I was just over perusing Kitty’s Consumer Beware for laughs and was amused to see they still all get in a tizzy when a consumer mentions me or my site.

I know some of you read both sites, and I know some consumers only know about one forum or the other, so here’s a little background.

Katherine “Kitty” Cook is a fake name used by the owner of Kitty’s Consumer Beware. Her real name is Cathey Baker, and she’s been a Texas-based salesperson for a quack electric tweezer device called GHR.

A few years ago, I started warning consumers about GHR on various hair removal forums, especially because it targeted vulnerable consumer groups. “Kitty” was too stupid and greedy to see she was helping a quack and scam artist rip people off. She’s still helping her pal by leaving up these bogus studies:

Kitty’s fake GHR studies

US Food & Drug Administration: Fake GHR studies (PDF: requires Adobe Acrobat)

“Kitty” even put up her own hair removal forum and dedicated it to me and others who tried to warn that she is a quack. Quacks tend to be very stubborn people who can’t be bothered with things like facts and science and critical viewpoints.

After a couple years of effort, I finally helped to put her client and business associate Judith Stephens of GHR out of business. “Kitty” is very upset that I called her out on associating with such disreputable scum. Birds of a feather, you know. You should have seen how caring and helpful Judith Stephens was, too.

That got “Kitty” and her friends mad at me.

As you might imagine, a site like hers that’s founded on quackery attracts a certain type of practitioner to participate. Over the years, Kitty has attracted a rag-tag band of self-styled “expert” practitioners who also dislike me for being critical of misleading electrolysis and laser marketing tactics. I used to post information on SoftLight lasers, pointing out that much of the data being used to sell the treatments were preliminary. When other lasers came out, I took the position of a consumer activist and demanded proof of claims and made comments critical of marketing hype and regulatory decisions.

I also made comments critical of an electrolysis trade group called SCME, which had taken a large “grant” from a laser manufacturer to promote lasers. At that time, SoftLight had been proven to be temporary despite marketing claims of permanence, and I urged consumers to take a wait-and-see approach before plunking down thousands on other laser treatments that had not been backed with any long-term data. I was also concerned about the confusion caused by marketing terms like “lasertrolysis,” which made a confusing issue even more difficult for consumers to understand.

That got “Kitty” and her friends mad at me, too.

Turns out SCME leadership hates a rival electrolysis trade group called AEA. I like AEA because they put the consumer first—they led the way in getting electric tweezers reclassified by FDA, and they have been a major force in getting states to regulate electrolysis and laser use.

When AEA, eMedicine.com, and QuackWatch published articles I’d written, that really got “Kitty” and her friends mad at me. They despise the AEA, because they feel it threatens their livelihoods. “Kitty” used to list QuackWatch as a reference until QuackWatch published my information. Now they are the enemy, too.

Enemies everywhere. Kitty and her friends are a bunch of paranoid kooks who honestly believe a host of enemies are trying to keep them down:

Doctors
The largest electrolysis trade group
Dermatology trade groups
Plastic surgery trade groups
Consumer health watchdog groups
Lawyers representing consumers
State regulators
The US Government (especially the FDA)

And of course, little old me.

They consider themselves the sole possessors of truth and knowledge about hair removal, and they think anyone who disagrees with them or their opinions is an enemy.

Rather than debate, they start their own sad little forum where “Kitty” can censor the facts, remove opposing views, and block links to sites and ideas that frighten them.

“Kitty” even conveniently “loses” years of consumer posts dating to 1999 that incriminate her pal Judith Stephens and others. She is either covering things up, or she is as inept at web hosting as she is at picking business associates and forum moderators. [August 2002 update: a partial archive is back online ]

So head on over there and tell ‘em I said hi! As you can see, I don’t censor links or phrases. I’ll leave that to the paranoid quacks.

Kitty’s Consumer Beware Forum

Beware Boards: A consumer asks about Hairfacts

While you're there, invite their readers to swing by-- I'd welcome more consumer comments! It's a shame to see good consumers being advised by such kooks.

[ August 27, 2002, 05:21 AM: Message edited by: Andrea ]

Oh, and just in case that wasn't long and boring enough, those who want more can check out:

Hairfacts: Kitty's Consumer Beware (WARNING!)

