American Laser Skincare review: unprofessional, dangerous, painful and no refund! 609

This company has hurt me as well. I went in on November 29, 2006 for a "free" consultation at the Pittsburgh, PA office. Dawn Stellabotte, the clinic manager, manipulated and tricked me into signing paperwork. She said I was signing privacy and medical paperwork regarding the free consultation. She also offered me a free credit check to see if I could afford any of the procedures. Instead, she opened up an $8300 line of credit in my name. I never received any treatments, and ALC refuses to refund the money because of their "No Refund" policy. So I feel your pain, so to speak. I am already up to $100,000 in debt from student loans (I'm a recent graduate), and I can't afford this $8300 charge. Especially since I never knew I was signing up for it! They have also already sent the debt to a collection agency. I can't afford legal fees, so I am going to try other options. There are a number of consumer advocacy agencies (Better Business Bureau, Attorney General) I will be contacting. I suggest you do so as well. I will also be contacting the media and exploring other outlets so I can get some attention to this. You should look into this. I know there are more people like us out there, but they are embarrassed and ashamed to come forward. If I put my self out there, I know they will also come forward. This company operates on manipulation of women with low self-esteem and they continually subscribe to fraudulent and deceptive practices, and should be forced to stop. I know what you are going through. Please contact me so we can discuss this further.

Regarding the previous comment, the only thing that I can say to that, is that had you read what you were signing, you wouldn't have been "manipulated". There is a specific piece of paper that looks very different from the rest, with a body and what services you are getting and how much your total is... if you missed that, she really can't be completely to blame. She may have went about it the wrong way...but in dealing with them before, I say try to just enjoy the treatments and pay for it. The results are good, you can always switch it to another service though. The new policy is that you can get your money back if you don't have any treatments. So, if you haven't had one yet... they legally have to give it back.

American Laser Centers should be closed down. Anyone interested in joining a class action lawsuit please feel free to email me at lex2006rico@yahoo.com They are without a doubt the most unprofessional and sleazy laser company on the market. They lie, they steal your money, and they NEVER give refunds and also never get results. PLEASE heed my warning! I was stupid and naïve to have gone there and lost 3,000 dollars---I also have gotten no reply. If you would like to protest send them a certified letter to:

Att Kevin Pieruch/Legal Department
American Laser Centers
2455 Hollwood Court
Farmington MI 48335

Feel free to say you will be joining Alexis' class action law suit!

Kevin is the vice president!

Update*******

I now understand Kevin Pieruch is CEO and also that there are a growing number of employees confirming they have a "no refund" policy and only ever give refunds if you get a lawyer involved... PLEASE anyone reading this contact me at the above address and I will let you know how to get them as I am going to organize a nationwide lawsuit with tons of help from employees (if you are a former or current employee you may also feel free to contact me!).

If we speak with ONE voice they will hear us!

American Laser Centers uses deceptive business practices and fraudulent pricing arrangements. The salesperson I experienced, Crystal Morena in West Palm Beach, FL, dressed in a lab coat to give you the impression of a medical professional, and then uses aggressive, shady, used-car salesman tactics to get you to spend more money. They offer you huge discounts on multiple services, as if they are cutting you a huge break. And when I went to pay with $1000 in gift certificates that I had won at a fundraiser, Crystal Morena wouldn't allow me to use them because she had supposedly given me such a big discount already. My argument was that I was using gift certificates, and it shouldn't matter. I later learned that ALS hands out these so called "gift certificates" like candy to anyone, but ALS considers them as discount coupons. They also try to get you to open a Care Credit card account, so they must be incentived to do so. What a scam this company is. Bogus gift certificates, aggressive sales tactics, deceptive business practices. I would love to see this company burn in front of someone like Eliot Spitzer. I'm filing complaints with the attorney general in Florida and the Federal Trade Commission. I think it wouldn't hurt to call my local police station either.

