Nationality

[valallan]

Is any1 out there Autralian.....Queenslander. Where is the best deal for Equipment?

[glenj]

Aussie here but in Melbourne.

Only recently diagnosed (ie about 2 weeks ago) so haven't been seriously looking at buying my own machine as yet but I guess I'll have to start soon.

Cheers
Glen

[mars]

Hi All

I suggest getting machines and masks from cpap.com or cpapauction,com. You will find links at the top of the screen.

Much, much cheaper than buying from the rip-off merchants in Australia.

cheers

Mars

[sol]

if you going to get the S9 autoset than http://www.cpapexpress.com.au or http://www.cpapaustralia.com.au (10% discont on your order when you subscribe to their free newsletter ) both have offices in Queensland , as Resmed cpap can not be shipped outside US .
Don,t get the S9 ESCAPE it useless machine only shows usage (hours) ,there is no price difference if you are buying the S9 ELITE between cpap.com and cpapaustralia ( climate line and cleanable humidifier water tub comes as a standard while on cpap.com are optional plus shipping cost )
Do your homework as you might be able to get the mask included with your cpap machine and humidifier purchase .
good luck .

[Twentysix]

Hi All

I suggest getting machines and masks from cpap.com or cpapauction,com. You will find links at the top of the screen.

Much, much cheaper than buying from the rip-off merchants in Australia.

cheers

Mars

Depends on your healthcare provider. I am with HCF in Oz and they do NOT pay out if you buy something over the internet. So ask before you buy!
Good luck.

[valallan]

Thank you all for your replies, glad to know there are more of us 'downunder'. Though am getting a lot of help & sympathy from this forum, thank you also.
I am in Bundaberg & Resmed Auto machines seem to be the' Rolls Royce' but a couple of our Pharmacy's seem to be pushing Fisher & Paykel......it does not have the info recorded for user to see on machine.....have to take it to them to be read.
Have had my titration study done at Wesley Hosp. Brisbane & they have hired the Resmed Auto for $100AUD per month discounted off machine if you buy it from them. Am about to find out tomorrow at my review if it includes mask etc. Will keep in touch, thankyou so much for your input Off for the big train ride to Brisbane & back tomorrow. (Tues)

[snoozysue]

I am in Sydney and use a Phillips Respironics Auto with A Flex which works well. I also bought a "gently used" second hand machine from secondwind.com (in US) , they were extremely helpful and I only had to scan and send a copy of my original prescription from the doctor. You can often find masks on ebay (Aust) that are relatively cheap although I now tend to buy supplies ffrom US.

[sol]

snoozysue
how much was the shipping cost for your machine from secondwind.com ..and how the warranty works ...... Thanks.
valallan
Go for the S9 autoset ,as you have already noticed the info recorded on its LCD screen and that makes the compliance much easier .
For complete guide on the Resmed S9 and how to access the clinical menu and learn about its other features go to http://www.sleepnationtv.com and watch episode 8
video presentation and after that you don,t these con merchant who want to rip you off as you will get to know and understand of how your machine works .
Once you get the S9 you can download the Rescan software for free ,ask and someone will point you in the right direction .
Sleep well and good luck...

[snoozysue]

I paid $499US for the machine and $65US for shipping. I didn't ask about the warranty information - just ppresumed it wouldn't apply to second hand equipment - worth checking it out.

just went to the site and copied this:
Peace of Mind...

We also have a 6 month money back guarantee for mechanical defects on all used devices. Many used devices are still under manufacturer warranty. All of our factory refurbished machines come with a 2-year manufacturer warranty.

Sorry I put the wrong address - its:
http://www.secondwindcpap.com

[Gerald?]

Hello fellow Queenslander!

You can play the suppliers off against each other to price match. They would not price match for me with US suppliers but they will price match or beat other Australian suppliers.

Also if you have private health insurance with extras many of the funds will give you $500 toward the cost. They may not do it for a US imported version (mine would not, but others might).

So with $500 and haggling, I got within about $50 of the CPAP.com US shipped price.

I have also had to put mine in under warranty so I'm glad I did not have to send it back to the US. I also got a replacement machine while I wait. It's worth checking with your supplier if they will do this. I understand some of the Australian internet only suppliers do not.

