ComplaintsforCole Natural Health Centers LLC

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This review is on the Autoimmune Health Reset program. When I called and had the initial consultation the lady that I spoke with talked so fast it was hard to understand the parameters of the program. Which, after I got off the phone it reminded me of time share sales tactics where they speak extremely fast so they can confuse the consumer on what they are actually purchasing. They do not give you time to think about it and they want you to have whomever helps you make financial decisions there with you, also like a time share. I was told that I would meet with Dr C*** once a week and then have coach calls once a month which to me justified the over eight thousand dollars for the program. I was particularly concerned about getting treatment to help/cure Hashimoto's. The loss of hair, retention of weight, brain fog and other symptoms I am experiencing. They made it sound like they would be focusing on gut reset with the intentions of helping my particular aliments. They stated they had a high success rate with patients with Hashimoto's. I am a vegan and they initially ask if you would at least consider some animal products. They put me on their "vegan" protocol but at every call reminded me how wonderful organ meats are and bone broth. I constantly watched their videos that talked about organ meats and bone broth which isn't something I wanted to hear about throughout my "vegan" protocol. I was constantly subjected to hearing about animal products during the program. I quickly learnt that it was a one size fits all program that is self taught, and they were not gearing my treatment to my illness. That was not explained during the consultation. Also once I had financially invested myself to this program that you do not get to meet with Dr C*** once a week. It is a live Q&A between him and his employee that you can submit questions to prior to it going live. You do not get to speak with Dr C*** at all during the program. You then receive a huge box of supplements that does not explain in layman terms what they are and how they help but it's part of their protocol. When I asked about labs during the course of the program I was told the only thing included is to do another inflammation questionnaire. Labs are an extra cost, which they try to get you to do at the end of the program. The only reason I didn't try to back out after I had obtained a loan for the program was because I read the difficulty that other people had on BBB reviews in getting their money back. (after I purchased the program) I wish I would have looked at that website prior to investing. I had wondered how this program got such high reviews on Google and it's because at the end of the program if you provide a 4 or 5 star review they give you 40% off their supplements. In my opinion this program is a scam for anyone really trying to treat their ailments. I feel completely ripped off and frustrated that now I have to pay over eight grand and I am still as sick as I was when I started the program.

  Business response

  02/01/2024

  To whom it may concern, 
  Please see below for our corresponding response in association with *** ********** message. 
  
  Client: This review is on the Autoimmune Health Reset program. When I called and had the initial consultation the lady that I spoke with talked so fast it was hard to understand the parameters of the program. Which, after I got off the phone it reminded me of time share sales tactics where they speak extremely fast so they can confuse the consumer on what they are actually purchasing. They do not give you time to think about it and they want you to have whomever helps you make financial decisions there with you, also like a time share. 
  Response: Our health strategists are very clear about what the program consists of as they walk you through the complete program and show the potential client the complete breakdown of everything included. This is done in great detail. All of our calls are recorded for quality and reviewed by management and upper management to make sure the vision and alignment of the clinic is met. There are no high pressure sales tactics used and client can simply end the call at any time by hanging up. We offer care based on the client's desire and clinical need. We also offer follow up appointments if someone needs to think about signing up and have never forced or pressured anyone into signing into care with our office. 
  

  
  Client: I was told that I would meet with Dr C*** once a week and then have coach calls once a month which to me justified the over eight thousand dollars for the program. 
  Response: Again, all of our calls are recorded and our team is very clear that this is a group based program where the client would have access to Dr. C*** on live calls in group settings where he is able to answer questions, make adjustments and monitor the client's case. We even provided access to the client if they could not make a call where they could post their question for Dr. C*** to be answered as all of the calls are recorded and provided to the client after every call. The client also did have a personal health coach who also met with one on one, monthly. The client received 17 weeks of care and support from the team and utilized all services. 
  

  Client: I was particularly concerned about getting treatment to help/cure Hashimoto's. The loss of hair, retention of weight, brain fog and other symptoms I am experiencing. They made it sound like they would be focusing on gut reset with the intentions of helping my particular aliments. They stated they had a high success rate with patients with Hashimoto's. I am a vegan and they initially ask if you would at least consider some animal products. They put me on their "vegan" protocol but at every call reminded me how wonderful organ meats are and bone broth. I constantly watched their videos that talked about organ meats and bone broth which isn't something I wanted to hear about throughout my "vegan" protocol. I was constantly subjected to hearing about animal products during the program. I quickly learnt that it was a one size fits all program that is self taught, and they were not gearing my treatment to my illness. That was not explained during the consultation. 
  Response: The client came to us wanting help based on issues they were walking through on their health journey. We have over 14 years of experience and an incredibly high success rate with autoimmune cases, especially Hashimotos and Graves disease (both autoimmune thyroid issues). We make it very clear that success is also determined by the patient's willingness and ability to be open to our expertise and clinical approach. We took a clinical approach based on our years of experience and expertise in order to support the client and their objectives for obtaining their optimal health. However, we also met the client where there were at by providing the client with an optimal nutrient dense vegan protocol in order to be flexible with what the client felt they were able to implement. Our goal is to heal the body from the inside out and we desire to educate and empower our patients on the best tools that can help them achieve these goals. We provided a plan and protocol that was clinical and also was flexible with the client's personal needs. There was no pressure made or forceful nature to bring in anything the client did not want to. In fact their are many clients in the program that not everything nutritionally would be applicable too, but they take the education presented and utilize it to their best ability. One of the primary objectives is for the clinic to educate and implement tools and lifestyle adjustment that will aid in goals the client has set for themselves and that is one of the reasons the client came to us. We are flexible while understanding that the client came to us because what the client had been doing on their own was not working. To see change we recommended implementing change. We provided a vegan protocol for the client specifically and followed with many tools, education, and lifestyle adjustments outside of food (sleep, mindfulness, exercise, etc.) to aid in your specific goals. Which would be neither one size fits all nor self taught. Self taught implies the team did not provide a plethora of resources, educations, guidance, and support surrounding the client's case. Which the clinic did. 
  
