period the Franchise Agreement, the Franchise Rule record-keeping requirements, and applicable law require.
8.2 A Prospective Franchisee may obtain a copy of the Receipt that person signed by a request to support@aapawz.com for an operational request or to legal@aapawz.com for a legal request under these Terms.
Article 9: Liability
9.1 Exclusion of certain damages. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to these Terms, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
9.2 Cap. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to these Terms shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Prospective Franchisee paid to the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the franchise in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
9.3 Carve-outs. This Article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under these Terms; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) a right, remedy, or liability under the Franchise Rule or under state franchise law that cannot be limited by agreement, including a right arising from a delivery made outside the period Article 4 states; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
9.4 Essential purpose. The parties agree that this Article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Article 10: Indemnification
10.1 Duty. The Prospective Franchisee shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the Prospective Franchisee's breach of these Terms; (b) a false statement by the Prospective Franchisee in a Receipt or in a consent given under Article 5, including a statement of identity or of authority to sign for an entity; and (c) the Prospective Franchisee's violation of any law or of the rights of any person in connection with the receipt or use of the Franchise Disclosure Document. This Article does not apply to a claim arising from the content of the Franchise Disclosure Document itself.
10.2 Procedure. The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this Article. The Prospective Franchisee shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Prospective Franchisee shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
10.3 Survival. This Article survives the end of these Terms as provided in Article 12.
Article 11: Enforcement and Appeals
11.1 Investigation. The Company may review a Receipt and a delivery record for completeness and accuracy. The Prospective Franchisee shall cooperate with such a review and shall confirm, on request, the date and method of a delivery the record concerns.
11.2 Notice. If the Company determines that a person has violated these Terms, including by a false statement in a Receipt, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation.
11.3 Opportunity to cure. Where a violation is capable of cure, the person has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing, including by signing a corrected Receipt that records the actual date of delivery. No cure period applies to fraud, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
11.4 Measures. If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) require a corrected Receipt; (c) decline to proceed with an offer or sale to the person until the violation is cured; (d) restart the period in Article 4 from a corrected delivery where the original delivery is not established; and (e) exercise any other right or remedy available under these Terms or at law. No measure under this Article removes a right the Franchise Rule or state franchise law grants.
11.5 Appeal. A person subject to a measure under this Article may appeal by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final within the Company's process. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing.
11.6 No waiver by delay. The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 12: Term and Termination
12.1 These Terms take effect as to a Prospective Franchisee on delivery of the Franchise Disclosure Document to that Prospective Franchisee and continue until the earliest of: (a) the execution of a Franchise Agreement by that person as Franchisee, from which point the Franchise Agreement and the Franchise Termination Policy govern the franchise relationship and termination of that relationship; (b) a written election by either party not to proceed with the transaction; or (c) expiration of the period the Company states in writing for the delivery record, where no Franchise Agreement is executed.
12.2 The end of these Terms under Article 12.1 does not extinguish a Receipt already signed: the Receipt remains evidence of the delivery it records, the record duty in Article 8 continues for the period that Article states, and Articles 2, 9, 10, 11 (for measures taken before the end of these Terms), 13, and 14 survive.
Article 13: Dispute Resolution
13.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms, or to the delivery of the Franchise Disclosure Document, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Where a dispute concerns a franchise relationship that is later formed, the Franchise Dispute Resolution Policy applies as that policy provides, including the state franchise-law carve-outs stated in that policy.
Article 14: General Provisions
14.1 Amendments. The Company may amend these Terms by posting the amended Terms in the Document Center and giving notice to a Prospective Franchisee with a delivery outstanding at the email address the Prospective Franchisee provided for the delivery. An amendment that materially increases a Prospective Franchisee's obligations takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. An amendment does not alter a Receipt already signed or shorten a disclosure period already running under Article 4.
14.2 Notices. Legal notices under these Terms, including a withdrawal of consent to electronic delivery under Article 5.2 and an appeal under Article 11.5, shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications, including a request for a copy of a Receipt under Article 8.2, shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to a Prospective Franchisee are effective when sent to the email address that person provided for delivery of the Franchise Disclosure Document. The Prospective Franchisee shall keep that email address current during the disclosure period.
14.3 Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, any proceeding arising out of these Terms shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there. Where the franchise law of the state in which the Franchised Business is to be located gives the Prospective Franchisee rights greater than these Terms, that law prevails to the extent of the conflict.
14.4 Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
14.5 Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the documents they incorporate by reference, are the entire agreement between the Company and the Prospective Franchisee for the subject they govern: the receipt and delivery record for the Franchise Disclosure Document: and supersede every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral. These Terms are not the entire agreement for the offer or sale of a franchise, which is governed by Article 1.1.
14.6 Assignment. The Prospective Franchisee shall not assign these Terms or any right or obligation under them without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign these Terms to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to a Prospective Franchisee with a delivery outstanding.
14.7 Waiver. A waiver of any provision of these Terms is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance. No signature on a Receipt, and no act under these Terms, is a waiver of a right under the Franchise Rule or state franchise law, as Article 6.2(d) states.
14.8 Interpretation. Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." These Terms shall not be construed against a party on the ground that the party prepared them. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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