SmileDirectClub Going Kala Da Customers From NDAs In One Settle 🤐🦷
Da telehealth company dat call demself SmileDirectClub, dey one mail-order orthodontic service, and dey just wen agree fo’ let go all da customers who wen ask fo’ kala back from da nondisclosure agreements. Dis was all part of one settlement with da attorney general of da District of Columbia. 🏛️
Dis settlement, dat wen get announced on Thursday, going let 17,000 customers talk out loud about dea experiences wit SmileDirectClub’s teeth straighteners, said da attorney general, one guy named Brian L. Schwalb. Befo’ dis, da company wen ask customers who like kala back fo’ promise no fo’ talk about dea experiences and delete all da bad kine posts about da company from social media. 📣
Back in 2020, The New York Times wen report dat SmileDirectClub was tying up these confidentiality agreements wit some refunds. Den, da District of Columbia attorney general’s office wen sue da company in 2022, accusing dem of blocking customers who got hurt by da company’s services from making stink wit regulators or da cops. 🚔
“SmileDirectClub wen promise one easy, safe, and cheap kine way fo’ straighten teeth and was all show off wit five-star reviews — but behind da curtain, da company wen shut up da unhappy customers and hide all da complaints about injuries caused by dea products,” Mr. Schwalb wen say.
SmileDirectClub, who also wen agree fo’ cough up $500,000, wen say in da settlement dat dey never did break da law or do anything shady or tricky. 💰
Da top legal officer of SmileDirectClub, one wahine named Susan Greenspon Rammelt, wen say dat da claims dat da company was trying fo’ stop da bad consumer feedback was all “making up stuffs.” She wen say dat da company never did ask customers fo’ sign one nondisclosure agreement if dey wen ask fo’ kala back within 30 days of getting dea aligners and dat de agreements could have been talked over. 🤫
Da company wen say dat dea release form was modeled aftah one used by da orthodontics industry and dat dey had already been planning fo’ “tailor da nondisclosure provision more small kine.”
Da services from SmileDirectClub, which cheaper den da regular kine orthodontics cause dey oftentimes no need face-to-face visits, wen catch plenty flack from dentists and orthodontist groups. Da company wen even sue some of dose who wen talk stink and wen accuse California’s dental board of trying fo’ choke out competition. 😷
SmileDirectClub wen go public in 2019, wen score $1.29 billion at one valuation of nearly $9 billion. Dey haven’t made any profit as one public company. Dea stock wen drop undah $1 a share, making da company worth only $166 million now. 📉
So, da question stay: what going happen next? Fo’ da customers, looks like dey going get da chance fo’ talk story about dea experiences wit SmileDirectClub. Fo’ da company, though, might be one long, hard road ahead. Only time going tell. ⌛
NOW IN ENGLISH
🤐🦷 SmileDirectClub to Release Customers from NDAs in Settlement
The telehealth company, known as SmileDirectClub, which offers mail-order orthodontic services, has recently agreed to release all customers who had requested refunds from their nondisclosure agreements. This action is part of a settlement with the Attorney General of the District of Columbia. 🏛️
This settlement, announced on Thursday, will allow 17,000 customers to openly discuss their experiences with SmileDirectClub’s teeth aligners, as stated by the Attorney General, a man named Brian L. Schwalb. Previously, the company had asked customers who desired refunds to promise not to talk about their experiences and to delete any negative posts about the company from social media. 📣
Back in 2020, The New York Times reported that SmileDirectClub had tied some refunds to confidentiality agreements. Then, in 2022, the District of Columbia Attorney General’s office sued the company, accusing them of blocking customers who were injured by the company’s services from lodging complaints with regulators or law enforcement. 🚔
“SmileDirectClub had promised a simple, safe, and affordable way to straighten teeth and boasted about their five-star reviews — but behind the scenes, the company silenced unhappy customers and hid all the complaints about injuries caused by their products,” Mr. Schwalb said.
SmileDirectClub, who also agreed to pay $500,000, stated in the settlement that they had not broken any laws or engaged in any shady or deceptive practices. 💰
The Chief Legal Officer of SmileDirectClub, a woman named Susan Greenspon Rammelt, said that the claims that the company had attempted to stop negative consumer feedback were entirely “fabricated.” She stated that the company had never asked customers to sign a nondisclosure agreement if they had asked for a refund within 30 days of receiving their aligners, and that the agreements could have been negotiable. 🤫
The company stated that their release form had been modeled after one used by the orthodontics industry, and that they had already been planning to “narrow down the nondisclosure provision.”
The services offered by SmileDirectClub, which are cheaper than traditional orthodontics because they often do not require in-person visits, have faced a lot of criticism from dental and orthodontic groups. The company has even sued some of these critics and accused California’s dental board of trying to stifle competition. 😷
SmileDirectClub went public in 2019, raising $1.29 billion at a valuation of nearly $9 billion. However, they have not turned a profit as a public company. Their stock has dropped below $1 per share, valuing the company at only $166 million now. 📉
So, the question remains: what will happen next? For the customers, it seems they will get the chance to share their experiences with SmileDirectClub. For the company, however, a long, challenging road could lie ahead. Only time will tell. ⌛
