SAN JOSE, CA (May 1, 2025) |
A series of lawsuits have been filed against Get Spiffy, Inc., Spiffy Franchising, LLC, and its co-founder and former CEO Scot Wingo, Vice President of Strategy Connor Finnegan, and other top executives, alleging a nationwide scheme that defrauded franchisees through a pattern of misrepresentation, inflated costs, and financial manipulation. The lawsuits, filed by Druven PC, which represents multiple Spiffy franchisees, accuse the company’s leadership of knowingly promoting a deceptive franchise model that left small business owners financially devastated.
One of the most recent complaints, brought by faith-based entrepreneur Alina Siert and her company A4H, LLC, seeks over $8 million in damages and includes claims under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Spiffy, founded in 2014, represents itself as a tech-driven, app-based car care company offering mobile services like detailing, oil changes, and disinfection. The company began franchising in 2020 and quickly branded itself as the “Amazon of car care,” touting national relationships with major brands such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Amazon, and Waymo. For many franchisees, those high-profile associations created a sense of trust and credibility, one that ultimately proved misplaced.
According to the lawsuits, what franchisees were sold and what they experienced were two vastly different realities. Plaintiffs allege that under Wingo’s leadership, Spiffy exaggerated the value of its brand partnerships, inflated invoices to clients like Waymo, and provided false and misleading financial projections to lure in new franchisees. These unsuspecting business owners were required to lease service vans at more than double their actual cost, often outfitted with faulty equipment that left them unable to perform even the most basic services.
Franchisees like Alina Siert describe a system that failed to provide meaningful training or operational support. When questions arose, one Spiffy executive allegedly told franchisees to “just use YouTube.” Spiffy, meanwhile, retained control over all incoming payments and is accused of routinely delaying or withholding funds owed to franchisees, effectively cutting off their cash flow. When some tried to sell or exit, the company allegedly sabotaged potential deals, leaving them trapped in failing businesses.
To date, five former franchisees have come forward as part of a coalition represented by Druven PC, with two filing formal legal actions and three engaged in mediation proceedings against Spiffy, Wingo, and other executives. Their claims include fraud, negligent misrepresentation, violations of franchise law, and racketeering under RICO.
“This isn’t just a failed business model,” said Alina Siert, CEO of A4H, LLC. “It was a calculated setup that has left us, and many others, holding the bag while Spiffy and its executives walked away with the profits.”
“The pattern laid out in these lawsuits is clear, Spiffy’s leadership used the appearance of legitimacy to recruit and exploit small business owners, like Alina,” said Jeffrey Mayes, lead counsel at Druven PC. “This goes beyond failed business promises, this is fraud on a national scale, and we’re pursuing accountability.”
While Spiffy continues to market its franchise model, co-founder Scot Wingo quietly stepped down as CEO in 2023, handing leadership to company co-founder Karl Murphy. The lawsuits claim Wingo’s departure came amid mounting failures within the franchise system he helped build and oversee.
The most recent case was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, with other actions pending in California federal court and before the American Arbitration Association (AAA). As more franchisees prepare to come forward, scrutiny is intensifying around Spiffy’s business practices, and the broader risks facing small business owners in fast-growing, tech-backed franchise models.