2008 January 31 | money news blog

Archive for January 31st, 2008

31 01 2008

Google net shy of Wall Street consensus forecast

Posted by: admin in Today

Google net shy of Wall Street consensus forecast
International Herald Tribune - SAN FRANCISCO : Google , the world’s top World wide web company, on Thursday reported a weaker-than-expected 17 percent rise in quarterly profit, disappointing investors hungry for more and sending its shares down 9.5 percent. Net income for the fourth

Sealy 4Q revenue beats Wall Street view, sees ‘difficult’ consumer
Forbes - NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - Sealy Corp. reported late Thursday fourth-quarter net income fell to $17.1 million, or 18 cents a share, from $21.5 million, or 22 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier. The latest results include an income

Google profit falls short of Wall Street view
International Herald Tribune - SAN FRANCISCO : Google reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday and predicted further spending to shore up its operations, sending its shares down as much as 9.5 percent. The world’s top Internet company said it expected to

Wall Street rallies after bond insurer worries ease
Xinhua News Agency - NEW YORK, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) — Wall Street rallied Thursday after investors set aside worries about bond insurers despite weak economic data. The major indexes fell in the morning with the Dow Jones average dropping more than 190 points on weak

Google’s $1.3b profit
News.com.au - GOOGLE has reported that its profits for the last three months of 2007 climbed to $US1.21 billion ($A1.37 billion), but its stock price sank as the figure fell short of Wall Street expectations. Google said its gross revenues for the quarter ending

Google misses estimates
CNN Money - Beyond pay and perks at the No. 1 firm on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list, employees love the opportunity to try new things. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Google reported earnings and sales for the fourth quarter that missed Wall Street

Wall Street ended its worst January since 1990 with a huge advance
MSN UK News - Wall Street ended its worst January since 1990 with a massive advance Thursday after investors set aside worries about bond insurers and grew more optimistic that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts will indeed help lift the economy. The Standard

MBIA lifts Wall Street
MSN MoneyCentral - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks ended higher on Thursday after a major bond insurer reassured investors about its stability, fueling a rebound by financial shares hammered recently by the prospect of crumbling credit markets. Even with the day’s strong

Getty Images sees 1Q profit below Street
MSN MoneyCentral - SEATTLE (AP) - Getty Images Inc. predicted Thursday that its first-quarter profit will come in below Wall Street estimates, saying it anticipates to earn 45 cents per share in the period. The seller of stock photography and video footage also predicted

UPDATE 3-Google profit falls short of Wall Street view
Forbes - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) Thursday reported a disappointing quarterly profit and aggressive spending plans to support a widening range of Web services, unnerving investors who sent its shares down 8 percent

HK shares recover as Wall Street, Esprit boost
Reuters UK - HONG KONG, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks rose on Friday after two straight days of sharp declines, as gains on Wall Street boosted investor confidence and apparel retailer Esprit Holdings (0330.HK: Quote , Profile , Research ) climbed further

Movers roundup: Invacare, Harris Stratex
CNBC - NEW YORK (AP) _ Shares of home medical equipment company Invacare Corp. jumped Thursday after the company topped Wall Street’s fourth-quarter expectations on a mix of lower costs and higher rehabilitation product sales. NEW YORK (AP) _ Shares of

Flowserve Sees 2008 Profit Above Street
Forbes - Flowserve Corp. , which provides fluid motion and control products, on Thursday guided for 2008 income above analyst estimates, and raised its 2007 revenue outlook above Wall Street projections. The company set a 2008 earnings target of $5.10 to $5

Wall Street Whiplash: Dow Closes Up 200
ABC News - NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks bounded higher Thursday after concerns eased about hefty losses at bond insurer MBIA Inc. as did fears of potentially ruinous downgrades in the bond insurance industry. The Dow Jones industrials jumped more than 250 points

Insurer’s losses spark Wall Street row
Guardian Unlimited - One of America’s top financial insurers, MBIA, has made a loss of $2.3bn (£1.2bn) - and its problems have barely begun, according to an extraordinary outburst from a hedge fund manager that sent shockwaves through Wall Street yesterday. MBIA and a

Google earnings fall short of Wall Street expectations
USA Today - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) — Google’s (GOOG) fourth-quarter profit missed analyst expectations, signaling the crumbling U.S. economy has dented the Internet search leader’s moneymaking machine. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company stated Thursday

Tokyo shares outlook - Higher on Wall Street’s rally after bond
Forbes - TOKYO (Thomson Financial) - Japanese shares are expected to open higher on Friday, tracking a rebound on Wall Street on Thursday after concerns eased about hefty losses at bond insurer MBIA Inc and the prospect of downgrades in the bond insurance

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31 01 2008

Pure Weight Loss Adds Insult to Injury Part 2

Posted by: in Networking

(FranchisePick.Com) Pure Weight Loss (formerly LA Weight Loss) continues to provide business schools with an ongoing case study in customer service “worst practices.” Customers report that the 400-unit weight loss chain aggressively promoted long-term, prepaid contracts up to the day they abruptly announced they’d be shutting down - permanently - in a couple of weeks. In Part 1, customers shared how their refund requests, mailed to the company address provided, were being returned as undeliverable.

