Boston Electrolysis® Private Practice Boston School Of Electrolysis The Five Star Electrologist© has a responsibility to its readers and the public who seek our professional services. We are the first Americans in history to live and work in the era of terror, which has polarized our country. Even though we are a polarized society, we Americans possess the best communication system in the world yet we licensed electrologists do very little communicating between each other. We are isolated professionals because our work is so solitary where we treat one patient at a time and because of our competitive nature we have become isolated from other electrologists. In addition to that, our work is labor intensive and being self-employed takes most of our time. An electrologist's best attribute is that we are extremely independent and self-sufficient. Nonetheless times have changed and we need to establish and maintain new lines of communication.
It's the end of 2004 and as usual our profession is enduring its latest biblical and cyclical plague, the Laser Parlors. Before them there were the electric tweezers. (no probe electrolysis) It seems every ten to fifteen years there's another quack attack. Make no bones about the Laser Parlors; they are the most evil underhanded scammers. They are the Al Qaeda of temporary removal quackery. Lately these terrorists of temporary hair removal scams have been exposed for their quackery, fraud and deceit. Laser Parlors use the Internet quite effectively for advertising, however if you look carefully you will see that malpractice claims are becoming more numerous. If you surf the Internet you will observe that it is their most favorite place to use false deceptive advertising because it is so difficult to police the Internet. Lasers Parlors will continue to hurt a lot of folks and to the very present are they still calling them unfortunate accidents when in actuality they are burning and mutilating people? You say what more can I do for I have warned people but they do not listen and you say to yourself what else can I do? By yourself you cannot do much, however by organizing as a unified force there is nothing we cannot overcome. The time for the state licensed and registered electrologists to bare arms has arrived nonetheless I do not mean rifles, handguns and explosives although some have suggested that is quicker. We state licensed and registered electrologists are the standard bearers and the backbone of our chosen profession and we must recognize that we are at the crossroads where direct action must be taken once and for all and muzzle and leash on the lawless laser parlors that run in packs like wild dogs. You ask yourself what can I do against the Al Qaeda of temporary hair removal? Your United States of America Government has armed you with the ultimate power, the written complaint form. The Achilles' heal of our enemy is the written complaint that spells out their name and specifies the charges. So when you are surfing the Internet and you see any laser parlor advertising permanent hair removal they are in direct violation of the FDA law that forbids them to do so. If you see a newspaper, a flyer or brochure and it identifies it is illegal to do so. If you see a laser-parlor advertising painless hair removal, they are again violating FDA law. A simple simultaneous complaint exactly alike must be to the FDA, FTC and the BBB on line will bring their illegal activities to the attention not only to your Government but also the general public's opinion and scrutiny. However the BBB on line gets quick results in getting the laser parlor to stop their illegal advertising. However, just because the BBB gets quick results and the offending laser parlors stops, that is no reason not to send your complaints to the FDA and FTC. Without one shadow of doubt our solidarity with the help of other citizens will prove to the Government and the people it represents that the Laser Parlor Industry can only survive by using false deceptive advertising. In essence, this proves that Laser Parlors lie, cheat and steal at the consumer's health and expense and attack our consumer base. These slanderous accusations need to be brought to the FTC'S attention in complaints that charge the Laser Parlor Industry of their lying, cheating and stealing is a criminally organized conspiracy. In addition when they target and attack our consumer base because they people seeking electrologist because we are the only professionals that can advertise and claim Permanent Hair Removal. In addition they slander our profession and illegally sidetrack consumers to their offices instead of yours. Let me ask you, doesn't that not make your blood boil and infuriate you? I have so many electrologists get so angry and frustrated they say, "What can I do?" We state licensed and registered electrologists have a responsibility to the public and our chosen profession to see that the law is enforced. So what you need to do is make a complaint and send a copy or another electrologists that you know, please for your own sake pass this information on! One of biggest and most popular new scam laser parlors uses it's Pagejacking, hacking and imitating the identity of your website listings on the Internet. If you have a website you need to randomly check your Internet listings to make sure they work. Pagejacking works like this - they make a copy of a page on your website and than place in theirs. When the robots and spiders crawl to their site it makes copy of your search page listing but it has their address below. So when someone clicks on what they think is your listing they are redirected to their website and they have stolen business from you. Recently FTC has ruled this as fraud and has charged criminal offenses, so if you have a site, check your listings. If you are redirected call your Webmaster and report it. Pagejacking is a serious criminal offense that is enforced by the FTC. It pays to monitor your website and listings. Even if you do not have a website and you see an illegal advertisement it is your duty to file that complaint because it helps all electrologists and in the ending result