  Client; Also once I had financially invested myself to this program that you do not get to meet with Dr C*** once a week. It is a live Q&A between him and his employee that you can submit questions to prior to it going live. You do not get to speak with Dr C*** at all during the program. 
  Response: Our team is very clear that the client has access to Dr. C*** every week on live Q&A calls in group settings, where they do have the ability to talk with him personally in real time. We also offer the opportunity to post their questions prior to the call (as listed above) so that if they cannot make the call it can still be answered. 
  

   Client: You then receive a huge box of supplements that does not explain in layman terms what they are and how they help but it's part of their protocol. 

  Response: There are multiple downloadable PDFs, videos, and instructions both on the portal and mailed to the client with the supplements that explains in great detail on exactly how to take the supplements and what they are used for and doing for the body. This is also something every one of our health coaches is equipped to answer and provides many opportunities to explain on your individual appointments, office hours calls, and in any of the live Q&A calls. 
  
  Client: When I asked about labs during the course of the program I was told the only thing included is to do another inflammation questionnaire. Labs are an extra cost, which they try to get you to do at the end of the program. 

  Response: The client is correct that we are clear that labs are not included in the program and would be an additional cost if needed. We do not pressure anyone into doing labs as that is a separate course of action within care. However, based on where someone is at if they need additional support and want more clarity on where things are at within their health journey we do offer this as an option to add on at any time within their care with us. We may recommend this based on someone's health case but they would have to reach out to our office if they desire to move forward with the lab process. There is no call, email, or verbiage at any point that tries to pressure our patients into doing labs at the end of care. 

  Client: The only reason I didn't try to back out after I had obtained a loan for the program was because I read the difficulty that other people had on BBB reviews in getting their money back. (after I purchased the program) I wish I would have looked at that website prior to investing. I had wondered how this program got such high reviews on Google and it's because at the end of the program if you provide a 4 or 5 star review they give you 40% off their supplements. In my opinion this program is a scam for anyone really trying to treat their ailments. I feel completely ripped off and frustrated that now I have to pay over eight grand and I am still as sick as I was when I started the program.   
  Response: When the client chose to sign up for the program, our team walked the client through a non refundable policy that the client must complete, read, and go through in it's entirety to prior to signing (this is also part of the recorded call). The client was not forced or coerced into signing this policy but chose to out of their desire to enter into care. We have thousands of reviews on our website, google, and more from the patients we have been working with for over 14 years of experience. To say that these reviews are not real undermines the very real progress and healing our patients have had and is not a kind or fair response to the very real people who left them. The client completed care and had all services rendered within their time with us and we have all clinical notes and references to support our proper care of this case. 
  
  If there are any additional clarifying pieces of information needed we are happy to do so. 
  
  Sincerely, C*** Natural Health Centers
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Good Morning, I contacted the several times practice after my completion of the AHR program with some concerns I had about the clarity of what the program was about, whereas during my initial sales call with Steven I was led to believe that I was being given an individual plan and have actual appointments. I requested the recording of the call and was denied. In the original document I was given to sign I was under the impression that I was going to get one-on-one time with more than my success coach, based on the statement "you should expect your appointments..."paragraph 3. There were no appointments. I was told that the supplements I purchased for over $1000 were created especially for the program, Upon calling NutriMedix I learned this was a lie. For almost $8000 I was led to believe that I was getting "treatment" for the issues I stated I knew I had, again I was not explained that I was paying for a Facebook group "plan" for most of my 4 months, I kept telling myself that I will probably be getting more supplements and my appointments with Dr. Cole would be coming. Never in my wildest imagination did I realize I was paying for a Facebook group where we were all doing the same program. Nor did I know I would lose access to any information I learned after my 4 months was up. As a wellness professional myself I am constantly taking courses to further my education and never lose access to ANY groups or information as well as am given new information as it comes available. I am respectfully asking for a 50% refund of my money except for the supplements and the sessions with my coach. Thank you Stephanie Rowe

