I was going through my emails this morning and was surprised to see I had received an email from the LA Weight Loss Corporate Office in Pennsylvania. She stated she was the account supervisor for public relations.
She stated the LA Weight Loss Center in my area was not closing. She was referencing a LA Weight Loss article I wrote on March 26th. She also wanted the name of the person who sent me the information. (don’t have..wouldn’t give it if I did)
I replied and asked her if she could send me a list of the centers that are remaining open and which ones are closing so I could list them for the readers. I also asked if I could give her phone number out to concerned clients.
I’m waitig for a response. It would be nice if people could get the answers they need concerning the closing of various LA Weight Loss Centers. I’ll pass on the information as soon as I get a reply.
I have written and phoned and mailed about being reimbursed. I obtained a contact person in London Ont who had the local franchise. He was not helpful to date other then to tell me some other company would be happy to honor my membership if I were to take my contract in there. I wonder who has that franchise? I find the whole thing very unprofessional to say the least. Recently I heard another weight loss program will be opening up in the same centre with the same staff which is outrageous. I am really interested in being part of any class action against LA wt. loss in Ontario/Canada. LA Wt. loss is still running in parts of the US (as advertised currently on TV) and according to one site I found this is a pattern throughout the US, they close without any warning to their clients and reopen under another name. I am out 8 months of program (paid for) and 30 plus boxes of product (paid for and not received). I am also not happy with the note on the door and any phone messages end with ‘good luck with your weight loss’. That is unbelieveable!!!
Here is an email I received today in regards to LA wt. loss in Canada. I would like to know if this rules out a class action agianst these people, if anyone else is interested and how to pursue.
February 20, 2009
To Former Members of LA Weight Loss Centres in Ontario:
On February 13, 2009, Diet Success Corp., the operator of LA Weight Loss Centres in Ontario and Quebec was placed into receivership. Attached to this email you will find a copy of the Notice of Receiver. Your name was not listed on the creditor listing attached to the Notice of Receiver as it was prepared prior to us having your information. You have been subsequently added.
The company is unable to provide you with any product which may be owing nor refund for product or services which may be owing.
Unfortunately, all former members of LA Weight Loss Centres are unsecured creditors. There will be no funds available to the unsecured creditors of LA Weight Loss Centres.
If you have any further questions regarding the receivership, please write to dietsuccess@skz.ca
I also have a copy of the Notice of Receiver (sec. 245)
Receiver Report (sec 246)
In the Matter of the Receivership of
Diet Success Corp.
O/A LA Weight Loss Centres
of the City of Vaughan, in the Province of Ontario
The firm is SHINER.KIDECKEL.ZWEIG Inc.
insolvency and restructuing professionals
There is no way I am able to copy this document. At the bottome there is a Additional information may be obtained by writing to
ietsuccess@skz.ca
I would be interested in the response of others.
I am so with anyone who wants to file a lawsuit they stood right there in front of me and took my hard earned money knowing that they were not going to be open just a few days later. I feel bad because I got my sister in law involved with la weight loss also and now she is out money too. Furios would be a good word to describe how I feel about this company and the people in charge.
does this site have a glossary? Im new to some terms
Bryan,
No, I’m sorry there is no glossary.
I too have been lied to and lost money. PLEASE does any know of class action suit or are there steps I need to take now to ensure I would be part of one? My location was in MN.
I too just tried going by my center to get some bars that I had prepaid for and realized that they were closed. I had stopped going due to some back problems and just wanted to get what was owed me. The sad thing is that I just paid my Care Credit off by using a 0% interest credit card which means it is probably too late for me to dispute the charges. I feel everyone’s pain, in this time of financial crisis for all of us, it is hard to not feel betrayed and hurt by how this company treated us. Just remember, God is good and that these people will have to answer to Him some day. If anyone finds out a way we can fight this and/or get in on a class action law suit, please let me know. pac1966@sbcglobal.net. Thanks and God Bless!
About LA WEIGHT LOSS….
I paid about 500 using my card…when it closed…here are the steps i took…and it worked!
