HOW MUCH DOES PURE WEIGHT LOSS OWE YOU?
December 28, 2007 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
[PICTURED ABOVE: SCREENSHOT OF THE PURE WEIGHT LOSS WEBSITE]
(FranchisePick.Com) Shortly before Christmas, Pure Weight Loss (formerly L.A. Weight Loss) abruptly announced that it was closing all 400 locations nationwide by January 4. Many Pure Weight Loss customers, some of whom had signed up only the day before, learned the news by reading a sign posted on a locked Pure Weight Loss door. Many vented their frustration to hapless Pure Weight Loss center employees, who were still reeling from the news that they would be ringing in the New Year from the unemployment line.
Many Pure Weight Loss customers prepaid hundreds, even thousands, of dollar on in fees and for Pure weight Loss food products. We’re inviting Pure Weight Loss customers to answer this question in the comment section below:
HOW MUCH DOES PURE WEIGHT LOSS OWE YOU?
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Pure Weight Loss Employees Get Pink Slips for the Holidays
Pure Weight Loss (L.A. Weight Loss) to Close All 400 Locations
ABC’s 20/20 Runs Free LA Weight Loss Franchise Infomercial
I am owed 52 boxes of lites plus 92 weeks total (including stabilization and maintenance). I was completely blindsided by this. Before the Holidays, I had gone into the center and had my account frozen because I had to travel over seas for work. I return only to find that Pure was closing it’s doors. The nurse that worked for the center I went to in Syracuse NY tried her best to give me as much information as I could to complete my program and reach my target weight on my own, but I am out a great deal of money. I filled out the refund request and felt ok with it until I started reading these posts by other former customers. Now I am worried that I am going to be out some serious money! Anyone else out there from NYS that want to get a class action lawsuit going?
They owe me over 53 boxes of lites and not sure how to calculate the rest…..
They owe me a years worth of maintance.
Wow! This is so annoying! They owe me 10 lites and 3 more months of weight loss.
On December 15, 2007, I went to our local Pure Weight Loss clinic for a weigh-in. My acct had been placed “hold” for ten days, due to being out of town on vacation. When I went to sign in, one of their staff told me not to bother because they were closing the doors of all of their clinics. Needless-to-say, I was stunned because I, along with many others, am out remaining weeks and money.
I was just starting my 3rd week of maintenance, had 27 boxes of prepaid Lite Bars still outstanding, $25.00 worth of Pure Bucks (I was told could not be used to purchase remaining products), and I had $266.86 of vouchers owed me, for maintaining my weight.
Aleshia, the staff member who had to give the incoming clients the bad news, pointed to some “Pure Weight Loss Refund Application Forms” on the counter and was helping us with totals to request refunds for. On the bottom of the form, were instructions to send the completed application form, along with a copy of our enrollment agreement by “certified” mail to a PO Box address in Brighton, MI. I was suspicious because I know this type of mail has to be signed for and there is nobody at a PO Box? But did it anyway.
I had since gone over to the PWL clinic and saw there was a notice posted on the door for UPS, with dates they would take deliveries. The last one being Jan 4, 2008. I took a chance and stopped by to see if I could collect my remaing “pre-paid” bars. The site was open and Nicole, another manager was there, packing up and waiting on clients.
At that time, I did manage to pick up 16 boxes of Lite Bars, along with 3 remaining bottles of EFA’s and 4 Vitamin supplements to try to equal out the remaining 20 boxes I had coming.
I did tally up my refund request, which now totals $560.86 (w/o Pure Bucks):
* 49 wks of maintenance @ 6.00 per
wk = 294.00
* 2 maintenance reward vouchers
@133.43 x 2 = 266.86
Today 1/12/08, I thought I’d just type in Pure Weight Loss to see if they even had a site anymore. I was surprised to see that they are now PureMedifast.com.
Is there any way we can recoup the money we invested with LA Weight Loss/Pure Weight Loss in weight loss programs they sold us? I know what Caviat Emptor means but why should these people be allowed to keep scamming the public and getting away with it?
