Cosmetic surgery franchise Lifestyle Lift, which specializes in facelift procedures, has reached a settlement with the New York State attorney general’s office, after allegations that the company posted fictitious patient testimonials online.
A plastic surgery franchise called Lifestyle Lift® has been ordered to pay $300,000 in penalties and fines to the State of New York following a settlement with the state attorney general’s office.
The settlement is the result of accusations that the company posted fake positive reviews on its own website – a practice known as “astroturfing.” The ongoing case is the first in America to be aimed at this online practice, according to the attorney general’s office.
The company is also said to have used its employees to create fake personal websites with glowing testimonies about the procedure they had done.
Lifestyle Lift, which has more than 40 locations in the United States and specializes in facial rejuvenation, neither admitted nor denied guilt in the actual documents of the settlement. But the company released an official statement that a new company internet policy is in place, and that all existing web content is in compliance with acceptable business standards.
August 2nd, 2009 at 6:33 am
Have you ever SEEN those old commercials? LOL.