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 CUSTOMERS: SHARE NEWS & OPINIONS HERE
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 actually just rec’d notice of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case for LAWL. I am still owed 82 weeks of bars that I didn’t go back to get a long time ago. I am wondering what I should do now. Should I file a proof of claim form with the bankruptcy court. Any suggestions ????
I have been reading the comments and it is discouraging because most of them state that the most people will get back is $1000. I am out almost $5,000. They kept lying to me about my bars being low and when I finally got a hold of the records comparing the bars I used vs. the purchased. I knew something didnt seem right, but I trusted the counselors (even though each week I went there were new people until they finally closed the doors). So I have been dealing with the regional managers that were shipping me bars. Did anyone notice that the bars tasted different towards the end? I am really praying that I get a refund because to be disabled and out all this money is heartbreaking. I think that disputing the costs with your credit card company is a fantastic idea – only if you purchased it within 90 days. Otherwise, you are out of luck!!! With mine it has been ongoing for several years. So, lets all stick together – do not give up – keep contacting the attorney generals office and maybe we can prevail!!!
How do I get my money back? Help!!!! They owe me almost $2000.
I am still paying on my bars with care credit and did file a dispute, I don’t know if that will get me anywhere. I had enough bars banked to get me through the entire program, plus my weeks.
I just received in the mail on Saturday a bankruptcy notice. I feel completely helpless and violated.
How are we going to get our money? All I have to show for this ordeal is a balance and a statement.
If anyone has any idea of what to do next because of the bankruptcy, I sure would like to hear. I filed a dispute with Care Credit, sent all my paperwork to the PA atty general, but don’t know what step to take next. In the meantime Care Credit keeps charging me a late fee because I am making NO payment on my account, never even started my program, they closed before I got to start, apparently signing me up and knowing they would not be there in a couple weeks. The dispute form clearly states “no payment needs to be made while in dispute process.” I am never going to make a payment on the $987 owed to them, no matter what. I have excellent credit and at this stage of the game, how can they hurt me? I don’t work so they can’t garinshee my paycheck! Or can they? This is just a major mess.
RECENT PURE WEIGHT LOSS POSTS:
February 25th, 2008 Did HONESTY Kill Pure Weight Loss? or LA Weight Loss: The Movie
February 22nd, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Meeting of Creditors Set for March 14
February 20th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Employees Also to Suffering Losses
February 3rd, 2008 IS PURE WEIGHT LOSS VIOLATING HIPAA PRIVACY LAWS? (Part 2)
February 3rd, 2008 IS PURE WEIGHT LOSS VIOLATING HIPAA PRIVACY LAWS? (Part 1)
January 31st, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Adds Insult to Injury Part 2
I recieved a refund ck in December and was surprised since I been corresponding witht he company since July of 07 when I was suppose to get my first refund. In December I should have gotten my 2nd refund. I had no idea all this was going on until I decided to cash in on my 3 boxes of bars that I pre-paid for and thats when I found out what happen. there was a note on my centers door that Jenny Craig is taking clients. You just have to pay for the cost of food only. I am shocked but not surprised because they were just as tacky with how the name switched from LA to pure weight loss without notice. Besides wrong that was done the program did give me the tools needed to lose the weight and Im keeping it off. My lost is approximately $150.
I hope your check does not bounce…I received a refund in late November and was notified by my bank 4 weeks later that it had bounced. The account it was written on was closed….no other info available. Now along with all I was already out I have a $20 bounced check charge.