If you can, please “reply” to this orig e-mail, so I can have a copy of what I wrote. Thanks…J T
Well friends, I think I am owed about $450 for weeks and unfortunately I am not sure on the LA Lites. I also no that during a recent promo at ou location I purchased juice that I still have two bottles owed back to me.
I can’t bash the program, because it does work if you follow the diet and I loved the fact it was pre-packaged foods and you coud eat with your family.
What does disappoint me is that you admit to yourself that you can’t do this alone, you need support, you make that commitment and you are preyed upon at what is a a weak point in your life. You get the courage to admit that you are over-weight outloud to someone and say what can I do?
Yes, I paid the money up front, I bought into the pitch of making a financial commitment to help me lose the weight. I like many other people may have over-extended themselves and no have to explain to our families that money is gone and we can’t get it back?
Why couldn’t we have been issued the food items and the next color book, at least we could have stayed focused through this mess.
I feel cheated and defeated. i made the mistake of taking a few weeks off during the holidays due to travel. I showed up at the door all motivated for 2008 and see a sign that Jenny Craig will honor remaining weeks!! Sure they will, but you have to pay for their food to be in the program.
More money!!! I just can’t.
Sorry, should have proof-read. That it WASN”T pre-packaged food it was grocery bought.
If there are any Wichita, Ks people reading this please contact me at [email address withheld for verification]. I would like to get us together and start a class action suit on this, I have it from reliable sources that LA and Pure are indeed the same company and that they are not going bankrupt just down sizing.
Unbelievable…for me this all started to look suspicious when they changed their hours, and I could no longer make it in to the center ever, and the next thing I know its on the news that they are closing, they owe me over $1800 in unused bars, weeks on the program and throughout stabilization and maintenance. Is there anyone in CA trying to get a refund and if so, how are you going about it? Any advice is helpful!!!
Unbelievable…I filed for a refund at the end of November and was told my refund will be returned to me in 30 days or so. I just check to see if they credited it to my account and they have done so. They owe me $863.
Well I guess I lead my life in the dark – I had no idea that they were closing their doors – I was an on again off again client since January 2004. I always bought extra weeks and extra bars – especially when they ran their sales – I was blindsided when I returned from vacation and went to my local center in Lynbrook, NY to find the place closed down – no phone call from a counselor even telling me to come in and get the bars that I am owed. I figure they owe me close to $500 + 35 boxes of bars. Anyone have any suggestions -
They owe me about $2000. I just joined in November and I have already lost 20 lbs. I feel cheated because I really needed that support. I also, bought that gross juice and I need about 6 more months of it, to finish off the year.
Also, I really enjoyed the one bar and I hope I can continue without my 2 choc snacks a day.
And I’m not going back to Physicians Weight Loss, I straved on that plan!
I cannot believe that you are closed. This was the most successful program I ever tried. I recently lost 48 pounds and am very pleased with the results. Is it possible to order the Lites from any location? I wish I had been notified by our local vendor. Thank you.
LA Weight Loss owes me $600.00 in 35 boxes and 52 maintenance weeks.
Just sat in queue for 40 minutes on their apparently unsupported customer care 800#. Don’t call in; they don’t answer…
This is for Vicki Giovangnoli. My consultant told some of us that if we wanted to stay on lites that the Lunar bar that you can purchase in many stores is very similar to LA Lites.
LA WEIGHT LOSS OWES ME 11 BOXES OF LA LITES.SHAME ON THEM.
I have already filed with GE credit for the full amount of my contract. I have also filed a complaint with the Attorney Generals office in Pennsylvania. I recieved no notice of closure and they not only owe me my time but 45 boxes of lites. I still say I signed with LA weight loss not Pure and thats what my contract says. They owe me.
I signed up for LA Weight Loss back in August and had to put my account on hold only 4 weeks later due to circumstances out of my control. They garunteed me that my account would be placed on “hold” and I told them I would be starting up for the new year. They had no problem taking my money, and now I am out all that money … what do I do now???? This is insane!!!! I call that 877 # and its busy busy busy. No one to help. Anyone have any ideas?
