I guess the Aura is not for me...

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:16 pm

With all the comments about the size, I would think that they would get on the stick and fix it. It is bad when an existing company overlooks something like this, it could be fatal for an up and coming company.

Johnny, let em know!!

As to the nares, I did a totally unscientific method (I saw Dereks pic, and compared, no offense meant Derek!! )

You mechanical engineer types, any excuse to play with a micrometer... Lol!

NeurosurgeryNP · Post by **NeurosurgeryNP** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:56 pm

I got my Aura yesterday and used it for the first time last night. I LOVE it! I am a female and I too, had to use the large seals. I was able to fiddle with them and bend the wore and did not have a problem with them all night - even with the tossing and turning. The fact that nothing else was touching my face was great. Especially, since I am a newbie. I had a problem, even with the Activa, with a rash above my upper lip from the mask, so I couldn't use it for more that one night at a time. I was stuck with a FF mask every night.

So, don't give up. Wait for the xl seals to come out. You find it worth waiting for.

th · Post by th » Fri Mar 25, 2005 5:02 pm

I just got off the phone with Aeiomed. They told me they were not aware of issues with their mask until I sent them a link to the website and my letter. The company told me they would stand behind their product and I could get my money back if I was not satisfied from cpapsuperstore. And that any customer that had issues and problems with their product they could send it back. I told him that is what is going to make his company great.To stand behind their product and let the customer have full confidence in it will sell more mask than ResMed or Respironics. You have to admire a company in this business who will stand behind their product and not say"To bad it did not work for you do you want another mask"..........hats off to Aeiomed, watch this company IT WILL surpass ResMed & Respironics with mask sales. I look forward to getting my mask
th

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/message-b ... 5bb181786a

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 5:30 pm

th wrote:...The company told me they would stand behind their product and I could get my money back if I was not satisfied ...

It would be MUCH better if they stood with their product and cut the delays in producing the xlarge.

Still this is very good!

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 5:38 pm

We could all Nuke em with e mails complaining about the lack of XL and Jumbo pillows. Would that get their attention .

Whats the address ?

Cheers,

Chris

th · Post by th » Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:16 am

here is a update on what is going on..I also sent all the info to ResMed....... Lets see what they think about this 100% satisfaction on masks

I want to clear up a few things on my phone conversion with Mr. X.. He said he would rather me not use his name. I could, but he preferred that I would not.I can tell you that he is very high on the list of mgt with AeioMed. I will be honest with you it caught me off guard when my wife told me he was on the phone wanting to talk with me.He said if I had not sent the letter and the link to TAS he would not have had any idea what was going on. Apparently, no one had written to him with problems except for me.I ask him if he would guarantee if I did not like the mask(leaked & did not work for me) that I could get 100% refund. he said Yes. I said what about everyone else.For about 5 minutes I was not clear where he was going with this.If you saw the Bush & Kerry debates of 2004 that is similar how he fielded this question. He said in this industry it had not been a policy for others(NOT AEIOMED) to take back items open ,but that he would if the customer was dissatisfied. I said how when cpapsuperstore does not take back returns that have been open. He said he would call the owner and call me back. I said what about cpap.com and they have a restocking fee of 15%. Mr. X said he knew personally the owner of cpap.com and he would talk with him. Mr X did call back to me and he spoke with Bill at cpapsuperstore and anyone could send their Aura mask back for a full refund if they were not happy. If I had to guess you would have to pay shipping charges. Which is fine with me. I DO NOT know if MR X made any arrangements with the owner of cpap.com. But he told me he would speak to him. I called Bill (owner)at cpapsuperstore and talked with him about all of this and he said he would honor all returns of unsatisfied customer on the Aura mask. Bill, is very nice to deal with. So if you want to try the Aura mask my advice to you is to go to http://www.cpapsuperstore.com and order one from them; since I know you can return it there. I will share another thing that MR X discuss with me. He said the people that are having trouble with Aura mask are wearing it wrong. They are pulling it too far down.I ask what about the additional straps that could be added to keep it more stable. He said I saw that and no the mask would work without all of the changes people are doing and that is probally why people are having trouble. I cannot comment on this because I am in the blind on this one. I have No mask to look at or try on. I know one thing Rested Gal needs to be and advisor to AeioMed and I did tell him he needed to send her a half of dozen free masks,,,,, RG, remember me if you get those free masks, my wife will need one in April and I know you can spare one. And Yes, he did read your( RG) first review which AeioMed took notice of and which had the company excited about their new product(Aura). One last thing. I hope I have not hurt any feelings here on TAS with my brash and emotional posting if I did ,I am truly sorry. I meant what I said, TAS is family to me......
th

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 5:00 pm

th, your conversations with execs at Aeiomed
and with online mask sellers have been most
interesting!!

Please don't apologize for passing along what
you find out. And please do keep us posted!

In the past I've halfway jokingly said that all mask
manufacturers should make every designer and
every company officer-- and their wives-- wear
whatever mask they've come up with THEMSELVES
for a week before they release the final product.

