Problem Solver helps woman get full refund from spa

By the time Pam Parer made it home from the spa one August evening, she already had second thoughts about the contract she had just signed.

[reader1]

Isn't there a three day window by law to cancel a transaction?
There should not have been a problem.

[Linda]

It was nice of them to refund the money - per the letter writer she was told the money was not refundable. What part of that didn't she understand?

[Sandy]

She has to sign the credit card slip when she is charged, which is what happened. It is clearly stated to each and every client that they have to pay in full before treatments are rendered. So that should not be part of her complaint. And there is a document they must sign acknowledging that there are no refunds. Consumers should educated themselves more, contain their excitement and not try to blame the company. She was lucky she got the refund, because legally, they didn't have to give it to her.

[Smooth skin]

Just use Oil of Olay and save yourself $5,490.00

Does vanity and stupidity go hand in hand? Why this never-ending, selfish chase to stay young and youthful-looking forever?

Get a life!

[Patrick]

I agree with Linda, the person in the story is extremely lucky that she was bailed out of her poor decision.

[Paula]

I am sure that there are people other than upper middle class spoiled housewives that need your help. She should have lost her money and would have deserved it.

[abc]

I don't think she deserved the refund... she KNEW it was non-refundable.

[Pure Med Spa Problem]

YEs Pure Med Spa is a Problem. In my case my daughter was promised treatments when she returned to the Southcenter Pure Med Spa when she signed up in Feburary 07 and was told she could use it anytime. When returning from the Kuwait after serving in the United States Airfore, she tried to contact the Southcenter Office to have a Spa treatment in October 07 in September 07 when she knew she would be in the Seattle area. They had no record, and the manager would not return her calls. I contacted the BBB and Pure Med did not respond. I contacted the Toronto head office and they will not refund her money since she signed a contract. It is fraud on Pure Med Spa for not delivering but charging her creditcard last Feb 07. Pure Med Spa is a company that does not back up there product or admit when they are wrong. I wish I knew who the CEO and President, Board of Directors was so I could contact them. It is a unservice to the Miltary by taking they hard earn money and not giving service or refund. Jody Evans of Pure Med in Toronto was the last person I e-mail. I will continue on till I get a refund. Hopefully, someone can help me with this.

[Robyn P]

I called the office within 24 hours to cancel. They would not take my call. They used high pressure sales tactics. If you look up Pure Med Spa online there is the same complaint in another state. They tried to sell me things I didn't need. It took them almost 3 months to return my call. They said that they NEED more time to resolve this as of 1/7/08. I have all documentation. Yes papers were signed with pressure, no services were received and cancellation was placed immediately. I am still waiting as of 1/16/08.

[Megan]

Not only is Pure Medspa fraudulent about refunding money on a cancelled contract (in washington state you have 72 hours to cancel a contract), they violate Washington Administrative Code. Washington State Department of Health has rules on the use of prescriptive lasers where you need to be seen by a physician or physician's assistant before having laser prodecures and also a physical exam. I was never seen by a physician, i was seen by 3 different estheticians. I also just recently found out the owner/manager of the facility has an expired esthetician license, and they have no master business license or salon/shop license (I found this out from the Department of Licensing). This place is a scam, and i'm dealing with the Washington State Attorney General, Better Business Bureau, Washington State Department of Health, Department of Licensing and they are doing an investigation. Who knows if the estheticians are even licensed!!

[Beryl]

My wife was scammed also at Lynnwood PURE MED SPA and the Attorney General's Office is investingating....please contact me so we can team up against the company...BERYL

Megan wrote:

Not only is Pure Medspa fraudulent about refunding money on a cancelled contract (in washington state you have 72 hours to cancel a contract), they violate Washington Administrative Code. Washington State Department of Health has rules on the use of prescriptive lasers where you need to be seen by a physician or physician's assistant before having laser prodecures and also a physical exam. I was never seen by a physician, i was seen by 3 different estheticians. I also just recently found out the owner/manager of the facility has an expired esthetician license, and they have no master business license or salon/shop license (I found this out from the Department of Licensing). This place is a scam, and i'm dealing with the Washington State Attorney General, Better Business Bureau, Washington State Department of Health, Department of Licensing and they are doing an investigation. Who knows if the estheticians are even licensed!!

