BioLife Plasma Services
Reviews and Complaints

I had created an account on Thursday May 26th and set an appointment for the 27th in the afternoon. I went to the appointment and it was so hectic and chaotic environment that my anxiety (that I rarely get) was triggered and when I went to do my vitals the deferred me because my heart rate was too high. Ok... Fine, so I set a new appointment for the next morning since it will be Saturday and a little more calmer. I go to the appointment and everything is good, and then I get called up by this girl who looked like she was 12 years old. She is like kind of nervous and now I am sure she was new. She goes to poke my finger and nothing happens, she missed or didn't do it right and then she tries again on the other finger and again same thing! Then they proceed to tell me that they can only poke me twice, even though they didn't even poke me once, and that I would have to come back for a third time! I said no, I am never going back there again. Very bad experience. But I want to be removed from there system and not have anything to do with them.

I'm trying to get more information on becoming a donor and prepare myself for my appointment in entirety before scheduling one online and there has been no answer everytime I try to call. The website states stipulations are site specific so without access to information I will be walking into an appointment unprepared if I do schedule due to lack of service and that's not really the type of people I want handling my medical needs. No customer service or corporate number to call either.

As I was coming in for my donation I arrived at 7:04pm and went straight to the kiosk. I was able to start my questionnaire. When I was approached by a front desk staff member and rudely was repeatedly told they don’t have 7:00pm appointments I insisted that my appointment was for 7:00pm she argued very rudely with me and insisted that I was lying and I didn’t have a 7:00pm appointment. I then began to show her I did have a appointment at 7:00pm on my biolife app she insisted I would not be donating there and that there is no such appointment at 7:00pm. I asked for a manager and a supervisor validated they do in fact have a 7:00pm appointment. I have been told by many staff members that there is a 4 minute grace period. I had made my appointment within the grace period. I was very happy. Until the very rude disrespectful staff member approached me. She not only completely disregarded me but I can honestly say she also embarrassed me by how she treated me. I donate not for the compensation alone but primarily because my father had a plasma transfusion which helped him overcome COVID 19.

It makes it very hard when people act very rude and unprofessional. I really do hope this doesn’t happen again. Up until this point I had enjoyed coming into this facility. But after this unpleasant encounter. I may have to change locations if not give up on my future donations. Never have I been so rudely treated in a professional environment.

The experience I had donating was so awful that it detoured me from ever wanting to donate again and also is leading me to warn everyone I know not to go here.

Firstly, I showed the woman doing the initial finger [censored] my ‘BioLife’ app that included the coupon I was using that day. She was unable to find the coupon in the system so had someone else come over and try to find it. As they were both unable to find the coupon in their system they told me to proceed with the process and begin my donation, and at the end they would provide a matching coupon code to coincide with the one I provided on my app.

As I was starting the donating process, the phlebotomist begins putting the needle in my arm. An immediate pain was shooting up and down, throughout my arm. She proceeded to keep digging the needle vigorously in my arm stating my “vein was swimming around.” She then asks another phlebotomist in that section to assist, and as the other phlebotomist was walking over a massive hematoma began forming. The sight of the hematoma mixed with the agonizing vein digging made me pass out for a few seconds and feel close to vomiting.

They were asking for assistance from other sections and no one was helpful in assisting them. They proceeded to ask if I wanted to continue to my surprise. I abruptly answered no and wanted to get out of there as soon as humanly possible.

The nurse took me to her office and made sure my vitals were okay. During that time, the manager, I’m assuming, came over to talk to me about the coupon. She said the coupon on my app was ‘invalid,’ and could only be used at the Boise location. Its so misleading and seems like they are playing games or trying to trick the people coming in. They said the location on the app changes, but the location that I go to and only one I’ve donated at is in Nampa. Why would the app automatically fill in the Boise location? This, tied in with the extremely painful needle digging incident left me feeling traumatized and disgusted by the facility.

I understand that people have different reasons for coming her, but the overall objective of these places are to use plasma to help people in need. Why would they treat the people donating their plasma so poorly? It’s been 5 days since and my arm is still in so much pain and severely bruised. I’m so disappointed by this entire situation and felt the need to write this in hopes of preventing this from happening again. Reimbursement for this experience should be provided.