it benefits you. All Government agencies need your help and cooperation because it is not their job to scan the listings and advertisements. Their job is enforcement and yours is to report them and investigate them and turn them over to the justice system. Do your part and send in a complaint instead of complaining that the Government does not do anything. Then if they don't do their job you have the right to whine, bitch and complain. So please recognize this system and by the way the criminal is counting on your apathy and to be discouraged easily. So when you see a laser parlor using false deceptive advertising that upsets you so much, instead of letting your frustration get the better of you, sit down, take a deep breath and start writing your complaint. So when you send in your complaint to the FDA (Food & Drug Administration), FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and the BBB online you will get action. When hundreds of complaints arrive and the evidence is overwhelming the FDA and FTC have severe penalties for that. The FTC enforces fair and honest advertising laws so when they see people on the Internet using false and deceptive advertising they step into it. Fact, filing a complaint with the BBB online gets almost immediate attention and results because there is no defense for breaking the law so blatantly when you send them evidence to. When filing your complaint make sure which BBB office it's going to. However, you can file to your local office which will transfer the complaint. When you make a complaint to the BBB on line, just make sure to enclose the copy of the advertisement, date of it and also that same complaint you have sent to them that has been forwarded to the, FDA and FTC. Recently I filed a complaint with Sona Laser Parlor inBurlington, Massachusetts for using my name, pagejacking and imitating my listings and copyright violations. However it was the FDA violation of advertising as permanent and painless hair removal that got him. In addition, he was using my name to steal hits from me. Just recently I got an email from Kemp Coady of Sona Laser, a national chain of Laser Parlors stating he has fully complied and fully removed his listings and will not do it again. In Fact it was him who ignored and refused my calls except for one time I spoke to him he threatened me. He sure changed his tune when the BBB on line stepped on his toes. That was the BBB on line and he still has to worry about the FTC and FDA. However he is permanently listed for false advertising and there is nothing he can do about it. People go to the BBB because that is the first place to register a complaint. In addition, the BBB provides the results of the investigation and lists them for anybody to view. By the way my office is in Scottsdale, Arizona and his is in Burlington, Massachusetts however Mr. Kemp Coady of Sona Laser Parlors was using my business name to steal clients from myself and other electrologists. Fact, people who steal in this or any manner are less than sniveling cowards. He claimed it was the fault of his Internet marketing company called "UNREAL MARKETING". In spite of this the FTC has ruled it was his ultimate responsibility. Now Sona Laser Parlors are on the growing list of people who violate FTC laws. When you register your complaint with the BBB online I was amazed how fast they got the Laser Parlors to comply with the law. In addition, your complaint educates the public that lasers are not permanent and painless and this informs influential women and men of the BBB on line and the community. Your complaint proves that laser parlors routinely use false, deceptive advertising and they have to break the law to financially survive. No business in the U.S.A. can stand up to Government and public scrutiny by continually breaking the law to suit themselves. Most important your complaint proves you are a professional and that gets your name out there even further and good deeds are the best advertisement money cannot buy. For the record if you do not stand up for what is right you do not have one right to whine, bitch or complain that laser Parlors are scam artists and rip offs and that somebody should do something to stop them! Yes I agree with you 110% that somebody should and if you are an electrologist or concerned consumer than that somebody is you! How do you expect the Government to enforce laws when nobody complains? A complaint of this nature is your right to vote against lawless industry that has been unleashed upon our society by those that are greedy, unethical and unprofessional. For your convenience I have written a standard complaint outline on how to file a complaint with the FDA and the FTC and BBB on line with their addresses included. I have posted the FDA paragraph and bold typed where it states the law regarding advertising. It so simple you will be amazed. Also if you wish to remain anonymous that is allowed. From there you print out your complaint, sign it, make a copy of the illegal advertisement and place them in the envelopes then mail them. With these outlined and simplified instructions it should not take you more than ten or fifteen minutes to do so and if it does you have template that will make other complaints even quicker. For your ease always keep a copy of the FDA ruling with their mailing addresses handy, plus stamped envelopes for further violations. Some electrologists will say well they retaliate. They are attacking us and when a Laser Parlor advertisement states, "Now you don't have to suffer painless electrolysis." That's retaliation and when they also state, "Laser Hair removal is permanent and painless" they slander us openly and lie to the public like a rug! Don't you think it's about time that you bare arms and get out the pen, paper and ink and write out that complaint and mail it! Without a doubt the written truth is the most powerful force we have. Your chosen profession needs you, don't be one of them that sit by the wayside and say they don't need my help. I am telling you right now we need all the help we can get. Our complaints will add up and so will U.S. Government fines, which are expensive.