Another of my favorite features "Kitty" has added to her site is a Top Secret Password-Protected Moderator-Only Forum!!! Ooooh!

Sheesh. What kind of paranoia is that? It's like something out of the X-Files. I like to picture the six of them with their tinfoil hats on as they type their secret messages to each other.

I mean, really. What is there to say that you can't say in public? What can there be to hide? It's just hair removal.

A legitimate forum like this one has everything out in the open and available for all to see. The only thing restricted here is information of an adult nature, which is available to anyone over 18.

But hey, I guess the world is full of choices, and they are good for an occasional laugh.

Is there any place on Kitty's Consumer Beware that promotes AHRS?

Hey Steve--

No, "Kitty" was a GHR salesperson, and there was a rivalry between GHR and AHRS. Who stole from whom isn't entirely clear, but they both have claimed the same "studies," which currently appear on the the "Kitty" site.

Kitty's Consumer Beware: GHR/AHRS disputed "study"

"Kitty" has stated that both AHRS and GHR are not companies she recommends, but she inexplicably leaves up this disputed data, claiming it belonged to her client Judith Stephens of GHR. Mmm hmm. The two of them are a real believable pair-- just ask all the consumers who got ripped off by these two.

AHRS is currently in operation under new ownership, different than IHRS and Rejuvenu.

Hairfacts: AHRS (WARNING!)

Maybe "Kitty" is a nice person who got involved with a con artist by accident. The fact that she continues to keep Judith Stephens' stolen AHRS data on her site suggests a more active role in Stephens' deceptions to me.

Honest people make mistakes and get involved with unsavory characters on occasion, but they cease to be honest people when they do nothing to correct their mistakes.

Update 1: I just went over to their site, and I see that other consumers have asked "Kitty" why she's censored links to QuackWatch, HairFacts, and HairTell, and why she fears an open dialog about the GHR scam she was involved in. I see the consumers got some very testy replies!

Kitty's Consumer Beware: "Kitty" gets touchy about the truth!

It's pretty obvious who is telling the truth, huh? Kitty & pals are embarrassed that they aligned themselves with Judith Stephens/GHR, and they hate me for pointing out that they tarnish their credibility by their continued association with a known quack and con artist.

If they weren't so stubborn and so convinced they know it all, they wouldn't be so petulant when consumers ask them legitimate questions about their credibility.

Quacks are a very tenacious lot. They stick to their guns no matter how much proof you have they're wrong. I think we're starting to see the true colors of the person behind the fake name Katherine 'Kitty' Cook.

Consumers can decide for themselves what's what. Censorship can't cover up the truth!

Update 2: I see "Kitty" has now joined the Rejuvenu crowd in calling for a bounty on my head! You know they're getting desperate when Kitty's GHR crowd and Lee Cole's AHRS crowd put aside years of fighting and backstabbing each other to attack me.

It's truly pathetic. I feel sorry for these people, raging against consumer activists with these kinds of tactics. They try my patience, but I will continue to tell the truth and present the facts instead of the silly quack attacks of those involved with Kitty's Consumer Beware and Rejuvenu!

[ August 19, 2002, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: Andrea ]

LOL!

Today we have this gem from practitioner David Hardee, whose site epilate.com is hosted by "Kitty." David is naturally a staunch defender of the whole Kitty/electric tweezer thing, and he's a moderator on her forums.

quote:

---

Andrea is nothing more than a criminal mouthpiece and undercover agent for an international electrolysis organization that will stop at nothing to keep consumers away from lasers and the practitioners that use them. Her tactics involve lies, confusion, misinformation and no-holds-barred psychological terrorization against anyone in the hair removal industry that does not agree with her views. Libel, slander, harrassment, conspiracy and restraint-of-trade will serve to launch this self-annointed "queen-bee" of hair removal (and her "hive") into a new world. The courts will rip out her "stinger" and she will choke on her own venom. Anyone interested in making $1000 for information leading to her "capture" can click on the above link to find out more. $1000: it's really getting serious now!

---

Bwahahahaha!

"Kitty" and her paranoid pals crack me up... "undercover agent for an international electrolysis organization," that's an all-time classic...

Heh, now I see Kitty/Judith Stephens' pal Shelby Owens is offering to match Lee Cole's $1000 for my home address with a grand of her own!