[Beryl]

If asnyone has had the kind of problems Megan and I have had with the scamms at PURE MED SPA, then please contact Kathleen Baker, PA Director, WA State Attorney General's office. Give them our Names - Megan in Everett and Beryl in Everett --- two separate people who dnt even know each other...

[Beryl]

YOU'RE A FRAUD - Readers, do you know who wrote this post? It happens to be the President of the Pure Med SPA company.....He thinks he can be anonymous....we'll you might fool some people but not some of us....rather than writing anonymous posts, why don't you answer the queries made to you personally that details the practices of your SPA franchises....You have guts to write a post as though you are a user...you are even frauding people right now trying to be some patient when in fact you're the company President who condones the practices talked about in this forum....You're being investigated---enjoy your business now as I see you behind bars in less than a year....

Honestly wrote:

My experience with Pure Med Spa has nothing but the most gratifying and fulfilling experience. Many of these people are very misinformed and miscontrue the laws and policies to suit their own purposes. It seems as though many people do not do their own due dilligence into the procedures they desire and place blame on the company when they discover that they didn't have all of the facts straight or when things simply didn't go their way. Why should the company pay for buyers remorse or the customers ignorance of policy, procedure or the law? Just book you appointments and I hope that you enjoy the professional services of Pure Med Spa as much as I did and plan on continue doing so well into the future.

[wkk]

Beryl wrote:

If asnyone has had the kind of problems Megan and I have had with the scamms at PURE MED SPA, then please contact Kathleen Baker, PA Director, WA State Attorney General's office. Give them our Names - Megan in Everett and Beryl in Everett --- two separate people who dnt even know each other...

I have just experienced the same thing --- only w/ a location in Oregon. I am about to write the manager of the store, the BBB and I am looking for the company headquarters address as well for a refund. Do you know who the president is or the manager that we need to address our complaints too? Thanks.

[Good for you]

I had assumed it was someone from Pure Med Spa writing a positive article. They seem to operate the same style of business in all states. The one I visited had a sales person to sell, not a doctor in the office. They try to sell women 4 times what they need. I am glad that more people are using the web to expose businesses like this one. Soon they will close and open under another name.

[Robyn]

Thanks Jody Evans! She did take care of the charges. I would still recommend someone to try a doctors office when going to get a consult on your skin. There is too much damage that could be done from lasers and injections. The Chesterfield Pure Med Spa really caused a lot of aggravation.

[WKK ---- of Oregon]

I suggest you contact your Attorney General's Office, BBB, as the Pesident of this company has his managers well indocrinated through his regional managers...This may take a couople years to gather the evidence necessary for a class action lawsuit but hang in there....meanwhile
write a total summary with dates and everything as there's a tendency to forget if you don't do it now...facts, names, dates, times, witneses, etc.

WKK --- go to the new blog (put up yesterday) at www.puremedspafeedback.blogspot.com as it is collecting Pure Med Spa complaints ---- once we get 50 or more, we are going to start a class action suit. There are several hungry attorney's standing by to take this on ----

wkk wrote:

<quoted text>
I have just experienced the same thing --- only w/ a location in Oregon. I am about to write the manager of the store, the BBB and I am looking for the company headquarters address as well for a refund. Do you know who the president is or the manager that we need to address our complaints too? Thanks.

[Ruthie]

Mrs. Stamets,
I am so sorry for your loss! Although an attorney cannot bring your husband back, I do hope you find one to fight the providers that neglected to help when your husband needed care. I had an oncologist that almost killed me, and I would most likely not be terminal today if I had gone to that doctor, but I am thankful for every day I am still here with my daughters and one of them is Megan on this blog who was scammed by Pure Med Spa. It is not a 'spa', but rather a medical provider, so they call themselves. They do laser hair removal, botox injections, etc., but what they do is take advantage of anyone that walks in there with good credit. My daughter has a severe mental condition and with the two treatments that they sold her, the monthly payments are more than she made working her part time job for the entire month. She still lives at home and was going to college, but I pay ALL her bills, except credit cards, such as this. They use high pressure sales tactics and then do not allow anyone to rescind after they "sleep on it" and change their mind. They only allow in-store credit, but how many facials can you have for almost $8,000!!! Again, I am sorry for your loss and pray that you will be comforted by loving memories....if you were in Washington state, I know a great attorney that would help you with your lawsuit. Best of luck to you!
Ruthie

