Complain about a product or service

American Laser Centers

Julie of Van Buren, MI October 27, 2009

HAIR Removal thousand dollars just lower leg it's more than 1500: they promised the hair will be killed ahead. But they just make it patch. Their machine couldn't go everywhere due to operator's not careful enough, the place didn't go just left the hair there. After two years no matter how much the hair are not killed, they don't care. For fotofacial, I was told after 5 treatment about 1500 I will be 5 years younger but it's not at all.

They promise to give you remind call for each appointment. When they didn't and you forgot, they would charge you for 75 "no show fee" even your treatment just costs you 30 for the microderm. For my package, my agreement says that 35 may be charged for the "no show fee" but they changed it to 75 as they want. They didn't explain what condition will be charged and what will not. They kept telling you that they would call you to remind you and you don't need pay attention to it and you wouldn't be really charged.

At the same time, they didn't give you remind call and charge you double your treatment for not showing. Contacted customer service but they provided has been shocking and appalling. They just say our upper mangement will contact you later, but just nobody calls you. For sure they wouldn't give you refund. Money spent for no result at all. Just got hassel there.

sudhaa of sugar land, TX October 19, 2009

Email sent to Customer Service on 1/18/07. I had visited [their] center last January through March 2006 and underwent fotofacial on upper back and face and had no results and asked for a refund as it not only did not have any effect but also the lady who did the last laser treatment, she burnt my skin. I did not complete my treatment as it had no results whatsoever and we have discussed about that with the photos [she] took and the photos I have taken all through the treatment period.

After that, I had tried calling [them] a zillion times and left several messages and nobody has returned my phone calls. I paid 1800 upfront for my treatment but the customer service provided has been shocking and appalling. Please let me know what I need to do, I would like to speak to the upper management regarding my case.

Response phone call received on 1/19/07: "Area Manager: Claire, Chelsea will call"

No one has followed up...every time I called I could not reach a real person. I am tired of following up with this fake company. It has left a big scar in my mind about the way I have been cheated.

Chelsea of Aurora, CO September 1, 2009

I've been going for about 3 years worth of treatments and paid 2500 for hair removal on my face and my arms. I have not seen any results on my face and my arms have thinner hair, but its not gone at all. They told me this last time that my time was up, with no warning at all. When I was told about all of this, they said that I shouldn't mind because there are people with darker hair on their face and then tried to sell me the Photo Facial. It bothers me to think that their staff would say such things to people after they just spent close to 2500 on the treatments with no results. Obviously people are there to take care of things that they are self conscience about. I will never ever go there again, American Laser Centers are just used car sales people wrapped in esthetician's clothing.

Jack of Norwalk, CA August 16, 2009

American Laser agreed to remove black heads and sun spots with a laser treatment from my wife`s face , this included one large black head on her face we purchased some creams for 80.00 and agreed to pay 2,000.00 for the treatment . Five sessions later my wife face looked old , dry and wrinkled 80% of the black head were still there and the large black head we were told that they could not remove it and she would have to have it removed by surgery .

I filled out a refund request form and sent it to the clinic 2 months ago they will not return my calls . American Laser has many complaints similar to mine in the internet . We have paid 382.00 and have a balance of 1618.00 We would like our money back and that we would not have to pay anymore one the balance . Thanks . Also hair on her upper lip was removed by razor without any consent .

Melissa of Tucson, AZ August 11, 2009

Aside from the fact that I spent 3 years doing hair removal on both my legs and still have hair growth, I asked to do a procedure called Affirm for the face. The procedure cost 2500 and they agreed to take payments of 500/mo until it was paid off. I told the manager I needed to make sure it was ok with my husband but she continued to ask for my credit card information, so I figured I could make a payment of 250 to start and gave her my credit card information over the phone.

After I talked to her, I spoke with my husband who did not agree with arrangement. I immediately called her back telling her my husband didn't agree and asked if I could have my money back. She told me she already ran my information and offered other services, I declined and said I would talk to him again. I also asked her if she could send my receipt in the mail, she I can just get it when I came in for my next appt. which was 3 weeks away. I didn't argue because at that point I knew it was going to be a fight to get my money back. Finally, when I went in for my appt (3 wks later), the manager wasn't there, so I left a note in regards to my refund. She called me back and said they couldn't issue it because they charge a 300 administration fee.

I asked for a call from her regional director, which she never called. I think called the corporate office, got a ticket number and made another request for the regional manager to call me back. She finally called a week later, leaving me a message saying they couldn't issue the refund because of the 300 that's stated in the contract. I never signed a contract though.

Also, if there's anything I could do about some type of refund for the 2200 I paid for hair removal on my legs. I went for 3 years (as part of the contract agreement) and I still have to shave my legs every several days.

Noel of Austin, TX July 22, 2009

i will just paste the text of the letter I sent to the local manager, Heidi W, below.Heidi-- I am writing to beg American Laser to please cancel my "Amerishape" contract. I am willing to pay for the service I have already received with the Amerismooth, but I have apparently paid twice for the service that one contract would have allowed. I have had nine Amerismooth treatments in 2009 and am willing cancel all further pending appointments. As you know, the whole thing was problematic from the start. I had an accident and had my left index finger amputated in October 2007. I was on massive amounts of painkillers when I signed up for this and not in my right mind. The pain and medication continued for almost a year. I was really incapable of making an informed decision about anything, especially something as expensive as the American Laser processes.