1.)call credit card company and explain the situation….tell them the company went bankrupt and that you want to file for a refund…
2.)wait some time, and the credit card company should credit your account…
(the key is that la weight loss will not choose to fight the refund because they are bankrupt, and you should be able to get the money back)
hope this could help. thanks
This was a hard lesson for me to learn. Always do research BEFORE signing a contract. Being on Social Security doesn’t leave me with a lot of money. I called the San Diego(MV) location as soon as I heard the TV commercial and signed contract that day (around $400). What angers me is that they must have known about closing soon. Likewise, I didn’t sign up for a ‘by the mail/phone’ program. Count me in for a class action suit.
Hi, everyone,
Thank you to everyone on all the info given. I am owed 90 boxes of bars worth about $810. I don’t have my reciept anymore for them, but the center was keeping track of what was being given and what was owed.
I called the Vice President of Operations # that was given- 215-346-4385- and left a message. Her cell # was a “wrong #.” I also sent emails to the owner- the president- and the vice president. The other 2 #’s that work but have to call during weekdays (I tried on Sunday)are 888-277-4408 and 888-258-7099. Will try to call them again tomorrow. But, again, thank you to everyone who supplied the info. I am stubborn enough to call and email these people everyday until something happens! Also, question…. I paid for my program and bars with the Care Credit Card also. If you already paid off the card a year ago, it would probably be impossible to get the Card co. to reimburse you due to fraud, right?
Take care everyone. Will keep you updated
I just found this
News Story
LA Weight Loss closures a national phenomenon
By Elizabeth Howell, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Mon, Jan 12, 2009 12:00 AM EST
Click to Enlarge
Heidi Young, one of LA Weight Loss’s customers before it closed. (Etienne Ranger, OBJ)
BBB fields nine complaints; parent company claims little can be done
A Toronto-area company in receivership triggered a tidal wave of sudden LA Weight Loss closures across Canada that finally reached Ottawa in late December, OBJ has learned.
In its wake were confused customers such as Heidi Young, an Algonquin College student, who said she received no notice before all four Ottawa locations closed on Dec. 29.
“I was off for a week over the Christmas holidays and when I went back, the doors were locked, there was a note on the door and the windows were papered over,” she said.
On the door of the former Alta Vista location was a sign informing customers that the franchise, owned by franchisee Diet Success Corp., was closing because it couldn’t get products such as nutrition bars from its United States supplier.
“I feel used. I feel gullible. I never thought I was one of those people,” she said.
But Ottawa consumers weren’t alone in their confusion. On the same day and in remarkably similar circumstances, a host of other locations across Ontario – in cities such as Windsor, Kingston and London – also connected with Diet Success shuttered their shops just as suddenly.
Two LA Weight Loss locations across the Ottawa River, in Gatineau, were also reported closed last week, although it’s not clear if they were owned by Diet Success.
Repeated calls by OBJ to Michael Shneer, the Vaughan, Ont. owner of Diet Success, went unreturned.
His company’s address is listed as 351 Spinnaker Way in Vaughan – the same address listed for LAWL Maritimes Inc., owned by relative David Shneer.
LAWL Maritimes shut all nine LA Weight Loss locations in Atlantic Canada in December, and according to bankruptcy records entered receivership on Dec. 12.
The company listed no assets or liabilities on its claim, and the trustee responsible did not respond to phone calls.
Pennsylvania-based parent company LA Weight Loss Franchise Co. said in a statement that it was “befuddled” by the Ottawa closures.
“We understand that Diet Success has closed without giving notice or returning the prepayments received from its customers,” it read. “We find this shocking and are demanding that it follow our procedures that require proper notice and refunds. We are as befuddled as its customers. (This) is certainly not in line with standard operating procedures.”
Diet Success’s claim that it was out of stock and unable to procure more was untrue, the company added, as “we have warehouses of product ready and able to be shipped.”
But that’s small comfort to consumers. Nine Diet Success Corp. clients have called the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Eastern and Northern Ontario and the Outaouais, which also represents Ottawa, said chief executive Diane Iadeluca.
“We tried to contact (Diet Success) in the way we normally do, which is contact them by e-mail, fax, in writing, by mail – and we couldn’t get through as well,” she added.
At the moment she is waiting from word from the Pennsylvania BBB that is located near the LA Weight Loss headquarters in Horsham, Penn. But she wasn’t optimistic that they could help, either.
Ms. Iadeluca also slammed Diet Success for its lack of “integrity and ethics.”
