BioLife Plasma Services
Reviews and Complaints

The West Des Moines location has half it's sections shut down and is still being scheduled at full capacity. As donors we are expected to be here within 10 minutes of our appointments there's no reason at all we should have to wait two hours past our appointments to get started. Extremely unprofessional. With the daycare shut down some of us have allotted times for child care and can't afford this time issue.

Hello, my name is Amanda Buckmaster a former happy customer of biolife plasma at the mounds view location. Last week I went to donate plasma. It was utterly the most unpleasant experience for me. My appointment was for 6:05pm. I stood in line for almost 25 minutes to get my vitauls checked. 4 new donors got to be 1st in line, which made the wait even longer. I didn't get back to a seat until 6:35 pm. I waited about another 20 minutes for a nurse to come hook up the needle and machine. A male nurse finally hooked my right arm up, he had to adjust the needle because it was to far up on my arm.
Long story short, something didn't feel right with the needle. The machine started ringing and it's was almost 6 minutes before someone came over. I told the nurse it doesn't feel right and she said I had a hematoma and explained what it was. My arm did not hurt the first few minutes but the fact of the matter is she left the needle in my arm and was trying to get someone else to find a vein in my other arm.
The other nurse thought she found a vein, so she finally unhooked my right arm and it was I'm so much pain! The nurse said she wasn't sure about the "vein" she found so I told her I was done and wanted to leave. The two nurses apologized and told me to come back soon and follow paperwork, and that I would still get my payment even though I didn't get to finish donating which I did get the $65.00 but it definitely was no worth the pain. She unhooked me and the other nurse gave me a 25$ come back card and an ice pack for my arm. I left Biolife Plasma at 7:21pm. By the time my fiance picked me up I was balling my eyes out because my arm was in so much pain.
I took pictures of the first night. By the next day my right arm was black, blue and purple. My left arm, you canclearly see the needle mark but there is NO vein near where the nurse peirced the skin.
Now almost a week later my arm is still in pain when I move it certain ways. I am now making a doctor's appointment to see why my arm is still in pain.
I'm writing this email in hopes this will reach a supervisor or manager, to let them know that this kind of service is not okay, and I understand a hematoma can and will happen sometimes, but to have a nurse leave the needle in and then have another nurse try and find a different vein and it not even be a vein and still proceed to hook up the needle in my arm, is not right on so many levels! This experience truly ruined my donating experience. It's sad because donating helps with a lot of illness and donating was like me giving and helping the world.

Sincerely, Amanda Buckmaster

It's unacceptable, disrespectful, and unfair that a manager has not contacted me yet. I donated on Sunday. After the donation process I didn't see my money hit, I went back inside to assure my money would be on there… I asked for a manager and was told by an employee that the manager said to leave my information and he would contact me before he leaves. Waited all day for his call. After 3pm the center was closed. At this point I am disguised and probably will not be returning. Someone need to compensate me for this mess. I still don't have my money. Sonia last 4 of telephone number 1515

My husband and I were there 4 hours, got poked twice and I only received my donor payment and not my referral payment and my husband today going was his second. There unprofessional in there and don't know how to explain situations. I need to speak to anyone other than them because they don't know how to pick up there phone either. I was also placed on hold for over and hour. Iam very livid right now and have been since I was in there this morning! Please give me a call back ASAP [protected] or email me back thank you see

BioLife won't let me donate. In the last 3 months. They keep saying that I donated at another center and I haven't. I been traveling more than 50 miles. Just to get turned around Everytime

Filled out all of your online stuff. Spent my time going through the process. Came in to donate and was rejected due to a "transient address"? I drove an $80K vehicle to your center? Your book with transient address's needs to be updated. I'm extremely pissed at NOT being able to donate, and being rejected for a stupid reason? I'm not a homeless transient, and don't appreciate being lumped into that demographic. I have told my neighbors to not bother trying to donate at Biolife. And I'll keep repeating that message. The Federal Post Office and IRS accept this address, but Biolife doesn't? I feel violated and very frustrated by your treatment of me over my address. No way around it either according to the manager? Homeless get more respect.
Very sad situation. Good luck with that policy.

I find it not worth my time to get only 20.00 on one donation versus splitting it evenly between both donations. Until this changes I will not be donating anytime soon. My time like other peoples time is valuable. I have been donating at Bio Life for some time. I honestly wait and only donate when I am getting paid decently . I tried going today and 20.00 is just so low. I will wait till the incentive is better at least 60 every donation.

I covered my arm that needle was in with my blanket was told i may be deferred due to that being unsanitary to the needle sight...soo what is the difference of my blanket covering the needle when the company dont protect the needle sight with a piece of gauze and tape and out needle sight is being exposed to employees white gown touching injection sight etc...the company worried about protecting the injection sight they need to cover the needle area with gauze and hold in place with tape at top...this was my first time doing this it was accident never knew i couldnt cover arm up... also they dont clean the iodine off our arms after donation...attached is a picture you can still see the iodine on my arm.

