My Free Detox and Clease from U Weight Loss cost me $800.00

I've been meaning to come back to my blog to share my experience with U Weight Loss forever. My Free Detox and Cleanse from U Weight Loss actually ended up costing me $800. Here is my story:

Last summer I started getting depressed thinking that I would never lose the 30lbs I wanted to lose. Like everyone, I had heard all of the free detox and cleanse radio commercials that U Weight Loss spends a fortune airing on the radio. Their spiel sounded promising so I went to one of their locations. They told me that I would have to make an appointment and come back the following week. One week later, I went back and had an appointment with a U Weight Loss rep. Before they speak with you, you have to fill out paperwork stating how much you weigh, how much you would like to lose, how being overweight makes you feel, what kind of support you have from friends and family, what kind of health concerns you have. etc. Then you get taken into a room where you are weighed and measured. They also take pictures of you. U Weight Loss will ask you how much money you currently spend on eating out. My rep showed me pictures of of her when she was overweight. I'm not sure if she lost weight because of U Weight Loss or before she started working them, but the reps want you to feel like they understand your weight loss concerns. She added up what I was spending on Starbucks coffee and lunches at Subway. She told me that she would cut my fees in half because employees of the company I worked for were entitled to a 50% off special. My sales rep was really friendly, I felt like she could become my friend. She talked about how in a few months her and all the other U Weight Loss workers were going to Las Vegas because they work hard and were being rewarded. Yes, I should have seen warning bells at this point. As you will read, I started to have concerns and started questioning my sales rep during her spiel, but my concerns were dismissed and I was told things that were not true.

This is where the U Weight Loss sales pitch went wrong. My sales rep started writing down plan costs, the cost of the free detox pills, the cost of a startup package, the cost of their booklets and step counter, and she kept on writing down numbers and crossing them out. None of the numbers were adding up. Even though I'm a shy and non-confrontational person, as difficult as it can be for me to speak up, I stopped her twice and tried to confirm what I would be paying. She told me that I would be paying a certain price that I felt was affordable and I left with the impression and her word that I would only be paying $150 a month. I left the clinic with my free weight loss and cleanse, non the wiser.

A few days later, I went back to U Weight Loss and was told that I would have to pay another $60 a week for their programs pills. I explained that I was assured that I was only paying $150 a month but they corrected me that said that no, I would be paying this additional $60 a week. Then they went on to try to get me to buy booster packs of pills to speed up my weight loss.

I went back one last time and talked to one of their consultants. She wanted to know why I wasn't buying all of the expensive groceries on their plan and I explained that I could no longer with afford groceries after all of the money they were trying to charge me. I told her what had happened during my sales pitch, how I had tried to tell the sales rep that I didn't understand her numbers but this consultant dismissed me as well.

Next, U Weight Loss phoned me a few days later and asked why I hadn't been back. I explained that I was kind of in shock about what had transpired so far and that there was no way I could afford their plan, especially because the original sales rep had told me that the price of the program would be a fraction of what I had thought, even though I had questioned her on it twice. I told them I couldn't afford this plan and that I was unhappy with their sales practices and they said they would get back to me.

From this point forward, U Weight Loss continued to bill me monthly and wouldn't respond to my email requests to have my plan canceled. I was no longer willing to go back to their location in person, as the entire experience made me feel sick to my stomach. As well, they had pictures of me on their computer and this made me feel even less like dealing with them. There is something un-nerving about dealing with a new enemy who has tons of very personal info about you, stuff that no one else in your life has. (ie: your measurements, weight, pictures, and written down emotional information)

In the end, U Weight Loss had no interested in refunding me the money I paid or in apologizing for the way I was given false information the first day I was there. They took $800 of my money and would have charged me $1800 if they could have, which worked out to $60.00 per pound of weight I wanted to lose. I am a business owner and can't imagine charging someone for not only a service that they didn't use, but one they contacted me about right away. The entire experience felt fraudulent. The more I read online, the more hear similar stories from other Canadians.

In order to somehow live with this experience, I plan to share my story with everyone considering doing business with this company. If I can save someone else $1800 for nothing, you can be I will do it.

It's been over a year now since I dealt with this company but I will try to answer any questions I can. Ask away. I'll post more about my experience and even some of my email transcripts with the company.

Just a heads up to everyone, the company that does the financing for U Weight Loss is called another name and that company and U Weight Loss will not work together to resolve their client's financial concerns. I will post back with their name after I look if up. I think it's Health Smart Financial Systems? They told me that my charges were the same as a mortgage. The funny thing was, unlike paying for a mortgage I have nothing to show for the money I paid. Oh U Weight Loss, what good times we had together. I wish I had never, ever walked into their doors for a free weight loss and cleanse. I should have gone to VitaHealth or another nutrition store and just paid $20 - $3o for a detox program. I could have saved myself $770.00 and over a year of grief.