ABC’s 20/20 Runs Free LA Weight Loss Franchise Infomercial
February 20, 2007 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
PURE WEIGHT LOSS CUSTOMERS: SHARE NEWS & OPINIONS HERE
Pure Weight Loss (L.A. Weight Loss) to Close All 400 Locations
Expose on a weight loss scam OR an infomercial for the LA Weight Loss franchise opportunity? YOU be the judge.
Last Friday, 20/20 gave the pedophiles a free night on the town as they turned their investigative eye on the insidious business of fleecing fatties. They documented the story of Sherri Bauer*, an ex-hottie and yoga instructor who, back in the day, could destroy the self esteem of half the YaYa sisterhood just by donning her tiny bikini. A couple of decades later, her eyes fill with tears to think how her fat thighs must disappoint her husband… despite the fact that her husband (shown shoveling down a plateful of bacon and eggs) says she looks fine to him.
As I’m feeling a might peckish myself at the moment, I’ll summarize: Sherri goes to LA Weight Loss, which Whoopi Goldberg told her would be $7 per week, and she ends up with a 22% APR CareCredit Card, charges totalling $3100, and enough LA Lite Protein Bars to fill her cobwebbed yoga studio. And the best part? She GAINED 12 lbs.
ABC NEWS investigative reporter Samantha Wender recounts, in her ABC’s Reporter’s Notebook, her Serpico-like undercover infiltration of the seemy underworld of strip-center weight loss. Things quickly got ugly for Wender, as she recalls “…I would learn that the partnership between LA Weight Loss and myself would cost me nearly $400 up front for my 10 pound, $6 dollar a week diet.” On the third day, Wender cracked under the intense pressure, saying: “I didn’t follow the diet, and I dumped the program before trying to lose a pound.”
Hhhhhmmmmm… $3500 in sales for some franchisee without having to lift a finger (or fork)… They didn’t show any franchisees complaining… I wonder if 20/20 realizes they probably just aired the best franchise opportunity campaign in LA Weight Loss history?
Maybe LA Weight Loss is the opportunity YOU’VE been looking for!
Reference:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2872532
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2872532
Welcome to L.A. Weight Loss (ABC Reporters Notebook)
The Diet-Blog “LA Weight Loss Exposed”
My LA Weight Loss Diary (Company Blog)
* Sherri Bauer is no relation to 24’s Jack Bauer, who, I’m certain, would have resolved things differently.
LA Weight Loss here in San Antonio use some of the same tactics. They will not refund any monies so be careful.
I am a former employee of Pure Weight Loss, which is the same as Pure Weight Loss and I have PLENTY to say if someone needs advice. Feel free to contact me
I am a former employee of Pure Weight Loss, which is the same as LA Weight Loss and I have PLENTY to say if someone needs advice. Feel free to contact me
Hi, me and my sister used to be a member of la weight loss, now pure weight loss. This saturday we went in for our usual weigh in, only to find that the office was closed, called monday, and nobody answered.went online got their 800 # and called they simple said that they closed their California offices. I was so mad they never told us anything. she said their services were now going to be over ther phone, i think this is very deceitful and wrong. if anyone has any advice on what we can do to get a refund please let us know. Thank you .
Ana Contact the California Attorney General’s office.
And post some more info here. Which office did you use? How much did you pay for your plan? How much is left on it?
I recently quit Pure Weight loss and i have worked for many weight loss companies cause i enjoy seeing people get to their goals. but Pure weight loss turned out to be the biggest crock i ever saw with their high obsene prices and bars that constipate people….I have worked with 24 hour Fitness (the biggest loser sponsor) Gold’s and Bally’s and they all have much better programs, i have now settled into jenny craig, which has recently been clinically proven to be very effective, im on it and im the slimmest and trimmest ive been in a while. Sorry Pure weight loss, but you know a tree by its fruit and your tree says fraud!
NJ now has the same problem. My wife and I are members of the Clifton NJ office of Pure. Yesterday we found out that the office will be open for 2 more days. Yesterday apparently many people went in and got as many products as they could to fill what they had already paid for. We will be consulting with out attorney today and possibly calling the attorney general’s office to have the assests seized.
Also read:
PURE WEIGHT LOSS CUSTOMERS: SHARE NEWS & OPINIONS HERE
Pure Weight Loss (L.A. Weight Loss) to Close All 400 Locations
It is true, they ripped us off!! I called Pure Weight Loss yesterday to let them know when I would be coming in for a weigh in and no one answered the phone, so I called another center to see what was going on with the center that I was trying to reach. When the counsler answered the phone she told me the only reason why she answered the phone is because she thought I was another counsler returning her call and that as of Jan. 2, 2007 all the stores will be closed. She then told me that Physician Weight Loss will be excepting all of their clients but she could not give me any information on refunds. I am out hundres and hundreds of dollars!!!!! No one is answereing the phones at any of the locations eventhough I was told they would be opening at 3pm yesterday!!! They prayed on the the overweights of America and ripped us off. I advise for everyone who is out of money to do what I am going to do. That is contact the California Attorney General’s office. We must file a Class Action Law Suit!!!!!
The first center (LA Weight Loss/Pure Weight Loss) that I originally signed up for was located in Parma OH, but then they closed within the second month of my program and I had to travel all the way to Bedford OH to continue my program. This unsuccessful program costed me $2,093.81 and they have not reached any of us to refund us for the weight loss weeks or prducts that we are unable to use or obtain.
I’m sorry to all you clients that are getting short changed. The program is and EXCELLENT program if you followed it……it you say it doesn’t work, well that just means that you were stupid enough to pay a lot of money and believe that a magic wand would be waved infront of your face. Come on the program works, so if it didn’t work for you, that means you were feeding your face with something that isn’t on plan. Please don’t take out your anger on the counselors it is not their fault, they know just about as much as you do, we still don’t know the very exact reason as to why. and if you still are going to stand there and argue with the counselors let me just remind you this, you may be out of a couple bucks, but we’re all out of jobs and right before christmas. For the people that were doing well on the plan, get into your center next time it is open and ask your counselor for a no lite plan, that way you can continue the program with out the lites. counselors will be more than happy to give you any extra diaries and kits.
I went on the LA Weight Loss plan 4 years ago, lost 50 lbs, had a wonderful experience. I also kept up with my goal weight and got my promised rebate checks on time. Yes, I bought into the lites and loved them, they are the best that I’ve been able to find for snack/protein bars. I have a friend that couldn’t take the lites, and wasn’t pressured and was put on a plan without the lites and lost her weight. It’s 4 years later, and I still have been able to keep the weight off by sticking to what I learned. Which by the way is taught in other weight loss plans – Joy Bauer on today teaches to eat small portions throughout the day with snacks to what LA Weight loss teaches. It’s all about what you put into ANY weighloss plan. Discipline and self control.
Please some one give me information as to where I can get attorney general’s address??
Ruby said Please some one give me information as to where I can get attorney general’s address??
Here you go Ruby:
http://www.franchisepick.com/resources/list-of-state-attorney-generals/
Also keep up to date here:
http://www.franchisepick.com/pure-weight-loss-refund-information-center/
THEY CLOSED….and they owe me MONEY!
…or a LOT of PRODUCT, which I’ve paid for in advance!
Where do I collect?!?!
Linda