The It Works Wrap class action settlement addresses years of deceptive advertising claims made by the company about its body wrap and weight loss products, including Thermofight X, Slimming Gummies, Carb Control, and Fat Fighter. A dedicated settlement website at itworksclassaction.com has been established for consumers in the United States who purchased these products from 2017 to the present day to file claims and seek compensation for misleading marketing. The core issue: It Works marketed temporary results from body wraps as permanent and promoted weight loss supplements with unsubstantiated health benefits, leading to a class action that represents thousands of consumers who were deceived about what these products could actually deliver.
This litigation stems from years of mounting complaints and regulatory findings that it Works’ advertising overstated the effectiveness and permanence of its products. Between 2014 and 2016, the Better Business Bureau recorded 362 complaints about the company, while the Federal Trade Commission received 281 complaints during the same period. Beyond advertising deception, customers reported systemic problems including receiving wrong products, being unable to cancel automatic shipments without difficulty, and struggling to reach customer service to resolve issues. For anyone who purchased It Works products during this timeframe, understanding the settlement and how to file a claim is essential to recovering compensation for money spent on products that didn’t work as advertised.
Table of Contents
- What Does the It Works Body Wrap Actually Do?
- The Scientific Void Behind Weight Loss Product Claims
- The Complaint Pattern That Led to the Settlement
- How the Settlement Website Works and Filing a Claim
- Red Flags in It Works’ Marketing That Harmed Consumers
- Broader Context of Supplement Industry Deception
- What Happened to It Works After the Settlement
What Does the It Works Body Wrap Actually Do?
The It Works Wrap, marketed as the “Crazy Wrap Thing,” was promoted as a solution that could reduce the appearance of cellulite, tighten skin, and produce visible body contouring results within 12 hours of application. The company’s advertising suggested these wraps contained special botanical ingredients that would “pull out toxins” and produce lasting changes to skin appearance and body shape. Customers applied these wraps to target areas—typically the abdomen, thighs, or arms—and were led to believe they would see permanent or long-term improvements. In reality, the Better Business Bureau’s investigation in 2019 (Case #7-2019) determined that any results from the wraps are temporary and typically fade within days.
The firm’s conclusion was direct: It Works had overstated the permanence and durability of results in its marketing materials. Dermatologists confirm this finding. Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a prominent dermatologist, stated plainly: “There’s absolutely no data to say [wraps] help with cellulite or saggy skin.” A Washington D.C. dermatologist further clarified that “there’s never been any real scientific evidence that body wraps pull out toxins or purify your body.” The marketing suggested consumers would see lasting changes; in practice, customers experienced temporary tightening that disappeared when the wrap was removed.
The Scientific Void Behind Weight Loss Product Claims
It Works also marketed a range of weight loss and metabolic products—Thermofight X, Slimming Gummies, Carb Control, and Fat Fighter—as effective solutions for weight management and fat burning. These supplements were promoted with health claims suggesting they could boost metabolism, block carbohydrate absorption, or promote significant fat loss. For consumers spending money on these products expecting proven results, the reality was disappointing: no peer-reviewed scientific evidence supports these claims. The lack of rigorous scientific backing is a critical limitation consumers need to understand.
While the company made specific health benefit claims in its advertising, the scientific community has found no credible data demonstrating that these supplements work as marketed. This is a major red flag in the supplement industry—many products make appealing promises about metabolism and weight loss, but few have undergone the kind of clinical testing that would establish real effectiveness. The FTC’s enforcement action against It Works underscores that marketing claims must be backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence, and It Works fell short of this standard. Consumers who bought these products expecting them to deliver measurable weight loss or metabolism boosts were essentially paying for marketing claims rather than proven health benefits.
The Complaint Pattern That Led to the Settlement
Between December 2014 and January 2016, complaint data reveals a consistent pattern of customer dissatisfaction with It Works that extended far beyond the false advertising claims about product effectiveness. The Better Business Bureau received 362 complaints about the company, while the Federal Trade Commission documented 281 complaints during overlapping months. These complaints fell into several recurring categories: customers reported receiving wrong products in their shipments, struggling to cancel automatic subscription renewals, and facing significant barriers when trying to contact customer service to resolve problems. The auto-shipment cancellation issue proved particularly frustrating for consumers.