Some background: Shelby and I used to get in arguments on another hair removal board, and she obviously took it all pretty personally. Shelby also hates me because I agree with rival trade group AEA that laser and electrolysis should be regulated in all states. I also feel laser hair removal should be performed under medical supervision. She doesn't.

Shelby owns Laser Associates of Northwest Florida. She's an experienced practitioner of electrolysis and laser, but like David Hardee and other Consumer Beware moderators, she has chosen to align herself with the Kitty/GHR quacks. An unfortunate decision, to say the least.

Anyone who continues to support the no-needle people like GHR, Removatron, Kitty's Consumer Beware, IGIA, and Rejuvenu is making a clear statement about where the consumer stands in their eyes. These people have bilked consumers out of tens of millions of dollars over the years. Apparently, Shelby thinks helping Lee Cole's cause is OK.

This hair removal stuff is my hobby, an offshoot of my other consumer information sites. For people like Shelby, it's their livelihood, so the stakes are higher, I guess.

Aligning yourself with scam artists like Lee Cole and Judith Stephens speaks volumes about the kind of person you are, in my opinion. If Lee Cole is going to call me a terrorist, let's extend that metaphor and say you're either with the quacks or against them. Shelby has chosen to side with Lee Cole and Judith Stephens. So be it.

Over the next few, years, it will be my pleasure to demonstrate to Shelby, David and others that siding with people like Lee Cole, "Kitty," and Judith Stephens instead of with consumer activists, medical professionals, and government regulators was an extraordinarily bad decision.

What's that boxing guy say?

Let's get ready to rumble!

Hmm... today I see that "Kitty," Shelby, David, and pals have once again censored the facts and removed the thread where consumers question their decision to align themselves with Lee Cole and Judith Stephens, two notorious hair removal quacks.

I'm not surprised at all. "Kitty" has a long history of omitting facts that don't fit her version of the story. It's pretty obvious who "can't handle the truth" (to quote Jack Nicholson ).

Luckily, I have a hard copy. Anyone who would like a copy is welcome to email me or ask on this forum.

And as far as "Kitty" not taking money from the hair removal industry, that's ridiculous. Many Consumer Beware moderators and contributors are actually "Kitty" clients!

The "Kitty" site has always been a thinly-veiled advertising platform for her clients to promote their practices. Below is just a partial list of sites "Kitty" & pals have hosted and still host via webspinner.net/a1host.net:

Judith Stephens
GHR electric tweezer
hairfree.com
216.83.168.218
216.83.167.4

David Hardee
Laserbeam
epilate.com
epilatormuseum.com
216.83.168.224
216.83.168.223

Shelby Owens
laseawayhair.com
216.83.168.152

Judy Adams
laserblazers.com
208.16.215.180

Michael Green
nomorehair.com
216.83.168.154

Marissa Lee (Copeland)
betterlase.com
216.83.167.5

Esthetica Laser Hair Removal
gethairless.com
216.83.167.20

Carole Warren
advancedlaserhairremoval.com
216.83.168.170

etc., etc.

"Kitty" & co. make plenty of money hosting all those client-- er, I mean moderator-- websites on her commercial-- er, I mean consumer forum...

That's why "Kitty" can afford to spend the time making this pretty new layout. Don't buy the "Kitty" lie!

Thank goodness that site's getting redone, by the way. The current amateurish layout is a hot mess!

[ August 23, 2002, 01:41 AM: Message edited by: Andrea ]

Just stumbled on this thread today, over a year later. I understand why I was rejected this past weekend on consumerbeware.com. They don't take nicely to hairfacts or people that raise questions about laser saftey. The crowd gathers around and bashes one over and over and over. They are very paranoid to the extreme. What a creepy group.

I check in over there now and then still. Looks like this is the latest censored thread:

http://www.consumerbeware.com/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=3&TopicID=2564&PagePosition=1

You'll note that I happily allow links to them, even though they censor any critical commentary. Maybe that's why this forum has hundreds and hundreds more members.

Kitty is all wet!

I see "Kitty" has gotten very tired of answering questions about who she is and why she doesn't just admit that site is funded by her clients' hair removal websites.