“What I find is really sad is that some of these people had signed on just recently and (Diet Success) knew that they were closing,” she added. “At least they could have warned people and said, ‘Sorry, we can’t take your application now.’ ”
On Richmond Road, where customer Shirley McGlashan says she regularly went for appointments, the store had stockpiles of nutrition bars, cookbooks and other items on sale at a reduced price throughout December.
“I said, ‘Why the sale?’ and they told me, ‘We’re receiving a big shipment in and we don’t want to have to do inventory. We hate doing inventory, so we want to get rid of as much product as possible.’”
Ms. McGlashan bought 40 boxes of nutrition bars – around $20 per box – and took some home with her each time she visited. About 25 boxes are still missing, she said.
According to a spokesperson for LA Weight Loss Franchise Co., who refused to release her name, the parent company investigated Diet Success but concluded there was nothing it could legally do.
“We are a franchise-operated business. I wish I could say we’re here to save the day, but we aren’t,” she said.
And although dozens of LA Weight Loss locations have also closed in the U.S. and Australia, the spokesperson said most of those were affiliated with another company called Pure Weight Loss – which ceased being the parent company of LA Weight Loss Franchises Co. in 2004.
“Michael Shneer’s situation is a little different,” she added, “where he closed suddenly. We wouldn’t recommend that he close the way he did.”
- with files from Peter Kovessy
—
Refund options for LA Weight Loss customers in Ottawa:
If you used Visa, MasterCard or another major credit card:
Contact your credit card customer service line directly, as this may be covered under its refunds policy. Use the phone number listed on the back of your card.
If you used the health-care credit line, CareCredit:
Use the phone number on the back of your card, or call one of these two numbers:
1-866-453-9961 or 1-866-453-9960.
All other inquiries:
Try the chapter of the Better Business Bureau that represents Ottawa at 613-237-4856.
I too paid for bars and did not receive them, nor did I know the center was closing.
When I went to get my meals and bars, the center was closed.
I have tried to call the 800 number that was given to me from another location. When I called I any got a answering machine, the answering machine was fill and when I was able to leave a message, no one every returned my call.
I have sent emails and have not gotten a response. This company ripped off a lot of people, and now where are they? Where is all the money they have taken in from people?
Is there anyone out there who knows what’s going on?
Melinda in Alpharetta, GA
We know how you feel. As former employees, we too received absolutely no warning & was not even able to warn our clients. We hope you get all monies coming to you, but as you have come to realize, this company DOES NOT care about anything or anyone – only $$$$$$. Sorry each & everyone of you had to find out the hard way. We truly feel bad for all clients!
I used LA many years ago and had wonderful results. They still owe me 44 boxes of bars that I paid for up front,(to get a discount,by buying in bulk). This is just a shame. To have so many employees that you get to know who help you and then to just shut down the company without any notice. I think they still owe us what we paid for and a formal appology. Some people did this for health reasons, as did I, and I am very upset that they let me down. I think that they should have to refund alot of money. It’s obvoius all they cared about was the money and not the people. May God still bless them and us.
I just get so furious every time I try once again to get some response from LAWL. I signed on in May 07 and continued to visit my center 3x week until I got pregnant in Dec. Of course before I signed up, I asked the manager what would happen if I got pregnant. She said I would just have to “go on hold” until 6 weeks after the baby was born. No big deal, right? Wrong! When I returned I had 9wks(I earned more weeks for staying on tract, etc.) of weight loss left, my stabilization weeks, and maintenance. I now had about 20 lbs to lose after having the baby, but since I was nursing there was a whole new plan. I understood that, since I would need to eat more calories to satisfy both me and the baby. But, they would only guarantee 1pound per wk instead of 2 since I was nursing. Therefore I needed to buy more weeks!! I refused to buy more weeks and was told that if not, then I would be charged a $50 reinstatement fee! What?! I was never told about this policy up front. Which I think should have been discussed when I signed up and asked questions about retuning after pregnancy! The manager new I was trying to get pregnant and probably thought if she disclosed this info I wouldn’t agree to sign up! After putting up a fight, they waived the fee and let me go with my 9 weeks. I honestly only stuck with it about 2 weeks before I decided my priorities had changed and decided to return once I had stopped nursing and my son was a little easier to tote around. Not to mention, that they already told me my refund would no longer be valid since I didn’t agree to buy more weeks and stick to my original contract. I was very distraught about the whole thing. I had worked so hard until I got pregnant, lost a lot of weight and spent a lot of time and money at the center and now had lost it all. They called often (and I responded), trying to get me to start coming back. A month later my location and all the other Charlotte locations suddenly closed.
