LA Weight Loss: Caught Out Again
One of the most heavily commented posts on Diet-Blog was about LA Weight Loss and their underhanded sales tactics. Comments were overwhelmingly critical of this weight loss clinic (however there were some occasional positive testimonials).
LA Weight Loss has been caught out again - and must pay out $100,000 in refunds to misled customers.
The Attorney General's office used "under-cover" shoppers to investigate LA Weight Loss and found a:
"classic bait-and-switch routine in which employees pushed the sale of protein bars and nutritional supplements after consumers had enrolled in the program," (source)LA Weight Loss also claimed that their protein bars would "prevent you from getting saggy, baggy skin when you lose weight," - a complete load of nonsense.
Consumers who believe they were misled when they enrolled in the LA Weight Loss program between Dec. 23, 2005, and Aug. 31 2006 may request a refund within 30 days. Get the full details here (in sidebar).
NOTE: This refund is only available to Washington State residents.
UPDATE: LA Weight Loss now offer an "at-home" program. The program includes access to an on-line community, customized meal programs, 4 weeks of LA Nutritional Bars, and samples of best-selling products -- total cost $219.
Please Note: 24/12/08
LA Weight Loss Closings
This is just a short post to address the five or so people that email us every week about LA Weight Loss closing down and not being able to get a refund.
We aren't affiliated with LA Weight Loss and we don't have any contact information for them. We are sorry that you have been a victim in whatever is going on with the company. Please contact the proper governmental agency if you cannot deal directly with the company. Unfortunately, Diet-Blog is unable to help you.
Kind Regards,
The Diet-Blog Team
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I just joined in Mesa, AZ and so far the price and pressure has been minimum. I did read some reviews on line which armed me with knowlwedge and was ready to respond if undue pressure was given, but it wasn't. I was told up front about the LA Lite being optional, exercise is great but not required to lose, I was asked if I was taking vitamins or suppliments already, I said yes and the guy said, keep taking those, and added that they had their own if I was iterested, that the Take Off could be used again during the program if I wished but that my plan would be altered during those times, and the price was acceptable to me and even lower than I had expected. They were running their 8 week make over deal so in addition to another discount somewhere I got from start to finish 104 weeks for $462. The bar...well Im still tasting the included variety pack but my schedule probably wont allow me to use them every other week, the guy told me something could be worked out. I have not met him for that meeting but if the deal isnt good I'll decline.
I do want to thank everyone for their time because I feel more in control reading these blogs before I shopped.
ReplyHey, other Nancy that works for LA that posted at the end of page 8.... You prove all of the points some of us are trying to make. "those of you who failed, too bad you don't have the drive and commitment.....". Nice to know that the workers at LA think the people who have problems loosing weight are failures.
ReplyI joined a week ago and am down 5 lbs. already. Yes, it is an expensive plan, because you pay up front, but add up the money we have all spent on all the other weight loss products out there, just that it is over time, so you don't notice the expense as much. As for them being a scam, I didn't get that. They tried to sell me supplements, but I said no and they left it at that. (Get your supplements from your local drug store, they carry the same stuff for a fraction of the price) As for the bars, I did buy them, they are a life saver when you get the crave for sweet stuff, and they are pretty good. Yeah, they are crazy priced, but you do what you have to do. I do not plan to buy more, only what I have for the first phase. I realize I will not get my rebate, but I will not pay $1000 for bars. I was never told they would prevent sagging/bagging, that is absurd and had they told me that I think I would have said no thanks to the program and left. What it comes down to is that we are all, hopefully, educated adults. You can only be talked in to what you allow yourself to be talked in to. Be informed about things before you commit to anything, that way you can't blame anyone but yourself. But that is the problem, isn't it, no one wants to take responsibility for their own failures or problems. Isn't that why we all joined in the first place, to be responsible for ourselves and our health? Enough said
ReplyIs there a clause in the contract that says you have to buy the bars from your center? They are much cheaper on eBay. ;]
ReplyNo one made you enroll or pay for anything. You had a choice and you could have said no.
ReplyI have read numerous posts and comments both good and bad and the bottom line is everyone has the freedom to make their own decisions. No one can be forced to spend their money. Weight loss is not easy or cheap. If it was we would all be at our ideal weights 100% of the time. La Weight Loss is a business with overhead the same as any other business and they have humans working for their company and humans are not infallible. You will find some that are truly in it just for the money and some that do truly care about the people they are helping. If you had a bad experience shame on the employees but if you didn't lose weight because of your own issues and mistakes shame on you for blaming someone else. I have had issues with my weight for about 7 years and have tried most programs and pills out there. Have I lost my weight....yes. Have I gained it back...yes. Do I blame anyone but myself....NO! The program works, I have seen the results. Was I told I needed some of their products...of course. Did I buy them? Nope I declined and the building didn't crumble. The counselors didn't go into cardiac arrest. They continued to counsel me and help me to lose weight with other suggestions besides their products. It is like anything else not everything works for everybody and good luck to all on your search for that ideal program that costs nothing and the pounds just melt away by wishing it were so.
Replymy center didn't have anyone drawing blood so they gave me a bottle of their multivitamins in place of it.
