Bet $150 to lose 10% body weight in 6 months and get back $300... scam or no?

[Anonemous]

http://slickdeals.net/f/5853134-Get...20-for-Slickdeals-readers-at-Healthywage-com?

http://www.healthywage.com/weight-loss-contest


So basically you put up $150 to them interest free for 6 months and if you can verify you lost 10% of your body weight in 6 months you get it back + $150. Of course there's a lot of stipulations and conditions. It seems like a scam but did anybody ever try this out?

Another thing is their $1000 challenge where you put up $300 to win $1000 if you lose the weight (drop from above >30BMI to <25 BMI in 12 months).

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

What keeps me from loading up on water and not shitting for a couple of days and weighing in, then at 6 months hit a sauna and take some laxatives?

 

[Anonemous]

What keeps me from loading up on water and not shitting for a couple of days and weighing in, then at 6 months hit a sauna and take some laxatives?

I think near the end of the 6 months they reweigh you periodically. But yes you can do that (like what boxers/mma fighters do at weigh ins).

 

[MonKENy]

What keeps me from loading up on water and not shitting for a couple of days and weighing in, then at 6 months hit a sauna and take some laxatives?

Steps:
1.Register online
Register online and pay $150 to be eligible for the program.

2.Get your weight verified and check-in weekly
use our private weight verification video tool
or
visit your doctor, health club, or one of our thousands of health club partners throughout the country

3.Lose 10% of your weight and get paid $300 ($320 for Slickdeals readers)
Win $300 for losing at least 10% of your weight verified. We'll pay you via check or paypal. Get your ending weight verified to get paid. Good luck.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Steps:
1.Register online
Register online and pay $150 to be eligible for the program.

2.Get your weight verified and check-in weekly
use our private weight verification video tool
or
visit your doctor, health club, or one of our thousands of health club partners throughout the country

3.Lose 10% of your weight and get paid $300 ($320 for Slickdeals readers)
Win $300 for losing at least 10% of your weight verified. We'll pay you via check or paypal. Get your ending weight verified to get paid. Good luck.

The check-ins aren't verified, only the first and last.

 

[MonKENy]

id say its legit. no one else reported it as a scam so thats a plus

 

[Anonemous]

id say its legit. no one else reported it as a scam so thats a plus

So are they betting that more than half the people won't be able to do it and lose? (like rebates?)

 

[zinfamous]

I heard about this some time ago...I forget where. Probably NPR something something.

Definitely legit. I find these quirky behavioral economic incentives to be interesting.

 

[MonKENy]

So are they betting that more than half the people won't be able to do it and lose? (like rebates?)

yeah seems like it. Alot of these types of things rely on that principle.

 

[DrPizza]

"This Sour Grapes Clause applies regardless of the reason for the sour grapes, and applies even when the Participant was disqualified by HealthyWage for a rules violation, whether the violation was caused by the Participant or by someone else, and whether the Participant agrees with HealthyWage's ruling or not. Participant covenants and agrees that he/she will not say anything disparaging about HealthyWage via any means, including electronic media (including but not limited to email, Twitter and Facebook), written media (including but not limited to letters, press and advertisements), and spoken word, for two years following the end of the challenge. This includes all disparaging remarks whether true or false. Participant understands that sour grapes can cause serious damage to HealthyWage and Participant hereby agrees to be financially responsible for such damages and to pay any and all legal costs and fees, including attorneys fees, that HealthyWage incurs in any successful action against the Participant for violating this clause, even if HealthyWage's damages are small."

Even if true. No disparaging remarks... even if true. Let that sink in for a moment. If you sign up, pay your $150, and they screw you over on some ridiculous clause and deny you the pay, even if you win it, you can not let anyone know about it.

Do you really trust a company that operates this way??
Read the rules: http://www.healthywage.com/bmi-challenge-rules
There are far too many loopholes for them to use. Hey, you lost weight too quickly at first. That's not safe. Disqualified. Or, Hey, you lost weight too quickly - did your doctor specifically approve such rapid weight loss? Disqualified.

When a company refuses to let you tell the truth about them, if that truth is negative, that's a huge red flag.

 

[MonKENy]

Even if true. No disparaging remarks... even if true. Let that sink in for a moment. If you sign up, pay your $150, and they screw you over on some ridiculous clause and deny you the pay, even if you win it, you can not let anyone know about it.

Do you really trust a company that operates this way??
Read the rules: http://www.healthywage.com/bmi-challenge-rules
There are far too many loopholes for them to use. Hey, you lost weight too quickly at first. That's not safe. Disqualified. Or, Hey, you lost weight too quickly - did your doctor specifically approve such rapid weight loss? Disqualified.

When a company refuses to let you tell the truth about them, if that truth is negative, that's a huge red flag.

yeah thats shady...

 

[Anonemous]

Yea they have lots of rules and exceptions, was wondering if anybody did their challenge and could post their experience.