Hi ALL due to the extremely high volume of people responding to my posts I want to post my standard answer I am now sending in reply to everyone:

TO ALL:

OK first of all, I want to give you a number and tell you what you can do ASAP to help start things to go in your favor, First and foremost call 248.426-8250 and press 0 for operator and ask if you are speaking to Jeanette. If she says she is Jeanette tell her that you want to leave a message for Kevin Pieruch that he MUST call you back and you are demanding your refund or you will be joining the class action lawsuit being organized by Alexis and done with several lawyers across the country.

He will already know about this! Do not give him any more details than that, if he calls you discuss YOUR individual case ONLY and tell him that you are in touch with me and that you know of MANY more people including former staff who are all getting ready to stand up to ALC unless they start to actually reverse their "no refund policy" they claim not to have!

IF all fails then the next step is to email attorney Quat at ken@quatlaw.com. He is trying to organize a class action suit from his Massachusetts law firm regarding the "no refunds policy" ALC denies it has.

I know how frustrating this is but when they see we are organizing (and you should see my in-box!) then they may actually start to try and refund those who contact them to stop us!

I wish you luck and let me know how things go!

Alexis.

In addition I want you all to know that this is growing and we do in fact have former employees from all over that are also contacting us about their unfair and deceptive practices as well as their lies, their no refund policy etc. WE NEED TO BAN TOGETHER THOUGH--the more calls this guy gets the more he will want to shut us all up because we are literally just the TIP of the iceberg as I had a tech who treated me on one of my few appointments who told me, and may be willing to testify as she is getting ready to leave them, that:

A) MOST people never get permanent results after two years and then are charged again to continue treating as the guarantee is not hairfree for two years but hairfree within two years!

B) They push sales even when they are understaffed and under-equipped and know they will have to move and cancel appointments;

C) Everyone there is trained as to how to avoid letting requests for refunds go forward and;

D) ALL REFUNDS ARE DENIED UNLESS THEY FEEL VERY THREATENED AND AS IF THEY ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER OF BEING SUED! Even then they fight most of the claims.

SO let's get them and OUR hard earned money they stole back!

Please note, a class action suit does NOT cost you money but can end up getting you your money back!

Unfortunately, I used to work for this company and everything above is true. ALC only cared about $$. They promoted doing anything possible to get the sale. We had to sell at least 2000 a day or we would get in trouble from management. The technician training was only 2 days! People who never held a laser before had to learn quickly or else! The schedule was overbooked, and clients do not get what they pay for. I felt guilty selling laser hair removal to clients because i knew it hardly worked. So sorry!

I am currently working on registering complaints against American Laser Centers in Maryland. I plan to send my letter to anyone who will listen - the State Attonery General, the medical board, even local news outlets.

The predominant complaint against ALC is their no refund policy. I find this to be the least of their awful business and medical practices. Below I've outlined my complaints against them.

Unethical Marketing. There is no such thing as permanent hair removal. Google laser hair removal and you will find many ethical government and physician organizations that will tell you as much.

ALC also claims that their unique treatment methodologies make the treatment safe and effective for everyone. It is fact that darker skin tones and lighter hair colors probably will not achieve the same results as someone with light skin and dark hair. In fact, darker skin tones are at a much higher risk of burns.

Unsafe medical practices. ALC prescribes topical Emla cream to ease the discomfort of its procedures. However, the large-scale application that they promote can lead to serious allergic reactions and even cardiac events.

I have been burne during a procedure, and the nurse treating me refused to stop or to turn down the intensity of the machine.

I was advised to apply Bacitracin cream even though I insisted that patch testing indicated I have an allergy to it.

A nurse was unfamiliar with a new medication I had started before one of my treatments. Though she noted it in my chart, she proceeded in treating me wihtout contacting a doctor or looking up the medication.

There is no oversight by a doctor. No physician is available to address clinet's concerns nor does a doctor review the appropriateness of the treatments given a person's medical history.