ReplyJust wanted to post a comment on any remarks of the age of our cousellors. I'm a current employee of la weight loss, I find it very demeaning that peaple choose to discriminate against age. I myself have lost 45lbs on the program and am only 22 years old. Age or colour have no impact on the success of your program. We have all been in your shoes at some point of another, and are on your side to see you succeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyTo Kaitie, on the contract it does say that they must be purchased from la weight loss centers. The ones that are being sold on ebay are acutally stolen, and are two years old. They used to come in packs of 14, now in 7. The packs of 14 were discontinued 2 years ago and that is what is on ebay. So you have no idea what has been done to them, and who you are getting them from. So that is your own risk to purchase them.
ReplyAttn: "angry customer". It says in the contract that you sign at the consultation, that you only have tens days to cancel if unsastified. And that all products are non-refundable, and you signed it so you agreed to that contract. It would be like you buying a pair of pants from a store and trying to take them back after washing and wearing them, with the tags off. There are guidlines and rules, and when you signed up for la weight loss you agreed to these terms.
Replythey actually used to come in packs of 7 and now come in packs of 14.
ReplyI am humored as I read over the ongoing issues people tend to carry around (just like their excess weight). The bottom line is, the individuals that write all the negative reports and emotions, tend to be people who are looking for a quick easy way to get rid of their excess weight. When they realize they can't be pampered and babied into shape they turn their anger into acusing words of anger and random statements. They are trying to justify their failures by blaming LA Weight Loss.
ReplyThese folks are usually angry at anyone and anything because they truly hate themselves inside and are so miserable with their own appearance.
I was so obese .... thru LA and a good bit of $$ I am now 150 lbs happier! Nothing in life is free, and if it was, it would be most likely to fail. The $$ I spent at LA was the best gift I ever gave myself and my family ..... I may have redused the sales that would have gone to McD's, Starbucks, Other Fast Foods and ugly shoes for fat women , but I invested the money to help my own future. It worked, I feel 100% better, I am excited with my life, my family is thrilled, my husband is ecstatic, my life is longer, ....no need to go any further. Failures complain, successful people promote the facts.
ATTN: NANCY
I just looked at my contract and I am missing the part were it says I cannot get a refund-IT IS NOT THERE. I do see the part where is says in big bold letters, underlined by the salesman who signed me up "LA Weight Loss Centers will continue your program until you have lost the amount of weight indicated -WITHOUT ADDITIONAL CHARCH FOR OUR SERVICES". Yet when I ran out of weeks they first thing they did was try to get me to buy more weeks. Guess what that is a violation of the terms they agreed to! It did not work, I am not giving them another DIME. I realized when I signed up that I would not lose the weight as fast as they thought I would, becasue I know my body-that is why I wanted the guarantee (and I willingly paid dearly for it). I HAVE NEVER COMPLAINED ABOUT THE COST, they were upfront about the cost and I chose to buy the bars. My complaint is that the counselors not trained in nutrition, they are not under the supervision of a dietician and there has been a 300% turnover at the center I go to. I was left on a 10 week plateu, the only decent counselor they had (she is gone now) told me to quit eating the bars (she got in big trouble) guess what I began losing weight!!!!!!! It is easy to say I should have known the bars were preventing my weight loss but they WHAT AM I PAYING THEM FOR!!!!!! I hit another short plateu-switched myself to less food and began losing.
ReplySorry Nancy I accidenlty hit the return key. As for you pants analogy. Your right, if I buy a pair of pants and wear them I cannot take them back. If I buy a pair of pants and they turn out to be defective, let's say I am told the color won't fade and all the dye washes out the first time I clean them, you bet I can take them back. And, I bet you would too. Maybe you would not, maybe you would say the store has a right to make a profit by selling substandard products and lieing to the public, then keep quiet and belittle anyone who speaks up, so "the company" can continue making money.
As for Beth, I can't imagine, being 150 pounds overweight, I would never allow myself to get there. How dare your call everyone who does not love L.A. Weightloss a failure!!!! Is that how you boost your self esteem, looking down on everyone who does not think just like you?
Reply
ReplyNANCY INSTEAD OF YELLING ABOUT CONTRACTS WHY DON'T YOU RESPOND TO SOME OF THE VERY VALID POINTS I MADE IT THIS POST. L.A. Weightloss is lucky to have you, where else are they going to get an employee who so blindly defends them no matter what? Liking the company and the program is fine, but other people are entitled to their opinion. You are like the people who think the executives at Enron were just smart or lucky. OPEN YOUR EYES, I NEVER SAID THE DIET WAS BAD-I SAID THE COMPANY USES MISLEADING SALES TACTICS AND THE COUNSELORS ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT SELLING PRODUCT THAN HELPING PEOPLE. I should have joined weight watchers, their counsleors have at least reached their goal weight.
My wife and just joined LA Weight Loss. I went with her to make sure that she didn't remortgage the house. I had no intention of joining but they offered her half price if I joined too. The price for me was right since Police Officers are being offered free membership. I knew that they had to be making money from somewhere since I was getting it for free and my wife got it for half. I bought 22 boxes at their discounted rate of $11 each and they gave me 4 boxes for free since I am a cop. I guess I will get the rest off of ebay.
Reply