Complaint Review: LA Weight Loss Center

They can only Recite the Diet! Pathetic puppets earning
their $7.00 an hour wage. How can educated people be
ripped off by these silly little girls?

Where are these licensed dieticians they talk about? And
why aren't they at the clinics because Gawd knows, they
can afford them!

Okay, I am an idiot. I joined twice! That's how good these "counselors" are at selling---it's like a card trick when they whip those numbers out. Not one total out of the three "packets" were anywhere near the amount they were actually charging me.

They should double as card dealers or used car salesmen!
I had already given up the $1000 loss ---I felt so stupid I thought I deserved to be punished. I went in with my 14 yr old daughter who needed to lose about 20 pounds just to let her hear about the program and thought that if we both liked it we could both join and be happily skinny after. My daughter was shy and thought she was being well behaved by agreeing and smiling
with the counselor. I thought she liked the program and before I knew it I had us both signed up.

As soon as we got to the car I found out that there was no way she was going to be a part of this, so I called as soon as I got home and told them that I needed a refund on her part of the program. The counselor said
she thought I should keep it open for a few weeks to see if she would change her mind (as I would never get such a good deal again) if she decided to do the program when summer started. She said I could get a full refund when I wanted it. She forgot to tell me she would be keeping $150 for the "start up fee."

I was so angry and disappointed that I could never really get into the program after this. I did lose some weight, and I did do the diet, but I started to experience stomach problems and had to be put on hold. (They never told me that you are never actually put "on hold" because the time period is ticking away from the day you sign up. Then my father was diagosed with
cancer, and quite frankly, I didn't really care about losing weight for that year of my life.

About two months or so ago, I got a post card announcing that LA Weight Loss had improved and that the counselors were better and to come to an open house and see for myself. After 2 years, I thought well maybe I just got some bad counselors and maybe they are serious about their reputation now, so I went to see. I thought I still had a membership "on hold" and wanted to see if I could start up again and get what I had paid for.

I talked with one of the smoothest closers I have ever been priveledged to be ripped off by. She chatted and asked all the right questions for an hour, and then just before the door was to close (and just when my head started to throb) she whipped out the contract, showing me three programs I could choose from. I said that I thought I had already paid for the program, but
found out it had expired. (Gee, I must have missed both lunch and dinner that day because I actually stayed to hear the rest.)

I saw a $300 plus figure, a $500 plus figure and a $700 plus figure. She told me that because of what happened to me with my daughter (and she shamed that counselor), they would give me a discount on the program plus all my "candy bars" would be free. I thought, okay, so I'll pick a small program get my candy bars and get out of here! But, when she came back with my credit card slip it had an $800 plus amount there! Must be some huge mistake, since I am only wanting to lose 50 pounds this time and wanted to lose 65 pounds last time (it costed $700 the first time.) But she said that the amounts ("oh dear, you thought this was what you would pay??????????")were the amounts that I would be saving on each program. Okay, my head was spinning. I have panic disorder and needed to eat and take my medication but there is no excuse for my falling for this.

So, I decided that I had paid about $2000 to get skinny at LAWL and by Gawd, in spite of this con lady, I was going to do it. I did everything they told me. I lost 4 lbs in two weeks and then guess what? I ended up in the emergency room with the most horrible stomach pains and nausea I have ever had.

The doctors put me on an IV and checked my blood and urine. They decided I had some kind of virus or a very bad case of gastro upset. I called the center the next day and told them about this. I told them I could only eat jello, "so what do I do now?"

They said: "Don't eat the LA lites, and call us when you get better." Meantime, they put me back into the "hold" file where I had been for two years. It's been three weeks and not one person with LAWL has bothered to call me. I went to see a stomach doctor who told me to eat very soft foods--nothing with a lot of fat, no grains, no dairy, no leafy vegetables if any at all. I have IBS, which I told them and is marked on my application/contract. Since they took me with this illness, I assumed that they would be able to guide me through bouts of it, but NO! They are clueless---they can only recite the diet!

I don't think I will ever get my money back, but I would like to know if it is my right to stand out in front of the center and pass out copies of these reports to new people coming in. I think that I could lose a few pounds by dedicating myself to this humanitarian project. I may even pass out LA lites to the new customers so that when they go in to be "closed" they will be doing it on a full stomach, without hypoglycemic brain
fog!

Bring it on you pathetic brain washed counselors of LAWL. Let me hear you now!

Teresa
Richardson, Texas
U.S.A.