Dear Franchisees,
 
As most of you are aware, our network is currently facing a coordinated negative PR attack stemming from a former franchisee’s consignment dispute in Salem, Oregon. A YouTuber (Reckless Ben) has released multiple videos amplifying this narrative, which has unfortunately led to harassment calls, review bombing, and store disruptions across our network.
 
We want to give everyone a clear recap of exactly what corporate is doing behind the scenes to protect you, what we can expect regarding the lifecycle of this situation, and how we can work together as a team to move from defense to offense.
 
What Corporate is Doing: Legal & Law Enforcement Actions
 
While we will not litigate this matter in the media, we are taking aggressive action behind the scenes. Corporate was not involved in this specific local consignment issue, and we are holding firm on the facts. To that end, we have escalated this matter across several channels:
 
Law Enforcement & Federal Involvement: We are actively working and sharing records with local police, Oregon State Police, the FBI, and the USPIS (U.S. Postal Inspection Service).
 
Legal Action: Our legal team is preparing direct claims and seeking a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) to halt the harassment and push the matter to full litigation against all parties. We are also issuing Cease and Desist demands regarding the unauthorized website they created. The TRO is a preliminary injunction and is a valid court order that will get the platforms to remove the content.
 
Platform Takedowns: We have reached out to Google/YouTube, Patreon, GoDaddy, and Facebook to report the specific pages, videos, privacy violations, and the coordinated review bombing targeting your stores.
 
Policy Review: We are actively reviewing internal policies to prevent similar transition issues from occurring in the future.
 
Additionally, further video statements from Ammon have been uploaded directly into the #announcements_general channel. Please take a few minutes to watch these Video 1 and Video 2 for more information.
 
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
 
While we are providing you with deeper insight into our strategy to keep you informed, you must only share the approved holding statements provided below. Sharing any of this internal legal strategy publicly or with customers can severely compromise and damage our active legal case against Ben Schneider.
 
What to Expect: The Outrage Cycle
 
Based on historical data and expert crisis management research, there is a typical cycle to online outrage. Understanding this timeline helps us manage expectations and maintain stability:
 
Initial Wave (Current Phase): Peak intensity typically lasts 3–7 days after major videos drop. While the spike in harassment and calls is sharp, it quickly loses steam as online attention naturally shifts. We believe we are currently at or past the peak of this first wave.
 
Court Filing Refresh: When we formally file our legal actions, expect a short, renewed spike (another 3–7 days of heightened noise). The opposing side will likely frame our legal defense as "silencing the little guy." This is a normal, expected reaction, but it is temporary. Strategic patience until filing protects our legal position. With the courts closed for the holiday, the soonest we can file actions is Tuesday. We will give an update when we have officially filed, but know it can take a few days for the court to process this and take any action.
 
Decay Phase (2–4 Weeks): Most online outrage fades significantly within a month, assuming no major new fuel. Residual mentions may linger in niche LEGO and other online communities for 1–2 months, but day-to-day operations normalize much faster.
 
Long-Term Recovery (1–3 Months): Reputation stabilizes as facts from legal proceedings emerge, evidence of due process is made visible, and our franchise model (corporate non-involvement in the specific consignment) sways neutral observers over time.
 
Action Items: How You Can Help
 
Your compliance and adherence to our recommendations help ensure the best outcomes from this situation, as we hope to limit exposure to our regular customers, partnerships, and communities. Please implement the following immediately:
 
Approved Response Options (Strictly Do Not Engage Emotionally): Do not comment on this situation online or in person. Train your staff immediately to use only these approved frameworks based on the situation. We understand our customers are smart, and balancing legal caution with our values helps prevent the appearance of corporate avoidance:
 
For General Front-Line Staff (Quick/Casual Inquiries): *
 
"That is a separate independent location, and I don't have any information to share regarding that situation."
 
"I am unaware of the specific details of that situation and have no comment at this time."
 
For Owners & Managers (Deeper Conversations with Regulars/Partners): * "We’re aware of the situation involving another independently owned location, and we understand why people are upset and asking questions. While we can’t speak to the specifics of an ongoing situation, Bricks & Minifigs does not support behavior that harms trust within our communities. Our local stores remain committed to operating with fairness, transparency, and respect for our customers."
 
Further canned responses are available in the De-Escalation Playbook.
 
Social Media Monitoring: Extra vigilance is required right now when monitoring your social media. We recommend turning off the ability to comment on your store's social media posts for the time being. Turning off comments on Facebook has to be done on a post-by-post basis.
 
Review Monitoring: Monitor your Google, Facebook, and Yelp Reviews and immediately flag/report any spam or retaliatory reviews. Please note that it can typically take 24–48 hours for Google and Yelp to remove reviews once they are reported.
 
Review Solicitation through OneShop: OneShop is working with us to expedite a review solicitation broadcast as well as review automations to send to your store’s customers. In order to send out these communications on your behalf, you must fill out this form as soon as possible.
 
In-Store Review Solicitation: Face-to-face community support is our strongest defense. We have created a printable in-store review sign to help with this. Please instruct your staff to actively solicit a Google review with every single transaction. A brief verbal reminder at the register to share their honest feedback goes a long way.
 
Important Policy Reminder: Per Google’s strict terms of service, you cannot specifically ask customers for a "positive" or "5-star" review, nor can you offer incentives (like discounts, free items, or drawings) to customers in exchange for reviews. Keep the ask to customers entirely focused on honest feedback. However, we encourage you to create internal incentives for your staff to keep them motivated and actively asking every customer.
 
Mail Security Protocols: Out of an abundance of caution, immediately dispose of any unmarked packages or mail arriving with no return address. Do not open them.
 
Document and Report: If you receive direct threats or harassment, call local law enforcement immediately. Forward all screenshots and documentation of harassment, threats, or suspicious activity to legal.team@bricksandminifigs.com.
 
Available Support Resources
 
De-Escalation Playbook
 
Please see the hyperlinks below to download the following assets we have prepared for you and your team:
 
Crisis De-Escalation Playbook: This short playbook includes verbatim scripts for handling in-store filming, hostile phone calls, and social media comments.
 
In-Store Signage: Official Buy/Sell/Trade sign clarifying our no-consignment policy, and No Recording without Permission sign and the new printable Review Solicitation sign with a space for your store's QR code, and the new printable Review Solicitation sign where you can add your store's review QR code.
 
New Temporary Slack Channel
 
To provide a dedicated space for real-time collaboration, immediate support, and updates regarding this ongoing situation, we have set up a temporary public Slack channel. Please browse your workspace channel list and join #tmp-youtuber_social_attacks. You can also follow this link directly to the channel.
 
Further information will be shared here, and you can report unusual activity while staying in direct contact with corporate and fellow franchisees as we navigate this together. We will start moving all discussion from the #forum-marketing channel to keep that dedicated to marketing efforts franchisees can talk to each other about.
 
Next Steps & Moving Forward
 
We understand how stressful and frustrating situations like this can be for you and your staff. Please know that your safety, peace of mind, and the protection of your local business are our absolute highest priorities.
 
This is a challenging issue, but it is not impossible to overcome. Our franchise model is strong, most of our stores are thriving, and we are committed to resolving this decisively. We are doing everything we can to protect the brand and our online reputation. While the legal process is not always fast, we want to assure you that we have a very strong case against them.
 
Any additional information in real-time is most likely to be shared on Slack regional and announcement channels, and we will continue to keep you updated as we work to resolve this.
 
Thank you for your resilience. Please reach out if you have any questions.
 
Sincerely,
 
The Corporate Bricks & Minifigs Team
 
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