Respironics minimum pricing policy

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:36 am

Anonymous wrote:Then present your case or leave us to consider useful posts.

"us"? ... you are a freeken guest ... you can't speak for "us

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:20 am

DreamStalker wrote:
Guest wrote:Then present your case or leave us to consider useful posts.
"us"? ... you are a freeken guest ... you can't speak for "us

I think that guest was chiding the other guest who posted just above him. One guest politely saying "Put up or shut up" to the other guest who had said: "akcpapguy is a fraud. "

That's just my guess. Hard to tell when several different "guests" are posting.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:10 pm

Guest,

Please feel free to explain which parts of my post were incorrect and I will gladely retract them.

NiceDMEDude · Post by **NiceDMEDude** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:36 pm

Hi everyone.

My favorite subject has crept back up I see.

akcpapguy is correct as best I can tell, but my sources are the same as his (Respironics themselves).

Why is the guest calling him a fraud? He is simply putting forth the information that is coming straight from the manufacturer, unless he is being disingenuous about his employer; I don't see anything in his posts to suggest he is anyone other than who he claims to be.

Personally, I hope SleepGuy is correct that the MAP policies will create opportunity for the smaller manufacturers to make some noise and up the level of competition. We will all benefit from this.

PB is in the process of launching their new Sandman series of machines, and hopefully this will eventually include a really good auto bilevel device. Aside from this one type of unit, there are already several good products out there available from PB, as well as F&P, AeioMed and ProBasics. Granted, the A-Flex from Respironics is far and away (IMHO) the best auto on the market, but when F&P launches their auto device it may be a monster.

Also, Respironics' policy is not even close to ResMed's cumbersome policy. ResMed has made it extremely clear that they DESPISE the internet sale of their products. Respironics wants to sell as much as they can, via the internet or through traditional channels. But they are trying to keep the DME hounds at bay, who are screaming over reimbursement cuts from the insurance companies.

One other note, this is a minimum ADVERTISED price policy. Many companies do this to protect brand image or keep their resellers happy. Advertised is the key word here.

Best regards to all.

WNJ · Post by **WNJ** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:41 pm

I was told today by a salesman from an on-line cpap supplier that both Respironics and F&P are beginning such policies effective March 1st.

As a favorite professor in college told me ~40 years ago, “Everybody pays lip-service to the idea of competition, so long as they don’t have to be subjected to it.”

Wayne

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:10 pm

They can raise their prices all they want, if Medicare and other insurances won't pay it, they have a choice of Chapter 11 or lowering their prices to a more reasonable amount.

We bought a new Toyota Prius a year ago, but bought our extended warranty off the east coast because it was one half what my dealer wanted. I called Toyota's Customer service and they said Toyota can't tell dealer's what to charge for the warranty. That is called price fixing.

How is Respironics different? I am not being a wise guy, I am curious as to how the major companies all raise their rates and not be guilty of collusion?

I most assuredly will complain to my congressional reps. They talk the talk about rising medical costs, let them walk the walk by going after them.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:49 pm

The Brick and Mortar cpap sellers are demanding manufactures act to force internet prices up. They are trying to smash internet competition, not by improving themselves, but by restricting internet price freedom. They delude themselves. The internet will win in the end, regardless what the manufacturers decide to do. It is just a matter of time.

I am a guest in this house. I am respectful. Please judge guest posts by what is written, not by the poster's choosing to be a guest. There are good reasons some informative posts are done by guests. Suppose I work for a big DME and my boss finds out I post the above paragraph or something much more sensitive. How long do you think I would keep my job? It is a hostile world out here. Guests and members are free to post. Surely this board is read by many thousands of people that never post one line. They are guest and they are important!

jules · Post by **jules** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:12 pm

hmm ----- check out

https://www.cpap.com/productpage-advanced.php?PNum=1607

yes I know this product is discontinued, and I know it has been out of stock for a while ------- but this is a fairly recent $ 250 price increase for an out of stock item??

what else is going to go up in the next couple weeks?

billbolton · Post by **billbolton** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:35 pm

Anonymous wrote:Please judge guest posts by what is written, not by the poster's choosing to be a guest.

Trust is the coin of the realm in online fora.. There is no way of knowing if an annoymous poster is trustworthy on a basis of the history of information previously posted, which can be tested by both discussion and time...... so judging annyomous posts by what is written is not an adequate mechanism for determining if they useful information at any level, or just a plant to promote a vested cause.

Cheers,

Bill

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:58 am

Anonymous wrote: ... I am a guest in this house. I am respectful. Please judge guest posts by what is written, not by the poster's choosing to be a guest. There are good reasons some informative posts are done by guests. Suppose I work for a big DME and my boss finds out I post the above paragraph or something much more sensitive. How long do you think I would keep my job? ...

Some choose to post their true name such as BillBolton (I assume) does. Others prefer to protect their true identity w/an ID of their choosing such as Slinky (as I do). Registering and choosing such an ID at least allows us to know that it is the same person posting each time and we can judge for ourselves over a span of various posts just how much weight we want to put on what they have to say.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:30 am

Anonymous wrote:The Brick and Mortar cpap sellers are demanding manufactures act to force internet prices up. They are trying to smash internet competition, not by improving themselves, but by restricting internet price freedom. They delude themselves. The internet will win in the end, regardless what the manufacturers decide to do. It is just a matter of time.

I am a guest in this house. I am respectful. Please judge guest posts by what is written, not by the poster's choosing to be a guest. There are good reasons some informative posts are done by guests. Suppose I work for a big DME and my boss finds out I post the above paragraph or something much more sensitive. How long do you think I would keep my job? It is a hostile world out here. Guests and members are free to post. Surely this board is read by many thousands of people that never post one line. They are guest and they are important!

In reality, we are ALL "guests" in this house/forum.

I, for one, appreciate your input and understand your reasoning for remaining anonymous.

Unfortunately, we get some "guests" who seem to have a different agenda and are not as pleasant.

Best wishes,

Den

Velbor · Post by **Velbor** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:12 pm

March 1 has come and gone. What has happened? Has anything happened?

hobbs · Post by **hobbs** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:27 pm

I know one of the "unauthorized" internet retailer who bumped there price for a S8 AutoSet by $50.00USD. Put them within $125.00USD of a "authorized" dealer, at least as of 3/4/08.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:50 pm

Shows where rumors get ya!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:19 pm

The letter posted here from Resmed to their internet dealers shows that Resmed's second round of price increases take effect April Fools day (such timing and respect for their dealers and end users). This letter is dated February 22 and may have complicated the Respironics action.

s112.photobucket.com/albums/n174/annie123456789/?action=view&current=resmed.jpg

Machine	Mask

Additional Comments: Airmini, Medistrom Pilot 24, CMS 60C Pulse Oximeter, ResScan 6