Issues with shipping CPAP machines to Taiwan - Any advice?

[WWu777]

Well I'm ok here with family and in a nice area up in the mountains. But I don't go out much cause I don't connect with the people or vibe or culture here.

Maybe your problem is being back in the sticks with the hicks?

Partially. There is a city nearby too. But people there are 100 percent closed, just like in Japan. Foreigners have told me that the city I'm near is the most unsocial city in Taiwan. I'd have to agree. Everywhere else I've traveled to, I've been able to make friends naturally, because I'm a very outgoing and sociable person, except here. My parents chose this town cause it's close to their home town and is one of the cheapest places to buy a house. But even when I go to Taipei, it's boring too, nothing to do or see. I just walk around aimlessly. I've seen all the museums and historical attractions there, and they aren't that great. Especially compared to Europe or Russia or even Thailand or China. No interesting culture here either. I had a far better time in other countries, so the problem isn't me. Just a mismatch as I explained earlier. Sorry if I sound negative, but that's my honest feeling. I'm not gonna lie.

Btw, I tend to get along with hicks in the US, at least they are down to earth and not snobby or pretentious like my home state of CA, and they share my right wing conservative views too. But the hicks here are a different breed than the US. lol

[WWu777]

Maybe if you are to frail to travel, you should stay home... Or make better decisions in what you pack.

You seem to like to argue, NEWS, you won't win here! Jim

Buy any CRAP you want, Hopefully it's your money.

Sorry if I sound argumentative. It's not my intention to come across that way. I just like sharing different opinions and perspectives in a friendly manner, that's all. I'm not trying to win an argument or debate. Hope you understand. I'm like a journalist, so I like to ask critical questions, but in a friendly polite manner of course.

I can travel fine, as long as my luggage isn't too much. I'm trying to travel light, but it's hard to decide what to jettison. And I'm not very organized with practical things, only with computer stuff. lol. My girlfriend usually packs my luggage for me. (She's in the Philippines, when I'm there I mean) She's far better at it.

I'll just do more research on the travel CPAP machine and narrow down my choices a bit more. Thanks for all your suggestions everyone.

[WWu777]

Update:

Good news. I found a Hong Kong supplier who will ship CPAP machines to Taiwan and said that they have experience doing so and getting it through Taiwanese customs with a good success rate. Their CPAP machines are a little more expensive than the US, at 1100 to 1200 USD, but that's ok. It's still a lot less than the 2000 USD that they charge in Taiwan for it.

If anyone is interested, their website is: https://www.cpappal.com (Am I allowed to post external links here? If not, I apologize.)

Here's what they told me by email:

Thanks for your inquiry.

We do offer free shipping for any CPAP machine to Taiwan.

We receive numerous orders from Taiwan every months. Everyone received their CPAP.

Actually CPAP is allowed to ship into Taiwan. There is a permission you can apply for through Ministry of Health and Welfare.

If your stock is being inspected, you can show the permission to get back the stock.
Although it costs time to go through certain procedures to get the permission.
But even if you do not have the permission, you can still place the order and we will ship the stock for free.

They are rarely inspected and even if so, we will ship another new package.

We guarantee the stock will arrive Taiwan.
Our store will receive payment through Paypal so Paypal will also ensure customer receiving their ordered items.

If the stock could not arrive Taiwan no matter how we ship, Paypal offer the right for customer to get back the money they paid.

More information about CPAP, you can check our website: https://shop.cpappal.com/en_us/product- ... /autocpap/

Feel free to ask me any question or contact me through any other platform

The CPAP machines we sent mostly don't get inspected especially to Northern Taiwan. Only few were inspected and will be returned back to Hong Kong. We will then send another whole new package again. It works every time.
We will always label the stock in way so it can pass the customs faster.

For prices, you can refer to our online store:

(Ordinary Auto CPAP)
https://shop.cpappal.com/en_us/product- ... ecf1cb3d36

(Travel Auto CPAP)
https://shop.cpappal.com/en_us/product- ... ecf1cb3d36

The prices are based on HKD and approximately times 4 for NTD.

For instance, the most popular model Dreamstation Auto with full set will cost HKD7600 and will be about NTD34800.

We don't have the most updated information about price but I guess in Taiwan will cost about 1 fold or more higher.

