American Laser Skincare review: run fast from this group of untrained swindlers! 21

I absolutely agree with you guys about them being horrible with customer service and treatments with no results. It's been ten days since I first called the customer service line to complain about the clinic I was going to in Raleigh, NC. I have yet to receive a phone call, email or even a spit in the face telling me to [censor] off. Something would be nice. At least if you are going to treat me like I'm not important, grow some balls and call me and tell me. I went in for the Velashape crap, the manager there told me that I was a GREAT candidate for this procedure because I only had a couple of inches to lose and I'm not over weight. So thinking this would be a great way to kick start my abs for the coming summer, I started treatment. 6 sessions in, NOTHING! Not a pound, or a quarter of an inch gone! I was furious. So I talked to the manager and asked what else could be done? She had asked me to do one more treatment with a higher power and different head, so I agreed. I'm not the type of person to complain, but when it comes to $2500 for nothing, I'm going to learn. Then she nicely suggested that I go for the laser treatments and that she'd trade it out. Happy ending, wrong. I started doing some research on prices and they definitely were ripping me off. I called to have her clarify it all for me, and then quoted me a different price from the original $2300, it's now $1600. WOW! Then she told me that I was lying about the initial quote, well babe, I HAVE IT PRINTED OUT from her! I would NEVER recommend this place or company EVER.

I will learn from your experience. I have had the same lack of results, lies, cheating and refusal to give service or refunds. Wish I had done better research before I paid my $2, 000 or had my friend pay $2300. They did not give me the $250 referral fee either for the 2 people I sent to get ripped off with me.

Hello Everyone,
I used to work at ALC for 4 years, and let me tell you, this company is a SCAM. Worst company you could ever spend money with. They are sales driven company and will do ANYTHING it takes to make a sale, (this includes, lies, deciet, and false information) just to get you to pay! They do NOT have a refund policy! (they didnt for 5 years with Rich Morgan being the founder, and then Gary Graves took over and said YES we do give refunds, but then he resigned and guess what? Rich Morgan is back, and NO REFUND POLICY is back as well! Please be very careful. There hair removal machine is not the newest or most efficent machine out there, ask syneron (the makers of the machine, its the lowest model they have!) no one has EVER seen 100% hair removal. There Velashape machine, IS BOGUS! as well as fotofacials skin tightning! Please do not invest with this company. For those of you who are seeking a refund, take the legal route...because ALC will not give you one

As a tech for ALC the lasers are old technology and the clinics are under staffed and the techs are worked like dogs. Lunch on the run and no breaks. Unfortunately, the techs want to see results but are bullied by management and not scheduled enough time to do a service they way it should be done. Go to a doctors office. The vellasmooth doesn't work and neither does the skin tightening.

Bad training, bad attitudes, bad results. I've been going for 4 years and still have hair on my legs (light skin, dark hair, should be easy).

In the Raleigh office they are so very nasty that I just gave up trying to get an appt with them. I was given a false email address to send complaints to, not that it would do any good.

I'm a former tech and I can assure you...it does not work good on light skin very much and it comes back...so you can figure it out for the dark skin...0! Don't do it!It's a lot of money...read the people's complaints...everything is true!

Can anyone tell me what laser system really works for dark skin
Thanks

This is an article that I found on the internet, I have not in anyway changed the wording or phrasing. I encourage you to read through the whole document. You probably won't be surprised.

Laser hair removal not always risk-free

(South Florida Sun-Sentinel (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Laser hair removal has become one of the fastest-growing nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in recent years _ second only to Botox _ with more than 1.3 million performed in 2005. But some health advocates say the industry has grown so fast that regulations have not kept pace and consumers should be cautious.

Touted as a way to eliminate the need for shaving or waxing to remove unwanted hair, the procedure involves passing low-level laser energy over the skin where it is absorbed in the pigment of active hair follicles, disabling them.

In South Florida and across the country, numerous consumer complaints have been filed, and injuries have been reported in rare cases. The Florida Department of Health has received 226 complaints involving laser hair removal since 1996, said Thometta Cozart, a spokeswoman for the agency.

State officials are reviewing a complaint by Selen Adak, 24, of Highland Beach, that she has permanent scarring on her leg as a result of burns suffered during treatment at American Laser Centers in Boca Raton.