I once witnessed a nurse cleaning the machine after one of my treatments. She quickly rubbed a Clorox towelette over the machine, missing much of the area that had made contact with my skin. Considering that the procedure risks burns, it is quite possible that bodily fluids are on the treatment machine. It is also possible that someone with a skin infection has been treated. I do not believe that the quick wipe-down cleaning practice is enough to prevent transmission of infection.

Unethical sales practices.

I believe that ALC advises clients to take on more debt than they can afford through he GE Money Bank Care Credit card. I also think that claims of a "discount" are false. With no published pricing, coupon recipients and drawing "winners" can never know if they are getting a discount or the amount of the stated discount.

I also really disagree with pressuring clients to sign up for a full treatment package to receive a discount. How can you obligate yourself to thousands of dollars of expense if you don't know what amount of pain you will be in? Would a doctor's office ever force you to continue a painful procedure against your will or risk losing your money?

Many people who have used ALC have found the experience to be expensive, dangerous, and upsetting. Please do not make that mistake yourself.

OMG! I do not know what to do! I received an e-mail to enter a contest to win laser hair removal from American Laser Centers. Guess what - I won - 2 days after entering the contest. $300 off of a package. Okay - so I saw what the package was, and I got the financing. I have not had any treatments yet. SO ~ Now - I don't know what to do. After looking for BBB complaints - I found this. HELP! Is there any help for me?

I have been trying for almost 3 month for a refund from American Laser center, I have contact GE money also because I could not make my appointment and after the treatment I was giving over the phone from their manager Tyler Charles I decided not to reschedule and was told I would get a refund. I have made sever complaint to GE money in writing and the investigation is still going on. The manager is very unprofessional and I will join the class action suit, I think everyone should join.

I signed up back in April 2007, had not received any treatments whatsoever, i called to cancel the day after... After many calls, nothing has been done... I have followed the instructions above but i did not get to speak to a Jeanette, instead, i was forwarded to a voice-mailbox and left the message anyway... If anyone can provide more information to me, feel free to email me @ dciccare@gmail.com... Obviously i will join in on the lawsuit if i have to...

I have had four treatments on my arms and back.

It doesn't seem to do very much at all.

The employees don't seem to know very much at all.

Its starting to seem like a big scam to me right now, so I'll be starting to join this lawsuit ASAP as well.

The biggest fraud with laser hair removal companies (American Laser Centers more than most) is their claim that lasers get rid of blond, red, white, and grey hairs, when anyone with a basic knowledge of lasers knows this is a lie. At this point in time no laser in the world gets rid of blond, red, white or grey hairs, so please do not waste your money! I work for American Laser Centers and am very disturbed that DAILY I treat patients that have been lied to (for over a year in cases) that their red, blond, white or grey hair would be going away, and I am expected to also lie to them and tell them our new Amerilase machine will get rid of their hair (knowing full well it won't). But company policy states the client must try at least five treatments with the Amerilase, before a refund will be considered.

Well, Care Credit got my money back. Luckily, I never received treatments and I had a signed piece of paper stating what I have written a few paragraphs above. It is ashame I had to wait and worry so long and wonder if I was going to loss that big chunk of money. I started working for a med spa after ALC. go figure. The company I work for does not have to refund money at all, but you know what? The company would because they are fair, honest, and they value each customer. ALC values money, period. I will let everyone know this. They are also over priced. And, a doctor should be present when a laser is in use. As for the hair removal we let our customers know there is no permanent hair removal, only hair reduction. Dark, black hair gets the best results. I agree with the above.

OMG! I just signed up with this company today! How do I get out of it?

This is the worst company ever! I've been going here for a year and a half & i have seen minimal reduction. I've been calling for months to submit a complaint but no one will call me back. The customer service is horrible. I spent 2700 of money that i do not have... DO NOT GO THERE! PLEASE.