For travel CPAP, Dreamstation Go Auto will be a fully functional CPAP with compact size. On the other hand, AirMini AutoSet is one of the smallest CPAP on market this moment. Both are currently the most popular travel machines.
We accept credit card payment online.
As mentioned before, payment will be transfer through Paypal so both of our rights can be protected. (No Paypal account required)

All CPAP machines come with 2 years warranty for main unit. If any problem encountered, you can ship the machine to us for repair and maintenance. Only the shipping fee for sending machines from Taiwan to Hong Kong will be paid by you. We will responsible for all other charges.

Prescription are not necessary for buying CPAP machines.

All CPAP machines' interface and user manuals are in English.

Is that a good deal? The prices he quoted for travel CPAP machines are like 1100 to 1200 USD.

Btw, look how expensive CPAP machines in Taiwan are. See here: 
https://www.ezsleep.com.tw/categories/resmed
(1 US dollar = 30 NTD)

[WWu777]

Btw all, I forgot to post this update earlier about why I decided not to deal with the customs clearance issue in Taiwan:

Ok I contacted the Taiwan Customs Office and then the FDA, after Customs told me to contact the FDA. It seems that I cannot import a CPAP machine here without a medical license from the FDA first. Otherwise, the Customs will not allow it through. However, I have no idea how to get this license from the FDA. When I call the Taiwan FDA, the person on the phone keeps transferring me to someone else, and so I keep getting passed around endlessly. It seems no one knows anything and they keep telling me to call someone else. And when I go to the Taiwan FDA website, there is no info on how to apply for an import license and no email or contact form, only a list of phone numbers on the contact page, which if I call, will result in the same thing again where I keep getting transferred and passed around. Some of the phone staff did give me an email to write to, but when I write to them, I get no response. You would think in a first world country like this, this kind of thing would be a little easier than that.

So this doesn't seem to be going anywhere and seems like a lot of trouble. I guess the only way would be for me to go to their office in Taipei and apply for the medical import license, but Taipei is far away from me, and I have no idea whether it would even be approved.

It all just seems like too much trouble. I might as well just get it in the US. However, with this coronavirus thing and lockdown, I'm not sure when I will be able to return to the US. Or when international flights will be allowed into the US again. I hope this virus fiasco is over soon. It's more trouble than it's worth and way overblown.

Or I can look for a special sale or deal in Taiwan. With the global economy going down, a lot of companies are slashing prices, so I may be able to get a good deal now on CPAP machines here.

Addendum Question:

Since Taiwan FDA and Customs seem so disorganized and when you call them, no one seems to know anything, could it be possible that I might be able to sneak a CPAP machine past them? lol. Since the one CE uses looks like a camcorder, maybe I can have it labeled as a camcorder on the customs form? lol. They would never notice right? Especially since they seem so clumsy and disorganized. What do you all think?

[WWu777]

One more question:

If I order a travel auto CPAP device from them, can I just turn on the auto settings and just let the device adjust itself according to my breathing during sleep? Can I do that and follow the instruction manual for all my needs with the device? Or do I need to get the assistance of a nurse or sleep specialist? Can I just do it all by myself using common sense logic and the instruction manual without any outside help? Or even if I need outside help, I can just ask forums like this for advice or assistance right?

I hope so, because it's a pain in the butt to go to the hospital here and find a sleep specialist. There's a language barrier, and plus the closest sleep center is far away from me too. I'd have to bother my parents to drive me there, since I don't even have my own car here. So I'm looking for a way to use this thing without needing assisting from nurses and sleep specialists. What do you all think?

[DreamDiver]

If you have US Citizenship, have you considered contacting the US Embassy in Taiwan? Lost passports, lost money, lost meds... They're dedicated to helping US Citizens solve challenges like this. It's possible the embassy has a license to import medical devices for citizens in need.

If you're not a US citizen and not a Taiwan citizen, maybe contact the embassy of the country where you are a citizen.

Chris

[chunkyfrog]

Considering the pandemic and current travel restrictions, you might be better off scheduling your visit to the US sooner than later. Get your cpap then.

[WWu777]

Update:

Ok I think I will get the DreamStation Go Travel CPAP. Everyone seems to say that that's the best travel CPAP machine available. The reviews on YouTube all said that too. The HK website I mentioned above said they can get it to me in Taiwan and get it through customs ok. Anyway, I have a few questions if anyone knows the answer to them.

