Ever since the whole Bio-life “we’ll pay you for your bodily fluids” thing started, I’ve wanted to donate and make some extra spending money. For some reason I’ve just never gotten around to it.
I hear that the people do the actual poking aren’t phlebotomists or pre-trained in any way (they train them after they are hired). I’ve also been hearing that some of these people are very inept at hitting a vein, and that if the person doing the draw makes a mistake and you can’t donate, you have a strike against you. After three strikes (which could very well be three errors on the part of the drawer) you are banned from donating forever.
To their credit, I’ve heard that some of the drawers are very good and generally sought after by the donators. I realize that in anything you usually hear more stories that are negative than positive.
I have a lot of customers spending their Bio-Life money here, so I know that there are a lot of people doing this. I’m curious what experiences people are having with Bio-Life.
Popularity: 2%
. Plus that leaves me a day to spend money elsewhere, so yes, there is money to be made on Sunday.
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{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
“I’ve heard…”
“I’ve been hearing…”
So what you’re saying is that everything you know about BioLife is hearsay?
Not a very convincing post. How about you call BioLife and ask them and then post based on the facts, not hearsay?
Top ↑“I don’t know anything about them, but I heard….” how childish.
Top ↑Hm. I’ve never done the bio-life thing, and I’d love to hear from folks in the comments who have been, to get their first hand experiences.
Top ↑Sheesh people, that’s all I’m looking for is some input.
Has anyone here been there? I’m just curious what kinds of experiences people are having.
Top ↑My girlfriend tried to sign up but they wouldn’t accept her because she lived in England for a year back in the early 90′s. There was a mad cow outbreak in England at that time and it apparently has banned her from ever donating blood or plasma again for her entire life even though she’s never had an issue with it.
Top ↑Bio Life is very picky. They will take only certain people, and will reject people who are taking certain drugs and other factors are involved. I went, and because of my meds, they wouldn’t take me, it was a great waste of time. They should put some kind of small print in there advertisements at least, to let people know about it.
Top ↑So it’s a place that gives you money for your blood IF your blood is cooperative and good enough?
Top ↑I can understand that they need to make sure that the plasma is free of contaminants of any kind, I wouldn’t want to have to worry that I was going to catch something from a transfusion (is that what they call receiving plasma?).
Top ↑I don’t get it. Are they a plasma donation center or do they take other “body fluids”? I’m sure places like these see a real increase in donors when the economy is bad. I did plasma donation back in my poor days for a little extra money. I know zilch about Biolife, except while shopping last Thursday in town I overheard two girls complaining about the place, saying something like “now she has to wait to donate x amount of weeks and she loses out on $400″ – whatever that meant. I, too, would be interested in hearing local experiences.
Top ↑i went to biolife to try to give my plasma, and after 3 hours finally found out i couldnt, after having spent most of my life in europe. This is after going through all the tests and then the questions, which were stopped in midstream while the lady went to attend to some sort of crisis, came back 30 mins later and next question about living in europe came up and i was told i was deferred indefinitely (until a test is available for mad cow disease)
Top ↑Though for anyone thinking it is a sure 200 dollars a month, i wouldnt depend on it, because you cannot give
plasma when you are ill, have allergies or if your arm bruises when you give the plasma. You have to wait until all those things are cleared up.
Alice, here’s a shocking suggestion:
If you’re looking for information on BioLife, how about you…I don’t know…GO DOWN THERE AND TALK TO SOMEONE AT BIOLIFE???
Seriously, you prefer to get your information from a random blog?
Top ↑Damn people, cut the girl some slack! This is why I don’t bother to post new topics anymore, because of the barrage of BS I get for whatever topic I feel like discussing.
Top ↑Here’s a shocking suggestion to JP and the others who would rather bash the poster than contribute anything meaningful to the discussion…..if you don’t have anything worthwhile to offer this or any other topic, shut the hell up!
And thanks to everyone else for their meaningful discussion.
Ironically, I would have to agree with “crazy!” While I don’t think it’s an adequate excuse for not posting, let’s not bash people who take the initiative to contribute a post simply because they don’t know everything there is to know about a topic. Instead, they should be thanked for introducing a topic for discussion. By the way, asking BioLife and nothing else, wouldn’t necessarily result in enough information either.
Often people have a lot of valuable perspectives and information to share on a topic but they will only do so in a comment on someone else’s post. All that’s needed is a decent post on a given topic to get that going.