So I going to donate and I get a tech that is her first day working for BioLife she continues to [censored] my finger without her visor on then she goes to fill up the test tube and I tell her to put a visor on so she stops feeling the test tube up lays it on the counter put your visor on picks the test too bad and then continues to fill it up sticks it in the machine forgets to start the machine until after she's already taking all my vitals so in the machine finally just finished doing what it's supposed to be doing she pulls it out lays it back on the counter then picks it up puts it on the machine and starts pressing buttons really quickly and then tells me that my numbers are too low and now I'm deferred I travel in the morning on public transportation clean across town for a improperly trained technician to run a test that she doesn't even know how to operate cost me $45 and all I can say well sorry there's nothing we can do but watch it from here on out they should have been watching it for the very beginning

I posted on here weeks ago and only response I ever got was that they would pass my info on to the powers that be and they would respond soon. What a joke. All anyone has done is totally ignore me and the situation. This company doesn't care about the donors at all because they have more than they can handle already. All about the money

10 year donor of over 650 donations at the Bellingham, WA location

The Tukwilla, WA location needs to either stop taking so many people or just do appointments till they get more employees. I had an appointment and been here an hour and still haven’t had anyone come hook the machine up/start my donation. All beds are full and there is 6 people in line waiting for a bed & 8 people waiting in line for vitals. If I didn’t live 45min away I would leave.

On may 18, 2022 at 4:30 my autistic Dyslexic husband Jamall Lyles went in as a new donor telling the staff upon arrival of his disabilities and they proceeded to make him do the questionnaire by himself. No accommodations were made on his behalf resulting in him being unable to donate and after he failed the required questionnaire they proceeded to tell him to make another appointment wasting his time going up the the facility and the money spent getting there and I believe he was discriminated against due to his disabilities and I don’t believe it was fair to him.

Had an appointment scheduled for Thursday, May 12 @ 9:10am. I am a new donor. Have never been there before. Walked in. A lady with glasses (no name given, she was a light skinned African woman) asked why I was there. I told her new donor. She immediately had me follow her to do a vein check & said unfortunately you need to make an appointment. I DID. She didn’t ask. Told me to come back another day & make sure I schedule an appointment. Again, I DID. Didn’t even get my name or put me in the system, which isn’t normal. I’ve donated at CSL before. I think she was rude. They were busy. I thought new donors were treated better than that, & put in the system right away. She didn’t even ask for my info.

I started my lapsed donor promo on 5-3-22. I only donated three times and my promotion is expired. I should have had 30 days from my initial donation to complete promotion. I called my center and they said my promotion expired 30 days from when I applied coupon to my app, apologized and said there was nothing they could do. This was at the center in Dekalb, Il.

They wont let me donate cause they think I have a personality disorder and I have to have a dr note but they wont accept a written note from my dr. The staff at both centers in cedar rapids have treated me like a criminal and telling me I can donate the nexted day but still refuse me for no reasons. Im a good person im a straight A student and trying to better my self abd ur staff keeps treating me like crap. I said thry make me feel like I have a personality disorder that shouldnt require a note from me dr.

Appt today 5/13/2022 and waited for 30-45 min after. Upon doing basic info check, I was advised that they needed to check my veins. I’m 60 years old and have donated blood many times With no problems! First tech said the my vein was too soft? Second said looks like your right arm vine is a little small? Third looked at veins and told me that because of the machines set at high that I may suffer a hemorrhage or hematoma? At this point after the Q & A after fluids and stuff, I was advised to returned later time as that would make a huge difference! My veins and consumption of fluids are not the problems! But there discrimination and

Pulling me out before anything else shows that they are trained to stop seniors from going on with the donations processing!

I have been going to the Indy(Rockville Rd) location for the past two months. I have had some of the worst experiences. I have had some of the rudest workers ever. On my most recent time I can tell you I had the worst experience of my life and I will not be returning. I had a "Supervisor" that could not get my vein. If you are a supervisor I feel like it is your job to know what you are doing. Before I even sat down I watched this "Supervisor" miss three peoples veins on both arms. Yes I understand that not everyone has good veins and they are hard to get too. The time before that I watched this same supervisor do the same thing to three other people again. I have had no problem other than from this one girl. She always seems to have a bad attitude and is annoyed with the fact that she even has to be at work. I have been going to this location for a little over two months and I can tell you every other time I have no had to deal with her was great. They were able to stick me once and get it no problem. I asked one of the girls if i needed to do something to not get the Supervisor that I did not want and she had one of the male supervisors explain to me I could ask for some one else, I would have done that this last time if i could have, she didn't even give me a chance. After she was done I told her I wasn't going to let her stick me in the other arm. I was done. I then asked if i could just talk to her supervisor and she snapped back at me and said well I am a supervisor. I calmly asked if there was someone else I could talk to. So while she grabbed the other lady supervisor she whispered something to her. The older supervisor lady seemed annoyed that I asked to talk to her. I was made to talk about my problem in front of everyone. I calmly stated that I didn't feel okay being stuck in both arms when it was not my fault she could not find my vein, I wanted to be able to get stuck by someone else that could do their job correctly. I feel like I should have the right to do that. I mean they are sticking you with a needle. I tried to explain to her that I had had no other problems with anyone else and I felt like I needed some one else to do the sticking. Before I could even finish my complaint she rudely stated because they are "paying" me for my donation they HAVE to stick me in both arms. I choose to donate because it helps people. I feel like it is their "JOB" to be able to get the donation. The lady I talked to had the worst attitude she was rude and not professional at all. She would not even look at me when we were talking. Before I could even finish what I was saying she would cut me off. I left the location and I will NOT be back. I find it sad that even after all the great service I had received that these two people treated me this way and have made me not want to donate anymore. I think that this location should really look at their employees and the way they treat people. The reason there is such a low supply might be because of the staff and they way they treat people. I will not be finishing my time at the indy location. I will be moving to a Kokomo location. I was driving an hour to donate because it was something I felt would help someone and after being told what I have the right to choose what I was to do with MY body even though I am being paid. I understand the pay is a bonus but that was not the reason I was doing it.