Like most of you I was SCREWED too!!! I feel so lost. I just found out this week about all this. And to tell you the TRUTH this HAS to be FRAUD. I signed up with LA weigh loss back in Nov 2004 just to find out 3 weeks later that I was pregnant. I wanted my refund at that time. But was told that could not happen and that they would put my file on hold till after I had my baby. I went back shortly after and decided to wait longer because their food products were not healthy for me to do while breastfeeding sooo last year I started back up but only after I had to fight with them because they had closed out my file. They wouldn’t give the refund at that time either and plus I was looking to lose weight. So they reinstated my file I started losing weight then plateau for 2 months they keep say that it wasn’t a plateau and then they told me when they were changing to Pure weight loss that the new program would work better for me. WHAT A CROCK for 3 weeks they keep telling me that the new program pamphlets weren’t in yet so I put my file on hold again and was waiting for them to call me, THEY NEVER DID!!! NOW I know why. I didn’t even get a call or letter about the closing. I found out through the grapevine. It just seems awful funny that in Aug. and Sep they were changing from LA weight Loss to Pure weight Loss then closed the online at home site NOV and accouned in Dec they were closing on the 4 of Jan. Now THAT timeline sounds Like FRAUD TO ME HOW ABOUT YOU? How PURE was there name change? Maybe it should have been SUCKERS weigh loss. And I don’t buy that the all the employees didn’t know anything. I mean come on like other people have said their still sale in other places. And how is LA weight loss and nurisytem coming into play since that they are technically all the same dam thing and own through the some people? And I’m soooo stupid that I in all that time I never fought harder to get my 5000 back. Yup 5000 that is just another story I purchased the supplement the food the weeks everything and I did not walk away with any products what soooooo every. And you better believe I’m not letting go this time. I have fought them tooooooooooooo dam long and I had to even fight my hubs over the initial purchase. So count me in on taking down everyone that FRAUDED US!!!
I was owed over $800 in products and services when Pure closed. I filled out my refund forms and never heard anything. I had paid for all of this on my credit card…..thank goodness!! I disputed the charges with my credit card company, mailed them all of the contract info and explanations and the credit card company credited my acount back for $860.00. If you put your payment for Pure on your credit card you should totally dispute the charge. It worked for me and now I don’t feel as bitter about the whole thing. It still upsets me but I got my money back!!
pURE WEIGHT LOSS OWES ME THEIR ENTIRE PROGRAM. I PAID FOR SERVICES IN ADVANCE,ALTHOUGH I HAVEN’T BEEN BUT ONCE, I WANTED TO GET BACK “IN THE GROOVE” OF THINGS. I TRIED TO CALL SEVERAL PURE WEIGHT LOSS CENTERS, FOUND OUT THROUGH A CURVES EMPLOYEE THAT PURE HAD SHUT DOWN JANUARY 2008. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND THEY OWE ME THE COST OF MY PROGRAM WHICH WAS $604.00
In January I sent in my refund application, return receipt requested, and my mail was returned stamped no such address. I paid for the program, purchased a case of juice and bars. I was told I could keep my items at their place and take them on my weekly visits. My refund request was $659.40 plus cost of the program. I am following advice to call Pa attorney general’s office. Sorry I paid my credit card bill before I received the items!
You can still dispute the charges on your credit card even if you’ve paid it off. All you need to do is go back through your old statements and either call or go online and fill out the dispute form. That’s what I did. I hadn’t paid my entire balance off yet but did pay on some of it already. Your credit card company will totally back you up if you paid for something and didn’t receive the product or service. I would advise everyone to try it. I don’t think any of us are going to get much out of a class action suit unfortunately.
Has anyone tried any other weight loss places yet? I’ve been having trouble staying on track lately……
Does anyone know where you can get the LA Lite bars. They have to be selling them somewhere. They owe me about $300 in bars, and I would like to have the.
juanita-you can buy them on ebay.
I got a letter yesterday from CareCredit. They are crediting my account for the entire purchase price of the program! If you used CareCredit haven’t disputed it yet-get going!!
I disputed my Care Credit and was given a credit for the full amount, less $29.00 for a returned check charge when I stopped payment on a check I sent them before I found out they had closed before I was able to use the program. JUST BE PERSISTENT!!!
this is suzie again did ever thing i could care creit denide me my money back of 900.00 they said that it was to yrs ago but i was still in the programe and half of the bars i havent even gotten its been 6 mouths of fight with them im done i give up. dont know what else to do
I was a member of la weight loss when it changed to pure weight loss. I saw what many of you saw with the staff turn overs happening quit often. I tried calling my location for about a week so they could put me on hold. No one was answering the phone so I drove to the store location three time before they finally put up a sign saying they were going out of business and when they would be open for refunds. Again I drove to the store to find out I had to fill out paper work and send it in. I was told that it would be 8 to 10 weeks to receive my refund. Of course I have not received it. I am due $900 as they had just talked me into sign up for more weeks and more bars. :(
pure one or la weight i hope you get whats coming to you . injoy your money, hope you rought in hellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!