Now there's a permanent thread that says "Kitty" will censor and ban anyone even bringing this matter up:

http://www.consumerbeware.com/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=2&TopicID=2917&PagePosition=1

That's the sign of a true quack, and another example of why hairtell has almost twice the members! Keep up the great censorship, "Kitty!"

Geeeeezzz, I saw that thread a couple days ago and had to re-read it a couple times, trying to grasp what causes such a hateful temper. She sounds very unbusinesslike and compromises her integrety and perhaps the integrety of her website with her outbursts. Kind of makes me cringe for her.

Maybe her colleagues can calm her roar.

In all honesty, I do not hesitate to recommend hairtell/hairfacts or "Kitty's"consumerbeware.com to my clients. I think they are both useful to the consumer. If my first consult clients come looking for answers about laser and electrolysis, I direct them to both places, emphasizing that consumerbeware leans more toward laser information and hairtell is pretty evenly laid out for both laser and electrolysis information ,as well as, any kind of hair removal option.

Two weeks ago, a prospective client came boldly walking into my office armed with her folder filled with hairfacts/hairtell papers that she downloaded from the internet. She had done her homework and was ready to "take me on" for the consult. She probably wondered why I smiled so big when I saw her stack. I was very impressed with her effort to become an informed consumer. Don't see that often.

Your well-defined, truthful website, Andrea, has touched many desparate people lives. We're all very grateful that you share your special expertise and talents to bring hair removal facts information to so many.

My donation is forthcoming.

I noticed a couple of milestones today: we now officially have twice as many members as Quacky's Consumer Beware, and it's now officially been over two years since "Kitty" updated that front page-- talk about keeping up with the times!

Here's an interesting exercise:

www.consumerbeware.com is down as I write this. So are the sites of most "Kitty" clien-- oops, I mean "moderators."

Kaleidografix site owned by "Kitty":
wow-me.com

Hosting services used by "Kitty":
a1host.net
webspinner.net

Judith Stephens" GHR electric tweezer
hairfree.com

David Hardee: Laserbeam
epilate.com
epilatormuseum.com

Shelby Owens
laseawayhair.com

Judy Adams
laserblazers.com

Shocking, huh?

It continues up the chain through Quacky's pal Earl B. Hall:

netpowerpublishing.com

Netpower Publishing, (972) 495-3784, 4638 N Jupiter Rd, Garland, TX 75044

1 NetPower Inc.
1722 Aurora Suite B Richardson TX 75081
Phone: 972-680-9267

npbc.net

The same number lists "rife machines," another quack device. 888-680-9267  or locally (Dallas) at  214-546-9923 or 972-495-3784.

RifeMachine.Biz 

Earl B. Hall
1 NetPower Inc. - Atlantis Ho
3001 Wren Ln. Richardson TX 75082
972 907-9979
Atlantis Health Centers, Inc.
3002 Wren Ln. Richardson, Tx. 75082
Bus. 972-907-9979
E-Mail: Earl@Spiritual-Healer.com
Cell  214-546-9923

Jeanne Lubbers,  Spiritual-Healer.com, AtlantisHealthCenters.com, ReikiMasters.com, RifeMachine.Biz
832-368-1788  (10am - 10pm CST) or Email - Jeanne@JeanneLubbers.com
Body Language (214) 340-6072 - Gayle Victory email and (214) 546-9923 - Earl B. Hall email - 9720 Skillman - Dallas, TX 75243 (10% off first visit if you mention their website, massage, oxygen therapy, energy balancing) 
Earl@Holistic-healer.com
Gayle@HolisticHealthSpa.com
http://www.holistichealthspa.com/

Media-Submit.com

NPBCHOST.NET redirects to abchosting.net

---

powerpub.com, spiritual-healer.com and abchosting.net seem to be up still.

Atlantis Hosting (formerly ABC Hosting)
1 NetPower, Inc.
11300 Regency Green Dr., Suite #1204 Cypress, Tx. 77429
Sales@abcHosting.net 
Business Office - 281-890-0883  or  Toll Free  888-680-9267

www.indigosun.com/Events/HOUSTON.HTM
Archangel Metatron’s Cosmic Healing Therapy Level 1 Certification Training with Earl B. Hall. 12-5PM, Atlantis Ascension Center, Cypress, $75 Pre-paid or $95 at door. 281-890-0883.