The Velasmooth machine at the 34th St. location went down and I had to go all the way out to the Parmer lane location to be treated. (I really should not have been driving that far on the medication.) Then the north location was not allotting the proper amount of time for the process and they were very inconsistent with doing one area, then another, and certainly not each area each week. One of their technicians bruised my shoulderblades. I still can't figure out how she did that, as that is not even an area we were supposed to treat.

Then the 34th street location got its machine fixed so I went back over there. In February 2008, the technician I had at one particular session was rather aggressive about selling products and services and got you to come into the room to discuss the Velashape with me. Again I remind you how suggestible and unwell I was at the time. You went to "see what the CareCredit would say" and came back with an already run credit receipt for me to sign. I didn't know what to do and didn't have time to really think about it. I also was uninformed about how CareCredit works its accounts. Unlike a regular credit card, they make separate sub-accounts and one has to pay every one of them as separate payments, except all at the same time. And the interest rate is very high. This is just too much money each month and I cannot afford it. I also was sold a package of Affirm treatments, which I did not put on CareCredit, but on a regular Mastercard. I have not had those done yet.

So the breakdown is this: Amerismooth--4400.00 Amerishape-----4000.00 Affirm-------------1500.00 equalling 9900.00 not even counting the interest I have been paying to CareCredit.

I am requesting only that you cancel the 4000.00 Amerishape contract and run a return to CareCredit for that amount. Please help me. This whole time in my life has been very difficult and I was very irrational. I am still being treated for the psychological effects the accident had on me and this has been part of the stress I am experiencing. I also had to take time off work to get the treatments that I have had. I know that you are not about sales numbers, but service, and I have faith that you will do the right thing. Thank you for your prompt attention to this issue. Please contact me as soon as possible so that we can reach a resolution.

Lee of Behtlehem, PA June 10, 2009

I consulted with American Laser Center for microderm abrasion service and was charged 700 for 12 treatments. I was offered to pay 3 installments of 233 so at my first treatment I paid 233. My 2nd appointment was a month later and at that time I paid another 233. My next appoint was 2 weeks later and 1 day before that appointment the office called me and said I had to reschedule, which I did.

2 days before my already rescheduled appointment the district manager called me and said I had to reschedule again. At this point I had it and request a refund of my unused portion of my 466 which they flatly refused to do. I gooled the company, after the fact, and was not surprised to see the myriad of complaints against them. This is one more to that number. American Laser Center on Cedar Crest Blvd in Allentown, PA. I have not received any of the promised results and I have yet to receive my refund of 349.34 or any portion of it.

Angelina of Pacifica, CA June 8, 2009

I really tried to handle this the professional route but did not work. In short this only took American Laser Center in San Mateo only 10 minutes to officially take my money, have me sign a contract and realize after I signed they can not treat me and all in all I got no copies of anything because they were going to void it all. I got scammed! I have been scammed out of my money either 2000 (hair removal bikini, half leg laser treatment) or 300 (administration fee) possibly. No credit issued as of yet they were quick to take my money but slow on giving my money back they keep giving me the run around that I will receive a refund in 2 weeks and I talked to their customer service and I hear this will take now 4-6 weeks to give me my 100% refund. this includes my 300 administration fee, etc. to resolve. I used my AMEX so this was good for me I was able to contact my credit card company to open an investigation and put these charges on hold (safe for now). I have asked for my refund and I am not sure I will get a quick refund or answer. so far it has been a lot of work to just get the appropriate refund form emailed to me. The clinical manager was saying in an email that the refund form was attached to that I will not receive my 300 refund. they did absolutely nothing in that 10 min time frame, no consultation fee, no service at all just a lot of sales tactics to have me sign quickly and take my money. Reason for Requested Refund: I was asked by the medical nurse on staff if I had possible keloids and I showed the medical nurse onsite my arm and she said I had a keloid on my arm and that they were not able to treat me at all regardless if I thought it wasn't keloid because it was visable I had a keloid scar. The Clinical Manager was eager to make the sale even made a convincing call in front of me to her regional (regional not present) she was arguing with the medical nurse it was not a keloid and on the side the medical staff was obviously convinced I had a keloid and told the clinical manager they could not do any laser treatments. At the end clinical manager told me I would get my refund 100% since they could not work on me.

The Clincial Manager took it upon herself to make some calls and tried to convince me (all a show) it was ok they could treat me for laser treatments even tried to convince me to stay and through in my laser treatment for under my arms for free to convince me to get these laser treatments even though her medical staff repeated to her that I had a possible keloid scar. I just want you to know that I have been mentally traumatized by this event. I asked them to credit (refund) my account in the amount of 2000 which includes the 300 administration fee. I am so disappointed and can not believe my health and safety was not taken into consideration here and I asked them to issue my refund asap.

Inderjeet of New York, NY May 24, 2009

On 10/22/2008, I responded an e-mail call by visiting one of the American laser Centers for facial hair removal treatment. I was told that treatment would be continued for two years for total six sittings, and financial agreement was signed with Chase Health advance.

After first treatment,treated area of my face became black, and I was asked by my physician to dicotinued treatment due to sensitive skin. On 12/09/2008, I handed over physician's note to Ms.m and discontinued my treatment, and copy of the same was send to Chase Health Advance. I was billed by Chase Health Advance Financial company. I paid 87. 46 on 11/11.2008, and asked American leasar centers to refund balance to Chase Health Advance.

American Laser Centers did not refund full balance to financial company.I am billed by chase Health advance monthly and harrased by them to pay the balance amount. I have not recieved full course of treatment from American laser Center, it is their responsibility to refund balance to financial company. Please justify accordingly. Thanking you.

Amy of La Jolla, CA April 9, 2009

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