MedExpress - new tighter rules about sharing codes publicly

[ClaudiaDark]

I've just received this email from MedExpress:

We’re writing to inform you of an urgent change to the MedExpress referral scheme Terms and Conditions.

Effective immediately, we are tightening the rules around how referral codes may be used in direct response to the evolution of regulatory guidance, particularly due to the growing visibility of weight loss treatments online. These changes are designed to protect both our business and our customers from potential enforcement action.

Please read the following carefully:

🚫 Referral codes must not be shared publicly.

This includes posting on social media, online forums, or any other public channels including review sites such as Trustpilot.

✅ Referral codes are for private use only.

They are intended for use by close friends and family, not the general public.

🔎 We are actively monitoring public platforms.

We have introduced AI-powered tools to detect where and how codes are being shared online.

❌ Any code found posted in public spaces will be suspended.

We will also remove any credit earned while the code was publicly shared.

⏳ Already posted your code? You have 48 hours to remove the post.

You have 48 hours to remove a social post where you have previously shared your codes. After this grace period, we will begin revoking credits linked to non-compliant posts.

This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly, but the regulatory environment is shifting and we are committed to acting swiftly to remain compliant.

We appreciate your cooperation in taking this seriously.

The MedExpress Team

I was just about to post the same thing…
Its about time too 😃

Thank goodness for that.

Good news.

I see so many FB adverts from online pharmacies and every single one has people spamming the comments with their Medexpress codes.

Not before time.

They could of course just stop giving codes in the first place.

I see MNHQ have already posted on the relevant board asking people not to report their individual posts while they figure out what to do. Having a site you can't delete your own posts from is a bit of a nightmare here!

Do pharmacies get 48 hours notice for a GPhC inspection, I wonder?

48hrs isn't much notice for MN to react, there must be posts sharing referrals going back at least a year over lots of different different boards.

If Medexpress had in their T&C they were for family and friends only it was always going to be a risk.

I don’t understand what the issue is with having and sharing codes? I’ve just started my journey and really welcomed a little money saving. Am I missing something?

@Mum2bOct2010 Yep, it's against the law to promote prescription only medication, and MedExpress have already been warned about this.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/pharmacy-medexpress-influencers-weight-loss-drugs-adverts-qwljdtsgg

Excellent news.

I am not going to report any code posting from now on, in the hope that the poster gets picked up by this alleged AI and loses their illegal credit. Code posting is behind some of the most appalling tiktok, insta & facebook lies and myths and is harming so many on their journey.

Some people on tiktok have made thousands. MedExpress have allegedly been threatened to be struck off. The cynic in me thinks they’re looking for a reason not to pay lots of people thousands.

I think with the 48 hour urgency it's more likely that they are seeking to avoid regulatory sanctions.

Yes, that's what I thought. Not quite as easy as removing your posts!

They should just scrap the scheme altogether.

They have made a name for themselves in the weightloss market so now they could drop the scheme and offer competitive prices to keep customers from switching to cheaper places.

I was just about to post this!!

I have posted my code and would be happy for mumsnet to delete my code.

So envious!
I’ve never had one person using my code and I’ve only posted two since last year.

Should I ask MNHQ to delete my code? I posted it about 2-3 weeks ago.

About bloomin' time. Hoorah!

MN have asked people not to individually report their posts whilst they work out what they're going to do. There's a thread they started in the Money => Weight Loss Promo Codes section.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-promo-codes/5320948-mnhq-message-re-medexpress-change-in-terms-and-conditions?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

About bloody time tbh. They have pushed an unethical business model which is little better than an MLM or pyramid scheme and got away with it for far too long.

Hopefully this will also see off the cheeky fuckers who ignore the MN rules and spam this board with their begging posts.

Hopefully this is the end of the awful spamming of med express codes everywhere.

Not sure why MN don't just close the other thread with all the codes? No need to delete individual posts.

With posters sharing referral codes all over mumsnet, especially before the dedicated promos code section was created it is unreasonable to expect MNHQ to search out and delete every post with a code and/or picture of a code, or even any full users/all user names posting history, in the next 48hrs.

Realistically it isn't going to happen for everyone. Most posters will have had some advantage from posting referral codes on MN that were only meant for friends and family, and it is probably time to accept referral codes are no more.

I saw one poster on facebook crying they were going to lose £4k of credit they built up. That is just ridiculous.

No one is "losing" money, they are just not getting what was never meant to be theirs in the first place.