• Initial Complaint

  09/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  “What you are saying is simply not true”. A quote from you. Is this how you normally speak to people, call them a Liar? When I had to DocuSign your program “contract”, there was no offer of time for me to review any of the multiple-page PDF that you included in your reply today. I tell you that I understood it to be a total of less that $2000, NOT nearly $7000! My FIXED income (taking care of my 85yo nearly-bedridden Mother & my 14yo son) does NOT allow for such an exorbitant expense that has NO proof whether it works or not. You made no mention of the fact that I informed my coach, over the phone, & you, per email, that I became sick and REMAIN sick, requiring me to seek care from my PCP, whom I saw again just yesterday. This is to inform you that I will be escalating this to the next level. My lawyer has advised me to report your business to the BBB. I have read previous outcomes where your company was FORCED to return a sizable REFUND. And THAT is EXACTLY what will be required in this instance. You have rattled off your charges; but, I haven’t YET mentioned what medical expenses I have incurred BECAUSE of your supplements. Again, I understood that the $1050 for supplements cannot be refunded; however, I am expecting the remaining charges, exceeding $6600 to be REFUNDED immediately. BBB: I’m including their contract; however, I was not offered any time to read/review this PDF before they expected me to DocuSign it. I truly understood the cost to only be $1060, not nearly $7000. This has put our family in a financial hardship. Please help.

  Business response

  09/26/2022

  To whom it may concern, 
  
  *** ********** signed into care on July 18, 2022 and asked to withdraw from care on September 22, 2022. 
  
  *** ********** was provided the following information about her care she had received thus far and the amount of services she used:
  
  Services rendered:
  Full AHR Program Supplementation = $1,142
  Access to 1 month of the online portal = $2,800
  Access to Month 2 of the Education Portal = $1400
  8/1/22 Onboarding Call with health coach= $325
  8/18/22 Initial Call with health coach =$325
  FB Access 45 days = $1,125 (educational support material, live video calls every Tuesday and Thursday, support from our team and Dr. C***)
  
  Access to 1 month of the online portal gives her all the dietary and proprietary information for the first 30 days (and beyond). Please note we can log into our backend of our portal at anytime, *** ********** did review over a quarter of the material on more than one occasion and utilized this service, which is why she is being charged for it. 
  
  Total value of the services rendered came to $7,117.00 She paid $6625.75 (discounted pricing). 
  
  The value of our services far exceeds the price she paid. 
  
  Even so the client was offered the opportunity to stay in the course and have us continue to support her or she could transfer to 1:1 care. As a courtesy we were willing to waive certain fees which would have given her $4,500 towards new services + she retained the information she learned in the two months she was in care. She had a third option to pause care and wait until she felt she was more able to commit to the program she enrolled in. We were gracious in our offerings and gave her three different options to honor the contract she signed with our office. 
  
  As for her claims she did not have time to read over the contract are factually untrue. All our calls are recorded and can be submitted for review at any time by any legal party or should the BBB request such. The client had AMPLE amount of time to review the contract. Her initial call with our with our enrollment coach was 1 hour and 40 minutes. *** ********** at that time said she needed more time which our enrollment coach then scheduled a follow up with her and that call was 40 minutes. This gave *** ********** over 2 hours with our enrollment coach and time in between. 
  
  We will not be issuing any refund. 
  
  We wish *** ********** all the best on her healing journey. 
  
  Sincerely, C*** Natural Health Centers 

  Customer response

  09/27/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

  Please review the email attached.  Note that Dr Will C***’s staff member is stating that I requested a refund on September 22, 2022; however, I included the email sent to Esther, requesting a refund on September 01,2022. Esther then waited three weeks before she called me with a blocked number call (see screenshot of such call).  
  

  This company claims that they reviewed the initial video conference; however, when I asked why they won’t allow my lawyer & me to review said video, they refuse to offer that video for our review.

  They claim that I had ample time to review the agreement; however, I had no time to do such since I had explained that I needed to end the call in order to take care of my **** ****** *** *** * ********* * * ********** ********. There was NO time for me to review the agreement before I had to take their call again.

  Finally, I understand the program to be at a cost of $1060, NOT $6,600!  I would have NEVER knowingly agreed to such an astronomical price!  They have basically called me a LIAR on more than one occasion!

  This company has NO ethical practice!  They “bragged” about having a B+ rating with the BBB.  They claim that they NEVER give refunds; however, there are documented complaints filed by the BBB where they DID give refunds ranging from $97 (the urine test & questionnaire of a client who did not sign their contract) and all the way to $5440 that WAS indeed refunded!  The program agreement described by these who did get refunds says that refunds after 14 days must be prorated based on the length of time the client is in the program.  Well, they are trying to disregard my email to Esther, dated September 01, 2022, claiming that I didn’t ask for a refund until September 22,2022.

   I was NEVER contacted by Dr Will C*** during the time in the program.  They offered to “waive fees” to give me “credit for more services in their office.  I specifically said that I do not want to continue since the program’s dietary restrictions & supply made me sick (and I remain sick), requiring me to spend MORE out of pocket than the charge for the program.  Yeah, this was a “great investment into me becoming more healthy”…COMPLETE SARCASM, if not understood!      For anyone thinking about this Quack & his company:  BUYER BEWARE…STAY AWAY!  