I finished my maintenance mid-November, the same week the Daytona Beach location closed. I was told that Orange City was remaining open and they would process my final refund paperwork (approx $90 for completing maintenance). It took about 8 weeks for me to get my mid-maintenance refund, so I was starting to wonder about the final one and called the Orange City office today, only to get a full mailbox. I went online this afternoon, and found all of these emails. I did leave a message with a LA Weight Loss customer service number – they are the one’s that issued my first refund check. It really stinks because this program did work! Please let me know if anyone hears anything about the Florida offices. Good luck!
LA Weight Loss or Pure Weight Loss whatever they call themselves owes me a year of maintenance and 3 boxes of lite bars. I’ve been a client since November of 2004, my initial program including lite bars cost me about $1000! During my program I added weeks, purchased more bars and supplements amounting to maybe another $1000. When I finally reached my goal in June of 2006 I was talked into adding another year of maintenance which of course included buying more bars. I put the plan on hold a few times, then I gained back some of the weight prompting me to buy even more “weight loss weeks”. My last visit to the center was in December 2007…I was asked if I needed to take home any of my bars (I have three boxes there) I said I didn’t need them just yet, but was never told to take them anyway because at that point they must have known they were closing down. I came back after the holidays for my weigh-in in Jan. 2008 to find the center was closed!!!! I had no idea. I was in my third week of stableization and I’m owed a year of maintenance plus the three boxes of lite bars. Yep, I’m a fool….but believe me I only get burned once, I will never pre-pay for a weight loss plan or be pressured into purchasing food that I don’t want. Just so you know if you read the ingredients in those bars they contain hydrogenated palm kernel oil and a lot of other crap…they are NOT healthy. How could I have been so foolish to think that eating those bars would make me loose weight. The only way to loose weight is to burn more calories then you store. Exersize and eat healthy, control your portions…you don’t need anyone to tell you how to do that. I’ve learned my lesson…the hard way!
I am totally frustrated with the LA/ pure weight loss program. To begin with i lost 20lbs and today has gain 30lbs since. I have paid for 52 weeks of LA lite bars plus the program. They have a total of $1,900.00 . Please advice how can i get my money back.
They owe me two months of the weightloss program plus a year of maintenance plus 10 boxes of lites. They called me just before Christmas to check on me since I hadn’t been in the center due to illness for a couple of weeks. Nothing was said about their closing. They should have sent letters to their clients informing them of the closings. I’m sure they didn’t because they knew they would have to pay us all back!
I too was left in the lurch. I was called on Tuesday before Thanksgiving stating that they were closing the center near me that Saturdary and moving to a location with no public transportation and nowhere near my home. They owe me maintenance and 1/2 $ after losing the weight. I feel they betrayed our confidence and I have been gaining weight slowly.
Go to FTC.GOV and fill out a consumer complaint form. They sent me a response. The more people who do this, hopefully the stronger the complaint against the HORRIBLE pure weight loss company! Do it with your state attorney general, too. Anyone in Northwest suburban ILLINOIS up for a class action lawsuit!? I keep seeing that on here, but how does that get started? Thanks!
I joined LA Weight loss on 9/15/06, left on a cruise and started the program upon my return. Few weeks later I found out I was pregnant and my account was put on hold for a year. I went back when I finished nursing the baby in the middle os September of 2007. Every time I went to the center they sold me supplements, more juices, even shakes, which I could not even drink because I am diabetic and they are full of sugar. Then the next time I went to the center with the intention to dispute about the shakes the center was closed and had a sign indicating their very limited hours of operations. Eventually they closed and I was never able to go back to the center. This center never gave me a receipt or a contract, and they owe me well over $1500. I am filing a dispute but have nothing to back me up. I can’t believe a company can instruct their employees to milk so much money out of people when they knew that they were closing and they were getting rid of all the unsuspecting employees.
Go To http://www.attorneygeneral.gov and complain about Pure Weight Loss in the Health Care complaint section. If enough complain maybe something will get done about it.
They owe me about 1100.00. I will complain to the attorney general!
does anyone still have the GOLD program booklets? I’d like a copy if anyone is willing to get me one, thanks!
