Ridiculous International Postage Charges

[Dog Tired]

CPAP.COM is a great site packed full of useful and valuable information.

Naturally, when I got the urge to buy some accessories, I looked to them first.

I added some SnuggleHose covers and card reader and some other bits and pieces to my cart. The postage charges came out to over $200!!! No that is not a misprint.

So I decided to call them, thinking I could simply use US Postal Service instead of ridiculously high UPS charges - well, no way Sir. Postage charges are what they are and "we will only use UPS".

So if CPAP.COM is trying to discourage overseas orders, why not just post a notice on the site saying that us foreigners are just not welcome.

Needless to say, when I bought a backup CPAP machine, I went elsewhere -- and just for the record: using USPS Express (fully insured), I spent less than 80 bucks on postage and got a Respironics PR1 and humidifier to my door in less than 5 days.

Kudos and thanks to Rob at CPAPBLOWOUTS.COM - showing the rest a thing or two about true customer service, especially for us foreigners.

[jjocelyn]

they don't ship resmed machines overseas at all...that's even worse.

May I know where did you buy your machine? can tell me?

[Dog Tired]

Hey Jocelyn

http://WWW.CPAPBLOWOUTS.COM

I can recommend them thru personal experience.

[jjocelyn]

wow, the price in your website is even cheaper!

[JohnBFisher]

Dog Tired, glad you were able to locate a supplier who would work with you. Hopefully folks at CPAP.com will listen. But the great news is that by posting you are helping others. And that's the idea behind this forum. Best wishes on treatment with your new machine!

[robert thomas]

Dog Tired, glad you were able to locate a supplier who would work with you. Hopefully folks at the vendors (unlikely) will listen. But the great news is that by posting you are helping others. And that's the idea behind this forum. Best wishes on treatment with your new machine!

What is really ridiculous is the price the suppliers charge for their masks.

Some one needs to find out where we could by hoses for masks like Nasal Aires.

The suppliers here in Canada charge over $300.00 for a mask because we have a Medicare program. In effect my insurer pays 75% of it, and they are charging 300% over what a free entrepenuer wants in the US. (Around $80.00) All that does is drive up my and the insurance companies costs and in turn it rips off the sick. Nice Eh... as we say here in Canada.

Unfortunately in the States they have gotten away with requiring a prescrition for them and are able to restrain the trade.

I don't need a prescription to buy it. If I can pay the theives their $370.00 (includes taxes...)

Oh I just noticed CPAP usually censors this stuff. Just like China. Big Medicine. Bah Humbug...

[Hawthorne]

I guess cpap.com has changed their shipping policies to Canada.

While I have never ordered a machine from them, I have ordered other supplies (not in a while though -been using cpapauction.com). When I last ordered from cpap.com, shipping to Canada was via the Postal Service and very reasonable.

[johnnygoodman]

Greetings,

Our prices to some countries are high but not ridiculous. Each is carefully considered. The duty structure of some countries is nuts and forces us to only ship US Mail there as a result. Another nuts thing is that 25%+ of packages shipped to certain countries go missing. We'll still ship there, but we will not do so at a loss, and YOU must cover the financial result of this state of affairs.

Other CPAP companies may ship there today, and you should take advantage of their generosity if they do, but if they look at their profit and loss statements after packages go missing and delinquent duties and taxes end up being passed back through UPS and charged to them, they will find our rates are in line with reality.

Unfortunately for us, our rates have been arrived at only through a painful learning curve. They will stay right where they are.

I also want to stress that the majority of countries have reasonable rates due to their reasonable policies and flow fraud.

Johnny

[Linus]

I posted earlier...when shipping to Canada avoif UPS. They use a customs service than can cost the person receiving the package dearly for customs service. I always reccomend the US Postal service for Canadian shipments.

[JohnBFisher]

... Unfortunately for us, our rates have been arrived at only through a painful learning curve. They will stay right where they are. ... I also want to stress that the majority of countries have reasonable rates due to their reasonable policies and flow fraud. ...

Johnny, I assume you mean "low fraud". And unfortunately, you hit the nail on the head. While you offer an excellent service, you need to maintain a profit. If conditions work against it, you need to protect yourself and your customers. That sometimes drives costs up unreasonably. And while we all want a good deal, the deal should be reasonable for both parties. You don't have to make a fortune. But you can not afford to lose money either. So, thank you for the update and input of your perspective.

[Rebecca R]

When I placed an order from CPAP.com the shipping cost was very reasonable. I had to reorder because of resmed's no shipping to Canada rule, so I had it sent to my Aunt in the US (and got free shipping for over $99 order). My aunt forwarded it by mail and insured it which only cost 21.00 USD.

I guess technically I am not overseas, but the same items would have been significantly more expensive from the australian site, not to mention double the shipping costs.

r

[roster]

.....Johnny, I assume you mean "low fraud" (not "flow fraud"). ..........

I assumed Johnny meant poorly calibrated machines were knowingly being sold.

[dsm]

CPAP.COM is a great site packed full of useful and valuable information.

Naturally, when I got the urge to buy some accessories, I looked to them first.

I added some SnuggleHose covers and card reader and some other bits and pieces to my cart. The postage charges came out to over $200!!! No that is not a misprint.

So I decided to call them, thinking I could simply use US Postal Service instead of ridiculously high UPS charges - well, no way Sir. Postage charges are what they are and "we will only use UPS".

So if CPAP.COM is trying to discourage overseas orders, why not just post a notice on the site saying that us foreigners are just not welcome.

Needless to say, when I bought a backup CPAP machine, I went elsewhere -- and just for the record: using USPS Express (fully insured), I spent less than 80 bucks on postage and got a Respironics PR1 and humidifier to my door in less than 5 days.

Kudos and thanks to Rob at CPAPBLOWOUTS.COM - showing the rest a thing or two about true customer service, especially for us foreigners.

I agree with your frustration - went through this exercise myself. USPS is just over half the cost of UPS (in my experience) & UPS give us o'seas customers some trouble if they choose to add customs charges to clear the goods (I had a 6 month battle with UPS after they did this to me 1st time round). BUT, you have to also respect that cpap.com have their reasons (business partnerships) as to why they stick with UPS. To rant against cpap.com because you don't like who they partner with is a bit unfair.

I won't deal with UPS based on the service I got from them & that is my choice. You have your choices as to who you partner with. The world is a very big place.



DSM

#2 Just saw Johnny's reply & he has adequately explained his challenges.

[Uncle_Bob]

Interesting how the web site the OP mentioned sells the PR System One and humidifier for just $649 whereas cpcp.com is $949

[diboja]

When I placed an order from CPAP.com the shipping cost was very reasonable.
r

I recently ordered a FF mask from cpap.com and paid a $17.00 shipping charge.
I reside in Canada.

Out of curiousity I went to the site that the OP mentioned and found that for the same item the shipping charge is $34.17

??