I'm out here in Houston and all is true out here as well. I attend the office in Sugarland, Texas. The turnover of employees and management is ridiculous. Let alone the service. This is such a scam with a NO RESULTS GUARANTEE. If there is going to be a class action lawsuit I would definitely want to sign up.

Sounds like some of you have not had great experiences... which sucks. For anyone reading, I have been going to this place for several months, received 3 treatments, 1/2 of my hair is gone, and it's been pretty pleasant. I think it's on the pricey side, but I'm definitely seeing results. I think most laser hair removal places are pretty shady to be honest... they're not regulated by anyone.

My husband and I have the same issue with no results from the treatments and we have been given the run-around when trying to contact them in regards to a refund. Please email us at kanefamily5284@hotmail.com

We will be more than happy to join in filing a class action suit to get the money back that is owed to us.

Wow yea i never got treatments and its taking forever to get anyone to help me... i hope this suit goes well and we get our money back.

I have disputed the charges from American Laser Center and GE Money but was denied. I received my first treatments in CA for Hair Removal and Skin Tightening and called immediately to cancel further treatments. I was getting the run around from ALC and finally diputed the charges through GE Money. They also denied my dispute for services not rendered. ALC submitted a fraudulent intranet receipt to GE Money stating the "No Refund" policy which was different from my receipt stating "Cancellation will result in a 10% cancellation fee." This is fraud!

I tried reaching Kevin Pieruch but was forwarded to someone else. I'm waiting to hear back.

OK Ladies, calm down... believe it or not you are with the best Laser hair removal place out there. You have one/tenth of a percent of having an adverse reaction with us and if you did then you weren't telling the technician something... if your tan or something else. Second, when you sign up for for services, the paper you sign Clearly states that there is a 10% cancellation fee if no services rendered, so if you got a treatment and you just decide you don't want to keep your commitment you CAN switch to another service that they offer but it's not likely to get a refund... everything your signing is clearly disclosed. As far as treating blonde, grey, red hair and darker skin types, I for one have red hair and I now have no hair on the areas treated. Those are a 12 treatment series and then a 2 year guarantee. They are higher priced but it is worth it if you stick it out, everyone responds differently and I can tell you that if your having slower results they won't just say oh, sorry we're not going to treat you anymore, too bad... they will treat you until it's gone regardless. Sounds to me like you guys here 1 or 2 things about someone not getting a refund or taking a little longer than what they thought it would and freak out when really the problem is you spent too much and have buyers remorse and are looking to blame anyone but yourself for a contract you signed. Take a look around at other places, I'm sorry but you couldn't pay me to get treatment elsewhere. I had treatment done over 3 years ago and it's been fine, ya it took longer than I wanted it to, but it's gone and really of course it will always take longer than we want it to because we want everything done instantly. Stick it out, you'll be just fine.

