Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Treatment started April 2022 - May 25th 2022. I received treatment to help rid fat and cellulite from pregnancy around my belly button area. There were no changes or results as promised. I believe the treatment was done prematurely. I would like to be reimbursed as I haven’t even received follow up for before and after photos. Or received any further advice as promised when I signed up for treatment. I have already paid 3,388.41 that have gone to waste as there are absolutely no results regardless of my healthy diet. And no attempt from the salon to see if there are results well over 10 weeks.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2022

  Attention: Better Business Burueau of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania
  Reference: Complaint #********
  
  NovaSculpting
  2012 Wilson Blvd
  Arlington, VA 22201
  ###-###-####
  [email protected]
  
  October 14th, 2022
  
  At NovaSculpting we follow strict FDA guidelines when it comes to our ************* patients. We choose to go above and beyond what is required to provide the best possible experience and outcomes for our patients. It is no accident or coincidence that we are the #1 ************* provider in Virginia, the #1 ************* provider in DC, the #4 ************* provider in the nation, and the #1 ************* provider for men in the nation. In addition, all of our providers have their Masters certifications for CoolSculpting, the highest level of training provided by ********, the manufacturer of *************.
  
  The processes we have in place for our patients consists of the following:
  1.    ************* consultation with treatment plan/quote emailed for patient’s record
  2.    First ************* treatment
  3.    Follow Up email the day after treatment to check in, remind patients of common side effects, and send the date and time of their next appointment
  4.    Subsequent ************* treatment after a minimum of 30 days later per FDA requirement
  5.    45 day in-office follow up to document progress (6 weeks and the halfway mark to optimal results; this used to be a phone call)
  6.    90 day in-office follow up to assess optimal results, as it takes a minimum of 3 months to see optimal results following a ************* treatment. We go over before & after photos, do additional assessment, measure weight, and send patients their photos during this appointment.
  
  A patient has filed the following complaint to NovaSculpting:
  
  “Treatment started April 2022 - May 25th 2022. I received treatment to help rid fat and cellulite from pregnancy around my belly button area. There were no changes or results as promised. I believe the treatment was done prematurely. I would like to be reimbursed as I haven’t even received follow up for before and after photos. Or received any further advice as promised when I signed up for treatment. I have already paid 3,388.41 that have gone to waste as there are absolutely no results regardless of my healthy diet. And no attempt from the salon to see if there are results well over 10 weeks.”
  
  In the document below, we will go through this complaint sentence by sentence. We will also provide a complete timeline of the patient’s appointments as well as all communication between NovaSculpting and the patient. We are happy to provide any additional information in regards to images for proof of documentation of this patient’s treatment and correspondence.
  
  Let me begin with the patient’s first statement: the patient claims that she “… received treatment to help rid fat and cellulite from pregnancy…” – ************* is a FAT-REDUCING treatment. It is not a weight-loss treatment, it is not a skin-tightening treatment and it is not a cellulite treatment. We are very clear about this with all of our patients and it not a claim we would make, nor is it a claim any provider performing ************* should make. We also measure patients’ weight at the time of their first treatment and again at their 90-day follow up appointment. In order to see optimal results we recommend patients maintain consistent weight to see results and maintain their results.
  
  Next the patient claims that she did not receive “…any further advice as promised…” – we do not know what further advice the patient is referencing that was promised. We do not promise anything when we treat patients. We let them know what they can expect based on clinical studies from ********, *************’s manufacturer. We only provide consultations, treatment and follow up to our patients. As there are no physical limitations post-treatment and little downtime, we only recommend to our clients that they should stay active and stay hydrated to help their body eliminate the destroyed fat cells through their lymphatic system efficiently to enhance their results. We do not promise any additional advice or service – we are not nutritionists, we are not personal trainers, and we are not coaches.
  
  The patient then claims to have “absolutely no results,” that is has been “10 weeks,” and that she “has not received follow up for before and after photos.” Optimal ************* results are seen around 90 days following treatment, which is 12 weeks, and many patients continue to see results 12-16 weeks post treatment. In this instance, at the time of this patient’s claim, the patient is not fully through the full post-treatment process. She also cannot claim that she has no results because she refuses to come in to the office to allow us to take her follow up photos, so we could actually provide a before and after comparison, take her weight, and actually determine if there are any measurable results on the area she had treated. In the timeline below, I will provide evidence of our multiple attempts of contact to schedule the patient’s follow up to provide before and after photos. The patient did not respond to any of our multiple attempts to contact her after the communication outlined below:
  
  April 13, 2022: Consultation
  ·      Consultation and treatment plan emailed. Applied for ****** financing
  ·      Provider assessed the patient for 2 treatments of 4 **** applicators on the abdomen. This package retailed for $6,000, and the patient received promotional pricing of $4400 with an additional 10% discount ($440) for a total of $3960. This $3,960 included two sessions with four applications on the abdomen during each treatment session. The patient set up payment for this treatment plan through Cherry Financing, and selected a monthly payment plan of her choosing based on the options they offered her.
  
  ·      Consultation Form Email sent to the patient to recap her consultation:
  Hi (patient name redacted), 
  
  Thanks so much for coming in today! We've attached your consultation form below. Please let us know if you have any questions.
  
  We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, April 21st at 11:00AM.
  