Thank you Alice for posting on this topic – keep it up. While it’s important to verify rumor and “what we hear” as much as possible (which is why she posted and is asking questions), the simple fact is that a lot of valuable information cannot by obtained by only “going to the source.” I believe I’m not alone in stating that I don’t want people to hold back what they’ve heard from other people (as long as it’s done responsibly) – whether it’s from BioLife or others who have gone to BioLife. For instance, if you want to find out people’s experiences and opinions about Wal-Mart, a public forum is one excellent and smart place to ask. Does anyone believe you are going to get the same variety of opinions by showing up to Wal-Mart and asking the store/franchise owner or some manager?
While some posts here have been in the format of a newspaper article (which is great too), this is not the New York Times and Alice is not being paid as a journalist. I doubt there’s any budget for such things.
This is a community discussion website. Alice’s perspective as a store owner is particularly valuable because of the people coming in to her store that she talks to. I also thought it interesting that a lot people are spending funds at her store that they earned at BioLife. This means that it’s not a scam and that they actually do pay.
Again, the greatest value of even the best newspaper article or blog post can often be the introduction of the topic itself. And last but not least, a big thank you for your posts too JP.
Top ↑JP, your hostility on this topic is kind of strange and doesn’t fit. So I wonder if you have any emotional stake in this topic. I don’t see anything unusual about Alice’s post. She brings up a topic, tells whatever she knows, and asks questions. That is pretty much what a good blog post should be.
So JP, do you have any connection with BioLife? And if you did, would you tell us? Otherwise it may be that your hormones are just out of balance this week. As a woman, I know how that can be but men have their share of hormonal problems too. There are some good supplements out there – check it out.
Regarding BioLife. I have never been there. I have donated blood before but never plasma. There is something about putting stuff back IN my body that freaks me out. If they need something I wish they would just take it and not give anything back! I know this probably has more to do with a phobia and not the facts. I’m just sayin’
Top ↑RE: “Not a very convincing post.”
Grow up JP! And what is it exactly that you thought Alice was trying to convince you of?
Top ↑No, your comment is childish. She as an adult likes to be thoughtful and smart enough to point out the difference between what she knows and what she has heard. Most “adults” aren’t grown up to make that distinction at all.
Top ↑I have been there twice and was paid on a debit card. The second time I went, I had a very bad experience with them missing my vein. The first time went OK though so I’m on the fence about it. I think I will go again but I’ll make sure I don’t get the same person, and look for the one I had the first time.
Top ↑That was a pretty lame comment, JP. This isn’t a court of law. Hearsay and the rules of evidence don’t really apply. The post above is exactly what this site is here for (in my opinion anyway). An idea or question is presented and people comment on it. I suppose I would advise you to impose your own logic on yourself next time. That is, since you obviously know nothing about Bio-Life and don’t have any facts to contribute, save your vapid posts for some other site.
That said: Alice, I have been considering going to Bio-Life myself and donating because I could really use the extra cash at the moment. What has kept me from going thus far is the length of time required for the very first visit. I have spoken with them over the phone and also read the PDF pamphlet they provide on their website and it seems there is a full physical and analysis done on every donor prior to their first draw. It ends up being a two or three hour commitment. Not easy for folks that work full time.
I had not heard that their staff was not composed of certified phlebotomists. That makes me a bit nervous, though, because my veins aren’t easy to hit.
Top ↑I’m an irregular donor at Biolife, but I have donated over 80 times during the last 14 months, so I like to think that I have picked up a thing or two about the process. Here is what I know:
On a person’s first visit to the center, they will have to undergo a medical exam as well as read a lot of literature and sign off on the computer that they have read and understand it. Also, one will have to get a visual/manual vein check to see how difficult ones veins are to find. If after all this you are deemed eligible, then you get to donate. The medical exam, after your first one, only takes place once a year.
The donation process takes me, on average, 1.5 hours. That is from when I enter to the building to leaving it again. I enter, sign in, and go answer a bunch of questions on the computer about my recent history (they are two ‘yes’ answers and the rest are ‘no’ answers) and get weighed in. A person’s weight determines how much plasma that they can donate at one time. Since I’m over 200lbs I donate the most which is 880mL.
After weigh in I do to the ‘pre-check’ area where my vitals are taken and I get my first poke, in my finger, that checks something… I think! Once I get cleared here, which is most of the time, I can go get a couch and start pumping out plasma. The odd time, I don’t make it through pre-check; either something in my blood is off, hydration and red blood cell count (I don’t really know), or my vitals are off. If that is the case I can’t donate that day but I could come back the following day.
