A federal consent decree ordered a cosmetic surgery office in Seattle, Washington, to pay $5 million to thousands of patients and the state attorney general’s office after the company was accused of harassing and threatening patients over poor reviews and posting false positive ones.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit in December 2022, and the July 1st consent decree settled the dispute. The lawsuit claims that Allure Esthetic posted fraudulent reviews and had patients sign nondisclosure agreements prohibiting them from posting or saying anything unfavorable about Allure Esthetic. The lawsuit accused the business and the proprietor, Dr. Javad Sajan, of defying state and federal consumer protection laws.
The lawsuit states that Allure, which is owned by Sajan and is based in Seattle, operates under multiple names, including Northwest Face & Body, Gallery of Cosmetic Surgery, Alderwood Surgical Center, Seattle Plastic Surgery, and Northwest Nasal Sinus Center. The consent decree also names the Alderwood Surgical Center and Northwest Nasal Sinus Center. The company’s website lists plastic and cosmetic procedures among its surgical and nonsurgical services.
The lawsuit states that the company allegedly altered patients’ before-and-after photos of procedures, kept thousands of dollars in rebates meant for patients, and rigged “best doctor” contests held by local media outlets.
As a result of the settlement, Allure Esthetic must compensate 21,000 individuals with approximately $1.5 million in damages.
The resolution states that $3.5 million will be allocated to Ferguson’s office for the purpose of paying attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, and other expenditures.
Allure Esthetic’s attorney, Erin M. O’Leary, released a statement saying that the firm is happy to have settled the matter.
The resolution also demands Allure Esthetic to employ a forensic accounting company to carry out an autonomous audit of its consumer rebate scheme to identify the customers who were owed them. Allure must give the AG’s office proof of compliance for ten years. If the businesses violate any of the terms, they will face penalties of up to $125,000 for each violation.