Well let me start by saying that ALC is a SAD joke. Hopefully everyone believes in KARMA. They will get what they got coming. I'm waiting for the day that they will get their headlines... unfortunately not the ones they want. The headlines will read: ALC is bankrupt because of scams and RICH MORGAN is behind bars. Awwww one day they are going to take away his private jet, his 3 houses, and his 24 cars. He should of stuck it out with Tony Z at the strip club they used to work at. There has never... I repeat NEVER been a single patient who has had their hair gone in 6 treatments at ALC. Not even 25% of their hair gone... don't let them lie to you. Don't believe me? Next time you are waiting in the lobby for treatment ask the client next to you how satisfied they are with the company. There is never NEVER been a doctor on hand at the ALC clinics of the ones I know of. If you are a poor responder you will have to wait for God knows how long to get a response back from the medical staff (where the poor responder reports go). Don't give up on getting your money back, fight for it! TRUST ME! Threaten them with going to court or the news. They will give you free treatments even after your 2 year guarantee ends if they have to, TRUST ME! If you are a skin type IV or V or VI which is when you have some color to your skin then chances are your hair might LOOK like it's going away but it WILL come back. Dr. Kathleen Gilmore was explaining this at a seminar until Rich Morgan shut her up. If you get burned make sure you report it not only to the clinic, but also to the news. ALC is a scam... all they want is your money! For those of you out there that are using Care Credit, according to a new policy with Care Credit. If you receive even 1 treatment care credit will not give you a refund. That is why when you sign up and get services through Care Credit ALC will try to squeeze you in an appointment right away so that you don't have a chance to back out. You might still get a refund through ALC but that is after 6 treatments and a 2 year guarantee (which equals to approx 3 years) and then you still will have to fight for it. FOTO FACIALS (DONE ON THE AURORA AKA AMERILIGHT) AND CELLULITE REDUCTION TREATMENTS (DONE WITH VELA AKA AMERISMOOTH) DO NOT WORK! I HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH. NOT1 SINGLE HAPPY CUSTOMER WITH RESULTS: ( When you are going in for a consultation.. they will tell you how they are having this fabulous sale and that you are getting the best deal right now. ###! The prices are so high because they want to take as much money from a patient as possible, then when you tell them the price is too high they will tell you how they are going to give you a "Coupon" or "Gift Certificate" to give you a better deal. Bottom line they are able to take up to 70% off the price and throw in complimentary treatments of other services like micro-dermabrations. REMEMBER: THEY GET A BONUS CHECK EVERY MONTH AND GETTING ALL YOUR MONEY GIVES THEM A BIGGER BONUS. Every clinic has to reach a goal every month. They will give you the best deal at the end of the month because they have to meet that goal. The clinic must meet a quota of 60 ,000 to 80,000 every month. The clinics have very young girls as young as 19 working. Unfortunately when it comes time for you getting treatment and you are about to get your get upper lip zapped... did they really sterilize the laser after it was just on a guys genitals? THAT''S ALL FOLKS IM OUT!

P.S. HEY EVERYONE GO SEE JAIME (ABOVE) LET HER PUT IT IN WRITING THAT SHE WILL GUARANTEE YOUR HAIR FREE FOREVER!... THAT'S THE KEY WORD FOREVER FOLKS! IT WON'T EVER HAPPEN! SHE' S NOT COMPLAINING BECAUSE #1 SHE DIDN'T PAY FOR IT, THE EMPLOYEES GET TREATMENTS FOR FREE! AND #2 SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK ALL THE TIME FOR APPOINTMENTS SHE'S ALREADY THERE.

BEST OF LUCK ON THE ALEXIS CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT!

I have olive skin tone and little light brown hairs that cause bumps (aka keratosis pilaris) all over my buttocks, back of upper legs and upper arms. ALC recently burned me on my lower arm, second degree burns, lines that look like I had burned my lower left arm on a BBQ grill. I contacted the clinic and they took a few pics with a very cheap digital camera that didn't show the detail of the burn and gave me a small tube of Aquaphor. I'm like that’s it, no freaking band aids? Neosporin? Gauze? You know the common stuff you would need to properly care for a burn... the manager told me to stop by Walgreen to get the extra stuff... can't get more ghetto than that can you?

Anyways here’s my agenda: already paid, want to get rid of all the hair that causes the bumps and I am most susceptible to get burned based on my naturally olive skin and light hairs on my body. So I gave up and have decided to just pray for an experienced nurse to do my hair removal.

All you law people on this site does anyone know what laser machine ALC uses for hair removal? I think they have created their own and that makes it pretty hard for me to do my research on the laser machine their using.

Thanks for allowing me to tell you my story. I'm angry with ALC but in the long run I want to have much nicer skin on my problem areas.

I have a similar complaint. I have paid for the service and then changed my mind and now I am being told that I am unable to get a refund. I have contacted the Better Business Bureau in Michigan, the Michigan Department of Consumer Complaints, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection . After you address your concerns with the company and the corporate office, please contact these agencies as well. The FTC will launch an extensive investigation against this company if enough people complain. Also, the Fair Credit Billing act states that if you want to dispute the charges you must:

Notify the creditor in writing within 60 days after the bill was mailed. Be sure to include:

Your name and address.