I joined Pure weight loss and they told me o fill out this paper to get a refund and that was back in Dec. 2007 and I haven’t heard from them at all they had a customer service number and it stays busy all day everyday they owe me over $600.00 and think that is f**ked up how they did there customers I hope that they rot in HELLLLLLLLLLLLL!
Pure weightloss owes me over $400. In the first week of December i asked if they would be closing down and they flat out told me no. Now I am out $400 and there is no one to sue. What am i to do???????????????
I’m out over $700 bucks. I sent an email to their customer service department and they called me back and left a message and then I called the back and haven’t received a return call. They were trying to get me to sign up for the LA on the Go program instead of getting a refund!
Okay, I just found out about all of this when I recieved the bankrupcy letter in the mail. I had a leave from the program due to the fact that I got pregnant. So there was no need for me to go to the center at all. I deliever my baby 1-31-08. And I was originally told that I couldn’t start back up on the program until I was no longer breastfeeding. So here I am still breastfeeding and looking forward to about 3 more months and I can go back to LA weight loss and get rid of this extra wieght. And I really liked the bars and wanted to get some more of the ones I already paid for. Now here I am totally suprised and with even more weight on (from the baby) than when I started the program.
Has anyone used the dietary supplement Purecontrol 420 ?? They said it replaced the Excel. It contains bitter orange and I’ve been reading that it has some of the same side effects as ephedra. I”d like to know before I take it. The Excel works great for me, I don’t want to take anything that’s going to mess me up.
I tried going to my center around Christmas and they were closed. The note on the door said the days and hours they would be open. I thought it was because of the holiday. After I finally got there on an open day I was informed they were closing. I could get my bars and stuff but they were out and taking orders. I asked if I could just get my money back. I was told to fill out a refund form for the bars and weeks I had prepaid for. Surprisingly they could find my file to tell me the exact amount. I left after making a scene. One of the employees called me later and said she found my form the amount I could request was $800.00. I sent in the form certified mail and waited. I got the bankruptcy form in the mail and now I feel screwed. I don’t have any documention other than credit card statements to prove I gave them money. They have the files. What can I do?????
When you make a post on here, can you please pay attention to your grammar? I’m already sick to my stomach for having lost so much money, but reading all of these rants with misspelled words and horrible grammar only makes it worse. Thank you.
greg who cares about the spelling we are all sick about this. think with your heart not your ass. its you that make it worse.
Sure, Care Credit will credit your account in full if you file a dispute claim. But…. it takes forever to get a response. They’re just as bad using a call center in India with reps who you can barely understand over the phone. They don’t even offer you a telephone number to speak with the disputes department directly. Makes me think they get “complaints & disputes” often.
It’s really pissing me off that no one is seeing an actual DOLLAR refund … in their hands. What am I gonna do with Care Credit? Nothing. There was no point in getting the full credit back. Please…. if there is ANYONE out there who has gotten an actual Dollar amount refund IN THEIR HAND/BANK please let us know how you were successful in doing so. This is utterly ridiculous and there are thousands of angry and PISSED off people who were cheated. Totally unfair.
they owe me 342
Pure Weight Loss owes me over $400.00. I have not given up on my weight loss. But total confidence in any business associated with LA Weight Loss, Pure Weight Loss, or Nutri System. I’m considering Weight Watchers.
I have joined Weight Watchers and am Having wonderful success with them. The group meetings are wonderful and the support you get from everyone is so helpful! I feel that i will be able to stick to Weight Watchers MUCH easier than LA/Pure because you can seriously eat whatever you want as long as you count the points! I can have a large baked potato with light sour cream and steak and it’s all allowed! I highly recommend it. PLUS it’s a hell of a lot cheaper and you DON’T have to buy any crappy bars!
Sara in NY,
Thanks for that info. That is the second time I have heard great things about WW from people that I know or like in this case have something in common with. I will look up to see when is the next meeting in my area. Thanks again.