  Note: As I tried to review my rebuttal before sending, I realize that it won’t scroll up above two paragraphs; therefore, this act itself of replying to the BBB may be an act in futility in and of itself.

  
  Regards,
  
  ****** **********

  Business response

  09/28/2022

  To whom it may concern, 
  
  We have addressed *** **********'s complaints in the previous response. There were no new issues that were brought to light and our company has offered 3 options to resolving this. What *** ********** is upset about is not wanting to honor her signed contract and the services she had rendered. 
  
  As for not providing the recording, other than *** **********'s aggressive email responses there's been no contact by a lawyer. 
  
  If her lawyer is to reach out to us directly from their firm we would be happy to comply with this. 
  
  Seeing as there's been no contact beyond what was described there are no further action steps to take. 
  
  Our clinic has been in business for almost 13 years and have seen thousands of patients. We have and continue to serve people with the utmost attention to detail and respect. This is not a systemic problem. 
  
  In this particular case and there are no additional action steps the clinic can take as *** ********** has rejected all options, but the one she continues to demand despite time and resources on behalf of the clinic and the contract in which she signed. 
  
  Despite all of this we wish her all the best and are here for her should she want us to honor any of the previous options provided. 
  
  - C*** Natural Health Centers 

  Customer response

  10/02/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  ****** **********

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid $97 to Dr C*** for a test kit and quiz packet that I received in the mail. I took the test and quiz and signed up for a “coaching” call. I did the call on Aug 25th at 1:00 pm. It was very overwhelming and fast talking and at the end I felt very pressured to accept the package which was $7750. It was either accept it right then or not at all. After thinking it thru I decided it wasn’t the best option for me at this time so I called the office the next morning at 10:30 am to cancel. They couldn’t help me said I had to email customer care which I did but received an automated email back that they were not open. I also called Ally Lending which I had applied for credit thru and told them I wanted to cancel. They said they had to open a dispute with Dr C***. Monday morning I received an email from Dr C*** and they told me they could only refund $3853 of the $7750 because they already mailed my supplements and they were granting me 30 days of access to the program. Ally told me they had not received the funding yet so why did they mail out my supplements? And how did they do that so quickly? And I do not want 30 days access, I don’t want to do it at all. I cancelled well before 24 hours had even passed. This is a scam. Please help me get a full refund as I have not received anything from this business that I should have to pay for.

  Business response

  09/06/2022

  To whom it may concern, 
  
  We reviewed *** ********** claims and all correspondence and her initial call with our health consultant. 
  
  *** ******** spent 1 hour and 19 minutes with our health consultant. The health consultant went through her health history, her goals, and our program. Our management team watched the call in its entirety to make sure that all aspects were addressed. All of our calls are recorded for quality control. 
  
  Upon reviewing the plan, the client decided to move forward with the care plan and our health consultant walked through section by section of our client contract. The client at any point in time can end the call. This is all virtual so as low pressure as anyone can possibly have. Our health consultant at multiple times (minute 59, 1 hour 4 minutes, and again towards the end) verified with the client that she was comfortable and wanted to continue moving forward.
  
  The client contract specifically states there is a non-refundable policy and that if you are not comfortable you are not to sign and not move forward. The client reviewed this and moved forward.
  
  Furthermore, the client did access the portal and education material. We can see on the backend of our website anytime someone reviews any material.
  
  When the client mentioned wanting to withdrawing from care she was also provided additional options to help meet her health goals.
  
  As a courtesy (even though the client signed a non-refundable contract) we issued a partial refund. Below is this break down.
  
  Services rendered: 
  Full AHR Program Supplementation = $1,142
  Access to 1 month of the online portal + non-refundable deposit fee (it releases 30 days of proprietary information at a time including downloads, videos, and education information) = $2,800 
  
  Total services rendered came to $3,942.00 she had paid $7,795.00. Leaving her with a balance of $3,853.00 that was refunded.
  
  At this time the client is required to honor the agreement she signed and services were provided.

  Customer response

  09/07/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  *** ********

• Initial Complaint

  08/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In April had purchased a $99.00 test from this Dr C*** from an instagram add. They sent me some paper to fill out. Then they emailed me to set up a zoom call. The zoom call took place on June 14, 2022. He did not show his face in the zoom and basically interviewed me to see if I was a good candidate for this program. I have an autoimmune disease and am always looking for help to feel better. His 1st questions was if I make my own monetary decisions. He knew where he was going with this the whole time. After a few questions he said I was a candidate for their services and they would accept me. Then he said it was over $7000. if paid monthly. Or they would give me a discount if paid up front of $6626.75. I was shocked and even told him how much that was for a 4 month commitment. I also told him I am not good at taking vitamins and part of the package is about $1200.00 worth of vitamins. I also told him I was going away for 10 days in Sept and asked how that would affect my program and he said not to worry. He then showed me the contract and said it's NON REFUNDABLE. I felt so pressured and I never heard of something nonrefundable. He stayed right on tract and said did you get the email to docu-sign, and I was very hesitant. Then after he asked me several times I finally signed. Then I gave him my American Express card. After that transaction I was so worried. I thought it could be a scam. I called my CC company and asked them not to put it thru. They said I would have to wait until it went thru and then dispute it. I also emailed Cole Nat Health and told them I wanted to cancel. They emailed me back that there was no refunds. Since then I haven't heard from them and I disputed it thru Amex and they just came back after investigating and said they cannot help me. I don't know if they are a legitimate company. But I have had nothing sent to me and no services rendered. I want a full refund and do not want to deal with this company. Please help me!