AtlantisHealthCenters.com, holisticboard.com, and atlantisascensioncenter.com all down.

[ June 30, 2004, 03:22 AM: Message edited by: Andrea ]

Come on, come clean Andrea. The Queen Bee of electrolysis has just gone and had her subjects go on a rampage, and take down all her enemies. It is not possible that all those moderators are actually clients, and co-conspirators as you suggest, or is it?

Update on Quacky's Consumer Beware. Oops, I mean "Kitty."

Back online: (4 July)

"Kitty" clients David Hardee, Shelby Owens, and Judy Adams. Oh well.

www.wow-me.com (back up 6 July "under construction")

Still down:

www.consumerbeware.com
www.a1host.net
www.webspinner.net
www.hairfree.com

www.advancedlaserhairremoval.com (Carole Warren) (back up 6 July)
www.betterlase.com ("Marissa Copeland")

Quacky's pal Earl B. Hall:

www.netpowerpublishing.com
www.npbc.net
www.holistic-healer.com
www.holisticboard.com

"Satisfied KaleidoGrafix Customers" (* = down)

[one name removed in June 2008 per request from client]

Bandmans Company
www.bandmans.com

*Bates Embroidery & Digitizing (back up 6 July)
www.stitch123.com
800-527-2214 info@stitch123.com 3328 Towerwood Drive
Dallas, Texas 75234 Fax 972-241-8558

[one name removed in June 2008 per request from client]

*Casa View Assembly of God Church (back up 6 July)
www.casaviewassembly.org
Casa View Assembly of God • 9949 Ferguson Road • Dallas, TX 75228 • (214) 328-8101

*Cartridge Systems Ink
www.cartridgesystemsink.com
9600 Long Point Road, Suite 228 Houston, TX 77055-4262
Phone: 713-464-5052 Fax: 713-464-2425 info@cartridgesystemsink.com

Cash Benefits Insurance Agency
www.cashbenefitsonline.com
Gretchen Cash 14465 Webb Chapel Road, Suite 207 Dallas, TX 75234 Phone:972-247-0115 Fax: 972-247-0113 Email: info@cashbenefitsonline.com

*Consumer Beware
www.consumerbeware.com

Designer Golf (back up 6 July "under construction")

www.logogolfclubs.com
info@logogolfclubs.com 800-963-9909

*DIALUS Phone Installation & Relocation
www.wow-me.com/dialus

*DK Painting Company, Inc.
www.dkpainting.com
749 S. Sherman Richardson, TX 75081 (972) 437-4949

Express Building Systems, Inc. (back up 6 July)
www.expbldgsys.com
2706 Rew Circle, Suite 100 Ocoee, FL 34761 407.877.6632
Contact: Dennis Brinkman
E-mail: info@expbldgsys.com

Future Pace Staffing (back up 6 July)
www.futurepacestaffing.com
3228 Southern Dr, Ste 205, Garland, TX 75043 (972) 278-1898 Email: futurpace@aol.com

Grammar Doctor (back up 6 July)
www.grammardoctor.com
Coffmans Words Worth, (214) 343-8492, 570 Hambrick Rd, Dallas, TX 75218

*Hair Removal Guide
www.hairremovalguide.com

J National Contractors (back up 6 July)
www.jnational.com
7317 La Manga Dallas, Texas 75248 Phone 972.776.0010
Fax 972.776.0038 Email sales@jnational.com

KaleidoGrafix Visual Communication Design (back up 6 July "under construction")

www.wow-me.com

Loewe Adler International (back up 6 July)
www.loeweadler.com
17130 Dallas Parkway, Suite 170Dallas, Texas 75248 USA
469.916.7117 (voice)469.916.7461 (fax) info@loeweadler.com (email)
Petra C. Della Valle, MAI, ASA
Paster-Behrens-Str. 70 12359 Berlin, Germany +49.30.601.8998 (voice) +49.170.901.5966 (cell)

Makit Products Company
www.makit.com
A division of SFO Corporation P.O. Box 769100 Dallas TX 75376-9100

Nordstrom RV (back up 6 July)
www.nordstromrv.com
1268 E. Princeton Avenue Flint, MI 48505
Toll Free Phone: (810) 789-3477Email: info@nordstromrv.com
107 N.E. Avenue Okeechobee, FL 34972 Phone: (863) 357-3427

