Predatory Weight Loss Company

PeachyCarol
PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I saw this story on CBS News this morning, and had to look it up on the internet. I was appalled. The gist is that Roca Labs, a purveyor of a weight loss gimmick peddled to people -- one forula as an alternative to gastric bypass surgery --had buyers of their product under some sort of gag clause by including a paper with the product once you received it saying you agreed not to post negative reviews online. They turned around and started suing people for getting the word out that the products were a scam.

The FTC is rightfully coming down on the company.

Here's one story I found:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/FTC-Weight-Loss-Supplement-Roca-Labs-Sued-329814761.html



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Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
    Dang, I thought you were starting a new venture with a transparent name.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I'm playing a long game here, Tex. Just hanging back to see the response to this thread. :wink:
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
    PWLC, Inc.
  • kyrannosaurus
    kyrannosaurus Posts: 350 Member
    Why would anyone be stupid enough to pay a company that told them they couldn't write negative reviews? Surely, that would immediately cause alarm bells to ring.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
    kyrannosaurus wrote: »
    Why would anyone be stupid enough to pay a company that told them they couldn't write negative reviews? Surely, that would immediately cause alarm bells to ring.
    Their target market may not be the most rational demographic out there.

  • StellaRose227
    StellaRose227 Posts: 43 Member
    I'm guessing that the NDA wasn't disclosed upfront and arrived in the shipment with the product.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    These companies are the lowest of the low( right along side of mlm products )
    They prey on desperate and naïve people who don't realize what a joke these weight loss products are.
    I'm glad this company is in a jam . they all should be brought down . how can these people sleep at night knowing they have sold a false hope to desperate people and scammed them of their money.
    Yes it would take a very uneducated person is actually buy into any of these products, but still I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I scammed and lied. Shame on these companies.

    For anyone reading who may be thinking about trying weight loss products- for weight loss all you need is a calorie deficit . cico! No need to take these potentially harmful useless products. Just eat less then you burn and you'll lose weight!
  • soapsandropes
    soapsandropes Posts: 269 Member
    I think that unless the NDA was disclosed prior to purchase it isn't going to be enforceable and that they are going for sheer indimination.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Thanks for posting, I'll bet all MLM scams do this. Some of the posts I have seen point to this with their blind faith. It's ridiculous.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    StellaRose227 wrote: »
    I'm guessing that the NDA wasn't disclosed upfront and arrived in the shipment with the product.

    Exactly what happened.

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    It was in fine print on that triple folded rice paper included with the product no doubt.

    May the company die an ignoble death. I can say that as I have never bought their product.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Thanks for posting, I'll bet all MLM scams do this. Some of the posts I have seen point to this with their blind faith. It's ridiculous.

    I agree . Mlm is the lowest form of pond scum. They spend tons having negative reviews removed . they also sell these uneducated ignorant people a false hope and make millions from it. Their products are low quality junk . the only ones who give the products good reviews are the ones profiting from it ( coaches ) .
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    I'm just really hoping that this was some CEO's idea and they didn't actually pay a lawyer who thought this would fly. That would be a new all time low for the type of lawyers our law schools are churning out.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    I was also wondering about the legal aspect ( how did a lawyer think that this would actually work ?)
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    IIRC that the highest prevalence of fraud in any sector in the US occurs within weight loss products - a person is far more likely to be scammed in this area than any other.

    The weight loss industry is awash with garbage and shady practices. The fitness industry is increasingly pumping out useless tat and is not far behind.

    There is an antidote to this sickness however.

    It is us.

    The people.

    Sharing ideas, discussing experiences, giving others the heads up. We can overcome.

    fddRMmK.jpg
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    PWLC, Inc.

    shut-up-and-take-my-money.jpg
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Dang, I thought you were starting a new venture with a transparent name.

    Pretty sure with the word predator in it, you could get people to sign up for a cross-fit "box" with the name Predatory Weight Loss Company.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    kyrannosaurus wrote: »
    Why would anyone be stupid enough to pay a company that told them they couldn't write negative reviews? Surely, that would immediately cause alarm bells to ring.
    Ever installed software on a computer? Ever looked at what is actually in the EULA (End User Licensing Agreeement)? People "agree" to legal terms all the time.

    One of my favorites is all the times I spot "you agree to go to arbitration with an arbitrating company of our choosing and forfeit the right to seek damages in court". I chuckle at that one because one of the decent protections my state does have for consumers is that those agreements can't be legally binding, but I've still heard of companies that use their generic lawyers and generic legal boilerplate to intimidate people in this state to give up on going to court. There's something pretty wrong about a company being able to choose who will judge them, particularly when it means they can go to the same group repeatedly.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Thanks for posting, I'll bet all MLM scams do this. Some of the posts I have seen point to this with their blind faith. It's ridiculous.

    I agree . Mlm is the lowest form of pond scum. They spend tons having negative reviews removed . they also sell these uneducated ignorant people a false hope and make millions from it. Their products are low quality junk . the only ones who give the products good reviews are the ones profiting from it ( coaches ) .

    That's silly. Isn't Beachbody an MLM? Lots of people like their workouts. I love the one I have. And a lot of companies of all types remove negative reviews, and even more add false positive reviews.

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