Franchise "combination" stores

[RITMarketer]

I recently noticed that a store in my area (Rochester, NY) that used to be just a Nextel store, and still has the big Nextel sign over the door, has a T-mobile poster in the window now.

I'm accepting that it's possible they switched services that they offer and haven't gotten the sign down yet, but I'm presuming that it's more likely that they're offering both services.

Are stores permitted to offer two cell-phone services, or have they simply 'not been caught'? If I was ever franchising out a service, I'd have a huge damned "no competition" and "no conflict of interest clause" to anyone who wanted to even think of selling my products. Any knowledge or speculation on this?

Pat

[ZaphodB]

Originally posted by: RITMarketer
I recently noticed that a store in my area (Rochester, NY) that used to be just a Nextel store, and still has the big Nextel sign over the door, has a T-mobile poster in the window now.

I'm accepting that it's possible they switched services that they offer and haven't gotten the sign down yet, but I'm presuming that it's more likely that they're offering both services.

Are stores permitted to offer two cell-phone services, or have they simply 'not been caught'? If I was ever franchising out a service, I'd have a huge damned "no competition" and "no conflict of interest clause" to anyone who wanted to even think of selling my products. Any knowledge or speculation on this?

Pat

The store is probably an indirect reseller. Most stores that are not corporate owned in Southern California, for example, resell everyone's service - Cingular, TM, Verizon, AT&T, Nextel, and Sprint. They have agreements with each company and can resell as many as they'd like. It's not 'illegal'.

[jmccrane]

Look at Best Buy, RadioShack, etc. Anyone can sell two services as long as they don't have some kind of exclusivity agreement with one carrier.

[RITMarketer]

I'd just think that carriers would INSIST upon exclusivity contracts for...*ahem* "franchises"?

Really, I feel like a Cingular franchise. I can't really do anything in regards to corporate, but we sell their services.

I can understand it w/ stores that have their stuff but aren't a "Cingular Store" or "Nextel Store", but I'd expect when you put a sign up, they'd want an exclusivity contract.

P