CREVE COEUR, Mo. — Pine View Medical Clinic widely advertises its erectile dysfunction treatment and has even been featured on Show Me St. Louis, but the BBB is giving the company an F-rating after what it calls a concerning pattern of complaints.
Like millions of men of a certain age, George Dinges is looking for a little more pep in his step, so he went to Pine View Medical Clinic.
"I saw their ads and they said they did all of these wonderful things,” said George Dinges. “You get younger and you get rejuvenated."
Dinges spent over $4,400 during his initial visit and returned to Pine View a second time for his first, and only, treatment.
"I went in for the treatment and they took me back in this back room,” said Dinges. “Some guy put a vibrator on me for a while. I guess it lasted 10 minutes and that was that."
5 On Your Side asked if he had ever actually met with a doctor.
"If there was a doctor there I didn't know it,” Dinges said.
It wasn't until Dinges told his personal doctor about his treatment that he started seeing red flags.
"He said that's garbage,” said Dinges. “That's not going to do anything."
Dinges called Pine View that day and asked for a refund.
"Only if you have a doctor’s note,” said Dinges. “We have to have a letter from your doctor. I complied and gave them what they wanted. That was the last I heard from them."
This is a story that Sarah Wetzel with the Better Business Bureau has heard from a number of Pine View patients.
"Pine View Medical does have an F-rating with the Better Business Bureau right now because of the complaints we have received,” said Sarah Wetzel. “That is high-pressure sales tactics, discrepancies in advertising, and unsatisfied customers that aren't getting anything resolved."
5 On Your Side reached out to Pine View and a spokesperson acknowledged issues at the site in the past that a new management team is working to correct, though he didn't offer specifics as to what that entailed.
"Whenever we see things like that we want to let consumers know that if they do business with this company to use caution,” Wetzel said.