London Weight Management (Ngee Ann City)

To all ladies out there who wish to seek help from slimming center, please do not go to this one. Guys, please share this very personal incident of mine with your female relatives or friends or friends' friends. As they don't accept male customers thus male humans are safe LOL...

I have bought a deal from JuzToday.com website claiming that I don’t need to pay or commit to anything with the ad as saying: $0 FREE DEAL: Lose up to 6kg with 6 FREE Slimming Treatments 3 Slimming Products from Lxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx (LXX)! Absolutely No Hidden Cost. According to the voucher, I have to sms my details to the slimming center for the consultant to contact me for an appointment. After my details have been sent, the next thing that follows is that numerous consultants are calling me up to arrange for appointment. In the end, an appointment was fixed with the Ngee Ann City branch. I should have known better, where on earth will there be such a good deal! :S

Eg. of Voucher from JuzToday.com Delivering Best Deals Everyday http://www.juztoday.com/ $0 FREE DEAL: Lose up to 6kg with 6 FREE Slimming Treatments 3 Slimming Products from Lxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx! Absolutely No Hidden Cost Name: marion lee Coupon Code: 1116-245979510 (Merchant Code: dac2a4) Date of Purchase: Mar 6, 2013 Lxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Locations: Singapore Post Centre 10 Eunos Rd 8 #01-01A Singapore Post Centre Singapore 408600 Clementi Mall 3155 Commonwealth Avenue West #05-08/09 The Clementi Mall Singapore 129588 Tiong Bahru Plaza 302 Tiong Bahru Road #06-01/02 Tiong Bahru Plaza Singapore 168732 Novena Square 238 Thomson Road #02-02 Novena Square Singapore 307683 BHG Bugis 230 Victoria Street #03-01C Parco Bugis Junction Singapore 188024 Ngee Ann City 391B Orchard Road #05-21 Ngee Ann City Singapore 238873 Yew Tee Point 21 Choa Chu Kang North 6 #01-16 Yew Tee Point Singapore 689578 Jubilee Square 61 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 Ang Mo Kio Jubilee #02-01/03/13/14 Singapore 569814 City Square Mall 180 Kitchener Road #B2-45/46 City Square Mall Singapore 208539 Woodlands Civic Centre 900 South Woodland Drive #04-06B Woodland Civic Centre Singapore 730900 Tampines One 10 Tampines Central 1 #05-01 Tampines 1 Singapore 529536

Terms & Conditions Customers are required to fill in the e-form after puchasing the coupon: https://docs.google.com/a/juztoday.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHpxNHhxc DBfYzVpOVc4ZVJORWo4c1E6MQ#gid=0 Each customer can only puchase 1 coupon Merchant will contact customers to arrange for appointment Valid till 06 April 2013 Exclusively for NEW female customers with weight problems, age 21 and above only Strictly for Singaporeans, PRs, Employment or Dependent Pass Holders Non-refundable and non-exchangeable to cash and cannot be used with other promotions, discounts or offers

Before the appointment date, LXX had been sending me numerous reminders SMS to remind me to attend the appointment at their Ngee Ann City branch and to spare them 2.5 hrs for the whole proceedings without menses. My appointment is on 11/3/13 (Monday). I had reached LXX at 6.30pm and I was ushered in to a room and asked to wait for a consultant. A consultant came into the room and started to explain how LXX had helped women with weight problem to slim down to their ideal weight within a short time. She even went all the way to dig out some of their past and existing customers’ file for me to take a look on their achievement. All these while, she just goes on and on about their stuff and their achievement and what I should do to achieve the same results. I keep asking her if there is any other hidden agenda and how much does it cost but she simply refuse to give me a straight answer. Then she would ask me questions such as what my ideal weight is; what is the reason for wanting to shed some kilos off, what are my budget, etc. Somehow, she just refuses to give me a straight answer and I am unable to get myself out of there. She would just carry on and on and make sure I agree to sign on the paper to take up their package before she agrees to take me in for the trial treatment. I know I can just stand up and walk out but it is just not possible to do so. She keep asking me how much is my budget and I told her my budget is $100, she came back with a monthly installment of $104.03 for 36 months which I have made some noise about it because it has exceeded my budget of $100. She said it’s alright, just a few dollars more and it’s paid over 36 months. I would not feel the pinch because the amount is small and it’s within my comfort zone and at any one point if I feel like clearing off the installment early, I can let her know and she can do the administrative work for me. She keeps emphasizing not to go to the Bank, as the Bank would charge me for the early settlement. After the paperwork has been completed, she took pictures of my tummy and thigh, which she said, is for their file record. Thereafter she took me in for treatment. Everything was ok for that night. At the end of the session, she gave me a box of their Express Coffee and diet plan and instructions on what to do until the next session.

15/3/13 – 2nd session at 7pm.