In the complaint and a separate lawsuit, Adak said the treatments were a gift from her parents upon graduation from Florida Atlantic University, and included six prepaid laser treatments for her legs, underarms and bikini line.

On Adak's final treatment, the laser applied to her left leg caused 300 first- and second-degree burns, which left her with scars over the entire leg, according to Boca Raton plastic surgeon Steven Schuster, who treated her for the burns.

"It was a horrible situation. You've got to feel for this young woman, " Schuster said. "You always hear anecdotal stories, but she was the first case that I've seen that was so severe. This was a very sad case, and I think it was technician error more than anything else." Schuster said he has received a subpoena from the state asking for Adak's medical records.

Kevin Piecuch, executive vice president of American Laser Centers of Farmington Hills, Mich., which owns the Boca Raton center and others in 25 states, said he couldn't discuss Adak's case, but said the company's operations are safe.

"We have physician's assistants who do the work in Florida, " he said. "Every state has its own set of rules and regulations, and even in states where we're not required to have licensed medical people, we do a certification. All the people who operate the laser are certified through an intense training program that we oversee."

Adak said in an interview that she was unaware during the procedure that she was being burned.

When she got off the treatment table, she knew something was wrong.

"There was a really, really dark brown checkerboard pattern, and a crusting. I asked (the technician) for ice, and asked her to call the doctor, and she said no one was there, " Adak said. When she got home, her father drove her to the emergency room.

Adak's case is not unique. A Pennsylvania woman who had the same procedures developed second-degree burns and was hospitalized in 2001, and a North Carolina college student died last year from a bad reaction to an anesthetizing cream she applied to her skin before her first hair removal session, according to published reports. A fatality was also reported in Virginia, but details of that case were sealed as part of a court settlement.

Some states, such as California and Connecticut, allow only licensed physicians to use lasers for hair removal.

(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which licenses clinics and hospitals, does not license laser hair removal centers, nor does it track any problems that might develop, said Toby Philpot, a spokesman for the agency.

The Florida Board of Medicine says the commercial application of a laser on human tissue is the practice of medicine. That means only a physician or a physician's assistant should be using such equipment, said Christopher Nuland, a Jacksonville attorney who represents the Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery.

But an exception has been made for licensed electrologists, who began adding laser hair removal to their practices in the late 1990s, Nuland said.

"The argument was that the field of electrolysis would become extinct if they weren't allowed to do (laser hair removal), " Nuland said.

Judy Adams, the legislative liaison for the Electrolysis Society of Florida, said electrologists are the only group that is well regulated by the state to do the procedure. Electrologists must take 360 hours of training and an additional 30-hour course in the use of lasers, said Adams, an electrologist who practices in St. Augustine.

"But nobody is requiring physician assistants or nurses or physicians to do that, " she said. "There's a huge gap in training."

Nurses are not permitted to use lasers for hair removal unless they become licensed electrologists and take the necessary laser training, said Anthony Jusevitch, an administrator with the Florida Board of Nursing.

Doctors as diverse as ophthalmologists and obstetrician-gynecologists have gotten into the business of removing hair with lasers, but the state does not spell out what training they must have.

According to the Florida Department of Health, most of the 226 complaints involving laser hair removal filed in the last decade were against physicians, said Cozart, the agency spokeswoman. Forty-seven involved electrology, she said.

A study by Dr. Kathleen Gilmore, national medical director for American Laser Centers, found problems occur rarely _ fewer that one-tenth of 1 percent of all cases. The findings were presented this month at a meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Piecuch, the American Laser executive, said the centers have done more than 650, 000 treatments.

"It's a relatively new industry and most states have not spoken very carefully about what is required. We have decided as a company that we take the safest and most rigorous view, " he said. "We want to be sure we don't run afoul of Florida law."

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(South Florida Sun-Sentinel correspondent Barbara Hijek contributed to this report.)