  Business response

  08/29/2022

  *** ******* response to the BBB is very confusing to our clinic. 
  
  *** ***** has already received a full refund (July 19th; over a month ago from this complaint) seeing as no services were rendered. 
  
  As to *** *****'s claims we did not contact her, that is also untrue and we did email her and our emails went unresponded to. 
  
  Seeing as the refund has already been issued a month ago this is a moot point, but felt we should comment on it. We reviewed her call with our health consultant (they are recorded for quality assurance) and there was no hesitancy nor was there any questioning in the program or providing payment information. This is a virtual call and had *** ***** been uncomfortable she simply could have hung up at any time. There was no pressure and quite frankly her statements are not logical in this sense and are simply untrue. 
  
  There are literally no further actions that the clinic can take since a refund has been issued and contact from *** ***** has never come through the clinic. 
  
  We wish her the best. 
  
  Sincerely, Cole Natural Health Centers
  

  Customer response

  08/29/2022

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****

  Customer response

  08/31/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  

   

  My complaint is not resolved.  The company lied and did not refund the money to me on July 19th.  If you can have them show you proof that they refunded my CC then I will say it's resolved. Please advise.  I'm sorry I checked off the wrong box. 

   

  
  Regards,
  ***** *****

  Business response

  08/31/2022

  Hello (to whom it may concern), 
  
  Again we are deeply confused by Ms. *****'s claims. 
  
  We strongly encourage her to call her credit card company as we have processed everything on our end. 
  
  Please see the attachment with the confirmed dates of refund + the processor confirming the amount was removed from Cole Natural Health Centers account. 
  
  Ms. ***** continues to make claims (possibly because she's misinformed), but her continued false claims against the clinic are completely unfounded. Perhaps she should do her due diligence and check with her credit card company before making claims that are untrue. 
  
  If she has not received the refund the issue lies with her credit card company and not our clinic. Maybe she should leverage a complaint against them and not our clinic. 
  
  There are zero action steps the clinic can take. The refund has been processed. 
  
  Sincerely, Cole Natural Health Centers

• Initial Complaint

  07/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid $7,795.00 in advance for a 16 week program that I was not able to finish due to personal matters. When I reached out to the counselor I never heard back from her, and then was removed from access to everything I paid for. I went through a series of back and forth emails with the office manager who never asked me the specifics on why I was not able to complete the program and instead blamed me for not following the protocol. When I stated that I would be filing a complaint with the BBB if a satisfactory resolution was not found, she responded by saying I was now resorting to threats. Nobody ever tried calling me or provided me with a phone number to speak to someone in person. I was just blamed, told I was making threats, and they refused to refund any amount of the fee I paid. I was also told I was making libelous claims although I never posted a review or told anyone about what was going on except for the office manager. How that is perceived as libelous claims is beyond me. I first reached out on 4/23/22 asking for a partial refund of the remaining weeks of the program. My first Zoom visit explaining the program and how it worked occurred on 1/20/22. 16 weeks from 1/20/22 would be 5/12/22. I am seeking a partial, prorated refund for the 20 days between 4/23 and 5/12, minus the cost of the supplements which I understand cannot be returned or refunded, which is understandable. This sounds like a very fair request to me. If the company thinks this is not a fair request then I want to know what amount they believe to be fair and are willing to refund. The response I got when I reached out trying to explain my experience and reasons for not being able to finish the program was appalling. A simple prorated refund (which would amount to be hardly nothing of what I paid) would have quickly solved the problem but instead I was left feeling completely taken advantage of and the only interest this company had in me was my money, not my well being.

  Business response

  07/26/2022

  Hello, 
  
  *** ***** reached out to us at the end of her care plan with a request for a refund. Seeing as she had had all services rendered we were not going to provide a refund. 
  
  When we stated this, she told us she would go to the BBB if we didn't "find a resolution". Which her only resolution was a refund and seeing as the clinic had fulfilled all services over the 16 week period she was signed into care there was no resolution *** ***** would have been satisfied with. We told her she was well within her rights to contact BBB, but we would make it clear the services she had rendered and why were not refunding her. 

  *** ******* care was from January 12, 2022 - May 4, 2022. There was no request of refund until April 28, 2022. This was not weeks before her care ended. 
  
  We have over 12 + years of experience of working with patients and helping thousands of patients around the world regain their health. We have devoted 100s of hours to program development, working with supplement companies to put together the best quality products, and continued clinic research to best support our clientele. While *** ***** may not have liked what we are doing, that does not mean we took advantage of anyone and didn't provide the appropriate services, we have put together a quality program that has helped thousands of people. We also are always willing to customize care to best support patients! We have been nothing but responsive to *** ***** and in pursuit of providing her the best care. 
  
