Pennsylvania Attorney General Sues Pure Weight Loss
By Chad Umble, Lancaster New Era, Pa.
Jan. 25–The state attorney general has sued Horsham-based weight-loss chain Pure Weight Loss Inc. and its owner over business practices at its stores, which closed earlier this month.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Commonwealth Court, accuses both the company and its owner, Vahan Karian, of deceptively selling long-term contracts for weight loss supplements, pre-packaged food and weight-loss counseling services when it knew it couldn’t deliver them.
Most customers were required to pay up-front costs, which exceeded $2,000 in some cases, according to the lawsuit.
Pure Weight Loss Inc., which had a location at 1282 Lititz Pike, continued to sell its products and services after it announced in mid-December that its stores would be closing Jan. 4, according to Attorney General Tom Corbett.
Pure Weight Loss operated about 400 stores across the county, including 47 in Pennsylvania. Karian, formerly known as Vahan Karabajakian, was its sole owner.
In August, the company changed its name from LA Weight Loss Centers to Pure Weight Loss although several stores — including the Lititz Pike location — continued to operate under the old name. The phone number at the local store has been disconnected.
A message left at Karian’s home this morning was not returned.
On its Web site, Pure Weight Loss instructs customers that they can file for refunds, but the attorney general’s lawsuit says the company failed to repay all customers who applied.
The attorney general’s office says it has received more than 850 complaints — mostly from Pennsylvania consumers — with the total loss approaching $500,000. The average claim by customers is $880.
The lawsuit seeks full restitution for all consumer claims, along with civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, or $3,000 for violations involving senior citizens.
Consumers wishing to file claims can contact the attorney general’s health care section hotline at 1-877-888-4877. Online or printable complaint forms can be found at the attorney general’s Web site, www.attorneygeneral.gov, by highlighting the “complaints” menu, then selecting “health care complaint form.”
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