Pocono News Section

Exclusive: State Suing Weight Loss Center

Exclusive: State Suing Weight Loss Center - Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 5:28PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008 @05:28pm EST
HARRISBURG, DAUPHIN COUNTY – Late Thursday the state's top prosecutor filed a lawsuit claiming a popular weight loss company ripped customers off. We first told you in December that Pure Weight Loss --formerly LA Weight Loss was closing its doors --leaving thousands of customers without the products and services for which they paid.

Attorney General Tom Corbett is suing the Pennsylvania -based company and its owner for breaking consumer protection laws. In an exclusive interview with WBRE News, Corbett says the company sold contracts even after it announced it was going out of business. The lawsuit filed in state court Thursday alleges Pure --formerly LA Weight Loss and its owner Vahan Karian deceived customers and defrauded them. Corbett says "they made a contract with these individuals to supply the goods, the services, products and they have failed to live up to that."

Daphne Reid of Wilkes-Barre signed up at the Pure Weight Loss office in Wilkes-Barre Township. Like many customers she paid for the program, food and supplements up front. 400 offices nationwide closed on or before January 4th. She says Pure Weight Loss owes her $350.

Corbett's office has more than 800 complaints from across the country. The average loss is $880. Some consumers are out more than $2,000. Corbett says the company had ongoing financial problems --tax liens and a massive lawsuit yet still aggressively marketed to customers. Corbett says “in fact after notifying through the internet that the stores were going to close in mid-December, he still continued to sell memberships."

Reid says “I feel sad they're gone. I think it's a good thing there is a lawsuit because there are a lot of people out a lot of money.” Corbett expects he'll hear from many more victims after the suit is filed --at which point he'll have a better idea just how wide spread the fraud really is. Corbett says "I find it to be a serious case anytime somebody continues to market when they know they're in trouble"

Corbett believes the company changed its name from L-A Weight Loss last summer to hide from negative publicity. Although the company filed bankruptcy --its owner hasn't --so Corbett is hopeful he'll be able to get compensation for victims.

if you lost money to Pure --contact the Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection at 1-800-441-2555 or go to for an online complaint form.