In addition, this will force the Laser Parlors to keep their advertising honest. That alone will expose them as a scam-ridden industry that they really are.* When the government reads all of this state licensed and registered electrologists and consumers voting in unity they will recognize us as the only the legitimate profession that should consulted on all matters of hair removal. By law a written complaint with merit and evidence must be investigated and acted upon by the enforcement agency such as the FDA and FTC. Only when complaints have been made will the law act upon the Lawless Laser Parlor Syndicate. Believe me we all know the government is looking for new sources of revenue. Let's be helpful and assist the government in identifying lawless laser parlors so they can be brought to justice.
FDA RULING ON HAIR REMOVAL
Manufacturers should be aware that receiving an FDA clearance for general permission to market their devices does not permit them to advertise the lasers for either hair removal or wrinkle treatment, even though hair removal or wrinkle treatment may be a by-product of any cleared laser procedure. Further, manufacturers may not claim that laser hair removal is either painless or permanent unless the FDA determines that there are sufficient data to demonstrate such results.
FACTOID, TO THE PRESENT DAY THE LASER PARLOR INDUSTRY HAS NOT SUPPLIED SUFFICIENT DATA TO THE FDA TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE LASER IS PERMANENT ORPAINLESS IN ANY FORM OR MANNER.
YOUR LASER HAIR REMOVAL COMPLAINT
How to file a complaint for illegal, fraudulent, deceptive advertising: To register your or another's complaint against an illegal, fraudulent, deceptive, advertising by Laser Parlors make a copy or print our the advertisement off their website. If it is a hard copy advertisement such as a newspaper or brochure its best to submit the original and keep a copy for your personal file. For your complaint to be valid it must have the following information: date, your name, address, zip code, phone number and email address. If your complaint is against a website company it must have: a URL, the name of the company, date first noticed, a copy of the actual offense, their telephone number and email address too. In addition, filing your complaints by email gets the ball rolling. On the other hand, you are limited to so many words by filing electronically and you cannot cut and paste your evidence on a computer form. Therefore it is best to file electronically and get a case number and than mail the hard copy that same day. So, mail that hard copy complaint with the physical evidence and that will make your complaint that much easier to process. In addition, the more evidence you provide such as other similar advertisements that have the same violations the better. Below are the three major illegal offenses that Laser Parlors are not allowed to advertise but they cannot resist doing for obvious reasons. After your complaints are received the FTC, FDA and the BBB on line will issue a file number. Keep it handy, it is most helpful to report additional violations. If after a week they are still illegally advertising send in another complaint. Doing this nails the lid shut on their lies because you have proven they are habitual violators otherwise as "Career Criminals'' and they are incorrigible. In addition to that they cannot claim ignorance especially with additional complaints and evidence. Nevertheless you must be patient.Also keep a previous template handy for any other Laser Parlors that use false deceptive advertising. In addition pass this information on to other licensed and registered electrologists and friends.
IT IS ILLEGAL FOR A LASER PARLOR TO ADVERTISE THE FOLLOWING:
- Laser Parlors cannot guarantees permanent hair removal!
- Laser Parlors cannot guarantees painless hair removal
- Laser Parlors cannot use deceptive advertising such as virtually painless or virtually permanent hair removal.
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