Apria... this can't lead to anything good. See photo.

Just got this today from Apria (see below) - it was stuffed in my big box containing two filters and a mask cushion. It goes on and on in small print for five whole pages about rental agreements, disputes in charges, return procedure and other lawyer diarrhea. A lot of it is about how they need my credit card number to effectively process my orders, followed by more blah, blah, blah. I had a feeling something like this was going to happen and now it has. I'm just wondering if I can change my DME provider without alienating my sleep doctor? (he has an obvious sweetheart deal, so I'm told) Did anyone else get this blizzard of pink paper from Apria yet? BTW, I am not renting or leasing a machine... I just get masks, hoses and filters from them. My Rx is for supplies only. I bought my PR machine outright here on the forum and got a great deal, thereby saving a ton of money. Strange days ahead for Apria clients I suspect.

Wow, that is some very "formal" packing they used in your package...

Only your sleep doctor knows if he will be pissed off or not. With 6 pages of fine print I wonder what they are trying to hide. At any rate I think you have a good case to present to your doctor and if that is not acceptable, fire your doctor and hire one that is more aligned with your views.

Good grief! Get a copy of your prescription and find another DME. Figure out exactly what you owe them, if anything and send a check along with a letter telling them they jut lost you as a customer, and if they don't cease and desist you will contact your attorney. I think you mentioned in your other post that they don't accept checks... if so, will they accept a money order?

I doubt your doctor will miss or even notice whatever small % he might have been making on your mask and misc equipment purchases. I also doubt if he gets a % that the check is broken down into patient name purchase. If you quietly no longer order from Crapria...how is he to know anyway?
Though from an ethical perspective...any doctor that got his panties all in a wad because I didn't buy my mask from his facility would be getting the heave ho from me. Putting sales in front of patient care is pretty petty and you know if you had Medicare he would be breaking the law if he has any financial interest in any equipment provider.

They NEED your credit card number and actually expect you to give it to them????? There must be more than one DME in your area... probably several.

If what they sent you was standard procedure/or starting to be, then we all would have received those ridiculous pink pages. I have not and don't expect to.

Interesting you posted this today. I just had a major blowout with Apria this afternoon about my BIL's oxygen. Part of it drifted to the 'we need your credit card' issue. I told them he doesn't have a credit card (not a lie, he doesn't) and they wanted either a debit card or a pre-loaded 'green-dot' card loaded with a minimum of $100. This discussion was NOT why I was calling!

These kind of business practices should be stopped. The ONLY thing that stopped me from telling them to go to hell, and how to get there, is that my BIL is on Medicaid & until he gets his Medicare I have to deal with Apria according to Medicaid rules, they hold the IN Medicaid contract.

So far, so good in my corner. No reams of fine print with my last order--or any other,
and Frances at the local office is very helpful. I can change suppliers at any time if I have to,
and I don't even need to mention it. I believe they might know they are my third DME.
--fourth if you count our sponsors, and I still use them for new masks and stuff Medicare won't cover.

jencat824 wrote:I told them he doesn't have a credit card (not a lie, he doesn't) and they wanted either a debit card or a pre-loaded 'green-dot' card loaded with a minimum of $100.

There are people who fall for this type of thing all the time. We've all heard about them on TV or read about them in the newspapers. Obviously it's more than just DMEs. The other day I called Macy's... yes, Macy's - and asked to speak to a customer service person. They wanted my account number which I gave them. Then I was asked for my social security number! After everything that recently went on with Target they had the nerve to ask for my social security number. I yelled Customer Service about four times and then finally was connected to a CS person. They aren't even supposed to ask for your SS number - the last four numbers maybe but that's it - and they still do it.

People fall for this type of stuff all the time. I don't understand it.

Wow. Really.

I just got my order for spare cushions from Apria.....

Aside from my items ordered, all I got was a a one page invoice in my box.

2 medium Resmed Mirage Quattro cushions & 1 headgear -- $19 due after insurance.

Maybe I am missing something, but you only buy supplies.

Why would you need a prescription for a mask, hose and filters?

John

70sSanO wrote:Maybe I am missing something, but you only buy supplies.
Why would you need a prescription for a mask, hose and filters?
John

An entire mask IS a prescription item. You can sometimes buy them disassembled as a non-Rx item but you will usually pay more - besides I have to pay zero if I get them thru Apria and QFX masks are a top dollar item. That's why I suffer along with Apria.

As I said in my initial post, I bought my nearly new ASV machine from a trusted member on this forum. I saved a LOT of $$$ in the process, especially over the deal I would have gotten from an ASV rental/lease program from Apria. My doctor's okay with that arrangement but decided to write me a 'supplies only Rx' to help me out. Apparently it's not uncommon for that to happen. I've been with Apria for over a year and haven't really had any previous problems with them, mostly I think because I have Medicare and excellent supplemental insurance thru HealthNet. Why they now want my credit card number and why I got the 'pink blizzard' is beyond my understanding. Especially since nobody else at CPAPtalk has gotten it. Anyway, I'm NOT going to fill it out and send it back, even if it costs me my 'supplies only Rx'. Maybe if I didn't have supplemental insurance that would explain why they are hounding me for a CC#, sort of understandable so they wouldn't get stiffed in a future transaction... however I do supplemental. Strange.

You only need a prescription is you are buying from "approved" sellers, like DME's and our hosts.
They have to answer to some "higher power" for the continued right to sell.
I do not know whether this is "law" or arbitrary rules, as how many ways can you abuse cpap?
Sales between individuals are too hard to control, but you need to be careful--avoid guys in vans.

Yes I also get and ignore the pink packing.
Every time I stop in for anything the ask once politely for my CC and I either act like I did not hear or politely decline. There were only a couple visits where they asked a dozen times, once was when I got my new ASV (rental) machine.
It is still not clear if it is a 13 month or perpetual rental. After month 14 they will have a difficult time ever trying to retrieve it, with a monthly rental of $389, they will have collected full retail value based on pricing I found on PR web site.