If you are at the Wesley, there is an Air Liquide agency on site. They also have an agency in Bundaberg which would then be convenient for you. I have found the Wesley agent to be excellent. They are open to price matching if you can give them some evidence to send back to head office.

Having said that, its much cheaper to buy hoses, masks filters etc from the US once you know what you want. There is also less that can go wrong with these.

The usual deal is that you get a mask for about 2 weeks and then have to buy one. The machine they will rent for about 2-3 months then want you to buy one.

Hope it all goes well.

[valallan]

Hi Gerald, thank you for your reply & info on machines.
Yes I am going to the Wesley Hospital seeing Dr. Andrew Scott. He offers the ResMed S9 Auto at $2,500 discounted by the $200 hire for these 1st 2 months, if you purchase from him.
Had my 1st month review last Wed 8th & he seemed happy.....see my other post Newly Diagnosed.
Do you know of him & his clinic?
So far I have found 2 agents in Bundaberg :- The Church Pharmacy & Friendly's Pharmacy.

[jedimark]

Go Queensland..

I'm in Bundy here too!

I bought mine from CPAP.com last month, the postage was around $180, but saved thousands on the setup.. The Local Chemists here are rip-offs.

[sol]

Resmed S9 autoset for 2500 dollors including 200 discounted by 200 dollors hire ? i bought my S9 autoset including humidifier ,climate line ,and mask of my choice under 2000 dollors .if i have to do it again probably would buy directly from US as it is much cheaper .
cpapaustralia ,cpapexpress .cpapconnect all have offices in Queensland including Bunderbag ,one can pay ,pick up equipment and the invoice directly from their offices ,pharmacy are the most expensive places to buy cpap equipment .

[Gerald?]

Hi Gerald, thank you for your reply & info on machines.
Yes I am going to the Wesley Hospital seeing Dr. Andrew Scott. He offers the ResMed S9 Auto at $2,500 discounted by the $200 hire for these 1st 2 months, if you purchase from him.
Had my 1st month review last Wed 8th & he seemed happy.....see my other post Newly Diagnosed.
Do you know of him & his clinic?
So far I have found 2 agents in Bundaberg :- The Church Pharmacy & Friendly's Pharmacy.

No problem.

I have not dealt with Dr Scott. It looks like he has his own machine selling business on the side. This might be useful if you are going to continue to see him, as they will process your data and provide it to him when you visit. Also if there are any problems you can deal with it as a one stop shop which would be convenient. However, his prices are a bit steep and if something goes wrong in Bundaberg with your machine, you will have to take it back to him first. Also you can use software to get the data your self (software costs ~$30).

The S9 machine is good and I'm assuming that price includes the humidifier. Assuming that the s9 Autoset works for you over the next month or so and that is the one you want, get a print out from cpapaustralia.com and perhaps a few other Australian suppliers. Currently the price seems to be around $2,000. Take your print outs in and haggle.

If he won't Air Liquide also has an office in the Wesley and at least when I bought, they were prepared to drop their price. That might also be good for you as the Friendly Pharmacy is the Air Liquide agent in Bundaberg. Not sure if the local agent will haggle too. If you buy off Air Liquide and something goes wrong you could get service at home, rather than have to ship it back to Brisbane.

Assuming you have private health cover with $500 rebate that will bring it down to ~$1500. From my calculations that's still ~$250 more than if you bought from CPAP.com. Personally I think that might be worth it for the ability to deal with problems and warranty issues locally. Of course if your private health insurance won't cover it (or you don't have it), CPAP.com is probably the way to go. The downside is you will have to ship back to the US and won't have any machine until it gets fixed, but for $750 you could rent a machine for a while. Also you might want to check if your health insurer would rebate the $500 if you buy from CPAP.com (mine would not).

Again personally when buying your first mask it's probably worth buying your first from Dr Scott, Air Liquide or someone who will help you fit it and might also offer to swap if the mask does not work for you. Once you have your mask sorted, it's much cheaper to buy off the net for replacements and any replacement parts for your machine (Eg filters, hoses etc).

Good to see Dr is pleased with progress. It can be hard but try to keep the mask on, the sooner you can get used to it the better off you will be. I hope you have taken it away with you for the week.
Gerald.