Now, I'd add this - make all of the execs wear it
for at least ten minutes, lying down, tossing and
turning from side to side - at a pressure of 17.

Even I wouldn't make them use 20 the
way I did during my experiment that led to the
"pantyhose leg fix."

If online companies indeed begin establishing "you
can return a mask you don't like for any reason
within one week...just pay the shipping" - wow!
That would be a remarkable step forward to help
cpap patients find the right mask for them and
actually be able to comply with this kind of
treatment. Of course that might mean that online
mask prices in general would be raised some.

What about the returned masks? Disinfect them
and think about starting a "rent-a-mask" program.
I know an idea like that (mask rental try-outs) was
floated before, but it might be worth re-thinking.

At any rate, I've got a hunch that users would
rather pay a slightly higher price in the first place
for the reassurance that they could send a newly
purchased mask back if they just didn't like it.
If an online seller didn't want to give cash back,
perhaps a return for future credit on buying
something else would be feasible.

Online cpap supply buying was a novel approach
when it first happened. Looks like it's still evolving,
hopefully to the benefit of cpap users and their
pocketbooks.

Interesting reports to think about, th. Thank you
for posting them!!

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 5:17 pm

Good ideas RG. Trying different masks should be considered a medical necessity. But don't give them any ideas about raising prices. This stuff costs astronomically too much as it is.

Tom

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 6:17 pm

rested gal wrote:At any rate, I've got a hunch that users would
rather pay a slightly higher price in the first place
for the reassurance that they could send a newly
purchased mask back if they just didn't like it.

I would not like to pay more for the ability to send it back. I've purchased four masks in the five months I've used CPAP. I love every one of them. I am careful to become informed on what I buy. I don't buy masks that I know won't work for me. It's really is not that hard. I realize that there are masks out there that are junk. I used two of them during my two sleep studies. I won't buy the junk masks. So far, I have picked out two machines and four masks and two humidifiers and a heated hose. Everyone of them have been winners.

I can understand that on occasion one might make a bad choice, but I think if you are realistic about your likes and dislikes, the idiosyncracies of your anatomy, and the reputation of the company making the mask, you will choose correctly 90% of the time.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 8:05 pm

wading thru the muck! wrote:
rested gal wrote:At any rate, I've got a hunch that users would
rather pay a slightly higher price in the first place
for the reassurance that they could send a newly
purchased mask back if they just didn't like it.

I would not like to pay more for the ability to send it back.

I sure *would* pay more to be able to return a mask that leaks too much or doesn't come with the required size pillows. Buying online should/must offer more than "lower price but no returns" if the mask in not right for me. Buying sight unseen and untried is difficult.

I have only four masks but only one truly works properly. One leaks because it does not have the proper "plugs".
The other two are wash outs. And I don't think I am a reckless buyer or a dummy.

I would much rather pay a few bucks extra and have the right to return a mask if it doesn't fit right or doesn't work as reviews said it does - for me. Much rather that than *waste* $100 a throw for bad masks. So would most people, I would think.

Most people research very well before we spend money - especially when we buy online. Lowest price isn't always the best deal. Reputation is - especially online. Customer service is second - also especially online. A few bucks saved is near last. IMO.

Andy

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:36 pm

I am with Andy on this. I would pay more for the right to return policy as long as it was not rediculous. We all try to educate ourselves or we would not be here and questioning our DME's. But we only have so much time,most of us anyway and the insurance takes a lot of the risk away and may make some of us go for a newer and better masks quicker if we could send back. I like the rent a mask idea as well.

th · Post by th » Sun Mar 27, 2005 6:57 am

My DME said when they open a mask up, that the mask is mine. NO RETURNS The price on a full face ultra mirage(resmed) from them since insurance will not allow another mask...225.00 + a 75.00 fitting fee
th

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 7:53 am

Wow. $300 for a mask. That is insane. I am sure the fitting consists of, "Here's your mask"

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:44 am

That is beyond insane. Likw I said I would be open to a reasonable fee but that is not such. Call around to other DME's, there has to be one more reasonable than that.

th · Post by th » Sun Mar 27, 2005 11:02 am

Just about every industry takes back their product if the customer finds it unsatisfactory. Why take the chance of hurting your company image with a bad product. The CPAP company needs to reimburse the dealer and stand by their product. What the company does is destroy that product and writes it off at the end of their fiscal year as a business loss. The company does not like doing this but it is a right off and might avoided a possible law suit and keeps their customers happy for repeated sales. These mask do not cost these companies all that much money as we are paying them. What I think has happened here(IMO) is this CPAP industry is dominated by 2 companies and can do anything they want with no consequence of what they put out or do. They have really never taken back any product unless push comes to shove. Again (IMO) if a new player like Aeiomed will back their product it gives me confidence on trying their product it should also make the 2 big dogs take notice and back their product.I hope we will be understanding and help Aeiomed out. I still have some issues myself with the new mask but I want this company to succeed. I will be contacting them next week on my issues.AGAIN this is only my opinion
th

I guess the Aura is not for me...

Update on Aura