Thursday May 5 2022

I make an appointment for 4pm I arrive a hour early because it was my first time donating plasma.

I way in the front door a good 10pm before I was ask “ how I may help you “ I tell the lady I have appointment at 4pm.

After another good 10 more min. Another lady ask me the same question but this time the other look at her I tell her something I can not hear. She ask me do you eat. I said yes “ She said oh ok just get something to eat and come later” I said “ no, I already eat” they both look each other and walk away. Another persons come and ask me the same question “ Do you eat “ I said yes other person in the back said “ no you did not and I will ask you to get something to eat or leave and don’t come back”. I said to him I won’t get nothing to eat and do not leaving. He said well so I just have to call the police. I said go ahead and I sit down in a chair and ask him for a manager. He said all I calling is the police. After sitting down for 5 min a ask another person for a manager. She basically tell me the he was wrong that please go get something to eat and come back at 4 or change the appointment for next day. I said to her I will get something to eat went I not need to and I will comeback at 4 but I will send a complaint anyway. Went I come back I notice that a person was given ensure went she said she did not eat. The same lady tell me to leave was walking by me several times and keep looking me for no reason. Went I did ny vital off course my blood pleasure was over 100 because off the circumstances I was put on. I explain that to another lady said thank you and leave.

Why if you are short staff at the BioLife on Watson rd you keep excepting so many appointments it should not take three hours for this process get it together start paying your employees what there worth if that is the issue your turn around rate is high

My complaint is with the staff, I did have another complaint included to the manager but I feel like they can handle that internally without corporate:

I feel like Biolife has caused me so much stress, blaming me for not being able to train their people right. I will not have that. This was out of line the way I was treated and I want an apology from the staff member that complained as well as compensation for spending almost 30 minutes arguing my point when I was clearly in shock and blindsided by the whole thing, I didn’t even donate because I was so upset. This is a business, nobody is there to make friends and the fact that they are trying to cover up what was done to me by saying I was rude is not OK.

I sent the following to the management:

I was in this morning, we talked about the note on my file that I have had about not being nice to a trainee on Tuesday 5/3/2022 when I came in at noon. I am the tall foreign girl that broke down crying during that conversation. I honestly cannot let this go for several reasons:

1. The fact that what you were told was not correct

2. That I was put on the spot and had to deal with this issue when I signed up in the morning, and that the lady that [censored]ed my finger was expecting me to not be able to sign up and told me “I need to be seen first.”

3. That the same lady, was abrupt, when I complained on Tuesday, and didn’t even let me finish my sentence, but turned around to call the manager.

4. The manager not mentioning anything about my alleged rudeness, nor showing empathy or compassion, when I was explaining what had happened.

5. The fact that I had developed anxiety because of so many issues I had in the past 3 months at this location, and that the first time I have a complaint is when I am suddenly rude to the staff and the trainee.

a. I have never been rude to the staff. I was abrupt when they wanted to change my arms after the 3rd ‘adjustment’ this Tuesday, because I could still feel the needle in my arm every time I was pumping, but I was already so late that I said to the woman: “It is fine.” It was not fine clearly, but that does not make me rude. I have certainly not spoken to the trainee at all. Matter of fact, I was present on the trainee’s first day when he was shadowing, and I was super nice to him and to the lady that was training him.

b. The fact that that I have mentioned they could get my veins just fine at other location, so my veins were not the problem.

c. Not a single person cared that the trainee was shaking so bad, to the point where I was actually scared and nervous myself but that did not matter, nor did anyone ask me if I myself was OK.

6. Like I said, I am not a complainer, but when I finished they could not ‘complete’ the donation, because somebody that did the adjustment had to ‘sign off’ on it and one of the workers left a scanner under my coat on the seat so when I moved, it dropped on the ground, and I even apologized, but they just told me ‘I can go.’ After that I asked to speak to the manager because I was upset.

7. I did not use cuss word, was offensive to the workers, nor the trainee, nor was I using any inappropriate language to communicate my grievances.

8. And lastly, I was so upset by this whole experience here that I was made to cry. I could not even donate because I was so upset and how it seemed. Even on my way out I dropped my meds I am prescribed, and some nice tech ran to me telling me I dropped blue pills which was so embarrassing, and I was beyond myself.