I went there to donate. I was on the table and I had donated about 3 minutes and then the needle came out of my arm and I was bleeding all over the place. The nurse came out and sent me away. They didn't watch me or anything. I could have left their and died but they didn't care. Then they deferred me for 2 months. Nobody even called to see how I was doing

I called the BioLife Services in Madison Wisconsin and asked them if a person with Multiple Sclerosis was able to donate plasma. I was told that they could not answer my question over the phone. I asked to speak to speak to their nurse and was denied. I went there and spent 2 hour's going through the screening process. Every thing checked out regarding my health. Weight, blood pressure, temperature, they took a sample of my blood and it was fine. Everything regarding my health was within their acceptable candidates to donate plasma. Then I got to the physical screening with the nurse and she asked me about the medication's that I take. I did not lie and told her what medications I take and what they were for. First medication I told her and what it was for and I was told nope I wasn't eligible. Nothing to do with the medication. Nothing to do with my health. I told her I had Multiple Sclerosis. Having Multiple Sclerosis doesn't disqualifying my plasma from being able to be used. What does disqualify me is because donating plasma MIGHT affect my health. I saw so many obese unhealthy looking people donating plasma yet I was denied. My recommendation is if you are healthy and your plasma is not going to harm anybody and during the screening you do learn and are repeatedly asked if you know what is harmful to a person if you have any type of history that would harm another person I think you should just omit a few facts about your medications. I called to check if I was eligible to donate and was told by the nurse because people lie that they couldn't tell me if people with Multiple Sclerosis could donate plasma. At the point I called them I was being honest and after them wasting my time and energy I was denied! With dealing with Biolife plasma services I do think they encourage people to lie to them.

I arrived at my appointment on 8/10 and my vitals were acceptable so I was seated. The phlebotomist (Debra) first inserted the needle into my left arm, but accidentally pulled it out. She then attempted to use my right arm, and proceeded to give me a hematoma. She never apologized at any point for the damage done to my arm. I asked if I should still come for my 8/14 appointment and was told to still come and that as long as I had one good arm I could donate. I arrived on 8/14 for my appointment and Debra, who had given me a hematoma, took my vitals and told me I would still be able to donate but needed to see the nurse. The nurse then sent me home because of the bruise. Debra feigned surprise (or perhaps genuinely doesn't know how things work) when I left and told her that I was now informed I needed two good arms. After wasting an hour, I was not compensated. I should have been told by BioLife that I would not be eligible if I still had the bruise. Would have saved me time and money, which I lost when I was told I would be making it. Not the first time I have been lied to by employees at this location.

I made an appointment to do ate plasma. The compensation was going to be very important for me making my bill payments this month. U was a new customer told I could make $900 my first month. Enough to pay up what I am struggling with. My problem, not theirs. Just some background.

I had a medical a reening and took an extensive digital survey. I answered all questions truthfully. I answered yes to taking prescription medication. I take Methadone Hydrochloride once a day. I started it as a way to get clean of pain medicine. I have been clean for 8 YEARS. I was taken to a room and asked about my medication. I told them the truth and they denied me for being an addict at some time.

There were people donating that were OBVIOUSLY on drugs. Mostly methamphetamine. I know because I've been there my life and stoll see it at work and in my neighborhood. It is ridiculous that I could t earn that money but a meth head that can't even sit still for 2 seconds was allowed to donate. I am hurt and disappointed in the screening process. If I was turned away those with obvious signs of drug abuse should be turned away as well.

I went to BioLife Plasma in Richmond va. I went through the physical and the nurse said I would need a note from my Dr. I told her I was in an accident and never said car accident. She assumed it was a car accident and wrote that down. My Dr. sent the paperwork in and there was a discrepancy because the nurse wrote down car accident. They flat out called me a lier vs. taking my word for it that the nurse assumed I was in a car accident. I told them over and over that I just said accident. They would not listen and even hung up on me. I feel I should get someone else involved because they falsified the paperwork not me. I should not be permanently differed because of their mess up.

I was done giving plasma 15 minutes ago the light was been gone off 4 nurses standing around talking among themselves

I went to the new location in Braddock PA, I've never donated before, this is all new to me. On my 1st donation, the tech was so nervous she was shaking. I told her she was making me nervous. She stated she was fine. She proceeded to stick me & I donated. Took over 1 1/2 hrs to fill the jug. Next day I had a bruise that covered my arm (picture attached is after 1 1/2 weeks) When I went to donate for my 2nd donation, they wouldn't let me donate. I'm only able to donate with one arm as my other arm has a tattoo that is too close to my vien. Went back again a few days later, the nurse cleared me, technician refused, said bruise was still to purple. Took over 3 wks before I could make my 2nd donation. Have had a different technician since with no issues, no bruising & I fill the jug within 50 mins. Now I'm going to miss giving my 8 donations within 45 days by 1 day because of the 1st technician. I've since found out she is new... guess I was one of her trial & error sticks. I've talked to management and they say they can't do anything about it. I was going to refer several of my friends here, but I've changed my mind. I think it's ridiculous that no exceptions can be made when something that happened is not my fault. I didn't ask for a newbie, yet I'm penalized and sadly so will patients as there could have been more donations from my friends. But I'm not referring anyone to have happen to them what happened to me. I guess I should be thankful she didn't do permanent damage.