The York Daily Record posted a picture of another insult added to injury: the closing announcement posted in the window of the York, PA location.

The local Pure Weight Loss center on White Street in West Manchester Township has a sign in the window telling customers Jenny Craig will accept their contracts at a discounted price.

The only problem? There are no Jenny Craig centers in York County.

Ready for one more insult-to-injury? Read the story of the woman pictured, Margaret Chronister:

When Spring Garden Township resident Margaret Chronister joined the [L.A. Weight Loss] program in July, a month before it changed names, employees told her about discounted rates she would receive if she prepaid for the year on the day she signed up.

“I was definitely dedicated to the program,” Chronister stated. “So I went ahead and did that.”

But when she was diagnosed with cancer in August and told by her doctor she couldn’t do the program, Pure Weight Loss refused to release her from her contract. Now that it closed, she’s fighting to get her money back.

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? COMMENTS WELCOME.

Pic credit: (Daily Record/Sunday News - Jason Plotkin)

Get more information: > PURE WEIGHT LOSS INFORMATION CENTER

January 24th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Lawsuit Filed by PA Attorney General

January 22nd, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Centers Might Have Broken Law

January 17th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Files Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Protection

January 17th, 2008 Today’s WTF: Pure Weight Loss Still Operating?

January 17th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Refund Application Form

January 17th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Members Ask: Where Are My Confidential Records?

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Visit FRANBEST: Unbiased franchise information, franchise interviews and detailed, searchable information on 400 franchise and and business opportunities.

Franchisees, customers & experts vote for their favorite new franchises at Top New Franchise: Who’s hot. Who’s not. PHOTO CREDIT: Marchivist. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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31 01 2008

Pure Weight Loss Adds Insult to Injury Part 1

Posted by: in Networking

(FranchisePick.com) FranchisePick.Com readers report that their attempts to recover refunds due to them from the bankrupt Pure Weight Loss company have added insult to their injury - and additional mailing costs as their refund applications are being returned. Here are a few comments posted in recent days:

Hi I joined them in dec end and they shut in two weeks , i owe them the whole year lites , I sent them a refund form thrice but everytime it has come back to me….. has some one got the same problem? Has anyone got there money back??? Jan 31, 8:27 AM Sakshi

Well, sorry to say i was right in my fears…Like some others of you’ve written, I got my certified envelope returned to me marked undeliverable and can’t be forwarded. I tried repeatedly today to reach the customer service number that I had gotten back in Dec. when I heard about the impending closing, but all i got were lots of busy signals. Suffice it to state, I’m not a happy camper, and i thank those of you who gave contact info. to Attorneys General, etc. Jan 30, 8:22 PM Marilyn

first they left us high and dry, then they tell us to fill out this “form” for a refund, WHICH I DID, ( I’m sure all the clients did,) only to have it “RETURN TO SENDER”, “UNABLE TO FORWARD”, again the client of pure have been FLIM-FLAMED, HOODWINK and/or BAMBOOLZED or what ever you want to call it, it’s all the same SHAME ON YOU, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. Jan 30, 7:42 PM J. Prather

I sent a certified letter as it states to do on the Pure Weight loss website requesting a refund. They owed me 8 boxes of lites and I had only been in the program for a short period of time and felt they owed me part of my registration fees back. My letter was returned saying undeliverable. WHAT A SCAM!!! Terrible thing to do to people. We are a one income family. My money could’ve gone to other things. Jan 30, 2:59 PM Michelle Boyero

Not only have we lost money on what they owe us, but now we’re all sending letters “certified” and having to pay for that too, to only get them back in a few weeks marked “undeliverable”. Someone stated they opened under a different name…PureMedLoss???. How does this happen? where is the Better Business Agency????? Jan 30, 12:46 PM judy

I sent my refund form 3 weeks ago, I got no response and had the certified mail sent back to me saying it was undeliverable!! I called the post office to find out why they were unable to send it he stated that they were not there anymore, so don’t waste your time with the refund form its just a run around giving you hope that you might get your money back, but will NOT!! I am very upset and it is terrible what they’ve done to so many people. Jan 29, 1:44 PM P.C

I sent my refund application in on Jan. 10 2008. I sent it certified and return receipt requisted. It was returned to me on Jan 25 stating it wasn’t deliverable as addressed. It was the same address as was on the form. They owe me $255.20. Jan 29, 9:40 AM debbie

Get more information: > PURE WEIGHT LOSS INFORMATION CENTER Related posts: January 26th, 2008 PA Seeks to Freeze Assets of Pure Weight Loss, Vahan Karian January 24th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Lawsuit Filed by PA Attorney General January 22nd, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Centers Might Have Broken Law January 17th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Files Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Protection January 17th, 2008 Today’s WTF: Pure Weight Loss Still Operating? January 17th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Refund Application Form January 17th, 2008 Pure Weight Loss Members Ask: Where Are My Confidential Records? WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? COMMENTS WELCOME.

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Visit FRANBEST: Unbiased franchise information, franchise interviews and detailed, searchable information on 400 franchise and and business opportunities. Franchisees, customers & experts vote for their favorite new franchises at Top New Franchise: Who’s hot. Who’s not. PHOTO CREDIT: Marchivist. Licensed under Creative Commons.