  
  We record all initial calls so we went back and watched *** *****'s conversation with Julia (her enrollment coach). Julia walked *** ***** through everything that consisted of this plan. Julia was extremely thorough and was very clear about how this plan was structured and *** ***** was excited to start. 
  
  
  We also looked back at your assigned coaches notes and had a conversation with that coach as well about this. We can see in the coach's email she has reached out to *** ***** multiple times to get rescheduled and be of support to *** ***** and *** ***** did not respond. *** ***** had cancelled, no showed, avoided and chose not to engage. This is by no lack of communication on our end. 
  
  Beyond that when *** ******* coach also provided resources, contact points, encouragement, program development and much more. 
  
  
  We are 100% confident in our abilities as a clinic and have taken notes, followed up, offered support and continued to be of service to *** *****. If *** ***** had engaged more in her own care we would have been able to support her more, but this was not a lack of trying on our end. So to say what we were doing was making these worse is a false attempt to lay blame upon us, but she was not engaged or fully participating in the plan enough to say that. 
  
  
  As for her claims of not receiving much with this plan that is just not true. Below is everything the client received. 
  In this program she received:
  - A portal with continuing education, which on the backend of the site we can see she has utilized. This contains 100s of curated hours of material and education for you not just to use during your time with the clinic but beyond that. 
  - Roughly 16 calls with Dr. Cole over that 16 week period of time.
  - Roughly 16 calls with FDN-Ps over that 16 week period of time.
  (this equates to nearly 32 calls in a 4 month period in which you had support, customization options and the ability to receive continuing education. If you can't make these calls she could have even watched them later.)  
  - Continuing education/support through live calls that the other coaches hold as well on FB
  - Supplement for 3 months that are over a $1,000 of specially developed line for our clinic.
  - 1 onboarding call with your assigned coach + 3 check in appointments (some of which she can see from our attempts she forgoed on her own validity)
  - Unlimited access to the FB group for 4 months
  - The ability to post and tag coaches and Dr. Cole to get consistent feedback and be of support to you
  - Access to 100s of previous group calls to extend your knowledge and understanding of not only your case, but give insight into things you may not have thought to ask.
  That is what the plan consists of. The value of this is much higher than what she had paid. 
  
  Again we noted she was within her rights to contact the BBB, but we will also be submitting her signed contract, the data above, our attempted communication and everything we have done on our end to be accommodating. 
  
  What she are suggesting is akin to signing up for a gym membership, not going to the gym and then asking for a refund because it didn't work. *** ***** she did not utilize the program to the fulness that it was offered, but that does not mean we did not provide her care. Despite every attempt of ours to help support her to do so. We can't force someone to engage and actively participate, but she did sign a contract and we have fulfilled that contract and you went through the entire plan. 

  
  That being said we do wish *** ***** all the best on her continued health journey. 
  
  
  Sincerely, Andrea - Clinic Manager 

  Customer response

  07/27/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I miscalculated the 16 weeks, and yes I agree the program ran from 1/12/22 through 5/4/22. However, I first reached out for a refund on April 23rd, then again on April 26th, and on April 27th. If the program ended on 5/4/22 then that leaves 12 days from April 23rd that I was denied access to everything I paid for. So a refund for the remaining 12 days is what I am asking for. This is hardly a fraction of what a paid for and can't fathom why it has come down to having to file a complaint. Like I stated before, a simple small refund would have solved the problem from the very beginning. Still this company is refusing to do anything to help and continues to put the blame on me. 

  
  

  As far as not scheduling calls with the coach, I was not able to do so because it interfered with my work schedule. The 16 calls with the doctor also occurred during my work hours and I was never able to attend those. I had access to recordings, but all of that is irrelevant because I am not asking for any type of refund for that. All I have been asking for from the beginning is to be refunded from the day I asked for it (April 23rd) to the day the program ended (May 4th). The attachments are proof of the dates I sent emails asking for a refund. So I am asking again, what does the company feel is a fair refund amount if they think what I am asking for is not fair?

  
  Regards,
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 3, 2022, I paid for a consult with Dr. C*** for his Autoimmune Health Reset. I suffer from an autoimmune condition, along with other health issues. The call was with a "diagnostic coach" instead. The coach told me for $7795 she could heal me, including getting me off ALL medications and supplements after completing the 16 week treatment, which included meetings, supplements, and trainings. I told her I needed more time to review the commitment, but she told me she would stay on the phone until I decided. This made me uncomfortable, but I purchased it based on her assertion of getting me off all medications/supplements. After hanging up, I had many reservations. I checked her background and discovered she is not a doctor. She assigned me to a "health coach" for the program, and this woman is also not a doctor, but is a nutritionist. I then found Dr. C*** states on his website, "I do not practice medicine and do not diagnose or treat diseases or medical conditions." This confirmed my suspicions that this was not medical care. I then accessed the first 2 trainings online, one for the GAPS diet which I had done the past year with no improvement to my illness. 2 hours and 58 minutes after paying for the program, I wrote them a cancellation notice. This was Friday, and I did not receive a response until Monday. They told me they had paused my access to their online portal, and offered me to either remain at full price or receive a refund of $4995 and pay the remaining $2800 for the first month. I told them I didn't want any service, and offered to pay a prorated rate for the (less than) 72 hours I had been in the program. They track all of your activity online, so they can see I only completed 2 modules while I had access, and did not access the entire library. They refused. I would like a refund, minus the prorated amount for the 72 hours I had access to their portal. They made medical assertions yet no one practices medicine, and I canceled within 24 hours.