Many customers signed up for It Works’ auto-renewal programs to receive discounts or convenience, only to discover that canceling these subscriptions was deliberately difficult. Instead of a straightforward cancellation process, customers encountered obstacles like unresponsive customer service, requirements to call rather than cancel online, or fees imposed for cancellation. This pattern of making it easy to sign up but hard to cancel is a well-documented deceptive practice across the supplement industry. The cumulative effect—false advertising combined with operational practices that trapped customers in unwanted subscriptions—created a compelling basis for class action litigation.
How the Settlement Website Works and Filing a Claim
Consumers who purchased It Works products during the qualifying period from 2017 to the present can file a claim through the official settlement website at itworksclassaction.com. The settlement allows consumers to seek compensation based on their purchase history, with the amount varying depending on factors like the number of products purchased, the total amount spent, and the settlement fund distribution. Rather than navigating a complex legal process themselves, consumers use the settlement website to submit their claim information, typically including proof of purchase or order details. The settlement process represents an alternative to individual lawsuits, which would be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming for most consumers.
Instead of each person filing their own case against It Works, the class action consolidates thousands of claims into a single negotiated settlement. This approach typically results in faster payouts and guaranteed compensation rather than the unpredictable outcomes of individual litigation. However, consumers should understand that settlement payouts are usually not dollar-for-dollar reimbursement of their losses. The settlement fund is divided among all eligible claimants, meaning each person receives a portion of the negotiated amount based on their individual purchase history. Filing early is advantageous, as deadlines apply and claims submitted after the deadline are not eligible for compensation.
Red Flags in It Works’ Marketing That Harmed Consumers
It Works’ advertising strategy relied on before-and-after photographs and testimonials from customers showing dramatic transformations from body wraps and weight loss products. These images were displayed prominently on the company’s website, in social media advertising, and in promotional materials, creating the visual impression that consumers could achieve similar results. The problem: many of these results were exaggerated, temporary, or achieved through photo manipulation and strategic posing rather than genuine product effectiveness. The use of before-and-after imagery without clear disclaimers about the temporary nature of results or lack of scientific evidence represents a significant consumer protection violation.
Consumers, particularly those without medical or scientific training, reasonably interpreted these images as evidence that the products worked as claimed. In reality, the temporary tightening from a wrap or the modest effects of caffeine in a thermogenic supplement are not comparable to the dramatic transformations shown in promotional materials. This gap between marketing claims and actual product performance is why the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau took action against the company. For consumers who were influenced by these images and spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on It Works products expecting comparable results, the settlement provides a path to compensation for money spent based on deceptive marketing practices.
Broader Context of Supplement Industry Deception
It Works is not an isolated case in the supplement industry, where misleading claims about weight loss, metabolism, and body contouring are common. The Federal Trade Commission regularly pursues enforcement actions against supplement companies that make unsubstantiated health claims. The difference with It Works was the scale of deception—years of misleading advertising combined with systemic problems in customer service and subscription management—that warranted a class action settlement.
Understanding the It Works case helps consumers recognize similar red flags in other supplement marketing. If a product advertises dramatic before-and-after transformations, promises rapid results, or claims to “detoxify” or “purify” the body without rigorous scientific backing, these are warning signs of deceptive marketing. The supplement industry is less heavily regulated than pharmaceuticals, which means companies often make claims that would never be permitted for FDA-approved drugs. Consumers should approach supplement marketing with skepticism and look for third-party scientific evidence rather than relying on company testimonials or promotional images.
What Happened to It Works After the Settlement
The It Works settlement reflects the company’s accountability for years of deceptive advertising, but the litigation also signals broader regulatory scrutiny of the supplement and weight loss industry. As consumer awareness of deceptive marketing practices increases and regulatory agencies prioritize enforcement, companies that make false health claims face growing legal and financial risk. The establishment of a dedicated settlement website and the requirement to compensate harmed consumers sends a message to other companies in the industry about the consequences of misleading marketing.
For consumers considering It Works products or similar supplement brands, the settlement case demonstrates that companies’ marketing claims should not be taken at face value. Regulatory action and class settlements typically come years after deceptive practices have already harmed thousands of consumers. The most effective consumer protection is healthy skepticism: demanding credible scientific evidence, understanding that supplement claims are often unsubstantiated, and recognizing that regulatory violations and settlements are red flags about a company’s business practices and integrity.
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