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(c) 2006 South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Visit the Sun-Sentinel on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

_____

PHOTOS (from KRT Photo Service, [protected]): MED-LASERS

For information on republishing this content, contact us at [protected] (U.S.), [protected] (worldwide), fax [protected], or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

I have been going to ALC for quite some time now and have recieved over 10 treatments so far... I think, I really can't tell anymore because of the erradic way they schedule these appointments. I am getting a full body laser hair removal done and am not seeing much, if any results! I've gotten atleast 4-5 treatments already on each part of my body if you count them seperately! What I hate is how the machine and settings and also tech is always different every time I come in. Some days it hurts like the worsed and some days I can't tell if they've even started. Luckily... no scarring or burning, and since I'm prone to hyperpigmentation... luckily no darkening of the skin. But that is all probably because they're basically using "potty training" lasers, so to speak. I've paid 7000 dollars so far for a "package deal" they said. WTF kinda deal is this bull crap. I'm already a year and a half into this crap and havnt seen ANYTHING!

I really need to know how I can make sure I get my money back and where can I go to get better laser hair removal for my full body at possibly the same or better rate. Any tips anyone? Please tell me where I can complain to get a real full refund! Any possibilities I can take this thing to court? Ofcoarse, I have not been burned...but the pain is not like they stated on their website or fliars...it is not a pinch! It feels like being repetitively slapped with a hot rod! I haven't gotten any results at all! I keep saying 40% cause the [censored]'S at the center keep making me say it...it's like "or else" with the way they talk to you.

Please anyone... if you could just point me in the right direction to find a solution and get my money back and get good full body laser hair removal done where the techs dont change around and neither do the machines... where the computers arent always busted and where you can actually manage to get a tech on the line for more then 5 minutes at a time... where atleast the tech knows what she's doing rather than asking you whether you "remember" what setting you were on or what machine you used last time? PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME! IM SO DESPERATE IM CRYING!

It's been months since I filed my complaint with BBB and yep, I got my letter yesterday from them saying they have not been able to get in contact and ALC is not responding to their attempts.

I've had 11 sessions, 4 of them being double-passes where they do everything twice. I've gotten 3 blisters on 3 different sessions. I have less than 50% hair reduction, and I'm $6, 000 poorer.

I complained when I went in for my last session and they went through my file and cancelled that day's appointment and said they'd contact HQ and then it'd be on HQ to offer me a refund or a credit. IT's been 3 weeks. I called my location and they still haven't gotten a response from HQ. I have a feeling the best they're going to offer is a credit, and they have absolutely NOTHING I want.

ALC's postition on going to the BBB is "go ahead, see if we care". They are already in poor standing with them, it doesn't make a difference if you complain for not. The only option is to go to small claims to get a refund.

My experience with American Laser Center – despite a hefty initial payment for neck, shoulders, and back has steadily deteriorated.

The quality of the technicians seems to require less and less expertise over time, the overturn has been tremendous (only once did I have the same clinician treat me…and each time the previous clinician was no longer employed), employees thinly mask their own frustrations, nothing seems standardized – each treatment has been done differently, scheduling is an impossibility – computers are down regularly to facilitate scheduling on site, subsequent phone calls go into voice mail, when you finally get a hold of someone – the available appointments are impossibly limited and incredibly far out into the future, and – the worst part – the hair removal hasn’t been the least bit effective…I am sure a result of the compounding of factors above. Funny how inconsistent scheduling, inconsistent approaches to the removal process, and a rotating bevy of clinicians renders a process fairly ineffective. My latest call to attempt scheduling I actually got through to someone, was asked to hold, was disconnected, and - to know surprise - the return call went into voice mail again.

My next attempt to get someone’s attention is to go to the Better Business Bureau. No one at American Laser Centers really seems to care.

Hello Jacqueline and Posters,

I represent American Laser Centers and we apologize for the delayed response to your request for assistance. We also certainly apologize for your dissatisfaction with your experiences.

American Laser Centers has recently changed ownership and we would like to ask you to please contact our newly expanded customer service department regarding your issue at [protected].

If you’d like us to contact you instead, please provide your contact information to my email below and we will contact you at a time and day of your convenience.

American Laser Centers’ customer service center will be happy to personally help you with your needs and will provide a swift response to your concern.

