Am I the CF?

[sillyme563]

A GP friend of mine recently put on her stories a review of a gut health drink which worked for her. Said it made her feel fantastic. I went and bought the drink, and at checkout it said 'who recommended this to you, enter their name and you get 50% off, so do they'. I entered her name and got the 50% off. Life got in the way and a day later the drink arrives, and I'm like oops I need to tell her I entered her name and thank you for the recommendation. I go to message her, she's unfollowed me.

WTF?

@CurlewKate

When you say "GP" do you mean an actual doctor? Recommending a "gut health drink"? Wow. I reckon you're well rid.
That struck me too. I mean, was she in civvy mode on her social media? on one hand, of course she is allowed to be human and not in doctor mode all the time, on the other hand, aren't doctors sort of in doctor mode all the time by default? Her followers will know she's medically trained and take a recommendation as praise indeed. She was clearly endorsing the product to get discount. It seems irresponsible of her.
I know that in some regulated health professions wherein practice is strictly evidence-based, endorsing brands isn't allowed.

I have wondered about the medical professionals though. I mean, I know it's not like the U.S. where practitioners can be paid to endorse certain pharmaceuticals for eg. but then you see all that branded paraphernalia in their offices.
Though pens are always useful I s'pose.

I wonder if she blocked you because you caught her out.

It's not endorsing a brand, GPs use products too!

And it's not OP's GP, it's a friend so there is no conflict of interest.

Most people who advertise products don’t do it out of the goodness of their heart but get paid from the company for everyone who buys it from their recommendation.

She wouldn’t have posted it if she didn’t want people to try it (even if she wasn’t getting paid).

And the company would not have contacted her to say you said she recommended it because they’d not be able to contact her with just a name.

She would not be worried about getting into trouble as else she wouldn’t be promoting it to all of her followers.

She has obviously unfollowed you for other reasons.

Unfriending you would be a pretty hostile move if she'd thought about it for a moment and acknowledged that she'd been going around evangelising the product.

I reckon she panicked because she’d raved about it and then thought oh shit I shouldn’t have done that because she’s a GP and people would see it as medical advice, hence a massive and rapid cull of her social media as she panics. I don’t think it is anything to do with you.

From the OP: A GP friend of mine recently put on her stories a review of a gut health drink which worked for her. Said it made her feel fantastic.

I dunno, that reads like an endorsement to me.
Of course everyone uses products but not everyone posts about them on SM.
She wasn't recommending her latest lipstick or brand of wood stain. It's a gut health drink which worked for her. In what way worked? It sounds like a health claim. From a medical professional. It's murky territory.
And does the fact she blocked the OP not suggest they aren't actually friends?

My thoughts too, can't see what you did wrong at all

Tbh I wouldn't assume the unfollowing had anything to do with the drink promo....

Very odd OP. I would assume the company already had her details anyway so not sure why that would be an issue.

If the product is Symprove then it’s been the subject of many studies and its efficacy has been proven so there shouldn’t be any issues around a GP recommending it.

I think she realises she did something dodgy in endorsing a product and is now trying to distance herself.

You're looking at it wrong. She's got your 50% discount so will move onto her next victim.

MLM innit.

She didn’t give any details away.

The details would already have to be on the system to prove she recommended it. Otherwise anyone could just get 50% off randomly. It’s very common practice.

Why else would she be sharing it unless she wants people to buy it and get 50% discount?

Was it symprove?

Hmm maybe she wanted OP to buy directly from her...

Absolutely this. Try not to worry about it, OP. If she wants to overreact like it’s a massive faux pas instead of a minor thing, let her. I. That case, she is indeed a spanner.

I have had people use my name on recs from MN and been v grateful for the discount that it earned ME?
She is weird.

If it's Symprove, they just match the name. Her email isn't needed as they'll already have her details.

There are 2 drinks GPs recommend for gut health - Symprove and VSL#3

This is all very strange. If you just entered her name, they shouldn't have contacted her at all (even if she has an account with them- a name is not a unique identifier). I suspect she just unfollowed you for some other reason.

Was her “recommendation” genuine? I sometimes see “recommendations” for things come up on social media, tagging me in and appearing as though a friend is recommending a product (weight loss pills was one example) but it was some sort of hack and friend(s) hadn’t actually posted about the (crap) product.

Maybe she has unfollowed me because of something else but I only saw the story the other day, and since the unfollowing I can't see any of her posts. The only thing that's happened is this.

Don't even feel like drinking it now. It's tainted with sadness.

Yes it's Symprove. Maybe I should give you lot all her name 😂

I agree that she had second thoughts about her own post - rightly so IMO.

Are you sure she hadn't unfollowed you previously? And that you just followed her?