Phillips / Philips Respironics recent recall notice discussion thread

[chunkyfrog]

Due to cost saving measures, Philips' refurb line is offshore--waaaay offshore.
Training the "techs" has been problematic; as using a screwdriver is beyond the ability
of creatures accustomed to flinging feces at one another.

Please remove this insensitive, racist quote. Thanks.

WHAAAAT?
I merely noted that Philip's might have hired escapees from a zoo
to do their dirty work--instead of humans.
Race does not even get into it!
Trained monkeys--dimwit!
The quality of work reflects that.

[beautifuldreamer]

Interestingly, yesterday I got a call from my Sleep Doctor's office to say that I no longer have a need for a bipap (one of the system ones I am working on getting replaced through the recall), and they said they faxed Phillips a new prescription for an auto cpap which i currently use- the Doc's office said that Philips had faxed them to request updated information . . .

And now, a day after my doctor's office call to me, I got an email from Philips saying that my order is now being processed and the ETA of Shipping is sometime toward the end of May.

I did have to make several calls to Philips, sometimes they would ask the same questions over and over again, and one of them told me I had to have my doctor's office call them buy my doctor's office said that Philips would have to fax them with the request of the information they required!

I actually had given up calling, and to my surprise, it is nearing the time where my replacement will be shipped to me.

One of my other system one's which is an ASV, the status used to say that the replacement device had already shipped to the DME (and it never had shipped) - and now the status says the device is registered but it is not matched to a DME.

[Bill44133]

Well it took about a year and half, but I finally have all 3 of my bi-pap machines replace due to the recall. The last of the recall replacement
machines arrived today.

They replaced my dream station one with dream station two, and my 750 and 760 machines with dream station one.
They also gave me the humidifiers with each of the machines and new hoses. The only thing that was missing is SD disks.

I can't decide if I should send the recalled machines back.

[ILoveFlowers]

Here's my experience, fwiw. I finally received my replacement machine a few weeks ago. I had opted for replacement instead of the $50 they offered. I never got any acknowledgment and didn't know what was going on until a refurbished Dreamstation was delivered one day.

I've been having trouble with aerophagia ever since first getting my Resmed Airsense 10 for Her machine at the beginning of the recall. I have messed with the settings as much as possible to get it as gentle as possible (with help from you great folks here) but it still seems to pump air into my stomach during the night. It has been bad for the past months. I wake up bloated and I've been having awful stomach aches, bad enough that I had to have an upper GI workup only to find nothing wrong. I stopped my cpap therapy for a couple weeks and the stomach felt so much better, but then of course, I was sleeping terrible. So, when the Dreamstation arrived, I went ahead and gave it a try. I am finding that the Dreamstation is working better for me in regard to the aerophagia. I still get a little air in my stomach but nothing like I was. I was even able to raise the pressures slightly and I'm doing okay with it and sleeping well, and so far the stomach is doing okay (fingers crossed). I guess I must have a weak valve on my stomach and the Resmed algorithm is too aggressive for me. I don't know how long this old refurbished machine is going to last, but for now it's working for me. I hope it's safe to use, I have to trust it is because I'm really between a rock and a hard place with these stomach issues. Phillips has their issues in many areas but it seems maybe like their algorithm works better for me.

YMMV!

[chunkyfrog]

I'd like to see the stats on how many patients jumped ship because of the recall--
and the ensuing tangle of ill-conceived shenanigans.
As a happy user of Resmed, what little curiosity I may have had is quite dead.
You guys never deserved this nightmare.

[amenite]

After several hounding emails and repeated Philips portal login failures I finally got around to calling them today. Out of three machines I opted for 2 replacements and one do nothing (except update my address since it changed in the last 22 months since registration). I got through right away, asked for two replacements so we'll see what they send and when. At least it won't be arriving at someone else's address (my old address) now.

The first rep I spoke to insisted on reading all the fine print. Sounded like they were just logging in to the portal page that I can't seem to authenticate on, and filling out all the info like I would have if it had worked for me. IDK how they messed up this access so thoroughly. Probably don't want to know either - I'd bet it very much resembles a sausage factory if you get my drift

[carojae]

Hi there,

Recall of my cpap
Phillips Respironics system one, 60 series

I've been dealing with this recall for well over a year. The recall team keeps sending me requests for more information and it's usually information I've sent them already. I feel like I am getting the run-around and they are trying to wear me out so that I give up.

Nothing against the fine people who answer their phones with foreign accents, but this always adds to the frustration when they can't understand me or I can't understand them.
Ugh, I've called to provide my Dr's name and provided phone numbers and have followed their instructions over and over and offered that I am capable of entering the pressures needed and so on. Still I seem to be still at square one although with promises that they are on it!

So.

The initial offer to me was to take a small payment for the machine and was told this machine is no longer manufactured nor does it have a product guarantee anymore. The other option was to wait for a replacement device that they would provide. I chose to get a replacement.

