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

Good news! The use of them was almost predatory in some cases. I've lost track of the amount of times I've seen posters on various sites try to convince a non-MJ user to a) start the medication and b) use their code - all in the same breath.

People have saved a lot of money and ME have made a lot of money over peddling the drug like the latest must-have product.

Building up a £4k credit balance is obscene. These are prescription drugs! I'm really glad there's going to be a crackdown on these. I do use discount codes for IQ Doctor but they aren't referral codes, they just have a permanent code every month it seems. I wonder if those will also have to disappear?

Good. I hope MNHQ just delete all posts with med express or any other codes (apart from general discount codes where it’s not linked to a specific user). It’s disgusting that some people are able to rack up thousands in credit by persuading others to sign up for strong medication that has serious side effects.

There’s ones on here where people are promising to donate half the credit to charity and stuff just to try to get people to use their code rather than other people’s. It’s beyond scammy and I hope there is serious crackdown now.

I hadn’t seen that and have reported 3 posts of mine asking for them to be removed. It’s odd that we can’t delete our own posts as we can elsewhere.

Yes, agreed (re TikTok etc), but there hasn’t previously been a rule in T&Cs limiting their sharing of codes and there is a legitimate thread for codes in the Money section on MN.

I’ve seen a poster on one of the monthly threads who has about £10,000 in credit with MedExpress. I thought it was an exaggeration to begin with until she posted a screenshot showing the referral credit total on her account. Her code has been used almost 250 times.

If Med Express pick it up with AI, they will take it off you.

Just posted this on MNHQ thread as couldn't see this one.

I was invited by them to become an affiliate link sharer or whatever and get paid in cash instead (I declined) as I'd made quite a lot on their referral system so to now say people may not even keep their credit is really unfair IMO. But what will be will be.

Realistically it’s a massive job for MN and not their issue really. It’s unreasonable of MedExpress and a better way would be to say any codes shared after today but I bet they won’t do that.

Absolutely agree @StrikeForever. This is not MN’s problem to solve, and don’t think they should even try, whatever they do they are not going to catch every post and it will leave some not happy.

It was never real money. It was only ever a Ponzi scheme based on recruiting more and more customers.

What’s unfair is that MedExpress will likely get away with it because of their tightened rules, despite the fact that what they tried to offer to you and many others like you was against the law. I am glad that you declined.

Actually there always was. My original code for sharing from them from way back last July/August stated quite clearly that it was not for posting in public forums but was for friends and family only. As we all know that was widely ignored and they also actively paid influencers.

I don't have an account with them any more as I left to go to a more maintenance friendly provider a while back, but I cannot believe that they removed that? Can someone with an account or a more recent memory confirm?

There has also been a crackdown on pharmacies selling Mounjaro to overseas buyers - it is far, far cheaper for an American to pay to have it shipped there than buy it in the USA.

That is also against regulations, and interestingly, according to the Reddit forums, it seems to be Eli Lilly themselves rather than the frankly somewhat crap regulatory body The Gen. Pharmaceutical Council who is making that happen. I wonder if this code business is also something that Eli Lilly do not want their product to be tainted by?

That was their old terms. They changed it a few months ago to be shareable across socials.

Could you expand on this, please? I can’t see any obvious connection in the registered addresses or personnel on Companies House.

I posted my code once online ages ago and I can’t delete it as I don’t have access to that account anymore.

Ultimately I have £0 in credit with ME and have stopped taking MJ. Haven’t ordered with them for a while.

What do you think will happen next, with someone like me where they can see the code was online but they can’t remove any credit?

@Changeyourlifes based on their statement they will simply suspend your code. Nothing to worry about.

They definitely allowed people to share on social media. They supplied a big tick list of what you can and cannot say on social media.

Thank you for the clarification! That’s fine then.

I didn’t get much off with the codes - but I am curious to see what MedExpress does next. Surely they can’t send us a bill (mine would be £120).

I imagine this will just be about getting the codes off the internet. I don’t see how they will take back hundreds of pounds from current and former customers.

They won’t send a bill. If people continue to share or they find old posts with codes still on they’ve said they will remove the credit earned on that code

I don't think they will be asking for money back, how would that even work! Just removing accrued unused credit that could have been used in next purchases from accounts.

So no one is losing any real money, they will only lose credit on next purchases.

That’s interesting and makes sense. MM are not as cheap as they first appear either. They charge extra for both the needles and the sharps bin. I can’t tell if their free delivery over £25 applies to weight loss drugs. If it doesn’t, for 5ml up, the saving isn’t that much.

Their delivery fee is £10 for all dossages. The prices on monj.co.uk for MM include postage. AFAIK they provide needles as well (posters on reddit have given reviews). I really see no evidence they are connected to ME at all.