How do you try a new mask if they cannot be returned?

qurx · Post by **qurx** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:02 pm

I'm new to the cpap world and have learned immensely from your posts. i'm searching for a new interface to try, and will probably get a nasal pillow system next (i currently have a nasal mask). this post has intrigued me because of the guesswork when buying a new mask. one thing that has occurred to me: when buying a product online with a VISA or AMEX, there is an inherent guarantee the charge company gives you that you WILL be satisfied, or you can return the product. if the company accepts or refuses the return is immaterial, you will get a credit to your card. has anyone tried this approach? this will of course apply to us cash customers, not DME. my deductible is 1000 so i never usually reach it.

thanks again for all your information!!!

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:28 pm

If it would work, do you rreally think it would be the honest and fair thing to do. Us honest people would have to pay for the dishonest skum of the earth. Jim

qurx · Post by **qurx** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:20 pm

Jim, i understand and appreciate your commitment to honesty, but your efforts and reasoning in this context miss the point. i'm guessing that either you have insurance to cover your equipment and don't care or enjoy throwing money away. in either case your naivete' when it comes to how it all works needs explaining. having worked in medical supply for 20+ years i can tell you for a fact that:

1) returned items such as this are NOT discarded. they are cleaned, refurbished if necessary and reprocessed. do you think people always get brand new, first use, off of the assemblyline medical equipment in the hospital, nursing home, medical supply dist. etc? of course not. not profitable. there are huge boxes of this stuff going back to the manufact everyday from the hospitals for credit. they in turn remanufacture and redistribute. if it touches body fluids or would cost more to clean, then yes of course its discarded

2) there is a 25 to 100 percent markup right from the start. for example these cpap machines which list for 500 retail sell to DME dist's for a lot less than you want to know. there are laws that require hospitals and pharmacies to charge cash customers the same price as insurance customers. example: an albuterol inhaler costs about $3.00. rite aid charges 20.00 to both cash and insurance. think of the profit. the same applies to this stuff.

the world is full of ruthless, all for the profit organizations, which is exactly why VISA has this guarantee. for you. is it fair to the average schmo to waste $500-$1000 or more finding a system that works for them? respironics revenues exceeded 1 BILLION dollars for fiscal year 2006, and is enjoying record profits. read this article dated 7/27/2006

http://news.morningstar.com/news/PR/M07 ... qtqnPress2

they're only obligation/commitment is to their stockholders. and
whose pockets is all this money coming out of? yours and mine. people frequently will forgo most all other things in their life to obtain what they feel they need medically. but spending 10 times what is necessary to achieve satisfactory results is ludicrous. is this "honest and fair"??? "us honest people" are already paying, jack. wake up.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:47 pm

And this makes it right and clears up the worlds problems, by defrading the credit card companies, maybe 19 % isn't unfair for a interest rate. Have you rioted on the street and got your new T.V. yet, that's Ok too isn't it, as long as they have it and you feel it right, because someone ripped you off on your prescriotion. Jim

NoInsEither · Post by **NoInsEither** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:48 pm

AMEN!

qurx · Post by **qurx** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:01 pm

jim, again you seem to misunderstand. you're not defrauding the credit card companies. THEY are the ones helping you!!! if you have a VISA or AMEX, read your agreement. you tell them an unscrupulous company won't stand behind the sale, and they work for you to get you your refund. and secondly, read my post. i work in medical equipment sales and do not "get ripped off" on anything

also rioting solves nothing. the meek shall inherit the earth

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:05 pm

Then you confess to being the ripper, not the ripee! It worked for the people in New Orleans.

blew away · Post by **blew away** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:07 pm

i've been lurking here for a bit because DH was diagnosed with OSA a couple months ago, first i wanna say thanks so much to everyone here for the great info. it's been very helpful and encouraging after some very rough times of him sleeping 15 hours a day, poor health and other associated troubles.

we're also feeling the pain of having to pay and pay and pay to find a mask that works. in the last 45 days we've purchased a remstar plus cpap machine, comfortcurve mask, comfortgel mask, and now we're about to get a comfortfull2 because husband opens his mouth at night. (which reinstates my sleep-deprived state as i stay up to make sure he IS breathing)

we have insurance, but medical equipment is covered at 80% after the $1000 (!) deductible!!! so that's no help at all.

we'll sell the comfortcurve for $80 to anyone who wants it, (email blueblewaway at yahoo dot com) it was used for a week and he quit using it because his moustache was too big for it to be comfortable.

when you're going through hard times and everyone knows it... make 'em wonder while you're still smiling.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:15 pm

blew away wrote:
when you're going through hard times and everyone knows it... make 'em wonder while you're still smiling.

That's why I went with the FF Mask first, I couldn't get two, and I new I would have trouble breathing through my nose. I'd let the hair go and try to use the mask, my FF Mask wouldn't work well with hair, it doesn't work easy clean shaved. Jim

Keep them wondering.

qurx · Post by **qurx** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:17 pm

actually i'm on the buying end for hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, etc. i looked some of this stuff up and i see what it costs, then i go online and see what they charge. the disparity would make you sick.

i feel it is you my good fellow that was ripped off at some time and not able to make amends , and now you preach. misery doth enjoy company

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:21 pm

Goofproof wrote:
blew away wrote:
when you're going through hard times and everyone knows it... make 'em wonder while you're still smiling.

That's why I went with the FF Mask first, I couldn't get two, and I new I would have trouble breathing through my nose. I'd let the hair go and try to use the mask, my FF Mask wouldn't work well with hair, it doesn't work easy clean shaved. Jim

Keep them wondering.

thanks for the tip, will keep that in mind. he seems to manage ok with the comfortgel (with the exception of mouth breathing), which goes right over the moustache. he's accepted the possibility that he may have to choose between facial hair and sleep, but i don't think he likes it!

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:57 pm

qurx brought up an interesting possibility-if your credit card company gives a satisfaction guarantee for online purchases-you pay the fees for their services and if one of the services is that guarantee-why wouldn't you use it? That isn't fraudulent. I don't know the how the credit is handled since it would not be the seller making the guarantee. It would not be fair to try to make a claim against the seller about an unreturnable item. So the question is-does the credit card company have an exclusions clause. If there are no exclusions and it is the credit card company absorbing the loss-they set it up that way-maybe they do get to call it a loss.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:15 am

All the DME companies I've gotten supplies through so far have all had a storefront that I could go to and try on all the different masks before selecting one.
Once I got one and it was billed I couldn't return it, but I was able to try out all I wanted there at the store.