Craig Berens registered the bidformymeds.com domain on October 21, 2013, listing a Michigan address. The BidForMyMeds website misleadingly features Ralph Kalies, CEO of BidRx, on its "About Us" page, despite no apparent corporate link between the two entities. This structure creates confusion regarding BidForMyMeds' true ownership and operations.
The BidForMyMeds website states it is "powered by BidRx." However, no substantial business connection appears to exist between BidRx and BidForMyMeds. Displaying BidRx's executive staff on the BidForMyMeds "About Us" page lacks justification.
Berens' name does not appear on the BidRx website. No additional MLM history for Berens has been identified, suggesting BidForMyMeds is his first venture into multi-level marketing. BidForMyMeds' terms and conditions specify that Michigan law governs the agreement, with litigation occurring in Kent County.
BidForMyMeds offers no retailable products or services of its own. Affiliates market only membership to the BidForMyMeds website. Membership costs $7 per month for access to BidRx or $17 per month to join as an affiliate. The specific benefits customers receive for a $7 monthly subscription, beyond what the free BidRx platform provides, remain unclear.
The BidForMyMeds compensation plan pays affiliates for recruiting new members. Commissions are distributed down six recruitment levels. Affiliates earn $1 per month for each $17 affiliate they recruit and 50 cents per month for each $7 member.
Affiliates who recruit ten or more $17 members (affiliates) qualify for Matching Bonuses. These bonuses also pay down six recruitment levels, with percentages increasing based on the number of recruited $17 affiliates. Recruiting ten or more affiliates yields a 100% match on level 1, 50% on level 2, and 25% on level 3. Recruiting 15 or more affiliates adds a 15% match on level 4. Recruiting 20 or more affiliates further adds a 10% match on level 5.
Affiliate membership to BidForMyMeds costs $17 per month.
BidForMyMeds engages in gross misrepresentation, bordering on outright fraud. The company repeatedly uses "we" to describe relationships with pharmacies and prescription entities, but these are properties of BidRx. For instance, the BidForMyMeds "Competition" page claims, "We are a Pharmaceutical Service aligned with Registered US Pharmacies, Manufacturers, and mail order companies."
BidForMyMeds displays BidRx's corporate ownership on its "About Us" page and claims to have been "seen on TV," despite the apparent lack of connection. The core issue involves charging for access to BidRx. BidRx itself provides a free, electronic marketplace where users can obtain drug information and competitive bids from pharmacies. Users sign up for free, place prescriptions online, and select a supplier.
This free service has no direct connection to BidForMyMeds' revenue model. BidForMyMeds charges $7 to $17 for access to a service that is otherwise free. The $17 affiliate membership fee allows members to recruit new paid BidForMyMeds members and earn commissions from those recruitments. Commissions within BidForMyMeds are entirely separate from any activities on BidRx.
BidForMyMeds affiliates are paid solely for recruiting. The underlying service could be anything; the functional model remains unchanged. Recruiting new affiliates and $7 members who pay for a free service generates income. This structure, combined with the absence of retailable products or services, classifies BidForMyMeds as a pyramid scheme. Once recruitment and membership fees cease, commissions will dry up, and the operation will collapse. Individuals interested in BidRx should sign up directly at bidrx.com for free.