Thank you,

Allen
customerservice@alcpartner.com
www.americanlaser.com

As a former Clinic Manager which was fired on the spot because NUMBERS were not where they needed to be! This so called company is equivilant to a modern day sweat shop, they only care about the commissions, the all mighty dollar and how are you going to get more of it from the client. This company demands the Managers work excessive hours around 70 per week and GOD help you if you want to take a day off they do not abide by their own manual. There are NO paid holidays you are too busy trying to get MORE MONEY from the current client or potential client. If you work at ALC you more than likely have NO soul, I have seen my former Regional Manager LIE directly to clients they have burned stating "I have never seen anything like that before?" Making the client feel more horrible... that is disgusting! The best thing ALC did was fire me that is reassurance I am not nor have not become one of THEM!

American Laser is America's number one rip off and people need to be informed that most most of their Laser Techs are illiterates who replace one person after the other whose been fired on the spot. I have always wanted to get a good old lynch mob together and show up at American Centers Headquarters and drag them out on the street. From there we throw ten or so ropes of the branch and string em up like they did in the West. If you want have justice on American Laser Parlors the need to be all hung once to get rid of these rips off ### that lie, cheat and steal the consumers blind.

HANG THE HIGH.

Most clinics have more than one laser. The IPL is an intense pulse light, but the diode is a laser. Plenty of clients have had great results, but if you go in think negatively, don't even give it a try then you probably won't be sastisfied. Let's not even get into how many clients I've had come from Sona or many other clinics that have scarring covering their entire face and Sona never did anything to help them. ALC offered free microdermabrasion to the client and the scarring has been dramatically reduced. I have never seen a client scar from ALC. Every company is going to have people complaining about them b/c you can't make everyone happy especially pesimistic people like the ones on here. As for the company being all about the money tell me one company in the world that isn't in business to make money. I have worked for several different laser companies that are nationwide and ALC is the only place that cares about their employees and clients.

The ameri lite and ameri lase is still made by Syneron! It was Patented by American Laser Center, which doesn't mean [censored]... It's still and IPL (intense pulse light) NOT A LASER... how funny being they are called American LASER centers! Yeah, they are #1 in the laser hair removal industry that gives people false hope, rips them off, and has thousands of patients that are on treatment number 30 and still no results hence the 2 year guarantee! THEY ARE ALL ABOUT the $$$!

I have worked with the amerilite and the amerilase which are made by Syneron, just a model to suit American laser's low settings. You know, so you can give a faster treatment not having to worry if you get the settings wrong for each skin type. So you can see patient after patient with know breaks. PEOPLE there's life outside of ALC! Get away from the cult. Now that I actually work with a laser, ALC does not, I have realized that giving someone 15 treatments is not worth their time nor is it necessary. A real laser does not need conducting gel. The gel is used to conduct the IPL, not laser. You ALC girls should do more research outside of what ALC tells you. Everything Kim said is everything ALC tells you to say... I've been there. Why would the lady telling this story make up her bad experience? Really you should research other places that only need to give people 4-6 treatments, because they use an actual laser. WOW... I can't believe this place is still in business... it's only a matter of time till everyone catches on to the scam. Oh and if you work there you know what I mean. Have a great day...

This is not true he is a very happy man and no our laser is called ameri lite and ameri lase it is upgraded we rebuilt our lasers! for our standards and we are the # 1 hair removal company nation wide!

As a Va ANA VISAGE in great Falls she is just shark she put you in room with no experience person than GOD help you... And she charges crazy amount money if you package you fired, or when she catch you even GOD can't save you...

The owner of the company is behind bars, really? Then why was he at my clinic just last week, without an ankle bracelet. Get your facts straight sweetie. They never tell someone who wants to come in for a consultation that they are busy and cant help them, no technician will tell you that they have 2 hours of training either, because that is a complete lie. So obviously you didn't do your homework, and apparently you are a liar. As for only needing to come every 4-5wks, go ahead and try that then in about 5yrs. come see me and show me that the hair hasn't grown back, any licensed aestheticisms can tell you that you need a full growth cycle for the treatments to work permanently. And the reason you come every 10wks is so that we get the hair growth in its first stage, after treatment in the first stage, every 10wks, your hair goes through stage 2 and stage 3 and then back to stage 1 again, which will be when your next appt. is. I hate people that don't get their facts straight and talk out of their a*s!