*NISSE's "The Storage Store" (back up 6 July)
www.storagestore.com
Cheryl Yeager 1116 Commerce Dr Richardson, TX

*Offset Online
www.offsetonline.com
JETSET Printing Inks16528 Westgrove Drive Addison, TX 75001 Toll Free: 800.289.1110 Phone: 972.931.0711 FAX: 972.250.2034 Email: info@jetsetprintinginks.com

Rabco Corporation (back up 6 July)
www.rabco.com
Post Office Box 27 Ocoee, Florida 34761 Telephone: 407-877-0220 Fax: 407-877-9065 Toll Free Phone: 800-989-0220 Email: rabco@rabco.com
Bretts Farm, Romford Road, Aveley, Essex RM15 4XD United Kingdom Telephone: 01708-685220 Fax: 01708-689700 Email: rabco@rabcoeurope.co.uk

RubberNutz (back up 6 July)
www.rubbernutz.com
RubberNutz 16528 Westgrove Addison, TX 75001

*Tequila Lapis - The Crown Jewel of Tequila
www.tequila-lapis.com

Texas Art Gallery (back up 6 July)
www.txartgallery.com
Inwood Village, Suite 396 5570 West Lovers Lane Dallas, Texas 75209-4220 Phone: 214-350-8500 Toll Free Phone: 800-783-4278
Fax: 214-352-7731 Email: info@txartgallery.com

Transition Resources
www.transitioninc.com
11300 North Central Expressway Suite 402 Dallas, Texas 75243-6705 Phone: 214-368-7088 Fax: 214-368-7054 Email: info@transitioninc.com

View Swing Sports Aid (back up 6 July)
www.viewswing.com
Mary V Sobel, (817) 461-8707, 2607 River Hills Cir, Arlington, TX 76006

The Whale Camp
www.whalecamp.com
1-888-54-WHALE (888-549-4253)

Webspinner Hosting & Design Solutions (back up 6 July "under construction")
www.webspinner.net

<small>[ July 06, 2004, 04:22 PM: Message edited by: Andrea ]</small>

Kitty's gone, did you know that?

Junie

At this point, many of the sites are back up, though many are not completely online.

www.wow-me.com (back up 6 July "under construction")
www.webspinner.net

Still down:

www.consumerbeware.com
www.hairremovalguide.com
www.a1host.net
www.hairfree.com
www.betterlase.com ("Marissa Copeland")

Quacky's pal Earl B. Hall:

www.netpowerpublishing.com
www.npbc.net
www.holistic-healer.com
www.holisticboard.com

"Satisfied KaleidoGrafix Customers" (* = down)

[one name removed in June 2008 per request from client]

*Cartridge Systems Ink
www.cartridgesystemsink.com
9600 Long Point Road, Suite 228 Houston, TX 77055-4262
Phone: 713-464-5052 Fax: 713-464-2425 info@cartridgesystemsink.com

*DIALUS Phone Installation & Relocation
www.wow-me.com/dialus

*DK Painting Company, Inc.
www.dkpainting.com
749 S. Sherman Richardson, TX 75081 (972) 437-4949

*Hair Removal Guide
www.hairremovalguide.com

*Offset Online
www.offsetonline.com
JETSET Printing Inks16528 Westgrove Drive Addison, TX 75001 Toll Free: 800.289.1110 Phone: 972.931.0711 FAX: 972.250.2034 Email: info@jetsetprintinginks.com

*Tequila Lapis - The Crown Jewel of Tequila
www.tequila-lapis.com

Kitty's site will be one of the last, if not the last to come back online. Her clients are her first priority.

The Quacky forum is back up! "Kitty" is claiming they got hacked. PWN3D!

Something to keep in mind if you're looking at webspinner.net for a web host (currently titled Insurance Managers... hmmm)!

I sure hope no hax0r got any proprietary info they are going to share with the world! Sounds like their servers are as insecure as "Kitty" herself!

To be honest, I would have missed "Kitty" and her clients Judy Adams, Shelby Owens and David Hardee. They are always good for a laugh.

Clients? Quacky don't know nothing about no clients!

