David Bunevacz and Jessica Rodriguez at the birthday of Ruffa Gutierrez last June 21, 2007, when they were the face and name of Beverly Hills 6750.
Seven months later, the couple are having legal problems with Beverly Hills 6750.
 

Noel Orsal

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SPECIAL REPORT (PART I): Beverly Hills 6750’s U.S. partner clinic no longer in operation

Karen Pagsolingan and Jo-Ann Maglipon

Friday, February 1, 2008
01:05 PM

Well and good. One major thing struck us, however. The site did not provide any address for any of its "services throughout Southern California."

The site had also announced quite proudly: "Wherever you are in Southern California, we are near. We have multiple affiliated locations to serve you. You can reach us by clicking here or by calling 1-800-263-9968. We are open between 7am and 7pm on weekdays and between 9am and 3pm on Saturdays."

Yet again, the site did not provide a single address for any of its "multiple affiliated locations."

PEP then clicked the link as directed, and ended up on the site's "Consultations" section. This one said: "Do you have questions about breast augmentation, breast implants or plastic surgery in general? Our highly experienced consultants can help guide you through the decision making process and answer any questions you may have. We believe that plastic surgery is a life changing experience and will provide you with answers you need to know. Setting up an appointment is simple, contact us today!"

But once again, the site did not provide a single address where "an appointment" might be made for any of these surgeries.

In sum, from December 2007 to January 2008, the Institute website never provided a definite address for any of its clinics.

PEP asks these questions: For an Institute with clinics "throughout Southern California," and whose website presumably existed to invite would-be clients, why did it fail/forget/neglect to direct clients to at least one clinic site? Did the Institute not want walk-in customers? Were the clinics not interested in having clients knock on their door? In a country as affluent as the United States, were clients not expected to drive over to a clinic if and when they wished? Was there a clinic at all?

GETTING IN TOUCH. PEP then proceeded to set an appointment with the Beverly Hills Surgical Institute. To do this, we asked a trusted friend based in the United States to call the number 1-800-A-NEW-YOU. This was the toll number prominently displayed on the www.weknowbeauty.com homepage.

Only a voice recording greeted our American contact:

"Hi, thank you for calling NRMG, usage provider for 1-800-a-new-you and 1-800-my-vision. If you are a plastic surgeon, dermatologist or eye care specialist, and want the exclusive use of one of our premier phone numbers within your market area, please leave a message.

"1-800-a-new-you and 1-800-my-vision are effective, affordable, and can help your practice maximize your advertising response rates while increasing orders and referrals. Thanks and we'll phone you back shortly."

In other words, 1-800-A-NEW-YOU was nothing but an answering service. It was an outfit for hire to all clients-whether "plastic surgeon, dermatologist or eye care specialist"-who might want to lease a phone number for their "orders and referrals."

Moreover, the number 1-800-A-NEW-YOU, which that the Institute's website provided, was not even the Institute's direct number. It was a number leased to the Institute and shared by other clinics. In short, the Institute did not have a single phone number of its own.

Such a setup would not have set off alarm bells for PEP had the Beverly Hills Surgical Institute been a small, fledgling, stand-alone operation. After all, a cottage-industry operation may actually find it cost-effective to pay an answering service, instead of applying for a line of its own to be manned by its own paid staff. But the Institute is not supposed to be small. Its own website had boasted that the Institute was present "throughout Southern California." That had to be big time.

PEP asks these questions: How could such a huge operation, on top of having no address whatsoever, not have a single direct line? And in a totally wired country like the U.S., too! If the clinic did have both an address and a phone number but was simply not giving them out, why not? What business did it have enticing clients to trust the Institute with the surgery of their faces and bodies when the Institute could not trust them with their address and number?

EMAIL EXCHANGES. On December 14, 2007, PEP, through managing editor Karen Pagsolingan, decided to get in touch with the Beverly Hills Surgical Institute via email.

She clicked the "Click to Email Here" tab in the Institute's www.weknowbeauty.com website and asked these questions:

1. Do you have a branch outside the U.S.?
2. Are you affiliated with Beverly Hills 6750 here in Manila?

Five days later, she received email from a certain Tom Oseransky, who introduced himself as the "VP of Operations of Beverly Hills Surgical Institute." Tom's email read:

"Ms. Pagsolingan,

"Dr. Shin asked me to respond to your questions regarding David Bunevacz. At this time we do not have an office outside the US and yes we are affiliated with the BH 6750 office in Manila."

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