Weight loss center calls my child

joyflnoyz, LPN · Feb 28, 2003

Two more suggestions:

Contact the Better business bureau and your state Attorney General's office...

eidted for typos

^^ :)

Aussienurse2 · Feb 28, 2003

I find this to be irresponsible and cruel. This kind of marketing is one of the big reasons that children starve themselves. My eldest son stopped eating because of watching an add for a childrens fund " Children in Africa are starving" etc. I had to spend an hour explaining to him that it was not his fault and why he should eat. I can't stand adds and tele-marketing that induce guilt over something as basic to healthy life as eating. They should be banned!!

Tilleycs · Feb 28, 2003

I agree, I think you should call the Better Business Bureau. If it turns out that a client did NOT in fact refer your daughter, that is fraud.

TheBrainMusher · Feb 28, 2003

Better Business Bureau! Its unamious! I would def. contact them. Unethical practices and illegal solicitation of minors ...

RN2B2005 · Feb 28, 2003

I'd be very surprised if an actual human being "submitted" your daughter's name at all. If anything, it was probably one of those refer-a-friend deals, where they knock X dollars off of your enrollment fee if you give them the telephone number or e-mail address of a family member or friend. The "lose ten pounds" schtick was likely just that--marketing schtick.

Think about it. What better way to get someone to join a fitness club than to make them think that a friend thinks they're fat? They EXPECT you to do exactly what you did....agonize over who could POSSIBLY think your daughter is fat. It's a pretty safe bet that if I call 100 households, I'll eventually hit one that will sign up for a membership based on my "fatty" scare tactic. Did the telemarketer actually ask for your daughter by name? Probably not--they don't care who answers the phone.

I get literally hundreds of spam e-mails and telemarketing calls per year (sign up for Parents magazine and register with Huggies and your name ends up on the telemarketer's lust list). About half start with something like the call your daughter got...."Jennifer, a friend referred you..." or even "Jennifer, So-and-So gave us your name...", betting that the odds are I know a Rachel or Sarah or Steve.

So, quit agonizing and move on. Telemarketers aren't going to change; the only thing you can do is not patronize their clients.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2003

I'm sure what they say is true, they were only going by a name and number that someone filled out on a card.

Who you should be angry at is the person who referred her to loose ten pounds.

Does you daughter know who it was, does she have any friends, or do you have any friends in this club. That's who you should talk to.

Rapheal · Mar 1, 2003

Thanks for all your responses. I sent a letter of complaint to the corporate office. I will wait till they respond before I call the BBB.

Anyhoo, I start work next week and will not have as much time to get all fired up over stuff like this. My daughter seems over it. We had Taco Bell for dinner and she ate like she normally does.

Well I am tired and am going to bed now. I took down the wallpaper in my bathroom and need to get this project done before I start work. It is a mess right now. Little peices of sticky wallpaper backing tracked all through the house. Too tired to keep working on it anymore tonight.

MishlB · Mar 1, 2003

Probably one of those "refer a friend and receive one month free" deals. What a shame they have to make calls like that to drum up business. Go get em, Mom.

NurseRachy · Mar 1, 2003

How rude of the company to call your daughter!! I agree that these types of things place a seed of doubt in many peoples minds. Good on you for ringing the company. Please take this matter further!! and let me know of the outcome!

Rapheal · Mar 2, 2003

Checked with the BBB. This company has over 60 complaints against them. They were under a different name that closed leaving many paid members with a $2000 membership that was worth nothing. Seems like they are just rotten. So I guess it is a good idea for anybody reading this post to check with the BBB before commiting to a membership at a healthclub.

Have a great day. Back to painting the bathroom. Wish I would have just left the wallpaper up.

fab4fan · Mar 2, 2003

I was just reading something about the actress, Nia Vardalos, who was the star of , "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." She was saying how agents et al were after her to lose weight because, as a size 8, she was "too fat" for any leading roles.

Good grief...I would be deliriously happy to be a size 8...I would love to be "that fat." What kind of insanity is this?

Every now and then the ultra-radical feminist comes out in me, and I think this is a male conspiracy...you know, make women make themselves smaller and smaller, more child-like appearance, easier to dominate/control.

But anyway, what kind of world is this when "normal" is a size "0" or "2"? I just read that corsets are coming back into vogue...yes, the kind like in "GWTW" where you need another person to lace you. Instead of whalebone, they're using heavy plastic or Kevlar (one good thing...if you're wearing a corset made with Kevlar and you get mugged and shot, your corset could save your life!)

I would be writing a poison pen letter to that "fitness club"...takes a lot of nerve. Anything for a buck these days. We should be teaching our kids to love their bodies, no matter what shape/size/color.

sunnygirl272 · Mar 2, 2003

Originally posted by fab4fan
We should be teaching our kids to love their bodies, no matter what shape/size/color.

hidy ho!!!