Quacky is just an activist consumer who got irate at that evil Queen Bee of Hair Removal, her Hive, and all their LIES, Lies, lies.

Her and everyone of her friends are just the victums of the power of the stinging venom of the Hair Removal swarm and their evil plot to take down their cosumer activist web sites, and information, and even unrelated ligitimate business pages.

You believe that don't you?

Gee Andrea!

I have tried all of those links and I can't get any of them to come up! Are these people so paranoid that they are afraid of someone from the outside looking at their sites as we may discover something that will give the evil undercover agents of the "international electrology conspiracy" some information that could be used to further incite falsehoods and lies against their noble quest to free consumers from the likes of people who actually have the audacity to seek the truth?

There! Now try to say that all in one breath!

Joanie

It appears that hairfree.com is now parked and consumerbeware.com has been offline for a while. Let's hope the disappearance is more permanent than the quack devices and home remedies they promote!

Consumer Beware was a horrible place. I used to post over there, but thank god it is gone. It is so censored, if you disagree with one of the laser practicioners on there Kitty bans you. I said I thought some laser practicioners were given false information when they were trained by laser manufacturers and they might not of known it was misinformed and she banned me. So much for a free speech/thought message board. And when people would ask why she would ban people she would say "I pay for this bored and it takes time out of my day to keep these people in line" bla bla bla.

Well, constructive comments are always welcome here, so thanks for all your contributions! You aren't the only KCB refugee here! One of the great ways to tell a quack forum is if they censor links and legitimate questions and comments. I don't agree with everyone here, but I believe we are all working toward the same goal-- helping hair removal consumers and practitioners get the information they need to make everything go better.

That's why this is the most popular hair removal forum in the history of the internet! Power to the people!

Looks like Quacky's Consumer Beware is resurrecting the old site:

http://www.consumerbeware.com/index2.htm

New look, same old Quacky!

Check out the 1999-style flash intro for laughs (careful-it's loud!):

http://www.consumerbeware.com/index.htm

It's just too bad there will be individuals that will get sucked in without getting the all the facts.

I won't be spending time there.

As a valued poster from here, you probably CAN'T spend any time there. I found out that I was on their BANNED list, and I had not even been on the board.

Wow I just found this thread through a google search.

It dishes a lot of hate on Kitty or whoever she really is.

Anyway I used to vist the Kitty forum back in 2005 and I was glad I found it as I learnt a lot more about hair removal, PCOS etc. Ive been wondering why it went offline for such a long time, google has now told me the answers.

BUT i just wanted to give my 2 cents about what I thought about it - since this post is becoming very biased itself.

In a way yes the Kitty site was biased - a lot towards laser, but it was STILL a good site which allowed people to come to their own conclusions about what method of treatment they should use.

I dont think people were indoctrinated to only use laser or whatever else others feel. I know comments were deleted but sometimes the comments were very rude i.e. personal things against people on the board.

Anyway I dont see why there cant be lots of hair removal discussion boards on the net?? Some people like one board over another - for whatever reasons.

I think youre not being fair on others by assuming they dont have a brain to work out if they're being duped or not.

Anyway after trying epilight, laser, and temporary removal methods, Im now on electrolysis which Ive been having for over a year. It was Kitty's site that made me finally realise that electrolysis was the way I had to go if I wanted to get rid of the hair - it did take me about 6 months to go for it though - since i hate needles.

All Im saying is that site did help people and Im glad it was there despite its flaws. I visit lots of forums and I think that every forum can have a flaw(s)so it is difficult to just crazily criticise one.

So, why has Kitty's Consumer Beware been down for so long? Google said what?

If you read this entire thread from start to finish, you should find that it is more talking about the things "Kitty" did to those who mentioned this site, or how she treated people who tried to contribute to both sites, or just voiced a view about electrolysis or LASER that did not agree with their version of the story.

One of my largest problems with the site was that although the CPE is a prerequisite for taking the CME LASER certification, the quick online quiz they had on their site would give a person a score of 20 out of a possible 100 points if one gave the answers that would be required to pass when asked the same questions on the CPE exam. What would one who knows that information make of a site that claims to wish to educate people while playing fast and loose with the facts that way?

