Bulk Buy Resmed s9 Elite Australia?

[RipSnorter]

Hi All,

I am about to see my sleep specialist who i anticipate is going to recommend the ResMed s9 Elite Cpap with H5i humidifier.

I have heard the costs here in Australia are a factor of 3 more than the US. Is anyone interested in seeing if we can get a large enough group together for a bulk buy?

I have no idea how to do this, btw, but it it means saving a grand or more, my scottish gene will ensure I assist extensively.

[tmr]

Their are many sites in the US that sells and ship internationally. Most of them don't ship resmed internationally because of restriction on resmed part. But their are site that ships, I sent you a PM for a link to a thread in another form which have more info.

Maybe you can consider the s9 autoset, it is the same as the elite but with an auto function.

[Pugsy]

Secondwindcpap.com will sell and ship Resmed machines internationally.
Gently used low hour machines as well as new open box zero hour machines. Inventory is sometimes limited so if they don't have what you want right now...they might have it next week.

New, zero hour S9 AutoSet with humidifier and climateline hose....$749
The S9 Elite with humidifier and climateline hose ...$679
http://www.secondwindcpap.com/Open_Box.html

I didn't look at the gently used inventory list but you can take a stroll through it if you wish.

[RipSnorter]

Thanks for the tips guys,

My insurance company will only contribute if it's bought from an Australian company - which is pretty naff considering I would actually save them money as well.

If the prices are as bad as people make out, there should be a pretty sweet niche market for someone who is able to not set predatory pricing.

[DecentSleep1]

Hi Ripsnorter,

I know what you mean!!! I'm soon to be charged approx. $ 4,000 for my Resmed S9 VPAP Adapt with S5i humidifier, and I'm sure that no American would ever be expected to pay that much!!!

We Aussies often get hit badly, and not only for the cost of medical (and other) equipment. We also have to pay far more for cruises, flights, train travel and holidays than our US & UK mates.

They tell us that we must buy Australian & that import duties are so high & that freight costs are expensive, etc., etc., etc. They then tell us that overseas warranties are not valid here (which I'm sure is often true, let alone the cost of returning a faulty item). They used to use currency exchange rates as an excuse, but now that we are almost on par with the US dollar, that's no longer valid.

However, they then get upset when so many Aussies are now ordering over the internet and no longer buying goods in Australian shops.

We just can't win!!! Someone, somewhere, is making a huge profit at our expense, methinks!!!

(PS: I also have a Scottish gene)

[palerider]

Hi Ripsnorter,

I know what you mean!!! I'm soon to be charged approx. $ 4,000 for my Resmed S9 VPAP Adapt with S5i humidifier, and I'm sure that no American would ever be expected to pay that much!!!

vpap adapts aren't that much cheaper over here

3000$+ without humidifier.

[DecentSleep1]

Thanks palerider, that's good to know (well, sort of!).

However, now that I think of it, he didn't actually say that the $A 4,000 (approx.) would include the humidifier; and it certainly doesn't include the mask/headgear, nor the climatecontrol tube.

That's why I'm expecting to part with approx. $A 4,500 or so, which is money that (being retired) I just don't have. I might need to start busking, and have people pay me to stop!!!!

The way my guy works (and it may be the same for you), is that he loans us the equipment for a few weeks (at a cost), and if we choose to buy it - which he knows that we will - the payment made is considered a deposit & is taken off the final cost of the equipment. It is a terrific service, because at least you know what you're buying, and of course, you don't HAVE to buy it.

[palerider]

Thanks palerider, that's good to know (well, sort of!).

However, now that I think of it, he didn't actually say that the $A 4,000 (approx.) would include the humidifier; and it certainly doesn't include the mask/headgear, nor the climatecontrol tube.

the crazy (to me) bit is that they make them over there, and they're not cheaper... seems like they'd be cheap as chips, stacked on every street corner

y'all should storm the company and demand the quit screwing around with you!

[Sheffey]

We Aussies often get hit badly, and not only for the cost of medical (and other) equipment. We also have to pay far more for cruises, flights, train travel and holidays than our US & UK mates.