Lourraine Stamets wrote:

Dear Ladies,
In reading all your stories about some nonsense with a spa, try this problem on for size.
My husband was in hospital facilities for 15 months, 7 of which were at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville NJ. The lack of care, laziness, neglect, mal treatment, and lack of isolation and sanitary protocols led to his death at age 54. He suffered and fought a mighty battle to live. He died on March 15, 2006, leaving me to live alone and heartsick to live some kind of nightmare life.
I cannot get any attorney to take the case $$$$$$$$ always being the issue. So please do not carry on about spa problems when there are so many people out there who wish they had a spa problem to worry about.
Lourraine Stamets [e-mail]

[princess]

I wish I could find this article earlier. I need a refund... of course, Pure Med Spa rejected my refund. They can only give me store credit according to their store policy. I asked them "what if I don't want to receive any other treatments?" They said "unfortunately, there is no other way." Are they gonna just take my money???? I was forced to buy 10 sessions of mesotheraphy treatments by the "receptionist". She is definately not an esthetician. Of course there is no onsite doctor either. She just talked to me at the sofa next to the reception desk. She did not even look at my body and recommended me to purchase 10 treatments. I was forced into buy 10 treatments without giving enough knowledge. What is the purpose of 24 hour cancellation policy? To protect store's sales? What about consumers? How do I know I want to cancel within 24 hours?? If you know you are gonna cancel within 24 hours, who would pay for it in the first place??? Is this fair to consumers??? I am not really familiar with California Law, but if anyone has the same problem, please post the solution! Thanks...

There is section in California Department of Consumer Affairs, A contract that fails to comply with these requirements is unenforceable. If you can show in court that the contract you signed violates the law, the judge can award you up to three times the amount of damages you suffered plus a reasonable attorney's fee if you have hired an attorney....

I found this from the government's website.

[arlin61]

I have had an ordeal with the Silverdale location; I tried their svces back in Nov '07; then high pressure tactics signed onto what I was told would be a $268 month payment; at the time of signing the contract I specifically asked if my doctor finds that their treatments would not be an option due to a chronic condiditon, what is their policy? The asst. mgr. told me there would be a full refund. I had to go to Texas due to my father becoming ill and eventually passing. Well a debit to my acct for $359 came out of my bank acct. Upon my calling them to inquire, the mgr. said she would check into why the payment was more than I expected. I also at this time let her now that my father had passed and it looked like I would have to be settling my affairs in WA state and moving back to TX to take care of my mother. Prior to her getting back to me, I had a reaction due to stress and long term use of medication for my chronic condition. The medicine has created a hyper-sensitivity of my skin and my family physcian in TX advised against any further cosmetic treatments. He was also concerned about a few spots on my body that may be cancerous. When the mgr called back she informed me there was nothing they could do regarding a refund due to me moving to TX. At that time I made her aware of the incident with the skin condition and I had doctor's notes in hand. She said to just bring them home with me and get them to her; which I did upon returning to WA. I have since tried contacting her repeatedly to no avail. She is not returning calls and I am moving forward to inform Problem Solvers (locale consumer watch dog), BBB, WA State Attorney General's office Silverdale Chamber of Commerce and WA State Medical Assoc.

I have an friend who works at a local news station in Seattle and am contacting him to assure that they look into the Pure Med Spa scams that are running so they cannot pull this on anyone else. You cannot find a mailing address or contact for any corporate officers; which should alert people researching cosmetic surgery they are definately on the up-and-up. Maybe if a lot of us on this forum were to start fomalizing a group to combat their tactics, I know from my professional past that many voices together can get way more accomplished than a lot of singular voices. Feel free to contact me at:
[e-mail]

[e-mail]