At the couch I have to wait for my file to be delivered and they confirm my name and the last 4 digits of my social security number. This is the third time I do this since entering the building. A pressure cuff is then put on my arm, my vein is marked, and the area is swabbed with iodine. Once that is done, a nice and fat needle is stuck into my vein. If the tech is really bad (or just having an off day), they might miss my vein and have to dig around for it. If the tech is really good then I barely feel the needle. For most, I feel the poke as well as some pain that doesn’t last. Then I sit there while the machine I’m hooked up to draws out my blood, splits the plasma from it then returns the red blood cells. One cycle usually takes about 5 minutes. It usually takes me about 12 cycles.
If something happens with the vein (regardless if it was a bad poke or just an uncooperative vein) and my red blood cells can’t be returned to me, then a tech will switch the needle to the opposite arm. If things continue to go wrong and I can’t get my red blood cells back then it counts as a loss for me. If I have too losses within 8 weeks then I have to be deferred for sometime (8 weeks I believe). As far as I believe, once the tech sticks you then you are going to get paid regardless of what else happens.
My first donation in a week earns me $20. The second donation within the same calendar week earns me $30. So if I do it for 4 weeks, twice a week. I can make $200 a month. For me, that is money earned while laying down reading a book.
In my time at Biolife, I’ve only had one loss and two big bruises caused by bad sticks. I have, however, built up some scar tissue in my veins that the tech has to push through to get into the blood stream. I have to little ‘track marks’ in the hollow of both elbows and my right index finger looks like the crates of the moon. For my troubles though, I have made over $1600 which had come in handy once in awhile!
I’ve always felt that Biolife has offered me more pros that cons, and I would recommend anyone to at least go and try it. At the worst you will be denied and will have wasted a few hours of your day; at the best you will make some easy money.
Top ↑Excellent description Jeremy. This may help many people with exactly what happens at our local place. When I was in college, we were able to lay back on beds and choose a movie to watch from a decent selection.
Does anyone know where our local center sends their plasma? Does it help out in Idaho or are they shipping it out of state? Jeremy, could you inquire on your next visit?
Top ↑Thanks for the info Jeremy. In my asking around I have definitely found more people happy with the process than not.
Top ↑BioLife has a terrible reputation. They don’t pay their people anything and have very poorly trained staff who often injure — and in some cases kill donors. Thye also promise $20 to $25 a vist and sometimes cut the pay to $5, saying the individual’s plasma was of “low qulaity.”
Most of the people giving plasma are homeless and in deperate need of cash, so it is very pathetic how they take advantage of people.
Top ↑personally i wouldnt go to the BioLife in Ammon, Idaho. their staff are poorly trained. i just got back from there and they messed up my vein in the my right arm. so they took the needle out and poked my left arm(for no reason), come to find out that the line was to clotted for them to continue with my donation. so now i have been deferred for 90 days. Ammon, Idaho is not worth the time.
Top ↑I use to work their, it is a hell hole. Hardly any breaks, lunches, sometimes, about 6 or 7 hours into our shift when the next shift comes in. Yes, the training is terrible we watch a few videos and do a couple of “tests”. Now we are ready to stick! We get to watch a couple, then we do it. Certificate? NOPE. We train on site, training on the donors. Only thing the center cares about is getting “donors” aka cattle in and out as fast as possible, the faster the processing time, the happier corporate and the donors. When I left we were doing around 400 donors a day, which is ridiculous for the amount of staff working. We are told to only change gloves when you can actually see blood on them, but hey who cares about plasma, or saliva from the thermometer probes, donors cant see that on our gloves. It takes too long to change gloves for every donor, so we are trained not too. I would never “donate” after working for that company and doing research on Baxter, and researching what “donating” does to your body and immune system. And if you are trying to save a life, go to American Red Cross or a non profit donation center, and not to a profit corporation making billions of dollars turning plasma into medications that they set the market price for. If any one has any questions I would be glad to answer them. I would suggest that you don’t donate, its not worth the risk of infection, abuse on your veins, immune system, etc.
Top ↑I have never visited a plasma donation site. I believe that I serve the community better by donating my blood to the American Red Cross. I do not receive money for my donation but you can earn t-shirts and pin for you efforts under the Holiday Heroes program. Our local chapter here in Idaho Falls has a great staff and it usually takes just about 1 hour from sign-in throught the medical questionaire and then the donation process. You are given information at the beginning to let you know the reasons why you might not be eligible to donate, including living in Europe in the 1990s and visiting Africa in the last year. Medication can also affect your chances of donating. I have only had one bad experience from a blood draw with bruising of my arm, BUT all their staff that draw blood are highly trained phlebotomists. Make sure you are well hydrated, it makes it eaiser to donate. Our local office on 17th next to the old Hastings building is open Monday afternoons and Friday morning for donation. To ask questions or set an appointment you can call 208-522-0327.
