I Found a Bargin on a CPAP

[6PtStar]

I don't know about the first part but anyone that dances with wolves can't be all bad. And I'll cover all bets on the second part!

Jerry

[Goofproof]

It's just not safe to tell anyone anything. BTW: I don't work anymore for anyone. I don't have time, it was interfeering with my medical appointments. Jim

Den doesn't want a Resmed just because it doesn't come with a fire ext.

[Slinky]

... If I purchased a ResMed product, that 2-year warranty should be "good" for that 2-year period. AND, I think it SHOULD be honored by ANY DME (B&M or Internet seller). I keep hearing stories that if you purchase a machine from one DME, that a different DME will not have anything to do with getting repairs done for the owner. That would be like saying that if you purchased a GM vehicle in one part of the country and broke down in another part, the local GM dealer wouldn't even look at it.

I'm SO glad I purchased my equipment from CPAP.COM!!!!!!!!
I would hate to think about having to deal with local B&M shops.

Den, you have reason to be glad. When my Vantage was subject to recall my sheister local DME supplier would NOT honor the recall despite Resmed told me to take it to them for replacement, that people move from one state to another all the time. When I called Resmed they ASKED WHO and WHERE my local DME supplier was plus made arrangements to Steri-Cycle to replace my Vantage for me. My local 02 supplier WAS willing to handle the Vantage recall for me but by the time I asked them Resmed had already made arrangements for Steri-Cycle to handle the replacement. THAT is just one of the reasons I've switched to my 02 DME supplier for my CPAP supplies as well. I was SOOOOOOO GLAD when my capped rental for my Elite was completed w/the sheister DME supplier!!!

[Wulfman]

... If I purchased a ResMed product, that 2-year warranty should be "good" for that 2-year period. AND, I think it SHOULD be honored by ANY DME (B&M or Internet seller). I keep hearing stories that if you purchase a machine from one DME, that a different DME will not have anything to do with getting repairs done for the owner. That would be like saying that if you purchased a GM vehicle in one part of the country and broke down in another part, the local GM dealer wouldn't even look at it.

I'm SO glad I purchased my equipment from CPAP.COM!!!!!!!!
I would hate to think about having to deal with local B&M shops.

Den, you have reason to be glad. When my Vantage was subject to recall my sheister local DME supplier would NOT honor the recall despite Resmed told me to take it to them for replacement, that people move from one state to another all the time. When I called Resmed they ASKED WHO and WHERE my local DME supplier was plus made arrangements to Steri-Cycle to replace my Vantage for me. My local 02 supplier WAS willing to handle the Vantage recall for me but by the time I asked them Resmed had already made arrangements for Steri-Cycle to handle the replacement. THAT is just one of the reasons I've switched to my 02 DME supplier for my CPAP supplies as well. I was SOOOOOOO GLAD when my capped rental for my Elite was completed w/the sheister DME supplier!!!

Hey, Slinkster......Ya feelin' better today? Hope so.
Sorry to hear about your sleep study SNAFU. (so what if this isn't the right thread?)

And, yeah, this dovetails into the thread from a day or two ago about the "Preferred Internet Reseller" gobbledegook when somebody questioned whether CPAP.COM was one. ResMed only started that policy on Oct. 1 of 2006 for online sellers but as far as the brick & mortar DMEs go, there's absolute nothing to prevent them from ignoring you if you bought your PAP machine one place and now live someplace else. And, it probably doesn't matter which brand of machine you own, either. This has got to be one of the weirdest business categories there are (DME).

Take care,

Den

[Velbor]

Whether or not we like ResMed's policies, they have been very clear and forthright about what they are. From their August 2007 Form 10-K report to the Securities & Exchange Commission:

"Our business depends on our ability to market effectively to dealers of home healthcare products and sleep clinics. We market our products primarily to home healthcare dealers and to sleep clinics that diagnose OSA and other sleep disorders. We believe that home healthcare dealers and sleep clinics play a significant role in determining which brand of product a patient will use. The success of our business depends on our ability to market effectively to home healthcare dealers and sleep clinics to ensure that our products are properly marketed and sold by these third parties.

"We have limited resources to market to approximately the 3,000 U.S. sleep clinics and the more than 6,000 home healthcare dealer branch locations, most of which use, sell or recommend several brands of products. In addition, home healthcare dealers have experienced price pressures as government and third-party reimbursement has declined for home healthcare products, and home healthcare dealers are requiring price discounts and longer periods of time to pay for products purchased from us."

ResMed has very clearly and publicly stated its business plan. The Brick & Mortar DME distributors are viewed as their primary customers, and ResMed has taken steps to "protect" these customers from the "unfair" competition of deep-discount online sellers who allegedly provide no comparable "customer service." (I'll refrain from commenting on that one.)

We "patients" come out last on the business strategy list: "The decision to purchase our products, as opposed to those of our competitors, is made or influenced by one or more of the following individuals or organizations: the prescribing physician and his or her staff; the home healthcare dealer; the insurer and the patient."

We may not like their choices, but it is a legitimate business plan, and at least they have made their policy clear. And by the way, ResMed's Form 10-K gives one of the best "medical" overviews of sleep apnea which I've seen anywhere. And no, I have no connection to ResMed other than using some of their equipment (which I have not hesitated to criticize on technical grounds).

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed, DME

[MandoJohnny]

I have absolutely no financial interest here, but to the point of the original post I have to give my endorsement of positiveair/sleepresfully. I bought the low-price 420G and humidifier from them. Unfortunately, I cannot endorse that machine, except that it is inexpesive.

I have a Resmed provided by my DME, but I needed a second machine that I could leave at the project location I work at Sunday-Thursday every week. I did get the offer of a price match from cpap.com, but when I inquired about the warranty, they said that if there was an issue, I would have to send the unit to them and then they would send it to the manufacturer. They did not handle warranty claims on thier own, they were just the middleman. Positiveair/sleepresfully said they handled warranty claims directly, so I bought from them. I'm glad I did.

I bought the 420G with the humidifier for $305. Got great service on the order. Unfortunately, both the CPAP and the humidifier had mechanical issues. That was Puritan Bennett's fault and I will not buy one of thier machines again. I was on a trip to Houston, so I dropped in on positiveair/sleepresfully to handle it face-to-face. Great folks. They replaced my units on the spot, no hassle at all. Also, I asked about some other models I was surious about, like the new Resmed Tango and the Fisher and Paykel units. Charles was happy to open boxes and show me stuff and we stood around chatting about different models, reliability, etc.

I will definitely buy from them again, but I would caution against the 420G. Here's hint though: Call sleeprestfully and ask about unadvertised deals. They have some they can't put on thier website.

[ColinP]

We "patients" come out last on the business strategy list: "The decision to purchase our products, as opposed to those of our competitors, is made or influenced by one or more of the following individuals or organizations: the prescribing physician and his or her staff; the home healthcare dealer; the insurer and the patient."

They are right, but not totally right. The first purchase is most often what the patient is advised to buy by the professionals. (I did.) But by the time we want to ge the next machine, we are better informed and will often make a different choice. (I might make the same choice, I might not, but it will be an informed choice next time around.)

Colin

[savefuece]

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