  Business response

  06/30/2022

  We would like to take the time to walk through *** *********
  

  We would like to respond to *** ********* request. 

  
  Below are the events that had happened and the response from the clinic.
  
  June 3, 2022, I paid for a consult with Dr. C*** for his Autoimmune Health Reset. I suffer from an autoimmune condition, along with other health issues. The call was with a "diagnostic coach" instead. 
  ^Note: This consultation was never with Dr. C*** nor was it advertised to be so. The consultation she requested was with a health strategist. This mentioned in the video she watched. We are happy to provide the video recording of this. But the service that was promised was rendered. 
  
   The coach told me for $7795 she could heal me, including getting me off ALL medications and supplements after completing the 16 week treatment, which included meetings, supplements, and trainings.
  ^ All calls are recorded. These statements were never made. We as a clinic are incredibly clear on what we are providing and what that service includes. *** ********* asked about her specific issues and if this was something we can address and we answered appropriately. We made no claims that *** ********* mentions. What we did say is that this is a plan that helps people overcome these issues. We see clients heal and achieve these goals. There was no mention of claims that we would heal her in a specific timeframe and/or that we would guarantee these claims. This is also in our contract that *** ********* signed. 

  
  I told her I needed more time to review the commitment, but she told me she would stay on the phone until I decided. This made me uncomfortable, but I purchased it based on her assertion of getting me off all medications/supplements.

  ^ *** ********* could have ended the call at any time simply by hanging up. Our health strategist mentioned having the time to wait on the call if *** ********* needed a minute to think about it, that way she could help her move forward if she needed to. This was a no pressure situation in which *** ********* had every opportunity to end the call when she wanted to. 

  After hanging up, I had many reservations. I checked her background and discovered she is not a doctor. She assigned me to a "health coach" for the program, and this woman is also not a doctor, but is a nutritionist.

  ^No where on the call, on our website, on the webinar do we mention being a medical facility. It is clearly described everywhere that this is a Functional Medicine Clinic for alternative health care.  

  I then found Dr. C*** states on his website, "I do not practice medicine and do not diagnose or treat diseases or medical conditions." This confirmed my suspicions that this was not medical care
  
  ^ Again we are not sure where *** ********* made this assumption. We are a health clinic, but not a medical clinic and that clearly stated on every occasion. 
  
  . I then accessed the first 2 trainings online, one for the GAPS diet which I had done the past year with no improvement to my illness.2 hours and 58 minutes after paying for the program, I wrote them a cancellation notice. This was Friday, and I did not receive a response until Monday.

  ^ Yes, *** ********* emailed on a Friday (the office is closed) and we responded Monday the next business day. There was no professional delay in our response. 

  They told me they had paused my access to their online portal, and offered me to either remain at full price or receive a refund of $4995 and pay the remaining $2800 for the first month. I told them I didn't want any service, and offered to pay a prorated rate for the (less than) 72 hours I had been in the program. They track all of your activity online, so they can see I only completed 2 modules while I had access, and did not access the entire library. They refused.
  
  ^ *** ********* has services rendered, signed a non-refundable policy and was had access to proprietary information. She was refunded for any unused services within one business day. The loan company sided with our clinic because they agreed to the rendered services. 

  I would like a refund, minus the prorated amount for the 72 hours I had access to their portal. They made medical assertions yet no one practices medicine, and I canceled within 24 hours.
  
  We also provided *** ********* alternative options to be as accommodating as possible. Ones in which she could completely transfer funds, including the rendered services as a courtesy to help her and support her in the capacity she desired. *** ********* did not want the support but wanted a refund so that's what she was given. 

  ^ We will not be issuing any additional refunds as for the reasons stated above. We honored her contract, her loan and the support she had rendered. 

  
  Attached to this response is that signed contract, reference receipt to rendered services and we can provide any additional information needed in regards to this case. 
  
  We wish *** ********* the best in her health journey. 
  
