Laser Body Sculpting review: Disfiguring results, false advertsing, deceptive selling practices 4

below is the email transcript detailing my complaint with Sonobello:
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I had the laser body-sculpting procedure on several areas of my body in May 2009 and was told it would take about a year to see the final results.

Unfortunately, my body looks worse than before I had the procedures and is truly disgusting!

My abdomen is uneven, lumpy, hard & still extremely painful. I also now have a "muffin top" that I didn't have before the laser sculpting, (the section above my belly button sticks out farther than my lower abdomen), as well as a second (unwanted) belly-button hole where the tube was inserted. My inner & outer thighs and flanks are just as big (if not bigger) than before.

Their sales consultant, Kim Gerrittanno, assured me that, ..." even if you gain weight in the future, it won't be in any area that you have the laser-sculpting procedure."

I am proof that Sonobello claiming permanent fat removal is blatantly false advertising.

During the procedure, despite the pre-op Valium & Benadryl, I felt extreme pain that I believe was due to the surgeon using the laser on me before the anesthesia had taken affect in those areas. For about a week afterwards, every time I tried to move, my wounds continuously gushed blood staining my furniture, carpet, mattress, and clothes.

Besides the blood oozing, I also suffered post-op complications that resulted in me being unable to return to work in a few days(as your radio ad claims).

I had severe edema in my hands and feet (they swelled about 5 times their normal size) and intense constant pain. I could barely move at all, so any type of activity was a major challenge including walking, standing, sitting, bathing, dressing, and driving.

Due to my lack of mobility the only way I could use the bathroom was to stand over the toilet!

Because of these issues, I was obviously unable to resume my "normal activities" and was forced to go out on short-term disability.

The Velashape post-procedure cellulite removal is advertised on the radio as feeling like a "massage", but again was extremely painful to me. I had to take pain killers and use Bio-freeze on my legs just to make it through the excruciating sessions.

If I had been appropriately advised that actually achieving a flat stomach and thinner thighs were highly unlikely for my body type, I would never have subjected myself to the torture I have endured over the past year!

I am outraged with the horrible results and on-going pain.

In addition to the unacceptable results, I also have a serious issue with the lack of ethical conduct demonstrated by the Sonobello staff. Kim had only been employed at Sonobello a few weeks prior to my surgery and I feel she was deliberately deceitful about the credit approval through CARE CREDIT to pad her sales commission.

I made it very clear to Kim that I could not afford anything over $150 per month. She came back and said I was approved for their "regular" program = $153/month (approximately 13% interest), however after a few months, my payment increased to over $170/month (which I explicitly told her I could not afford), then the payment went up again to almost $230/month (29% interest)!

This financial arrangement was not what I agreed to, so of course I feel like this whole thing is a complete scam.

The doctor performing the procedure also commented to me that the laser body-sculpting/fat removal is not recommended on someone that has a BMI as high as mine was, yet that was not brought to my attention by anyone at Sonobello until I was in surgery. I only met the doctor for the first time a few minutes before surgery when he came in to outline the areas with a magic marker.

The ethical thing for the sales consultant to do would have been to be honest and advise me that for optimal results, the procedure have been should be postponed until my BMI was lower.

Another alarming concern for me was the turn-over in the Sonobello medical staff. Every time I went to the office, there were new doctors being trained who were not Board Certified plastic surgeons, just licensed physicians who found a way to make a quick fortune performing "lipo".

I lost all confidence that this was a reputable business.

The bottom line is that I was injured, misled and deceived by Sonobello.

I want my money back to include all the payments to Care-Credit. I am also asking for compensation for my constant agonizing abdominal pain and disfigurement.

I provided Sonobello the details of my complaints above, along with very detailed photos depicting the disfigurement.

I gave Sonobello the opportunity to resolve this unpleasant situation amicably, however, they refused to negotiate and told me to go ahead and file a lawsuit.

I have filed a formal complaint against Sonobello through the Arizona Better Business Bureau AND now in the process of a filing a malpractice lawsuit.

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