Consumer concerns:
90 Fig Lipodissolve Complaints with the BBB

By Tony Miller

October 10, 2007, 8:46 PM CDT

A warning from the Better Business Bureau about a company based in St. Louis.

More than 90 complaints have been received this year alone about a company named Fig, formerly called Advanced Lipo Dissolve.

Patients we spoke to told us they thought it was a dream come true, but the lipo dissolve treatments were painful and they didn't work. When patients tried to get their money back, the real nightmare began.

It seemed like a miracle. A few injections and the fat would melt away. "I saw the commercial and the actual next day I went in," said "Alexis", a patient who didn't want to be identified.

They were also told results would come fast. "I would see immediate results, I could be on the beach soon," said LaToya Jeffries, another Fig patient.

But 100 patients who complained to the Better Business Bureau say the results never came. And that's when the excuses began. "She explained to me that my muscles had stretched so far that it wouldn't work," said Jeffries.

When they tried to take advantage of the money back guarantee, they got the run around. "It literally took 4 months to get my money back," said Jeffries.

Some were forced to sign an agreement promising not to warn anyone about Fig. Otherwise, no refund.

According to the Better Business Bureau, the company is justifying not giving refunds by saying they require their customers to complete the treatments first. But many of the customers are saying the treatments are so painful they can't endure them any longer.

"I had to literally go home and take pain medication and lay down for the rest of the day," said Jeffries.

Fig refused our request for an interview. But in a written statement, CEO Rob Semaan says "We acknowledge that the demand on our resources have outpaced our ability to respond in a timely manner." We are working diligently to remedy this situation."

The Better Business Bureau doesn't think they're trying hard enough. "At this time the company has an unsatisfactory record with the Better Business Bureau because we feel that they have not made a good faith effort to resolve a number of the complaints and the pattern just continues," said B.B.B. President Michell Corey.

Corey outlined tips that anyone interested in medical treatments should heed.

- Be Skeptical of high pressure tactics and one-time-only offers.
- Be cautious of vaguely worded testimonials the cannot be verified.
- Testimonials are no substitute for scientific proof.
- Ask family and friends for recommendations.
- Beware of claims that a diet product is "a breakthrough", "secret," "exclusive," or miraculous. These are not scientific terms.
- Before committing to weight loss product or program check with your physician.
- Check the offer out with the nearest Food and Drug Administration.
- Contact the Better Business Bureau at (314) 645-3300 or www.stlouisbbb.org to see if there are complaints against the company you're considering doing business with.

The website for Fig is www.fig.com.

Source reference: The CW 11 News (St Louis)

NOTICE

ASAL has been involved in a lawsuit against Advanced Lipodissolve Center since 2006. We would like to stress that that Go Fig has not provide Lipodissolve treatments, but simply been using the Lipodissolve name while providing their own customized treatments that carry no history of safety data, without conforming to actual protocols or safety parameters of Lipodissolve.

Go Fig and Advanced Lipodissolve Center provide a treatment they call 'Advanced LipoDissolve'. The growing unauthorized use of the Lipodissolve name caused great concern to us, and a lawsuit was filed against Advanced Lipodissolve Center. The company's medical staff has not been certified in ASAL Lipodissolve. Actual Lipodissolve data that have been published by our medical advisors in medical journals and been made known within the medical community, only conforms to standard protocols used in the actual Lipodissolve.

Some companies utilizes ASAL Lipodissolve published clinical studies to advertise their clinic and/or treatments. This may give the faulty impression to the public that the company is providing the actual ASAL Lipodissolve treatments referred to in these published studies.

Patients and the public are encouraged to stay aware that published safety studies on Lipodissolve only refer to the ASAL Lipodissolve. These published studies do not refer to modified or new imitation methods by companies trying to use the Lipodissolve name without being certified in ASAL Lipodissolve.