  Sincerely, Andrea - Clinic Manager 

  Customer response

  06/30/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  

  There are several falsehoods in ******** comments. 1) Julia told me after the 16 week program, I would not take supplements anymore and would no longer need supplements except for, and I quote, a "major toxic overload" situation. She said they would work with the doctor who prescribed my thyroid medication that I take for my autoimmune thyroid condition to get me off of it. This is recorded, but I do not know if C*** Health will edit the video to remove this part of the conversation. 2) Julia didn't say she had a minute to stay on the phone. She was forceful and used pressure, including telling me they only accept 10-20% of people who do the consults and how I might not get a spot. She never said I could revisit the conversation later on to get a spot. 3) They did not refund me within one business day. They actually received the full $7795 from the lender, and then the lender opened a second loan for $2800 under my name. The lender was trying to mediate, and I was told if I signed it, C*** Health would refund the $7795. I signed it, and the $2800 was funded, but I did not receive a refund of $7795. So C*** Health received $10,595 from me. I had to open a dispute with the lender, who ruled in my favor, and finally received a refund for the $7795 just last Friday, June 24, 2022. I canceled less than 24 hours (it was less than 3 hours) after signing up for a 16 week program. Despite canceling less than 24 hours in, I am not asking for a full refund. I am asking for a reasonable, prorated refund for the time I was enrolled (which in totality was approximately 66 hours due to the weekend and the delayed response of the business). I was misled, and have been treated with such callousness and animosity that I question this business' ethics. 

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *********

• Initial Complaint

  01/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for Dr C**** functional medicine health plan on November 8th, 2021. Upon gaining access to their portal after signing the contract I quickly realized the diet plan would not work for me. I am underweight and the diet plan is designed for people to lose wait. It calls for no grains and fasting which my doctor is strictly against. Other components of the plan include detoxing which was another concern of my doctor. Dr C**** team refused to cancel my services after I explained to them that my doctor had advised against the diest plan that their protocols follow. They also refused to credit my account so I can use the funds towards other services or items in their store. I contacted an attorney to help get my out of the contract and they still refused. They claim to care about people's health but instead take advantage of sick people by taking their money. I was forced to pay $2,800 with absolutely nothing to show for it. I received NO medical advice, no assistance, and no products whatsoever. They simply took my money and refused to process a refund because a contract was signed despite the letter from my attorney and despite the direction from my doctor. The amount of stress this has caused has only worsened my medical conditions.

  Business response

  01/11/2022

  The previous client has been offered numerous action steps from the start. 
  
  As follows this was the progression of events. 
  
  The client signed up into care and accessed the client portal. This is where 30 days of information is processed. Upon review the client felt like they needed more specific detail adjustments to their case. We can see on the backend of the site all the material that was viewed and for how long. So there was clear access to the material provided. 
  
  The client expressed that via email she felt she needed more customized care beyond what was provided. At that time Dr. C*** and the staff went through and walked the client through all of their concerns. Offering clinical insight, offering to talk to her PCP to work in conjunction so the plan could be tailored to their needs based on their doctor's suggestions, and offering a clear understanding of our clinical knowledge and the areas the clinic would be able to help in these circumstances. With over 12+ years of working with autoimmune cases there was not a singular issue that the clinic would not have been able to support in conjunction with her doctor (as per the patient's request). 
  
  At that same time the office manager and Dr. C*** put together an email with options to move forward with:
  Option 1: The client could take a partial refund for any unused services and have continued access to the first 30 days of information for 30 days. 
  Option 2: The client could move to a different care model and transfer the entirety of their funds (the clinic waiving services rendered). This option was giving the client exactly what they requested.
  Option 3: The client could stay within the model of care that she had chosen and we could modify to meet her needs. 
  
  After receiving these options the client felt a phone call was needed. The clinic manager called the client and had a 30 minute phone call walking through all of the objections and explaining the clinical aspects that we would work with. We also reiterated at that time we'd like to talk with her PCP so we can walk through what they felt was appropriate and why and work as a team (which is why the client wanted help in the first place because what they were previously doing wasn't working). The client thanked the office for the phone call and said she felt like she had a better understanding of what we were doing and why and was going to think over the options on what made the most sense for her financially. 

  Upon review the client chose Option 1, a partial refund. 
  
  This is the email that the client followed up with after the phone call (some info has been redacted to keep the client's information private):
  
  " Thank you for taking the time to further explain things in more detail. I appreciate the care you and your team have demonstrated. I've decided I'd like to go with the Partial Refund of [redacted] (Option 1) below.[Redacted]
  Also, since I have no option to cancel or return the supplements can you please confirm they have been shipped by providing those tracking details? 
  
  Option 1 Partial Refund: 
  You can choose to take the partial refund of [Redacted]. 
  
  Thank you and my sincere apologies for the inconvenience this has caused." 

  Once that was chosen the refund was processed that same day. 
  
  Nearly a month later we received a letter from an attorney that had been contacted by the client. This was a request for a full refund. We had sent over the contract that was signed by the client and the access that she had to the plan and it was decided there was no action that the clinic needed to take. 
  
  Once that recourse did not work the client emailed again to ask if the what she had paid could be used towards different services. It was stated that the amount paid was for services she had had rendered and that from the very beginning we had offered the option to transfer the entirety of the funds towards a different service plan. She had chosen the partial refund so there were no action steps the clinic could take. 
  
  From the very beginning the clinic was responsive, accommodating, provided multiple options, met all the expectations that were contractually made, and had been diligent in meeting all the patients requests. 
  
  The clinic has done absolutely everything they can to resolve this. At this time there are no further actions we can take. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