Veronica in TX
I did get my money back from the credit card company that LA Weight Loss forced me into getting. Unfortunately…I had invested over $2,000. into this company. I can’t get information on refunds . I do feel sorry for 3 of the counselors at the location I went to. The manager of that location can go to hell as far as I am concerned. She be-littled and chastisized too many customers as well as me. I am working with a lawyer now to try to get some of my money back.
Oh my good, I just discovered all of this mess three days ago. I joined LA in Mar 06 and lost 36lbs but a month later I was pregnant again so I was on hold. No problem, that is until I had the baby and had to pay for more weeks to loss the weight before going into maintenance phase. Well I did that and shortly after had to be put on hold again due to relocation. I was part of the center in Killeen, TX and relocated to the Columbus, GA area. Well after getting settled in(about 5-6 months) I contacted the center in TX to have my files transfered(took 2 months and several calls) which was around Jan 08 and they told me they had to contact my gaining center first, no problem. On top of that they told me they could not transfer my Lites so they would have to mail them to me, all 98 bar and they lied and said the have a shelf life of about three years. Pieces of Scum! The postage of which I had to pay for. Well to make matters worse I finally got around to having time to continue with the program in Feb only to discover the center has closed with nothing but a sign in the window that said moving. WHAT! So I’ve been trying to get and answer every since. Then a few days ago I decided to type in “complaints against LA Weight Loss” and was weaken by all the complaints I saw. I had no idea the magnitude of the problem.
they owe me my entire maintenance phase plus the money for these darn bars that I no longer have use for partially due to them expiring. I hope they get theirs ten fold and fry in hell! Good luck everyone.
Pure Weight Loss owes me $400.00. I would have been happy just to be able to pick up my 10 boxes of lites and call it even, but my location (Fairborn, OH) supposedly didn’t have any lites. They didn’t get their last shipment. I was told I would receive my refund on my credit card within 6-8 weeks. Well of course I waited. Then I went to the website and, lo and behold, the company has filed bankruptcy. I filed my papers back in February 2008. I’m sure I won’t get any refund but I just needed to finally get the frustration out.
I do feel sorry for the counselors because they did nothing but try and help with the weight loss. I haven’t given up but I’m certainly not looking for any refund.
I DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR THE COUNSELORS AT ALL! They are just pieces of trash just like the rest of LA Weight Loss company. They were told to make people feel bad about themselves in order to boost their commissions, AND THEY DID! I hope that everyone who worked for this company rots in hell. They stole thousands of dollars from unsuspecting clients knowing their were going to close. A multi million dollar company just doesn’t decide to close in one day. This was a decision that took some time, and while they were deciding they kept taking peoples money. Considering that the majority of the “counselors” did not even have any type of true education in the nutrition or counseling field, I am sure they will be able to find whatever menial jobs suit them.
over $1700.00
Approximately $600.00
I’m owed approximately $600.00
Joined in December, 07
Returned for my “weekly weigh-in and lites” on May 7, 2008 only to discover an empty building with no sign or notice posted and disconnected phone. I have contacted the local BBB and the state’s Attorney General’s office but to no avail.
I was so disappointed with their selling tactics that I stopped going. Everytime I went into the center for my weekly weigh in, I was bombarded with hard sell tactics. I joined LA wightloss to lose weight not the money in my checking account. I happened to drive by the store front in February and saw the note. I guess shame on me for not being on top of this outrage but shame on them for taking my money and not providing me with the tools I needed to lose weight.
They owe me 88 boxes of lites and if ebay is correct, one box is $12.99. You do the math. Unfortunately there is NO ONE to contact to obtain my records so I guess I am screwed along with other consumers. Next time I will be more careful. So now what do I do?
I am writing this again….and would like everyone who is following this to acknowledge you are contacting the Pennsylvania States Attorney’s office. Don’t worry about a class action lawsuit right now….just get your paper work to the States Attorneys office who is handling the bankruptcy case.
Pennsylvania: Tom Corbett (R) (717) 787-3391
1600 Strawberry Square, Harrisburg, PA 17120
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov
To everyone……
Call the Pa States Attorneys office, they will send you a form that you can submit. This is the place to file, as they are handling the bankruptcy case…
I called, and got my form.
If we all send them in the States Attorneys office can see the magnitude of the deception…..
