FOX 8 Defenders: Loan company waives more money owed by men’s clinic patients

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE)—A loan company has waived a substantial debt owed by men who visited a Metairie clinic before its sudden closure. At least one man claims he never received treatment there.

Spring View Medical Clinic in Metairie promoted a treatment for a rarely discussed health issue. A New Orleans man, whom we'll call "Bob," says he visited the clinic in October 2022 seeking ED treatment.

"I said, I might as well try this," he explained. "They said it was free to go and get an evaluation, so I decided to go and get an evaluation."

Bob signed up for 12 treatments and took out a $6,000 loan through Momnt Technologies, a financing company affiliated with Spring View. But before his first treatment, he says he faced a cancer scare and wanted to cancel.

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"I never ended up going back," he recalled. "They called me once, and I told them that due to my medical condition right now, I need to hold up on any of this type of treatment."

Bob says he contacted Spring View and Momnt to cancel the loan, and he even sent Momnt medical records to document his health issue.

"I had to send them my medical records and stuff like that to tell them, hey, something did happen to me. This stopped me from even wanting to get the treatments," he said.

According to Bob, Momnt informed him he'd need to resolve the matter directly with Spring View. But months later, he began receiving bills from Momnt despite never receiving treatment.

After repeated efforts to resolve the issue, Bob filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Atlanta, where Momnt is headquartered.

"This company does have a pattern of complaints," said Taelore Hicks, BBB Atlanta's media and public relations lead. "Basically, the pattern of complaints is alleging refund, contract, exchange, and billing issues."

Bob's experience isn't unique. In the past three years, 40 complaints have been filed against Momnt on the Atlanta BBB's website, some involving medical clinics owned by Wasatch Men's Group, which also owned Spring View in Metairie.

For nearly a year and a half, we've covered Spring View Medical Clinic extensively. It closed abruptly in June of last year, and since then, dozens of men have reached out to the FOX 8 Defenders for help.

Some reported pre-paying for treatments, while others were left with loans for services they never received. The complaints have prompted an investigation by the Louisiana Attorney General's office into Wasatch Men's Group.

"We've received several complaints that they have taken money and basically ran," said Mike Dupree from the Attorney General's office last year.

The Louisiana Attorney General's office says its investigation is ongoing. Attorneys general in multiple states are also investigating Wasatch after uncovering a network of more than 40 clinics operated by the group.

"When you see multiple states and multiple attorneys general coming together like that, it shows you that the investigation is expanding," FOX 8 legal analyst Joe Raspanti said. "It brings to mind that the investigation is gaining momentum and has more gravitas going forward."

Previously, only one man had his Momnt loan waived, following intervention by the Illinois Attorney General's office. Now, Momnt has also waived Bob's loan.

"We are very happy that we were able to help him," Hicks said, adding, "At Better Business Bureau we would say that this is definitely a success story."

Hicks says BBB staff reach out to Momnt for every complaint received, striving for a resolution.

One complaint filed in May reported that a patient went to Edge Brook Medical, another Wasatch clinic, for ED treatment and financed $6,000 through Momnt. After only six treatments, the clinic closed without warning.

In a similar case from October 15 on the BBB website, a patient at Maple Grove Medical Clinic in Maryland, another Wasatch clinic, was offered a partial debt waiver of $5,000 by Momnt, as he did not receive the full range of services he had financed.

While Hicks could not say why Bob's loan was fully waived, she explained, "Based off of their response, they said they did an investigation into his account and determined that he was eligible for a refund, which they gave him."

In a statement, Momnt said, "We are committed to resolving disputes and fulfilling our obligations to our consumers. Each dispute is unique and is taken seriously. We investigate all claims thoroughly and take appropriate action based on the results of the individual investigation."

The company declined to comment on specific accounts.

Back in New Orleans, Bob says he feels vindicated by the loan waiver but is angry about the process. "It's terrible," he said, adding, "I'd really like to use some words that I can't use on TV... to express my anger."

Bob says he wants to raise awareness about the clinic, which he believes left him and others with large bills for unfulfilled treatments.

Last year, Momnt Technologies sued Wasatch Men's Group in federal court, winning a $24 million judgment. Court records show that Momnt claimed to have received hundreds of complaints from men who said they hadn't received the promised medical services.

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