A statement that you believe the bill contains an error and an explanation of why you believe there is an error.

The suspected amount of the error.

If you have recently contracted to do services with ALC (less than 60 days) and are having problems please send a certified letter to dispute the charges. They are LEGALLY required to respond to your complaint. If you are dealing with GEbank/Care Credit "The law provides that you may withhold payment of any balance due on defective merchandise or services purchased with a credit card, provided you have made a good faith effort to return the goods or resolve the problem with the merchant from whom you made the purchase.

If the store that honored the credit card was not also the issuer of the card, two limitations apply to this right:

The original amount of the purchase must have exceeded $50; and the sale must have taken place in your state or within 100 miles of your current address. "

Please contact GE and let them know you are disputing the charge with ALC. Also, Until your letter is answered, the creditor (GE/Care Credit) may not take any collection action on the disputed amount, or restrict your account because of the dispute.

If we all complain to the right people (FTC, State complaint department, BBB, maybe even your local media), we will either get this company shut down or get them to act ethically towards the people they are supposed to be helping. In any event, it is important to let other people know what is going on so they will not be taken advantage of and to get a fair and equitable resolution for ourselves.

Why don't you guys call problem solvers or ruts to the rescue in michigan? Get it out on the news! Thats your best way, along with a class action law suit!

I'm glad theres some one taking action against American Laser centers fraudulent activity, they should be thrown behind bars soon... I want to join this class action lawsuit let me know what I should do and who to contact.

I purchased multiple packages for $6000 as they attracted me with big never heard deal, later thought it may not work for me and not sure of what condition my skin might get to after all treatments and if it would work on my light brown skin, so went back the next day (within 24 hrs) and asked them to cancel and refund my money as known to all they said the same of not having a policy but they can refund the AFFIRM package amount of $1000 since this was a pre-sales treatment which came to I know when I asked for refund. I purchased it as they said they can get me treated in another center 20miles away from where I live SanMateo,CA but that center also doesn't seem to have this treatment. I haven't got a refund since 2months of having been purchased these packages.

As I dint wanted to loose my hard earned money I started getting treated on other packages I've gone through 1 treatment so far after reading all the complaints I doubt to be the lucky one to get these 6 treatment work exceptionally just for me.

Advise smb!

I have a very similar situation to all of you. I won the "3rd place - $300 discount" back in June of 2005. When I went for my consultation, I was upsold into a big package - nearly $3,700 after discounts, etc. Also, Susan Pineiro, the Office Manager, did a credit check and found that she could offer me 0% financing with CareCredit... which, after having me fill out the paperwork, they took possession of the funds over a week before ever planning to start treatments. When I arrived for my first treatment, I was told by the technician on duty that my skin tone was not suitable for treating--- and then escorted out. I asked to cancel the contract - as they were defaulting on their end by not providing services and then they bring up their NO REFUND policy. I tried to get GE to cancel my account and they upheld ALC's claim that I didn't show for my appointment and therefore, they were entitled to the monies. I contacted BBB in Orlando - ALC sent them a letter telling them I had shown up in a tanned condition not suitable for treatment! Even after the conflicting stories, I find that I am in litigation over the $3,700 (plus finance charges) for something I never received!

I will be happy to sign on with the class action suit in hopes of getting some justice. I have received information from the Florida State Attorney's office that they are investigating this company as well. I would love to get my credit cleared up and make this debt for nothing go away!