Additional costs because of overly burdensome regulation and taxation -

• Therapeutic Goods Regulations (TGR) of Australia
  Competition and Consumer Act (Reduces competition)
  Import restrictions
  Tariffs
  Geo-blocking
  Consumers have poorly educated themselves

Australian government needs to do some major reforms to increase competition.

[Crist]

Hi All,

I am about to see my sleep specialist who i anticipate is going to recommend the ResMed s9 Elite Cpap with H5i humidifier.

I have heard the costs here in Australia are a factor of 3 more than the US. Is anyone interested in seeing if we can get a large enough group together for a bulk buy?

I have no idea how to do this, btw, but it it means saving a grand or more, my scottish gene will ensure I assist extensively.

I'm about to buy a ResMed S9 AutoSet with the humidifier and heated hose because it has all the features I want and its the type I am using as a rental. If I buy local here in Aust it's just under $3000 for everything including a mask, but if I buy online from USA its going to cost me just under $1200 for the exact same set up plus extra items like filters and the shipping and insurance. I was a bit weary at the start about buying something like this online but I've done some research on the supplier and am feeling a lot more confident especially if I'm going to save that much money! No rebate from private health buying this way but the rebate is tiny compared to the saving.

It seems that most of the sleep clinics/specialists here will recommend a rental machine to start with so you can try before you buy, if you do this just don't mention to the rental/sales supplier that you intend purchasing online if thats what you intend to do. When I picked up my rental machine the supplier tried to lock me into a follow up appointment to purchase, I brushed them off politely just saying I had to check my work schedule and would call them to make an appointment when I needed one.

[RipSnorter]

I was just wondering,

With the health insurance company insisting it is bought from an australian company, what is to stop us buying it from overseas using an australian business and then having the business sell it, second hand to us?

Does anyone know if that would be problematic? To me it seems to be a good idea.

As for the TGA etc in autralia, seriously, the FDA in the US is much more strict and expensive to get certified with. In this case I am feeling really ripped off by Resmed themselves - ripping off the locals like that really is an underarm bowl and a kick in the goolies if ever there was one

[DecentSleep1]

Hi Ripsnorter, Sheffey & Crist,

Yes, they've got us by the "short & curlies" when it comes to medical equipment!!!

Crist, yours is a CPAP machine, the equivalent S9 VPAP is over $A 1,000 more (but my Sleep Doctor hasn't actually told me the exact price yet). He's obviously waiting until I'm fully hooked & then he'll hit me up!

I don't have a health insurance company, so I don't have that problem; but on the other hand, I have to find the full payment for the machine, myself!!

I've heard quite a lot about your FDA & they seem to be just as bad as our mob (TGA); although both are well-intentioned, I'm sure! And sadly, Sheffey is quite right about all our regulations and taxations!

[The Choker]

With the health insurance company insisting it is bought from an australian company, what is to stop us buying it from overseas using an australian business and then having the business sell it, second hand to us?

What is stopping you? Your government. Don't forget they have guns and prisons.

[RipSnorter]

So I rang up my health insurer and checked to see if they would have a problem if an australian business bought the machine form the US and sold it second hand to me and they said that it would be fine.

So that there must be the way to go. Get someone with an ABN to buy it and sell it on second hand.

A handy tip they provided too was to ensure the invoice has everything in the one line (with the items in the description) with a name like CPAP machine package or similar. This way they will provide the claim for the line total. Not a bad hint.

[Goofproof]

With the health insurance company insisting it is bought from an australian company, what is to stop us buying it from overseas using an australian business and then having the business sell it, second hand to us?

What is stopping you? Your government. Don't forget they have guns and prisons.

Shouldn't have them collect all your guns, you are safe they have all the guns, still feel safe. Collect the tea and dump in in the ocean, worked for us, but we had guns.

Don't feel too bad you turned in your guns, we are letting them take our freedoms. All it takes for evil to win is good people doing nothing, and taking food stamps and entitlements with our heads firmly in the sand, or other dark places. Jim