Dear former EF DoS, I have had quite similar experiences with a couple of other EF centers on mainland and I have dealt with an EF Zhuhai DoS in 2003-2004. Then, EF Zhuhai was owned by a Hong Kong businessman. Is it still the same person owning it there?

Now, here below is your quote that, in fact, describes this company so well

the truth is that EF China head office in Shanghai is just in the business of collecting franchise fees & building their brand to further this.

On the EF franchisor-franchisee agreements you've brought up, that is where the core of this company's problem lies. I have cloned two EF centers, and then I opened them figuring on pics for adverts and placment testing new students into their clones. Moreover, as a DoS, I was told to schedule my EF teachers to "clone-teach" as well. The stunning secret is that the EF Head Office has known it even before it all started. :)

Cheers and beers to Zhuhai, not EF