Barfly - as a Licensee who was sold a great deal by my pubco I feel I can comment from experience.

Its true that they prey on Naive people who do not look into the venture in enough detail, it is also true that they have very good sales people who can sell anyone an attractive deal.

I knew nothing about running a Pub before my pubco got hold of me and with four kids I was clearly an attractive proposition, not because I neccesarily had potential to do a good job but because once I was in I had to make a go of it – I was literally tied !!!!

I was neither naive nor innocent - I looked into the idea in a great deal of detail and have endless e mails dating back months before I walked into my Pub (e mails which will come back to haunt Punch Taverns when I have my day in court) – however I still managed to be misled so seriously that I ended up being stuck in a Pub that was dangerous and illegal with serious damp, leaking roof etc etc

My point is that I believe,we (Licensees) should concentrate on using these forums and web sites to swap advice and help rather than criticise bad judgement – I wake up every morning thinking about the mess I have got my family into and my Pub has been a tremendous success story in terms of sales (90K PA to 200 K PA in a year) – I dont need anyone describing me as a “Lifestyle applicant” as Phil Dixon has done - I went into this as a business venture – I was only naive in believing that I wouldnt be lied to and a Company like mine would have to follow the law !!!.

The industry will change, the tie will go and Punch and Enterprise will disappear but it will take time and only through changes to the Law. We need to make sure that those people (experienced and non) survive long enough to reap the benefits of those changes.

Dave