Top ↑I store my own blood supply in my freezer like Kramer does. I suggest everyone else do the same.
Top ↑I suggest you don’t. The Vampires will smell out where you live and the last thing you might see is that sparkly skin and fangs. (shudder)
Top ↑I thought only strippers had sparkly skin….ie: glitter
Top ↑Not that I would know, but I hear things.
From personal experience (AKA my wife), the staff usually does a good job at hitting the vein and getting you in and out in an orderly fashion, not wasting your day.
From a marketing standpoint, for every negative response you receive / experience voiced, depending on your current volume and returning customer base, there are several others that have no complaints. Negative feedback is often times most of the feedback returned, and is a good gauge of just how well you’re doing, as counter intuitive as that is.
A good rule of thumb is if the business is still in business, and you’re seeing a customer base on each visit, they must be doing something right.
Top ↑You’re very correct, I’ve read an estimate that for every good review a business gets they will get 11 bad ones, just because happy people don’t bother.
I’m guessing from the vast amount of the telltale bandages that I see around town that there are many people happy with the service.
Top ↑old friend, this isn’t an old rule of thumb business, they are about making money as fast as possible and aren’t about customer service, they want donors in and out as fast as possible, even if it means never changing gloves and contaminating plasma sellers. People aren’t going for a service or “donating”, they are going for the money. If they didnt pay people, they wouldn’t be running. And a lousy 20 dollars is worth it when they can turn around and sell the plasma for a thousand bucks a bottle.
Top ↑Let me tell you the story of a BioLife center in Great Falls, Mont. The center used to be a great place to work. It had a great manager, who also happened to be very easy on the eyes. It seems the males from Baxter corporate attractive woman on the payroll should submit to their wishes. When the regional manager, Clarence Wildeboer used to visit the facility, the manager always made sure another employee was in her office with her. Why? Because the regional manager used to close the door on her office and try to force himself upon her. Then a Dennis Young, president of BioLife, came to visit from California. They management team went out to dinner with Young, who got drunk and spent the whole meal trying to paw the manager — in front of other female workers. The manager finally complained to Brian Paprocki, the human resources manager in Deerfield. His response? He told the manager, who happened to be married, that it would be “career enhancing” if she would “please” some of the corporate crew. When the manager refused, Paparocki brought his assistant, a Nancy Engleman, to Great Falls for a witch hunt. I was one of the employees interviewed. I had nothing but good things to say about our manager, which frustrated Engleman. At one point, she said “I guess Miss Pretty is just Miss Perfect to you men. I’m going to find dirt on her one way or another.” It was clear that Engleman, a frumpy woman lacking looks, was jealous. I know a few days later our manager suddenly disappeared and was never seen at BioLife again. I asked Wildeboer what happened to her, and he said “some people just don’t play the game right.” BioLife brought in a older, rotund woman as manager. The Great Falls center is now a terrible place to work, but I guess Baxter is happy. At least no one has to worry about corporate hitting on the manager anymore.
Top ↑I donated at Bio-Life for about a year, and had no bad experiences at all. The only problem I have is that because I am diabetic, my blood sugar is so high I had to quit donating. I am under my Doctors care and am taking insulin shots along with oral meds. Hopefully, when my A1-C test comes back at 6 or 7, I can start donating again. I did however have some problems with my iron levels when they poked my finger. I’m a 49 year old woman, and was told that some women have a low iron level. I had to take good care of my health and eat right in order to donate. I found the staff to be very kind to me and treat me with respect, not like so called “cattle”. Jeremy was right on except, now I believe it’s only $20.00 and then $25.00, so only $45.00 a week now. For people like me who need the money for meds and food and gas (even though I do work full time), it really helps in this economy. The extra $180.00 a month or more if there are 5 weeks in a month, make a great difference to me. I really miss that money, and without it I’ve had to work extra hours to pay for all the meds I have to take. And I have no problem with working those hours, I’m not lazy, I’m just trying to survive on my own. So, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Everyone has their own experience, mine was great. So I thank you, Bio-Life, and I hope I can donate real soon, cause “YES” I will admit it, I am doing it for the money. Cause I need all the help I can get.
Top ↑Alice I have been going to Biolife for a few months now. I have not had any problems there myself. I must have good veins. Everyone there is very profesional and courteous to me each time I go in. Not everyone will have the same experience there just like they don’t have the same experiences at a certain doctor or tatoo shop.
Top ↑Yea, everybody pretty much has me convinced to give it a try, now I just have to get my butt in there!
Welcome, I think you’ll like it here;)
Top ↑