Nur #48362
As some who used to follow the kitty site I agree with you. There was and still is limited information on the different types of equipment processes effects etc.. other than the manufacturer's or people with their own sites wanting to tell you that their laser is completely safe and you will never have a problem no matter what your skin tone. It all gets very confusing. I am a naturally suspicious person (unfortunately my mother brought me up that way!)so I used to double check and search each area/post that caught my eye including the contributors. At one point I had been so convinced by one of Kitty's posters I was seriously working out a budget for how much it would cost me to fly over to the U.S., nos of trips etc.. I was that desperate! I think at that time I become aware of Hairfacts and that made me check again and I realised she was a fraud. Yes I was pleased that I hadn't forked out but also disappointed that I hadn't found a solution yet. So yes I used to switch between the two sites but to gather the relevant info. and read about individuals with their own stories.

The more the merrier I say but treat all with some caution and google to the death and then some more!!!

By the way James just watched your VOETV - great stuff its nice to be able to put a face to a name. If you were in London I'd be knocking on your door!

Thank you for your kind words.

You know it is amazing to me how many people stumble upon that thing. I was asked to let them come and interview me and do a remote for their shows, and although all the footage has never made it to the light of day, the portion that has seems to get lots of feedback. I just wish they had included the actual treatment footage I did for them. It would really be the more useful part of the stuff we did.

(And while we are talking about this, I want to point out again for those who accuse me of shamelessly promoting myself, here again is something that I could have links to on this site *IF* I were shamelessly promoting myself, but I have never mentioned, but other people find on their own and speak about after finding on their own. Either A.) I am too stupid to figure out how to post a link in my signature, or B.) I am really here answering questions more than anything else.)

James I did wonder why you didn't actually carry out a treatment and then I thought maybe he's got a secret fast technique that he wants to keep to himself!:-)

Good G-d, the female host of the show was soooooooo anxious that I was going to sneak and perform a treatment on her that she was ready to blast off the treatment table at a moment's notice. She was also soooooo not pleased with the idea that anyone might get the idea that she actually NEEDED my services that she made us PROMISE that we would point out that she was NOT a client, and DID NOT have any hair problems on her face.

Had I had my way, we would not have even used her, but it was not my show, and wrangling her was not my department. I just let them set up in my place, and got in my chair when they were ready to roll.

I wanted to just use the lady we did treatments on, but the host insisted that we have his lovely co-host in the piece. Like I said, we did film a treatment, but they never cut it into the aired piece, even though it was teased as "Coming up next" in the raw footage, and they did not edit that out of what they posted on the web. On the air, they just did a Letterman/Leno deal and said that they had run out of time, and would have me back again sometime in the future.

The lady on my web page was the willing model for treatment for the show, and the stills you see on the site were taken during that shoot. Wouldn't she have been a much better person to have on the table? Wouldn't live hair removal have been more educational? Anyway, if you look at my pictures of treatment on my site (still under construction as the web person who put it up made NUMEROUS MISTAKES and has been unresponsive about fixing them) you will be able to use your imagination as to what the unaired footage looked like. I did her whole upper lip and various chin and cheek hairs in less than ten minutes, even with the slower pace used for the cameras.

I tell you media is always a let down. Unless you buy the time and put out your own thing, you will never like what is put out there.

Never heard of VOETV. What's that about?

I think you did a great job explaining everything, James. Such a pleasant guy you are! The lady on the table may as well have been a manican (sorry Rose...!) How purposeful it would have been to show an actual electrolysis treatment in action over a span of 20-30 minutes!

VOETV is a mixed bag of celebrity interviews, fandom chit chat, entertainment info and then you have weird segments like explaining electrolysis.
I think the episode with me aired with a pro wrestler interview as my lead in...or was I the lead in for the Pro Wrestler? I don't know.

Oh, and one more thing. I was sick that day and spent the entire taping trying not to cough like a tuberculosis victum.

Yep I had also noticed that she was terrified that you might do something especially when she said "careful" I thought she makes it sound as though he's bit accident prone and goes around stabbing people with his needle and yes now i understand why you kept constantly telling the camera that Lisa-Rose has no hair. Which did make her lying on the table a bit pointless. But never mind the information you provided was excellent. I know I had better start increasing my water in take.

Is there a torrent or YouTube link for the VOETV interview?