 

[Susiexpat]

I participated in the HealthyWage 10% bet from February 2013 to August 2013. I first heard about the program from a fellow Weight Watcher member, and I'll admit I was a bit skeptical. But after a lot of online research, I decided to bet the $150 on myself. I found the sign-up process fairly simple (I was already a Weight Watchers member, so I just had my leader sign off on my before and after), and I enjoyed posting my weight each Monday and watching the line on my graph go down, down, down. The entire process was very gratifying, and I ended up losing much more than anticipated. Once I'd "won," I received my money quite quickly. The program works if you follow the rules. Granted, you do have to be on top of things - but that's just life! The HealthyWage folks give you three strikes, which is more than fair. I just made a note on my calendar to post my weight each Monday, and I never missed a week. As the old saying goes, it works if you work it. I'm now at my goal weight, or I'd happily participate in another HealthyWage bet. Thanks for a fun and motivating program!

 

[MrDudeMan]

Even if true. No disparaging remarks... even if true. Let that sink in for a moment. If you sign up, pay your $150, and they screw you over on some ridiculous clause and deny you the pay, even if you win it, you can not let anyone know about it.

Do you really trust a company that operates this way??
Read the rules: http://www.healthywage.com/bmi-challenge-rules
There are far too many loopholes for them to use. Hey, you lost weight too quickly at first. That's not safe. Disqualified. Or, Hey, you lost weight too quickly - did your doctor specifically approve such rapid weight loss? Disqualified.

When a company refuses to let you tell the truth about them, if that truth is negative, that's a huge red flag.

That kind of stuff typically doesn't hold up. I've been through an actual lawsuit involving similar statements in a contract and I ended up winning by a landslide. I'm not saying people should run in blind, but shady clauses such as what you highlighted are more often than not scare tactics instead of lawfully binding statements.

 

[MrDudeMan]

I participated in the HealthyWage 10% bet from February 2013 to August 2013. I first heard about the program from a fellow Weight Watcher member, and I'll admit I was a bit skeptical. But after a lot of online research, I decided to bet the $150 on myself. I found the sign-up process fairly simple (I was already a Weight Watchers member, so I just had my leader sign off on my before and after), and I enjoyed posting my weight each Monday and watching the line on my graph go down, down, down. The entire process was very gratifying, and I ended up losing much more than anticipated. Once I'd "won," I received my money quite quickly. The program works if you follow the rules. Granted, you do have to be on top of things - but that's just life! The HealthyWage folks give you three strikes, which is more than fair. I just made a note on my calendar to post my weight each Monday, and I never missed a week. As the old saying goes, it works if you work it. I'm now at my goal weight, or I'd happily participate in another HealthyWage bet. Thanks for a fun and motivating program!

Not sure what to believe... 1 post + a shining review = free iPod?

 

[Harvey]

I participated in the HealthyWage 10% bet from February 2013 to August 2013. I first heard about the program from a fellow Weight Watcher member, and I'll admit I was a bit skeptical. But after a lot of online research, I decided to bet the $150 on myself. I found the sign-up process fairly simple (I was already a Weight Watchers member, so I just had my leader sign off on my before and after), and I enjoyed posting my weight each Monday and watching the line on my graph go down, down, down. The entire process was very gratifying, and I ended up losing much more than anticipated. Once I'd "won," I received my money quite quickly. The program works if you follow the rules. Granted, you do have to be on top of things - but that's just life! The HealthyWage folks give you three strikes, which is more than fair. I just made a note on my calendar to post my weight each Monday, and I never missed a week. As the old saying goes, it works if you work it. I'm now at my goal weight, or I'd happily participate in another HealthyWage bet. Thanks for a fun and motivating program!

You participated in the HealthyWage bet from February 2013 to August 2013, and you reached your "goal weight?"

A-FREAKING-MAZING!!! Except that your chart in your profile on dietbetter.com starts on April 12, and you AGAIN reached your goal weigh on November 21.

Did the people at deitbetter.com know you had previously achieved the same thing on healthywage.com? How did you lose so much weight when you were reaching so deeply into both cookie jars? Were you stuffing your face or your pockets from any other cookie jars along the way... or should I say, "along the weigh?"

I CALL B.S. :thumbsdown:

 

[OverVolt]

http://business.time.com/2012/08/28...ine-reviews-or-negative-ones-for-that-matter/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24299742

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/20/technology/finding-fake-reviews-online.html?_r=0

 

[DrPizza]

That kind of stuff typically doesn't hold up. I've been through an actual lawsuit involving similar statements in a contract and I ended up winning by a landslide. I'm not saying people should run in blind, but shady clauses such as what you highlighted are more often than not scare tactics instead of lawfully binding statements.

See the thread about the guy who was charged $3000 for his wife making a negative review about a company. While in his case, it looks like it may eventually work out, it's been hell on his life.

http://business.time.com/2012/08/28...ine-reviews-or-negative-ones-for-that-matter/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24299742

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/20/technology/finding-fake-reviews-online.html?_r=0

F You, Yelp. My reviews were very honest reviews. I'm not the type to be bribed by $5. I'm the type to be too lazy to even bother submitting my copay receipt for reimbursement from my flex account. Bastards flagged my reviews as being fake. Apparently, good grammar and vocabulary, along with a lengthy review, results in a flag.

 

[Harvey]

Oops. Thread locked because I just noticed that our questionable noob, Susiexpat's post bumped a year old necro thread. :hmm: