LA Weight Loss Rumors: What Have YOU Heard?
June 12, 2008 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
(FranchisePick.Com) IS LA WEIGHT LOSS IN TROUBLE?
Late last year, rumors started appearing on FranchisePick.com a month or two before Pure Weight Loss (formerly LA Weight Loss) suddenly announced it was closing all 400 weight loss facilities nationwide. In fact, one reader posted about the California closings before it hit the news. Shocked Pure Weight Loss employees found themselves suddenly out of work. Thousands of members tried in vain to recover the hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars in prepaid services and products they had entrusted to the company. We’ve learned to listen to the rumors. Not always believe, but at least listen.
LA weight Loss and Pure weight Loss started off as the same company and continued to use the same same system. However, the franchise company currently operating as LA Weight Loss had disassociated itself from the company that became Pure Weight Loss well before it imploded. However, LA Weight Loss has had its own share of problems, and rumors that sound eerily similar to those preceding the fall of Pure Weight Loss seem to be escalating. What do you think?
June 11, 2008, DD wrote:
Watch for the ‘Closing’ signs of all LA Weight loss centers. First they start cutting back store hours, let go of some employee’s, then they begin to have a difficult time getting all their product. The biggest clue is that the local advertising slows way down. In my area I saw advertisements daily on many T.V. stations and heard them constantly on the radio. They rarely advertise now and they are quoting no prices. I believe, after being a former employee, that they are now near the end. They are doing all they can to get ANY business at this point in order to hang on until the end. This has been the pattern in other parts of the county. GET OUT NOW!!!!
June 10, 2008, Kim wrote:
I paid A LOT for my LA WEIGHT LOSS MEMBERSHIP and had a few months left. I had some stressors and stopped going for a few months, then decided to get jump started now that summer is here. Went to the store, and was shocked to see there was no sign, the store was empty, no sign on the door, and then I called and the phone rang and there was not even a message! And to think that last week I received a card in the mail to “Come back to LA for free”! I know the stores in Illinois closed, and I am over the border in Wisconsin. Right before I left, the store hours changed twice, and corporate was in there. I had a bad feeling about it and that also made me stop going. I am mad,feel like I got taken for a ride, and wonder how many may have just joined and got ripped off! These people need to be sued!
Apr 3, 2008, Laura House wrote:
Buzz is that the franchise centers are in just as much trouble as PURE/Corporate LAWL was. One of the largest franchisees, Barry Goodman, out of Brentwood, TN has shut down all of his south Florida centers with more on the way. At one time, Goodman owned over 100 LA Weight Loss Franchise Centers and was one of LAWL Franchise Companies biggest franchisees.
Also reported on other sites is that centers in Austin, TX, Corpus Christy, TX, and Victoria,TX are closing in additon to centers across the Tennessee area.
As a consumer or a potential franchisee– I would stay clear of this company. Looks like they are on their last legs.
ARE YOU AN LA WEIGHT LOSS FRANCHISE OWNER, EMPLOYEE OR CUSTOMER? WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
__________________________
Visit FRANBEST’s: Unbiased franchise information, franchise interviews and detailed, searchable information on 400 franchise and business opportunities.
.
Franchisees, customers & experts vote for their favorite new franchises at Top New Franchise: Who’s hot. Who’s not.
I also am an ex-employee of LA Weight Loss. I do not know when this company is going under but if they are not I will be VERY Shocked! I for one loved working for LAWL and will miss helping my clients but felt completely lied to all of the time by our owners! As part of our jobs we would sell large bulks of product that the clients would pick up at their weekly visits, this could run up into the $1000.00’s easily! No longer knowing if you are unknowingly lying to your clients about product coming in, whether they would receive refunds and rebates that they were waiting for, whether they would ever receive all of the product that they had invested in made many of us lose our sleep at night! I believe that the plan works and have saw it change so many peoples lives, however to much pushy sales and greed has run this company in the ground! So Very Sad! I am just waiting to hear any day that LA Weight Loss is no more! : (
If the centers are all individually owned/franchised and operated, maybe it is just individual centers that are having problems and is not reflective of the parent company. Have any reports been published that indicate the franchising company that franchises the concept is shuttering?
Here where I live, the centers were franchised, but the franchisee went bankrupt. Corporate actually took the centers back over with corporate staff versus franchisee. Wouldnt that be a good sign that they want to keep their brand promise?
Not sure, just curious….
I was a former client and decided to get out last fall. When I went in to “quit”, I was talked into another round, which I knew I wasn’t committed to (and ended up not using). So, this past March I went in to get my refund and was told it could take up to 30 days to get it. Right!! I kindly pestered the poor local workers every week. I was then told by corporate (via a local worker who was only able to reach someone in corporate via email – no phone numbers given)that the checks would be issued on May 17. Almost 4 more weeks passed and still no word from corporate on where my refund was. No one would respond. (Sadly, the local workers still can’t get in touch with anyone at corporate except through this one lady via email, and they are also without a manager.)
I also tried to get in touch with corporate and found a toll free number in my internet search that I never could get through on – always a “busy” signal. They sure make it difficult to be found, don’tcha think? Wonder what they’re avoiding or hiding!!
Today, June 13 I finally received a check from LATO, Inc. They didn’t even pay me the full amount they owe – it’s about $100 short. I’m very angry at the way this company has handled this whole thing. All I expected was my refund in a timely manner.
Does anyone have a real number to LA corporate for their accounts payable department???
Incidentally, I just learned that our local LA center is closing. The reason given? Bad local management in the previous 2 years. I seriously doubt that is the entire reason.
Alicia-What city are you in? Where is your center closing? My understanding is all the LA Weight Loss Centers in Tennessee are closing. I go to the one in Memphis. They have no stock and the staff is very young and unprofessional compared to when I went before. LATO is LA Take Over. If that is who you got your check from, that is a corporate managed center that used to be owned by a franchisee. They took these centers over in January because a lot of the franchisees were going bankrupt. That is why they use the name LATO.
My friend works for them and said they are in the process of closing. I dont know if it is the entire chain or just her location. She said they teach you how to “maximize revenue” by taking advantage of people’s credit through Care Credit. If you put a client on Care Credit (in-house financing) and they get approved for 4000, the company expected you to keep selling them products or services to max out their card. If you only sold them 1500 worth of stuff and did not use the full limit, they would write you up. Talk about taking advantage of people!
I think the exposure on 20/20 and the closing of the PURE centers definitely have had an impact on the franchised centers. Its too bad, because it is not the franchisees fault. In the 20/20 expose, they had video of staff saying upper management told them to “cry and then they will buy” as far as technique to use to get people to enroll on the LA Weight Loss Program. Many of the counselors admitted not having any nutritional training–just how to sell products and motivate people to enroll on the program. The core of any business has to be caring staff with a mission. Sounds like they completely have missed the boat.
Mary: We’re in Bozeman, MT. Thanks for the info on LATO. I wondered what happened. When I went back in March it was a whole new crew from the ones that resold me another round back in October, (which, incidentally, was a new crew from the original ones I was seeing). The turn-over rate is huge. They’re nice girls, but there is no management over them and they are left not knowing what to do in some of these situations. I know the girl I’ve been talking to (very nice and sympathetic, btw) is pretty ticked about my situation. And I’m not the only one she’s having to track down refunds for. Now she’s trying to find out why I didn’t get all my refund. I feel for her – stuck in the middle.
Anyway, it’s sad they’re closing. I know women who’ve really benefited from the program, my MIL included.
When are they closing Alicia? Maybe they can turn the situation around so they wont have to close completely?!?!?!?
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.
Mary: Not sure when. I seriously don’t expect them to stay open.
Sean: Interesting info on the other sites. Thanks.
My understanding is that Barry Goodman owns 100 centers and has a regional franchise office out of Brentwood, TN. Word on the street is that he is having major financial hardships and is planning on closing all of his centers in the next few months. His centers currently have very little product in them. This will affect the following areas: Jackson, TN-Nashville, TN, Knoxville, TN-Chatanooga, TN, All of Southern Florida, Parts of Kentucky. If you are a client of one of these centers, get your products now!
Attention! Attention! Attention!
They are closing more LA Weight Loss Centers which are managed by the LA Weight Loss Franchise Companies Corporate office (Under the Name of LATO- or LA Take Over).
By July 11th, the following centers will be closing in Kentucky:
*Elizabethtown, KY
*Louisville/Hurstbourne, KY
*Springhurst, KY
They are also planning closings in other areas of the country, including:
*Butte, NE
*Lincoln, NE
*Bozeman, MT
Beware! If products are owed to you, get into the center immediately and request refunds!
Rita
They are also closing centers in Reno Nevada and Sparks Nevada. Hmmm….Maybe there are lot more closing than we know. I just know about the ones here in my region. They shut down 8 LA Weight Loss Centers in Las Vegas earlier this year. So this is 10 in this state that have folded without refunding money to clients.
Other posts on LA Weight Loss to check out:
http://weightloss.franbest.com/2008/06/la-weight-loss-center-closings-rumored/
http://weightloss.franbest.com
That site encourages you to leave a message for LA weight Loss or Pure weight Loss Which They’ll forward.
There’re more here:
http://www.franchisepick.com/category/la-weight-loss/
Alicia–
I am going through a very similar situation that you went through with getting a refund. No one will return my calls and I keep getting the run around from the members of management at the center. It is like they have been told to lie to the clients. I am in the Knoxville, Tn area and I really don’t think that there is such a place as “corporate” in Nashville, what kind of coprporate office doesn’t have a receptionist? The manager at the center told me that they are under new ownership and “we didn’t even get our last pay checks” . I am assuming that their previous owner has sold the centers in this area If you are a current member…get out while the getting is good!!!!
I live in Colorado and from what I have been told all the centers in the state will be closed by the end of August I signed up for something called LA to go where supposedly someone from corporate will call me 3 times a week and I can pay for product and they will ship it to me free of charge.. I am beginning to wonder about that after reading all the posts. This is a real bummer as it was really working for me
The Brentwood TN office is closing. The counselor told me the closings were only in the Nashville region. That seems to contradict what I’m reading on this and other websites.