1. Can I just turn on the auto settings on the CPAP and just let the device adjust itself according to my breathing during sleep? Can I just follow the instruction manual for all my needs with the device? Or do I need to get the assistance of a nurse or sleep specialist? Can I just do it all by myself using common sense logic and the instruction manual without any outside help? Or even if I need outside help, I can just ask forums like this for advice or assistance right? I hope so, because it's a pain in the butt to go to the hospital here and find a sleep specialist. There's a language barrier, and plus the closest sleep center is far away from me too. I'd have to bother my parents to drive me there, since I don't even have my own car here. So I'm looking for a way to use this thing without needing assisting from nurses and sleep specialists.

If I have to guess, what is a safe low risk range to set an auto CPAP? Usually the best things are mid-range. For example, if you are in a store and can't decide whether to buy the expensive brand or the cheapest brand, the best deal for your money is usually the mid-range items that are not too cheap or too expensive. Those tend to be the best value in my experience. Likewise, what would be a good safe midrange for me to set an auto CPAP if I have to?

2. How often are you supposed to get a sleep test to check on that status of your sleep apnea? Every few years? Isn't it expensive to do a sleep test, unless you have medical insurance? Even if you had medical insurance, does it pay for a periodic sleep test? How often are you supposed to get it? Just once or every few years?

3. I also have this unusual sleep problem that I don't know whether it's been classified or labeled by science yet. Every few days, my sleep schedule seems to roll forward a few hours. I cannot maintain a regular 10pm to 6am sleep schedule. It keeps rolling forward every few days. Like one time it will be 2am to 10am. Then a few days later 4am to 12noon. Then a few days later 6am to 2pm. And so on. Eventually my sleep schedule is upside down and I can't even get any errands done because every business closes at 5pm or 6pm. Then it pushes forward again back to normal cycle again and so I come full circle. And then the cycle repeats again.

I've had this problem for years. It happens usually when I live a sedentary lifestyle on the computer and have nowhere to go. But if I'm traveling and on the move a lot and walking or hiking a lot, then I get tired at the end of the day and can sleep a normal schedule. I'm wonder, does sleep apnea cause this rollover effect? Have any of you experienced something like this before? If so, does CPAP fix this problem and help set your sleep in regular cycles?

If any of you can answer these questions, then thanks in advance.

Btw, this is the CPAP I'm getting from the HK supplier. See the link below. Does this site look credible and legit? Any red flags or suspicious elements that I should be worried about?

https://shop.cpappal.com/en_us/product/ ... 9975706be3

[WWu777]

If you have US Citizenship, have you considered contacting the US Embassy in Taiwan? Lost passports, lost money, lost meds... They're dedicated to helping US Citizens solve challenges like this. It's possible the embassy has a license to import medical devices for citizens in need.

If you're not a US citizen and not a Taiwan citizen, maybe contact the embassy of the country where you are a citizen.

Chris

Yes I do have US citizenship. The US Embassy here would just tell me to contact Taiwan FDA or Customs. Because they aren't in control of imports and packages. I already tried that and got the run around. See above. Plus it's unnecessary. The HK supplier I talked to said Taiwan customs barely ever checks and they know ways to get past them based on experience shipping to customers in Taiwan.

Considering the pandemic and current travel restrictions, you might be better off scheduling your visit to the US sooner than later. Get your cpap then.

Isn't it kind of scary in the US now? Seems so when I watch CNN. Lots of violence and martial law. The US seems like a police state now. Is it as bad as it looks on CNN and the news? Or does the media exaggerate as usual? The thing is, the US is still on lockdown until who knows how long. A lot of controllers in the US are control freaks and enjoy authoritarian power. It's like crack to them, gives them a power trip. There are two kinds of people in the US - those who like to control people and those who want to be left alone. Strange dichotomy. lol.

The thing is, here in Taiwan, as well as Japan and Korea, there is no lockdown. Everything is functioning as usual. No martial law. I definitely would not want to go from that to a police state under martial law in the US. Would you? lol. Sounds kind of scary. Like a sci fi dystopia. Besides, if I went back to the US, wouldn't I be trapped there? No international flights are allowed from there right? I'd be stuck in the suburbs working on my computer and watching movies and going to Waltmart, the supermarket, Trader Joes, and Subway for food. It'd get kind of old and routine after a while right? lol. No offense to any of you who are doing that, but you know what I mean. lol

Besides, I already found a way to get my CPAP from a HK supplier. See my previous post above.