My question. Anyone here know of any tricks to get these people to get this replacement project done? I really like this machine and seems to work best for me.

Thanks for any info on this.

Sincerely,

Jim

[beautifuldreamer]

One of my three system 1's was replaced today by a Dream Station AutoBiPap.

I think it is new, I don't see a refurbished sticker on it and the manufacture date says April 13, 2023, and it has 0 hours.

The email from Respironics arrived today saying that I would be receiving the replacement - it is for the oldest System One that I have, that was a Auto BiPap . . .

The two System One ASV's are not yet replaced . . .

[beautifuldreamer]

My question. Anyone here know of any tricks to get these people to get this replacement project done? I really like this machine and seems to work best for me.

Thanks for any info on this.

Sincerely,

Jim

Jim = I called every week to keep asking them for status- and then finally one day I chose the option of complaint (the recording gave various options to press certain numbers) 888-511-2797

A few different Reps during the period of several weeks (since October?) told me my device would be sent to me but nothing seemed to happen and then they kept saying the same status that they had told me before, and the last time when I chose the option for complaints, that REP said that he got his supervisor's approval for my replacement device was released to be shipped to me.

And 4 to 5 weeks after the final REP I spoke with, said he released it to be shipped to me, my doctor's office called me to tell me that they had faxed Philips my updated prescription - and also said I didn't any longer need a bipap - and I was expecting an auto cpap, but they did send me an auto bipap. . . I had registered my devices at the very beginning of the Recall . . . about 2 years ago?

Also, I had lots of friends praying the replacements for the recalled devices would come. . .

[carojae]

Thank you so much beautifuldreamer. I will call them again tomorrow or maybe monday, hehe.
I can't stand the delays; it seems like it's part of their protocol. I don't like to be a jerk.

Thank you for answering. I love that machine over my present one. It works so much better.

Jim

[amenite]

I don't like to be a jerk.

It's not as if they're not getting paid to handle your inquiries. If you're being courteous when speaking to them you're not being a jerk. They had no problem taking your money way back when - it was just business.

[SleepGeek]

I received my replacement auto Bipap yesterday about 2 yrs after applying online. Some of the delay was I didn't apply for a priority since I already had a replacement bipap then it seems for some reason they want a prescription and my sleep doc moved for another complication. They claimed they couldn't get hold of her.

So I did speak with them on several/many occasions and finally gave their # to my doc which seemed to help.
This is my 2nd replacement.

I was not about to settle for the $50 deal. Just keep calling them and yes they are hard to understand, no doubt.

[tisket]

I've received emails from them that I have basically ignored since they wanted to give me $50 - haha - and then wanted my doctor to get involved - I haven't seen the doctor who prescribed cpcp since 2018 and have no intention to.

Recently I got an email that said

"In most cases, Philips Respironics can work directly with a durable medical equipment (DME) provider to get device settings. In cases where we are unable to secure this information from the DME provider, we will collaborate directly with patients.

We are unable to remediate your device without first obtaining your device settings. Please visit the Patient Portal to update your device settings.

If you are unable, for any reason, to provide us with your current device therapy prescription, you have the option to receive a replacement device with automatic adjusted settings more commonly known as auto-adjusting CPAP, which may help us process your order more efficiently as we can ship you a replacement device without your prescription settings. Below explains this setting and how you can provide your consent for this option within the Patient Portal. "


Has anyone gotten a replacement machine this way, with no doctors or scrips involved? If so maybe I will make the attempt. I certainly don't want to go getting a former doctor (that I left for good reason) involved, and the $50 offer is ludicrous. If they are going to send me a new Dreamstation 2, it might be worth it - but I would probably just store it for a few years to make sure there is no recall on that.

At this point I am getting worried about even having the System 1 in the closet. If it is really releasing cancer causing gases, it could be doing so from in there, into the whole apartment, even if I don't use it. Gas has a way of expanding to fill a space.

[amenite]

Has anyone gotten a replacement machine this way, with no doctors or scrips involved?

Surprisingly I just received a pair of DS1 refurb machines, about 1 week after calling them to resolve this. I registered about 22 months ago? As soon as they offered registration after the recall. I finally called because I've never been able to get in through their portal. They read thru all the legalese and ticked some boxes for me and sent these with the default auto 4-20 CM setting. Even after the rep last week confirmed all my contact info and serial numbers and such, and they sent two replacements to my correct address, I still can't get in to their portal. A sad state of affairs; it is what it is.

I will take refurb DS1 machines over the $50 per machine offer (paid only after return of the old machine - AKA "evidence" machine). I'm keeping the PRS1 I used for 6+ years though, that one will stay on the shelf indefinitely next to these DS1's. Maybe someone case use the DS1 refurbs one day.

I didn't press for DS2 replacements. I did not really give a crap what model they sent me.

[tisket]

So they did not require you to send the "evidence" machine back to get the replacements? Interesting.