I wrote to the Ohio Attorney Generals office and they informed me today that Pure Weight Loss has filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. You can contact the following to see if you can file a proof of claim form:
US Bankruptcy Court, Clerks Office
Case #08-10315
900 Market St. Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19107
The owe me close to $1500. With the cost of bars and the remaining purchased weeks of service.
I am owed 39 weeks, stabilization and a years maintenance….roughly $800 along with pre paid lites of $1400…..I signed up under LA Weightloss, but my office changed to Pure before it closed down
I was out of town when I heard they were closing and was unable to get any product…..
I am planing on going to all the sites that are mentioned above and reporting what they did.
Interesting that someone found a new name under the Pure web site…..wonder if the Attorney General knows that….
United we may get something accomplished,… don’t just post here….report it,
I was shocked today to realize that PWL had closed its doors. I am out of about 20 boxes of bars, and if anyone knows where i could get some of the juice I would appreciate it.
Vicky, Check Ebay……i saw some on there last week
You can download the Pure Weight Loss Refund Form, read the Pure weight Loss bankrupcy petition, get contact information for your state Attorney General, click on links to current or past news reports on the Pure Weight Loss closing at:
> PURE WEIGHT LOSS INFORMATION CENTER
Please share that link with other interested parties. Spread the word.
Thanks for all of your participation, information and mutual support.
I prepaid for nearly a year and a half of services and the company still owes me several boxes of lites. I find their unfair business practices to be inexcusable and unethical. I would like to have a refund!
I believe Pure Weight Loss is pulling a fast one on all of us. Since some of the centers are still opened I believe which I am one those who didnt get to pick up their bars and other items owe to us, they will just give them to the other centers opened and sell them again making a double profit. I think we all need to write our Attorney General to re-coup the monies owe us. I am very irritated that I did not receive a phone call about this happening since when I didnt go for a week I always received a call saying where are you when are you coming in. I want my money and the bars or the money I paid to pre buy them. I think in total they probably owe me about 700.00. I sent and e-mail to the site but received no response not that I thought I would. I will be contacting my Attorney General this week they have had plenty of time to answer my questions.
Louise,
Harold Katz owns L.A. Weight Loss, Pure Weight Loss, Nutri-System and Jenny Craig. There should be money in all of those to refund what is due the clients that entered a contract in good faith and prepaid for goods that have not been delivered. No one called me ever to check on me or encourage me. They did a hard sell to get me to purchase as many lite bars as I would.
No one at me LA Weight Loss was a registered nurse or had any medical back ground. I only loss 3 pounds during 6 months and that was when I went on the liquid starvation plan.
I should have done my homework to see that they had lawsuits in California against them before I joined. This has taught me a great lesson for $1500.
So thats why I was offered a Jenny Craig free sign up fee!! because he owns that too!!!! I won’t be doing any of those plans
Karen said: Harold Katz owns L.A. Weight Loss, Pure Weight Loss, Nutri-System and Jenny Craig.
fran So thats why I was offered a Jenny Craig free sign up fee!! because he owns that too!!!!
I believe Karen is incorrect. Harold Katz owns L.A. Weight Loss only. Jenny Craig was founded in Australia and is now owned by Nestle. Katz founded NutriSystem but it’s a publicly traded company. He’s not listed as management or on the board of directors. He co-founded LA Weight Loss, but the company split and his partner took the corporate-owned units, which became Pure Weight Loss, then closed three years after the split.
NutriSystem, LA Weight Loss, and Pure Weight Loss are all still headquartered in the same office park in Horsham, PA outside Philly, but as far as I know they have different ownership. He may have stock in those other companies, but he’s not the owner.
FYI:
Here’s an interesting, detailed history of NutriSystem’s turbulent past.
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/44/NutriSystem-Inc.html
1971: Harold Katz opens his first weight-loss center, called Shape-Up, in suburban Philadelphia.
1972: Katz begins franchising his concept.
1981: NutriSystem debuts as a publicly traded company.