For those of you who have not had a treatment yet, how can you say that it doesn't work? And if you paid your money and you haven't received a treatment yet, i know for certain that American laser center will do everything they can to get you an appt., and i know this because i work for them. As for the refund policy, you will receive a refund if you have not had any treatments yet, or if you see less than 20% reduction by your 6th treatment. As for lying to patients and putting them in more debt, we do not force you to sign up for care credit, you can not force anyone to do anything they don't want to do. As for the technicians not being trained, that is a lie, and if anyone says otherwise then they are not telling the truth, you have to be at least a licensed esthetician, then go through training with the registered nurses, take an exam, and get retrained on the lasers every 6 months. And for the former employees, i think it is pathetic that you have resorted to bad mouthing a company that was nothing but good to you, and the reason you are a former employee is probably because you burned someone. American laser will terminate an employee who burns a patient, especially if it was the patient's fault. I think most of the people that want to join this lawsuit, are angry people that are not seeing the results that they want to see, so they are being vindictive. American laser Center can guarantee the hair loss as long as you stick to your schedule, and do not miss the scheduled appts made for you. You can not expect to have great results if you take 4 months off because u want to go to the beach in the summer. It's not the company, it's you. I have worked in customer service for over 10years now, and let me just say that American Laser Center has the best customer service out there. I am not management, i do not work for the corporate office, i am just an employee setting the facts straight, as for just wanting your money, we actually care and really want to help the people that have serious issues. We do not force anyone to do anything, and if you are claiming that you were forced, then you are a very weak individual, and i feel sorry for you. The fact that you have to tell lies just because you are miserable in your life is sad. I just want the truth out there especially for new clients, we treat over hundreds of thousands of clients a year, and never see any real issues. The people that want refunds are the ones who sign up and then go home and think it over and decide that they want to spend their money on something else, and that is fine, but don't bad mouth a company because you are an indecisive individual. For those of you who just signed up, go ahead with the treatments you will be so happy you did, and if you see less than 30% reduction you will get your money back. Oh and for being able to treat white, gray hair, that is not true, we never guarantee hair removal for gray or white hair, and i tell all my patients who ask me if the laser will work on those hair colors that. As for red hair, well i am a red head, and it has worked wonderful on me.

Seems like the last post if from corporate management. There have been nothing but negative posts on this site, /link removed/ and here http://www.medicalspamd.com/the-blog/2007/3/16/american-laser-clinics-part-1-armed-guards-threats.html

Get together and file that suit!

Actually i am not from the corporate office I am from one of the offices in New York City. And i don't think its fair that people are making up lies because they want their money back or because they want people to back them up in their stupid lawsuit. If it is justified then by all means complain, but when you are just a bitter person with too much time on your hands, that all you do is sit on a computer all day and badmouth people that only tried to help you get rid of your hair, then im gonna say something. You went for the consultation because it is something you wanted, and unless they held a gun to your head and told you that you had to sign up, then you are the only one to blame. Go try other hair removal places and then come back and tell me how they are different. It is roughly the same place everywhere you go, but different places have different ways of selling. We do not guarantee 100% hair removal by 6th tx., and maybe that is why the above former employee is now a former employee, because she did not know what the hell she was talking about. How would you like it if American Laser Center turns around and files a slander suit against all you people. You all need to calm down, if you are not happy with the clinic that you are going to, switch to a different clinic.

I haven't received any treatments yet and changed my mind for several legitimate reasons. I was reading the above email from an employee and it says if you haven't received any treatments, you will receive a refund. I just called the office I signed up with and the clinic manager told me that American Laser Centers has a "no refund policy." So you have one employee saying I will get a refund and another employee saying there is a "no refund policy." Which is it? That in itself tells me the employees are not on the same page as far as the companies policies. That alone doesn't look good for any company. I have not had any treatments, therefore I can't speak to whether the treatments work or not, but I can speak to the fact that there is major confusion among the employees regarding the companies policy on refunds. Also, I was never informed about a "no refund policy" before signing up. I think that is unethical business practices.