We start off the session as per normal, however I should have known better when the consultant asked me if I am rushing to go off after the session. Everything seems ok until the last treatment which she strapped me to a machine and the machine will be doing the massaging work on my problematic parts of my body, namely my belly, thigh and arms. After my shower, I was asked to bring my bag into the room and I have felt something amiss thus I joking asked them if they were afraid that I would run into their staff room to change again like the previous time which I had accidentally went into their staff room. They were a bit out of sorts and answered me that it would be easier to change into my clothes once I had finished the treatment. Once I was strapped to the machine, my consultant started to tell me about a model program, which they have, and that I am privilege to be selected, as I looked sweet to them. She said each consultant could only have 5 models under each batch of customer they get in. Moreover she kept saying I have the looks so definitely I can represent them provided her Centre Kilos In Charge had approved of her selection. She further explains how as their model, I can enjoy all their machines and products except for one of the machine which is meant for their VVIP. And being able to use all their machines and products, my kilos lost will be very fast and my body would be as nice as what we have seen on TV and magazines. Again, I kept asking her how much I need to pay and she said she would have to see if the Kilos In Charge (KIC) approve of me. Thus, she went out to get her Kilos In Charge. When KIC came in, she started to tell me how bad my cellulite problem is and that I have to take up to 30 sessions in order to get rid of my stubborn fats and the ugly cellulite. She said in order to become their model, I have to lose at least 10kg and above to be qualified. For that to happen, they need 30 sessions to help me. But my main concern is money, thus I kept asking them how much it cost, she came out with $248.00 for 36 months and 30 sessions with another free 60 sessions (don’t asked me how did she come out with total of 90 sessions) and she claimed basically per session is about $100 and that is very worth. I told her that is impossible, as it is way out of my budget. Thus she went out to recalculate and come back with $170 for same number of sessions. I told her no and she asked me what is my budget and keep pressing me for a figure, so I told her not more than $150. She said she would go out to calculate and see what she can do. Then she comes in with $152. She told me I am lucky that I can get such a good bargain because just nice there is a lady who had also upgraded her package to 30 sessions and that they can use her package to cover the difference. I said no because it’s still exceed $150 and she start to become very harsh by saying a few dollars more exceeded won’t die, don’t be so calculative! I told them about how difficult my situation is and that I need to take care of my sick mom, they said, one day just eat lesser a bit and I can saved to get the package! I told them my lunch each day is already $1.70 per meal and if I cut further, I might as well don’t eat. Guess what they said? They said beauty is more important! What a load of ****! Isn’t this personal assault? Even if I keep saying no, they still comes back with $150.03 with 15 sessions and additional their Express Coffee and Oats meal supplement and INSIST I give them my credit card to do the transaction as their manager is leaving the centre soon (It was 5mins to 11pm at night! My first session was till almost 11pm too!) I have no choice but to say yes and my consultant even helped me take out my wallet from my bag! I keep holding on to my wallet and still hesitating in taking out my card. The KIC crudely said : "which card you want to use?! Just use the same one as last time lah". Isn’t this a bit too much? I have no choice but to give them the credit card so that I can be released and. Then, I warned them that this will be the last time and don’t ever force me to throw in any more sessions or force me to pay for anything anymore. I have to think of my aged and sick mother whom I am taking care too. I told them I don’t need to lose weight and the KIC said : no, you need us! in a very sarcastic and “hooligan” way. I told her, I don’t need! I was so mad, I have to raise my voice. My consultant then said there is no need for me to get so worked up and I told her they are pushing a tiger to jump a wall! They are so forceful till it’s becoming very threatening. Moreover, they won’t released you until you said ok and you were totally naked and tied up so you can't do anything at all! It is really too much for me and I felt like I have been physically restrained and mentally tortured! This is psychology blackmail!

The thought of what I have gone through is enough to give me nightmares for the rest of my life. The more I think of it on my way home, the more fearful and the feeling of being robbed is so strong that I think enough is enough. I definitely can't bring myself to the center anymore. I have gone for 2 treatments and both sessions I had felt like a captive! For a normal SPA organization, they would only do their hard sales persuasion after your treatment but this slimming center is doing it when you have no way of getting out of their premises, ie. confined you either in a room or tie you to a machine! Right now, I am seeking various authority for help in resolving my stupidity error due to vanity.

26 March 2013 – sent them sms to request for refund but they reply by saying what they have given me is promotional price and it can’t be refund!

28 March 2013 – I have called up my credit card bank to ask them to help me stop my installments plan. They have asked me to fill in a form so that they can investigate into the matter. At the same time, I have wrote in to CASE and will be going down to them to lodge an official complaint this weekend.

04 April 2013 - My bank get back to me on their investigation and that the merchant says I have to go to them to get the refund! So at the bank sector, they can't do anything anymore.

04.06.2011

Gosh I just signed up for a 10x package for 4066S$ plus GST!

I just had 2 sessions, each session I lost appx 700 grams (this figure arises from the measurement my consultant made on my problem areas after treatment before plastic wrap).

Despite having paid the full amount on the spot, my consultant tried her full best to sell me more sessions (5x detox coz I have darker skin tone around my neck, eyes, knees etc) and her explaination is due to bad chemicals in my body which could not detox itself unless I sign up for LWM 5x detox sessions. After asking several times whether I will see result after the 10 sessions I have paid, my consultant said its hard - no promise but if you buy more sessions there is gaurantee (during the consultation and payment she assured me 110% that I will surely lost weight appx 10kg despite only having 10 sessions, but later on she sounded different)

With this comment from my consultant, I feel really cheated and stupid!

Please don't be naive and desprate like me. I am weighing 65kg standing at 160cm, however I hate my after-birth fats hence believed that LWM could help me loose them... which now I am doubting. I will still proceed with spending appx 3 hours every 2-3 days on my sliming program and hope like hell to see results else I will be remorse for the next 6 months, let alone have an upset husband to face.

Very disappointed.