1985: A. Donald McCulloch is named chief executive officer after a tumultuous struggle between Katz and NutriSystem franchisees.
1986: McCulloch leads a leveraged buyout of NutriSystem, ending Katz’s involvement with the company.
I went back and checked about Jenny Craig. Sean is correct that Katz has had nothing to do with that company. However he was involved in Nutri/System, Pure Weight Loss and L.A. Weight Loss.
Is there a class action suit possible?
Of course, going to Jenny Craig means having to buy other products when you’ve already paid once. This is appalling.
Karen said: However he [Harold Katz] was involved in Nutri/System, Pure Weight Loss and L.A. Weight Loss.
Quite right. Harold Katz founded all three weight loss companies. His company Katz Capital Group and still owns L.A. Weight Loss.
In fairness, L.A. Weight Loss does not appear to have anything to do with Pure Weight Loss other than having been part of the same company three years ago and using the same basic weight loss model and products. I don’t know if the locations featured in the ABC 20/20 expose FranchisePick.com reported on last year were ones that converted to Pure Weight loss, or if they are still L.A. Weight Loss branded locations.
Confusing, isn’t it?
yes, with jenny craig i would have to buy the food! forget that, been stung once-not again!
LA Weight Loss owes me over 40 weeks in Maintenance. I had to put myself on hold back in mid-2007 and I was still in early stages of maintenance. Don’t the total cost.
I have read a lot of postings by people who have been victimized in what seems to so far be the scam of the new year. If anyone read about how the 2 partners of LAWL split up and how they continued to run their business for 3 years+ under the same name, taking advantage of the same advertising campaigns until 4 months before one was to close. Let’s be realistic, if you were closing your business would you change its name 4 months prior. I would imagine you would have other things to worry about than voluntarily spending the hundred of thousands of dollars that it probably cost to nationally rebrand. It doesn’t make sense.
LAWL was in trouble and being sued all over the place. Change the name and close the corporate headquarters while over 400 other stores are still paying royalties to a sister company. These are supposed to be the orphans but the parent company empire keeps on thriving and advertising and collecting revenues.
As far as people looking for supplies, if these outlets can get supplies of bars and other products so should everyone else be able to get supplies owed to them. I would pursue this.
Furthermore, I have read about people posting in respect to class action suits. I thing the real focus should be in respect to how this whole process unfolded. It does not seem to me to be as clear cut as it was made to seem. Pure WL may have tried to evade responsibility by closing but LAWL should not try to avoid its responsibilty. Let’s call a spade a spade be it as ‘Pure’ as it may seem.
To Darlene at LifeCoachLinks: Can you please unsubscribe from these comments or turn your autoresponse off? Every time someone leaves a message, I get: Thank you for your interest in the internet links provided by LifeCoachLinks.com. This is an autoreply program. An actual person will respond to your email within 3 business days. Have a great day. Thanks.
Leon said: …Pure WL may have tried to evade responsibility by closing but LAWL should not try to avoid its responsibilty. Leon, I shared your suspicions but looked in to it to find that LAWL is indeed a separate company with separate ownership. Sharing the same trademark and systems does not make one company liable for the other.
Even if there were collusion on the name change, as you suggest, these companies have done a good job of separating themselves corporately at least at first glance.
While there are a lot of unanswered questions, there’s no way LAWL is going to come near this mess, nor acknowledge any connection or responsibility. Other than the initial interview in the Inquirer with spokesman Matusky, there hasn’t been a peep out of them.
In the case of LAWL, silence is golden. In the case of Pure Weight Loss, silence is infuriating.
My question is: What are these “independently owned and operated” Pure Weight Loss centers that are still operating?
I loved this progaram,even got my brother to sign up because I had such success. I was floored to hear they were closing. I’m reading all these comments and I’m sitting here trying to figure out how much I’m owed (not that I’ll probably see a dime. ) I started in May, went on Maintence on August 31st. Do I figure my weeks from May or August???
From suburban Phila….. I’m owed many boxes of Lites. Will contact the Atty Genl in our area to file a complaint. Also plan to submit a refund app to a Suite in Dresher, PA. Will see what happens.