  Best, 
  (staff member name redacted)
  Consultation form attachment for patient record
  
  April 21, 2022: First ************* Treatment
  ·      First of two ************* treatments. The patient signed the ************* consent and photo consent, weight measured. Photos were taken of the area being treated on that day to establish baseline of “before treatment”
  ·      Note in Envision: “Photos taken consents signed. Treated abdomen 4 ****s pt tolerated well.”
  ·      Treatment was carted in patient’s ******* under ***** treatment mapping
  ·      Second treatment was scheduled
  
  -April 23, 2022:
  ·      Provider sent a follow up email to the patient at 1:23pm:
  
  “Good afternoon (patient name redacted), 
  
  I wanted to check in to see how you are feeling today. You did great in treatment on Thursday. I can't wait to see the results! 
  
  Please reach out if you need anything before your next appointment on May 25th 11:00am.
  
  Thank You!”
  
  May 25, 2022: Second ************* Treatment
  ·      Second of two ************* treatments
  ·      Note in ********: Treated upper and mid abdomen with *****, diamond. 2/2 sessions.
  ·      Treatment was charted in patient’s ******* under ***** treatment mapping
  ·      Scheduled 45-day phone call follow up
  
  July 12, 2022: 45-day phone call
  ·      We did not connect with her on a 45-day phone call. This was right around the time when a staff member, we will refer to as ‘Employee A,’ was let go from the company and we do not know if a phone call was attempted or not. Our policy at this time was to check-in with patients at the halfway mark of their follow up (45 days/6 weeks) and schedule their 90-day/3 month in office follow up appointment during that phone call. Employee A is no longer employed by NovaSculpting and is not eligible for rehire based on lack of performance and failure to fulfil job responsibilities. 45-day phone call follow-ups to patients were one of Employee A’s responsibilities.
  
  September 13, 2022:
  ·      The patient emailed our [email protected] at 12:50pm
  
  “My name is (patient name redacted) andI began a 2-part treatment at the salon. My last session was May 25th and to-date, I have not received a follow up via email, or phone call. I am displeased with the service and attention I have received. I have escalated this in order to be reimbursed for this treatment as there are absolutely no obvious results regardless of my healthy diet and consistent cardio routine. I was not even given the opportunity to review before and after photos. No advice, no follow up. This is unacceptable! Hoping to get this closed out as soon as possible. Otherwise I will move forward with my claim to the bureau. 
  
  regards,
  (patient name redacted)”
  
  ·      I attempted to call the patient after receiving this email and left her a voicemail.
  ·      I followed up my voicemail with an email at 2:00pm
  
  “Hi (patient name redacted),
  
  I just tried giving you a call and left you a voicemail. I want to first apologize for your dissatisfaction with your service and attention as those are things we pride ourselves on at NovaSculpting. I see our initial follow up email to you following your first ************* treatment to check in and see how you were feeling following treatment. You should have received a 45 day phone call following your second treatment appointment, during which time a 90-day follow up appointment would have been scheduled. I apologize that you never received that phone call and would love to get your 90-day follow up appointment scheduled to take photos and track your progress. 
  
  90 days following your second appointment would have been at the end of August, so we are only a couple weeks past that and would not have been able to take follow up photos prior to 90 days. As we see our bodies daily and changes are gradual over the three months following ************* treatment, sometimes we do not realize the changes that have occurred and will be better able to see them when we compare before and after photos. Please let me know what date and time works best for your schedule for your follow up appointment; you may let us know via email or feel free to give our studio a call at ###-###-####.
  
  Thank you,
  (Studio Manager)”
  
  ·      The patient replied via email at 2:05pm:
  “I received one follow up after my first treatment. That was it. Nothing followed. I was just left in limbo. If 45 days was 2 weeks ago, why haven’t I received a phone call or email? If I hadn’t reached out, would that have been it? Unacceptable. 
  
  Best, 
  (patient name redacted)”
  
  ·      The patient called the studio and I again apologized for the lack of correspondence and reiterated to her that we were right at that 90-day mark so it was the perfect time to schedule an appointment to take her “after” progress photos. She did not want to accept my apology and did not want to come in to the office; she wanted to speak to someone else so I let her know I could have our General Manager, Michele W********, to coordinate a time to speak with her.
  ·      Michele W******** attempted to contact the patient via email and via phone.
  
  “Date: Tue, Sep 13, 2022 at 1:15 PM
  Subject: NovaSculpting follow up
  
  Hello! My name is Michele W******** and I am the General Manager for NovaSculpting. I spoke with my Studio Manager today and also read your email correspondence. 
  
  I would like to begin by personally apologizing for the lack of follow up. The person that managed this is no longer with the organization.
  
  I would like to schedule a time for us to speak so we can make this 100% right for you. 
  
  I am traveling today, but would be available anytime after 6 pm tonight or anytime the remainder of the week. Please let me know what is best your schedule and I will make myself available.
  
  Thank you! 
  Michele W******** 
  General Manager”
  
  September 15, 2022:
  ·      Michele W******** called the patient on September 15th at 6:13pm and left a 2 minute voicemail. She never heard back from the patient via phone or email after her attempts to contact her.
  
  Due to staff changes and our desire to create better patient experiences, we have already implemented a policy that requires the 45-day and the 90-day follow up both be in-office appointments. We schedule both of these appointments when we check patients out at the completion of their final ************* treatment outlined in their treatment plan to minimize the potential for lack of correspondence and opportunity for follow-up photos. This attention to detail and follow-up is not required by the FDA or *************.
  
  In regards to the patient in this complaint, we cannot authorize a refund when a patient refuses to come in to take their follow up photos. We cannot take patients on their word that they are not seeing results without seeing them in person and taking photos and measuring their weight. Optimal ************* results are seen 3-4 months following treatment, so that is when we schedule patients to take their “after” photos to track their progress, measure their weight and go over their results with them. Since hearing about this patient’s dissatisfaction we have made multiple attempts to contact her in order to schedule her follow up appointment and remedy the situation but and have received no response.
  Tell us why here...