I used to work for American Laser, but it is like you said the sleaziest company I have ever come in contact with. Every month they would threaten you to make at least $5000.00 in sales or you would be terminated. They made us sign a sheet stating that we had to sell that much or we could be terminated. They also made us "make up" sales to present to clients while they were in the treatment room. Any sales amount would be fine as long as we got something. It was all about the money and not about the safety and the results of the client. They also threatened that I couldn't have my surgery performed that I needed because I was still in the 90 day window of employment. I am now pregnant, and my assistant manager told me that I couldn't have the time off for my prenatal appointments which is illegal. Both the assistant manager, and the manager wanted me to perform a treatment on a person that was too tan, and when I refused to do the service, they became extremely angry because now the client could get her money back because she hadn't had her first treatment. After that incident they threatened my employment as well. The clinics are under pressure to reach $60,000.00 a month and if they don't make their quota they get axed. It's at the point now where there is so much bad circulation going around about the company that their sales are dropping, at least at the clinic I worked at. The whole entire time I was there I felt like I was belittled and harassed, and that they didn't care about me in any way shape or form. I was just another number to them, a disposable employee.

Dear Kim,

You sound like a reasonable person, but I don't fully understand where the "you will get a full refund if you haven't begun treatments" part comes from. That is the case with me, but the local office is still demanding payment. The manager of the clinic actually told me what you said, that I could cancel the treatment before beginning it. Half a day later when I did decide to cancel, she told me that she cancelled the treatment, including the 10% cancellation fee. A month and a half later, when I got a debt collection call from Care Credit, the manager said that the "request" had been denied. So meanwhile, as I wait for someone in customer service to call back, the late fees on the Care Credit account are mounting. It seems to me that if this manager misrepresented American Laser's policies and had me sign paperwork based on false information, the burden of responsibility falls on her, not me.

Whoops, put the thumb the wrong way last time.

Also wanted to ask everyone: what have you all been doing while your balances mounting on Care Credit with late fees? Especially those of you who never started treatment at all, are you paying off the debt or holding out for a full refund?

I just "won" a 300 dollar gift certificate from a raffle I entered yesterday and made an appointment for a 'free consultation' at American laser centers. Thank God for all of you and your comments, because when they call to confirm I will give them a piece of my mind. You just saved me a lot of money and trouble. Thank you!

I will be joining the law suit as well if I am unsuccessful at getting my money refunded. Thank goodness I have not had my face burned by the lasers! I changed locations because I could never get an appointment at the one I signed up with. When arriving for my second laser treatment for photo facial at the new location the nurse/tech re profiled my skin type because the other center failed to send over my files. Turns out I was profiled wrong and I could suffer extreme burns and scaring to my face because of it. I will not be completing treatments and will request my money refunded. I will report how it goes.

Thanks for posting your experiences. I also won $300 off any treatment at ALC from a drawing at a bridal show. I was contacted a few days later and they were very pushy about scheduling an appointment for the next day. This made me feel uneasy, so I came to the internet and did a little research. After finding this site I immediately canceled.

Thanks for saving me and good luck getting your money back!

I'm glad to hear that this board is helpful to people. After reading this board and others, I've felt encouraged to know that many people share similar experiences as me.

Whether or not you've been negatively affected by American Laser Centers, I want to encourage everyone to spread the word. If you heard about American Laser Centers through a radio station, a print or internet ad, at a raffle, whatever, contact the person in charge of advertising to let them know that they are dealing with an unscrupulous business partner, and that by promoting American Laser Centers, it takes away from their own credibility. Write reviews describing your experiences on websites like citysearch or yelp. Be vocal, be persistent, and help other people from getting stuck in the same miserable situation that so many of us have already found ourselves in.

It's also a really good lesson in researching a company before you commit to spending a lot of money with them. Businesses like this thrive on consumers not knowing better, so by knowing your rights, you may be able to avoid getting scammed.

I work for ALC and want to say that most clients are happy. We have many that sign up for more tx after they start their first tx. I have experience the great results myself so I wonder about these comments. If you work with the center, they will work to get results for you. There are special protocols for people who are not getting the typical quick results. Best of luck to you all.