Friction between a widely known provider of at-home and on-site computer repairs and some of its franchisees has spilled into the courtroom.
Six franchisees of Norfolk-based Geeks On Call America Inc. filed identical lawsuits in federal court in Norfolk last week, alleging that the company breached its contracts and engaged in fraud. Four others filed suits with similar allegations on the same day in Norfolk Circuit Court.
On Thursday, an attorney representing all 10 plaintiffs asked the Norfolk Circuit Court to bar Geeks On Call from restricting customer calls to one of the plaintiffs or taking any action that threatens the franchisee’s business.
Chief Circuit Judge Everett Martin Jr. said the court couldn’t act on the franchisee’s motion for a preliminary injunction but allowed his attorney to amend the complaint within 21 days. The attorney, Patrick Blasz, said he planned to do so by early next week.
Each of the suits contends that Geeks On Call took business away from franchisees by operating a competing online repair service. Meanwhile, the installation of a new system for routing customers to specific franchisees has hampered their customer service and ability to communicate with Geeks On Call, the plaintiffs said.
Full article.
Photo: Charlie Meads | The Virginian-Pilot.