I am still trying to figure out how to get my money back for all my unused weeks and tons of bars I purchased in advance. I paid with CareCredit, but paid off my balance a long time before they closed and most of the bar purchases were on my checkcard. If anyone in the Charlotte area has had any luck with a response from corporate or refunds, please let me know.
I am a previous Manager of an LA Weight Loss Centers in Iowa, owned by Courtney and Ryan VanderPol of Sioux Falls, SD. I stayed for over two years b/c I think the program works and I loved my clients but LAWL is a money scam. They promise a rebate after you complete your program, stay within 5 pounds of your goal and eat at least one LA Late bar a day during maintenance. The two years I was a manager there were only a small handful of people that got their rebate back, they had every excuse in the book not to give the rebate. You can expect to spend on average $700.00-$1,500 to get to your goal. The counselors get paid a very small base pay and commission, if we do not sell products on a weekly basis there was always fear of losing your job. In my opinion go to Weight Watchers and pay $10 a week works better and cost a whole lot less. Now back to the owners of I believe 11 LA Weight Loss Centers in Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota & South Dakota, Courtney and Ryan VanderPol. These people have no heart for the Clients and employees, they once said to me every person we have working for us is replaceable and if your center doesn’t start doing better you will be too, the people we had working in my center had a place in our hearts for every client and our top concern was to help them loss weight and not make them go poor at the same time. The counselors do not have to have any sort of Nutritional background, one didn’t even have a Green Card to work in the US, and they promised her payment when she got it but never did pay her. She worked for three months for them and they gave her no money. The average training for a manager and counselor is a week and a half and then they send you out to take $$$$ from clients. I am sorry for all the people that are out money from LA Weight Loss, please tell everyone you know that wants to lose weight to stay clear of LA Weight Loss especially the ones owned by Courtney and Ryan VanderPol.
Think I finally am through with LA weight loss, one year of trying to get bars and take off that I have paid for. Went to two centers that closed and was sent to a third that has no record of my purchases. Taught me a lesson, never will I pre-pay for anything or any sevices. Thanks for listening to me gripe!
I just went to LA Weight loss today to find out it had closed its doors. The letter posted on the door suggested we visit two other locations. Called both and both phones are no longer in service. Called 1-800 number – no longer in service. So what do I do? I would just like to have the products owing to me. I have tried to find a phone number so I could talk with someone. I live in the lower mainland of Vancouver, B.C. Any suggestions???
I am from Indiana. Our stores closed a long time ago, without any notice. They owe me a lot of money and a lot of bars. They had the nerve to send me a flyer for LAtoYourDoor.com. If they are still open in any way, I want my money back.
I got the flyer from La to your door as well! Called them demanding answer on where my money for all those lite bars went and they told me they are not affiliated with LA Weight loss! What a joke!
TGhis company needs a class action law suit but I honestly do not think it would help because how would they pay us back?
I tried to dispute the charges with Care Credit but they told me that they can not give a refund since I did receive some product and services!
I was just looking up a location for LAWL because I saw the one in town closed. I stopped going a few years back. I hated always being pushed to buy things. When I didn’t lose weight, it was my fault they said. I wasn’t eating the right things, even though everything I ate was right out of the book. I am in the medical field and knew what they were saying was BS. They kept me on the plan where I ate so much food, that’s why I didn’t lose weight! That forced me to buy more weeks. I got tired of it and stopped going and just picked up all my bars. I am sorry to see all of you that are out of money. I can imagine how angry you are to have your money stolen and no one helping you find a solution. I just want to tell all of you that you can still lose weight. YOu don’t have to eat their stupid food. Stay on the diet and excercise. Instead of using the bars, which weren’t very healthy anyways, try to add in another portion of protein. Stay with the plan and instead of just losing your money, you will still lose some weight, which is what we all wanted. Good luck in getting your money back. And go to hell, LAWL.