Question about on-line suppliers

LilBuckaroo · Post by **LilBuckaroo** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 12:18 pm

I’m considering buying a CPAP from an on-line supplier.

If it ever needs it, who would service it? I am always trying to think ahead.

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 8:58 pm

I think you send it back to supplier who will fix it. Of course they probably send it to the manufaturer.

johnnygoodman · Post by **johnnygoodman** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:47 am

Howdy,

As policy, no CPAP Manufacturer takes returns directly from customers. All returns must be brought back to the company it was purchased from and forwarded to the manufacturer from there.

DMEs typically have a machine repair employee. However, the cost of repair is high so unless you are purchasing a BiPAP, the cost of buying a new CPAP or APAP is generally less than the cost of repair.

Go free online market go.

Johnny

gracie97 · Post by **gracie97** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 2:01 am

As policy, no CPAP Manufacturer takes returns directly from customers. All returns must be brought back to the company it was purchased from and forwarded to the manufacturer from there.

My health insurer told me that they would not reimburse me for a CPAP purchased from an on-line provider as "if it breaks, you'll be out of luck."

So I checked the policies of the local DME's and of cpap.com, I found it was the same for each: Whatever the manufacturer offered.

However the DME's said they would send the machine back to the manufacturer (where it would be fixed at my expense if it was not a manufacturing defect).

Is that also cpap.com's policy? If it is, I think I can make the case to the insurer that there refusal to reimburse me for a purchase from cpap.com is completely unreasonable as the policies on broken or malfunctioning equipment is the same as for DME's.

johnnygoodman · Post by **johnnygoodman** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:35 pm

Howdy,

cpap.com's policy is the same. We do what the Manufacturer instructs us to do.

Johnny

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:12 pm

Johnny,

So, to clarify this, if we have a "manufacturing defect" or warranty issue with a machine we've purchased from cpap.com, we can send it back to them to have it taken care of?

Thanks,

Den

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:00 am

It sounds like, if you have a problem in-warrenty you send it back to cpap.com (assuming you bought it there) and they send it to the manufacturer. The manuf probably tosses it in the trash (cheaper to replace than repair) and sends back a new one I'm guessing.

If you are out of warrenty, you are out of luck; a condition known as SOL .

johnnygoodman · Post by **johnnygoodman** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:23 am

Wulfman, Yes.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:41 am

Johnny,

Thanks for the clarification.

You're a GOOD MAN!

(Couldn't resist that)

DW

Doc Voodoo · Post by **Doc Voodoo** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 4:57 am

It depends on what is wrong with it most CPAP /BIPAP when they go they go big time. So john is right in the sense it is cheaper to replace then to fix when they go after 3-6 years old. What happens at most DME companies when a machine breaks it comes back for repair. First you check with the manufacture to see how old it is most of them have a warranty of 2 years. If its still under warranty you get it replaced as long as it was not the patients fault for example dropping it or having water from the humidifier go into the machine. If its not under warranty then the manufacture checks the machine out and comes back with a price . If its lets say under 300 bucks then the insurance will have it fixed if not the insurance company authorizes a new one to replace it . If you are buying out of pocket this would be a similar process. There are also companies online who fix medical equipment. Patterson medical use to be one of them out of Troy New York not sure if they do it anymore or not. Also allot of DME companies will lend you a used machine while your machine is being looked at. Now that’s a big Plus in my book.

Doc Voodoo · Post by **Doc Voodoo** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 5:04 am

Oh and I have worked at the big 4 Home care companies Lincare , Apria and so on and yea they have repair guys but they do not fix CPAP's in the Branches . The cpap gets checked and sent to the manufacture for repair / Warranty service. The guys who fix stuff fix the oxygen equipment. Most stay away from the Ventilators and the CPAP / BIPAP stuff.

Mask