Bariatric Surgery Scams!

Hey, check it out! A $7200 lap band for a bargain price of $20,000 in TJ, Mexico by Dr. Pompa!

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/hello...t-mylbs-63190/

Some people and their stupid scams!

BTW, as of the writing of this post the website is suddenly closed. More changes in the web site? Not a clue. As the thread (above) was getting longer the web site was ever changing. ;o)

There were some things over on the other thread that went unaddressed....

* There seems to be little difference between Non-Profit and Not-For-Profit in the US. Both are tax exempt. Both can make a profit, but those profits are reinvested into the organization. S-Corps, C-Corps, LLCs, etc., are in business to make a profit.

* Holding a raffle online is a bit odd. Holding a raffle for a medical procedure is even more odd. I once ran a website and we wanted to hold a contest. We had to follow a zillion laws and the contest was actually not allowed to run in several states because their laws on contests were too difficult to bother with.

I know nothing about this group doing the raffle, but it definitely looks like someone there goofed and didn't get everything together before taking it live on their site.

Someone on the other thread mentioned that they are entitled to make a profit. S-Corps are entitled (and are in business) to make profits. And, in theory, I don't have a problem with people paying $200 for a chance of winning a prize valued at over $5000. (How you spend your money isn't up to me, after all.)

The problem comes when the rules are not clearly outlined and the original messages sent are fabrications.

They could also be in a bunch of trouble if they have now collected $ from people and ended the raffle.

Talk about a can o'worms!

ha ha- that thread made me giggle!

Asking for a license! ha- I've worked in this area, they can request identification, but not require or decline.

In the original website set up he just said he was a non profit organization. When I asked him for the IRS letter stating such he told me I needed to verify my identity before he would provide such proof. Then he followed it up with a pretty nasty email that I won't repeat here. ;o)

He's changed his website repeatedly and he finally locked it completely so nobody can view it at all. Not sure if he is checking his laws again or what. But it kept changing, then the rules started changing, it was kinda funny really. The longer the other thread became the more the rules changed. The only doctor mentioned on the website was R. Kelly, then he announced it is Pompa, yet the only CV under "doctors" was Kelly.

I just don't like it when people like that target fat people so they can separate them from their money.

Oh, another issue that changed at the last minute was that if you didn't win at least your $200 could go towards your deposit for the full price surgery. I didn't see that in the rules in the beginning, that was added as the other thread progressed.

To start changing the rules and the doctor two weeks after the contest starts isn't bright. The surgeon changed from an experienced surgeon with a reputation to one that boasts of being the youngest bariatric surgeon in Mexico... who'd want to go to an inexperienced surgeon that was just certified by Inamed in December??

Not impressive at all.

Hey, just saw this! I was bummed when the other one closed...looked like a good fight coming.

I think the time and effort you put into that, Wasa, was great. Thank you!

It seems your efforts closed down a scam. Way to go! Fat people everywhere are cheering!

I'd love to know if anyone gave money. If it was legit, I'm sure he's just checking the laws...and maybe will re-open with all the t's crossed and i's dotted. If it was an honest attempt, then it was done very poorly.

It's just sad people fall for those things. Reminds me of the Nigerian scams. If it sounds too good to be true, and for the love of goodness-- it's on the INTERNET.. walk away.

I think people are desperate for WLS and those types would fall for it. They give up their money based on emotion instead of logic.

Hey, just to play devil's advocate for a sec....a little while ago I saw a listing on Ebay auctioning a sleep study in a fully accredited sleep lab. I thought "how in the hell is this legal?" When I asked a lawyer friend of mine, she told me that as long as as the procedure was cash pay (and therefore not violating any insurance regs) it was on the up and up.....She said it was a simple transaction, cash-for-service (or something like that...I'm terrible with legal stuff).

Anywho, I know this wan't an auction, per se, but a "lottery" in some form, and therefore subject to different rules (for all I know). I just thought I'd bring it up.

PS - I'd still be creeped out with getting any medical service via a lottery or auction!!

In "theory" (and again I stress in theory) I think it's not such a terrible idea. It gives people who can't afford the lap band surgery
a chance to get the procedure. Who the doctor performing the procedure and the profit motives behing this raffle are an entirely different subject.

I understand what you are saying but really... a 1% chance for $200? $200 is a lot of money to some people.

I think the one person I was most impressed with who got the money together for band surgery was the lady that went dumpster diving for treasures and sold them on ebay until she had money saved. You know she's making that band work! ;o) Can you imagine how many more dumpsters she would have had to dive through and how many more treasures to make up for that $200 if she didn't win?

I think I might have been more impressed if he would have given away three surgeries for that amount of money. It was advertising and advertising costs money, while I give him credit for finding cheap advertising, he was making a fortune off that plan. Making a fortune is not a bad thing! It's the American way. But if you think about it, only the desperate types would fall for some such thing and I just don't think patient care and quality go along with targeting desperate people wanting to lose weight and be normal again.

For what he was making off this surgery he could have just called it advertising, broken even, and done three surgeries for the same money and still not lost a penny. While I don't agree with a 3% chance for $200 (all things considered), it would have made him look a little more ethical.

People don't want luggage with their band, they want a band. There are better ways to do this.

My dad always says "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". Not sure if that's the best way of thinking but it's something that has stuck with me through the years.

I am always amazed at what people will do for money.