[Julie]

Apart from anything else, you are not going to 'get a medical license' from anyone anytime soon... that's what graduate doctors get when they go into practice after years of study!

I think you need to research things fiurther.

And your silly description of hardship if put under quarantine for a short time in the US is quite pointless - it's all done to protect everyone and is not problematic for most (we do the same and more in Canada) so if you would find that temporary way of life too much trouble, you may be better off at home!

[ChicagoGranny]

martial law in the US

You might want to educate yourself on martial law - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law

and keep your poorly-informed political opinions away from a CPAP forum.

walking or hiking a lot, then I get tired at the end of the day and can sleep a normal schedule.

You need to do a lot more of that and a lot less of sitting around watching TV and playing on the computer.

[Dog Slobber]

Update:



1. Can I just turn on the auto settings on the CPAP and just let the device adjust itself according to my breathing during sleep? Can I just follow the instruction manual for all my needs with the device? Or do I need to get the assistance of a nurse or sleep specialist? Can I just do it all by myself using common sense logic and the instruction manual without any outside help? Or even if I need outside help, I can just ask forums like this for advice or assistance right? I hope so, because it's a pain in the butt to go to the hospital here and find a sleep specialist. There's a language barrier, and plus the closest sleep center is far away from me too. I'd have to bother my parents to drive me there, since I don't even have my own car here. So I'm looking for a way to use this thing without needing assisting from nurses and sleep specialists.

If I have to guess, what is a safe low risk range to set an auto CPAP? Usually the best things are mid-range. For example, if you are in a store and can't decide whether to buy the expensive brand or the cheapest brand, the best deal for your money is usually the mid-range items that are not too cheap or too expensive. Those tend to be the best value in my experience. Likewise, what would be a good safe midrange for me to set an auto CPAP if I have to?

• Download OSCAR
• Place micro SD card in DS GO
• Ensure your computer has an SD Card Reader and converter from micro to standard size
• Set range
  • Many recommend something about 7-20, I prefer initially limiting the maximum to 14 (or so). This is to prevent the machine from going to high before the user has learned to tolerate CPAP. Eventually, unless there is some compelling reason not to, we do want to set the maximum pressure to to the machine pressure.
• If your machine has a humidifier fill with water and set humidifier value to about half way point
• Post OSCAR graphs for advice adjustments to settings

Create a new topic, post all therapy questions in the single topic.

While some adjust easily to CPAP, many do not. It can take days, weeks or months to adjust. Part of successful adjust is find a comfortable, compatible mask.

2. How often are you supposed to get a sleep test to check on that status of your sleep apnea? Every few years? Isn't it expensive to do a sleep test, unless you have medical insurance? Even if you had medical insurance, does it pay for a periodic sleep test? How often are you supposed to get it? Just once or every few years?

Many here don't. We manage our therapies ourselves

3. I also have this unusual sleep problem that I don't know whether it's been classified or labeled by science yet. Every few days, my sleep schedule seems to roll forward a few hours. I cannot maintain a regular 10pm to 6am sleep schedule. It keeps rolling forward every few days. Like one time it will be 2am to 10am. Then a few days later 4am to 12noon. Then a few days later 6am to 2pm. And so on. Eventually my sleep schedule is upside down and I can't even get any errands done because every business closes at 5pm or 6pm. Then it pushes forward again back to normal cycle again and so I come full circle. And then the cycle repeats again.

Google Sleep Hygiene and get into go sleep habits. Poor sleep hygiene and insomnia is common amongst those with Sleep Apnea.

[chunkyfrog]

Actually, the notion of "martial law" is a bit refreshing.
Enough already of foreigners believing our streets are paved with gold,
---and dying to come over here for "their share" of the wealth.
I would still prefer living here, under quarantine, than there
under what they have been conditioned to believe is "normal".

[jimbud]

I watch CNN.

You rely on CNN for your news?



One should avail themselves of various sources with differing views.
Then use your God given critical thinking.
Hopefully you will be able to arrive closer to the truth.

Politics are rife these days.

JPB

[DreamDiver]

Even if I were living out of a suitcase and required to have a cpap, I'd still get the Airsense 10 Autoset. Everything about the therapy delivered by Respironics machines is generally coarser than ResMed. Travel machines are also generally louder. Yes, the Airsense is 0.36 Kilo heavier, but way quieter and worth it. Airsense mini is even louder than the Dreamstation Go, so I'd still go with the Airsense 10 Autoset.

Chris