United We Stand,…..so get your form, fill it out and send it back in…..and note here that you are doing it so everyone can see some action being taken……Complaining is good, however action is the only way to resolve this….call and get the form, fill it out and send it back in….NOW>>>>
I too am out nearly $3000….I feel this is the only way of possibly getting anything back.
You still have time to do this as the case is still opened, but will be closing from what I understand in or around Mid June, go to the website for the states attorney as listed above as the case is discussed on the website.
Remember….call, get your form, fill it out and send it back…… That is the only way to get in on the lawsuit the State Attorney is handeling against the company.
Attention Victims of Pure Weight Loss: Don’t get mad… Get even!
DEAR VAHAN is new website where former members and employees of Pure weight loss (formerly LA Weight Loss) can write a message to be delivered to Pure Weight Loss CEO Vahan Karian (aka Vahan Karabajakian). Share your experience, feelings and opinions of Pure Weight Loss’ business tactics with Mr. Karian, state & federal officials, and the world. (You can also comment on L.A. Weight Loss)
He’s got a chunk of your money. Why not give him a piece of your mind, too? Visit DEAR VAHAN.
I went to Pure Weight Loss in Slidell, LA. I was so excited to join this program. I paid 150.00 for an eight week program. I was given a bottle of juice, a sample pack of snack bars, and a food diary. I was told to come and weigh in once a week. I joined at the end of the week and was told to come in by Friday of the following week to weigh in again. Well, I pull up to go weigh in, and I see a for lease sign in the window. I went in a talked with a lady whom I had never seen before, and she told me that they were closing, and that she was sorry no one informed me. I asked her about a refund for my 150.00 I just paid a week ago for an eight week program, and she told me that the money was just a sign up fee. I was so shocked! I don’t see how people can get away with ripping people off and just saying sorry.
I am trully shocked to read that there was still LA Weight Loss centers in bussiness Jan. 2009. The center I belonged to in Indiana closed the end of 2007. They owed me and so many other clients money and LA lites. So how can they send the La Lites to new clients before paying back all of those who they owed first.
I am owed approximately $1500 and 88 boxes of LA lites. I joined January 2005 and lost approximately 5 lbs. I was never contacted by anyone to tell me they were going out of business. I drove up to the store front to drop in for my weekly weigh-in and the door was locked and no one was there. Just a sign saying they were closed. Since I will never recieve my refund or my LA lites…..it’s nice to lnow that I wasn’t the only one who was taken advantage of.
I attended the LA Weight Loss in NC until they abruptly closed in Dec 08 w/ no notification to the clients other than a sign on a locked door. I am owed 20-something weeks of weight loss, 6 weeks of stabilization & 52 weeks of maintenance. i received a phone call by some of the good samaritan counselors last week letting me know we could come pick up the products we were owed yet they were out of most of everything & had no more bars (which i had at least 25-30) boxes bulked owed to me. i appreciated at least the attempt to get me my product, yet i still feel i did not get what was owed to me. I did not know there were such issues going on across the U.S. or i would have never joined. I am fearful that I may never see my money again & am unsure of what actions to take. For anyone in the NC area please contact me if you know of any steps I can take to follow up or if there are any hopes of a class action law suit. I feel we were all victims of a system riddled w/ loop holes taken advantage of by a money hungry corporation/franchise.
DOES ANYBODY OUT THERE HAVE THE GOLD PLAN BOOKLETS.
NY has forced LA Weight Loss to repay $275,000 to its former members:
http://weightloss.franbest.com/2009/02/la-weight-loss-to-pay-refunds-to-new-york-members/
Here’s a link to Attorney General contact info:
http://www.franchisepick.com/resources/list-of-state-attorney-generals/
has anyone tried to file a class action law suit?? what can we do??? they owe me some 30 lites and weeks of the program.
someone must know the law out there?
Michelle,The class action lawsuit was filed a long time ago. Perhaps if you contact your attorney gernerals office you can get your money back. Luckily, I signed up using Care Credit, I went through Care Credit and got all of my money back. I almost successfully completed the program, had been going for several months, only to drive past and see the store front empty. It’s very sad. Hopefully your state attorney general’s office can help you?