well our center closed a couple months ago and they wanted us to drive 40 min to the next closest one. I went and weighed in last week and everything seemed fine. (I know what you are thinking..... "but I thought she was doing NS now." well I am eating NS, but I paid for weeks through Feb. so I thought I might as well weigh in!) so today I thought , this is silly, I might as well call just for kicks and see what other options they have for me since my COD is closed, refund? (haha, I know...... good one) online option? something? so I called down there and it said that number was disconnected. So I called the 800 number and when someone answered I said what center is this? "Little Rock" 4 hours away! so she gave me the number that she is giving everybody up here to call, and that is all she would tell me. I have tried several times today but have not spoken to a human yet.

at least I thought to take all the rest of my lites one of the last times I was in there, I told them, I didn't know how regular I would be able to make it with it being so far now, so I thought I better just get all the lites they owed me, which was only like 5 or something. luckily! I think all tolled I lost about $3000 with them. but at least I got most of my weeks and all of my bars. I shouldn't complain, huh Dan and Liz!

Lettie, You make me want to go to the COD and gather all my Lites right now. Sorry your experience was not more positive with LAWL, and different centers do appear to run much differently. Mine does not seem as mercenary as some others (like they are actually trying to help me lose and maintain) but individual counselors vary also. Hopefully NS will help get you where you want to go, and when you are done, you have the LAWL experience to help you figure out how to maintain hopefully.

Makes me relieved that I'm at a coporate COD where the manager has been for 15 years. I at least know it's not going anywhere anytime soon, and if it does there's another 3 COD's within a 40 minute drive.

Lettie, can you at least get the rest of the bars they owe you shipped? And there's always small claims court.

I got all my bars. I am just losing out on the weeks

Aww Lettie.. That sucks.. But at least you got your product (grumble grumble)....

This makes me super nervous. My center has recently cut way back on their hours. Is this common? They said that they cut back bc it is the "slow" season. It's been extremely difficult for me to get in, and I'm going to ask for some extra weeks of weight loss since there were 2 weeks I could not get in bc they kept changing their hours.

Did the center tell you they were closing ahead of time? Was it franchise?

I'm not prepared to lose this much money! I'm sorry you are having this experience Lettie! And Dan and Liz-I can't imagine!

Amy,
We had NO warning.. Everything was peachy-keen during our Saturday WI and the BAM! - the doors were shut on Monday.. Apperantly, not even the staff knew it was coming.. Our franchise owner was in the process of selling her ownership and the deal fell through at the last minute... So she just closed the doors...

I would ask your staff ASAP if they know if something is going on. I would ask a counselor you're close with for the best chance at a straight answer...

Just so no one reads anything into this.. I still greatly believe in the LAWL program itself.. We just had a worthless, no-good idiot of a franchise owner who left us high and dry... She deserves to rot, as far as I'm concerned...

same here Dan, I weighed in last week, on Wednesday. It was business as usual then I call on monday and the phone is disconnected. But come to think of it she gave me the booklet for plan #3 and #2. she said "just in case I didn't get back into the center by the time I needed #2 she was going to give it to me" well I wouldn't need #2 for another 22 pounds....... hmmmmm maybe she did know something.

I know I am doing NS but I took the books anyway, because the NS plan I am on is for 5 days a week and I plan my own meals the other 2 days. They call it thier weekends off plan. and they plan thier days off very similar to LAWL... so I thought I might as well have the numbered books and use them on the days I take off since I am familure with the plan. then the other 5 days a week I eat NS and don't think about planning.

any way......... blah, blah, blah............ glad I went in when I did!

Lettie-was yours a franchise center as well? I've always felt safe knowing mine was corporate but it is obvious at this point that they are struggling to get people to work there. I'm definitely going to ask on saturday...if they are still there!

Woo this makes me nervous I think I am going to get all my stuff this week. Thanks for the info everyone. I am in New York and there are only a few here.

Upon reading your posts, I thought maybe I should share my experience with you all. My COD is a corporate training center. They too are cutting down their hours. I have become good friends with my counselor and she told me........that business has been very very slow since the segment on 20/20 and since they changed their name to PURE Weight Loss. They are no longer paying their employees overtime nor are they paying their "traveling counselors" for mileage. They have eliminated the Assistant Manger positions and the traveling counselor positions completely. She also told me that employees are leaving right and left. (this is Indiana by the way). So I honestly think something is going on. My weeks are up in January and I don't intend to renew. I've been on LAWL before and been successful at losing 50 pounds. However, the staff at the center changed dramatically so I quit. Here I am again, down 30 pounds and the staff and entire operation is changing dramatically. Very discouraging.

I do love the program though and the weighing in (making me accoutnable) is what works for me..I'm really really sorry to see this happen.

It would be a nightmare if my center closes. I still have tons of lites that I've paid for. I can tell that business is slow here-which is suprising bc in my area there are no weight watchers centers or jenny craig-you have to drive into the city so I would think that the suburb I live in would be more interested in pure weight loss.
Dan-I think it's amazing that you guys stuck with it after being bulldozed like that!!
JPS-thank you so much for letting us in on the inside scoop. I think the lack of overtime is what spawned the cutting of hours bc there are only three or four counselors that are now there consistently since one is on maternity leave. I will just be devestated if it closes. I really need the accountability and the encouragement. Besides-I have NO room in my pantry for 100boxes of lites! Yikes!

At least you have 3 counselors at your site. We have maybe two on a good day. Sometimes it's just the manager and you wait, and wait and wait.

I agree with you, the accountability is where it's at for me.

mine was a franchise. I would start stocking up on the lites...... but you don't want to get too many at home because they get kinda yucky when they sit to long. mine did anyway. they turn white and hard...... but they won't let you just take all your lites. I just always said, "oh I want some variety at home." and then take like 4-6 boxes. sometimes if I saw a different counsler on friday than monday..... I would do it again. it didn't take too long to get them all home that way.

Hi Everyone:
I go to a corporate center that cut there hours way down about a month ago. And as of next Friday they will be closing. They were not offering refunds they were telling us to either go to New Jersey or CT. Or two others that are about a 1/2 or so from where I live. I live in New York also. I did get all of my lites and I did get the stabilization and maintenance info with no problem. I only had nine weight loss weeks left.