Newbie question about buying from the internet

[Prometheus]

I am in the process of getting a trial set up for a Cpap here in Kelowna Canada and I am wondering whether or not it is worth buying a Cpap online or from a dealer (dealer quoted approx $2,000 and Cpap's on the internet are $200-?) Does anyone have any experiences to share or any advise for a newbie.
Thanks very much for your time.

[docfox]

I bought my original equipment at the store owned by my sleep doc. He must vacation well. They charged me 2 to 3 times the prices that CPAP.com has. You are kind of on your own buying via the internet. But my new ResMes mask came with a DVD which was much more helpful than the lady/clerk working at the store when I bought my first mask.

Nothing would make me go back to paying nearly triple again.

But that is my experience and 2 cents worth.

Jim

[dsm]

I bought my 1st cpap from cpap.com (the sponsors of this talk forum) & they have to be one of the best.

Later machines came via ebay & yahoo auctions before they got scrubbed. Several more (including two expensive SV units) came via cpapauction.com (another great site).

Never had a bad deal on cpaps in terms of the item not being what I paid for.

Good luck

DSM

[Paul56]

I am in the process of getting a trial set up for a Cpap here in Kelowna Canada and I am wondering whether or not it is worth buying a Cpap online or from a dealer (dealer quoted approx $2,000 and Cpap's on the internet are $200-?) Does anyone have any experiences to share or any advise for a newbie.
Thanks very much for your time.

If you have insurance that will be covering all or part of the purchase price you may want to check with them first to see if they will cover online purchases and exactly what they need from you to process your claim. This is the ONLY reason I purchased my equipment from a local DME.

If you do not have such coverage then you definitely should explore all options... because a local DME will take you to the cleaners with respect to pricing. My DME here in Ottawa charged me ~$2,000 for my equipment that could have been purchased online for half of that amount. Worth the savings? You bet.

[SharkBait]

If you're not using insurance, you can't beat cpap.com. I've ordered about 4 times from them and they always ship same day. If I find something cheaper, I just get them to price match because with them I know what I'm getting.

[spitintheocean]

I've just finished my first week of an equipment trial with the Sleep Therapy Management clinic here in Ottawa. They're charging me $1885 CDN for a ResMed Autostart II with an H4i Humidifier and any mask (I'm trying out a Respironics Comfort Gel Full Face Mask). I can purchase the exact same equipment on line for $803 USD which converts to $1021 CDN. That's an outrageous markup of $864.00

I've been pondering the same thing although here in Ontario the twist is that the Province kicks in $780 for purchases from its approved list of DMEs so its a bit of a Catch-22. If I could convince the Province to accept a claim based upon an internet purchase, I would still expect the Province to be on the hook for $780; the only one saving any money would be my insurer and I'm not sure if they will authorize an internet purchase either.

It's a frustrating example of the typical abuses of our Medicaire system. The supplier pockets the subsidy intended for the consumer.

[Guest]

I don't think Resmed would like to know that one of their dealers is shipping outside its permitted territory (The US). Call Resmed and ask whether it's okay for a US-based retailer to ship into Canada. See what they say....

[Biguglydude]

I've noticed some places on the internet require a prescription and others do not! Why? I'm one month into my CPAP training and can't see paying two to three times for this thing if I don't have too.

[spitintheocean]

I don't think Resmed would like to know that one of their dealers is shipping outside its permitted territory (The US). Call Resmed and ask whether it's okay for a US-based retailer to ship into Canada. See what they say....

Why would any Canadian consumer want to do that unless they wanted to continue supporting an outdated supply chain model. Even Resmed has finally eased off its minimum pricing limitations for internet suppliers. In this economy any manufacturer who chooses to ignore e-commerce does so at its own peril by quickly losing market share to competitors. Looking at it from another angle, the reason why shopping malls are open on Sundays is so the retailers don't lose market share to the other guy.

[Wulfman]

I've noticed some places on the internet require a prescription and others do not! Why? I'm one month into my CPAP training and can't see paying two to three times for this thing if I don't have too.

In my opinion, it wouldn't be a "reputable" dealer if they didn't require a prescription. Private sales (between individuals) don't require them (like Craig's list and garage sales).

I "did the math" before ever committing to buying my equipment before I started......and then purchased from CPAP.COM. I wouldn't have any reason to purchase ANYTHING through a local DME now.


Den

[Prometheus]

"[/quote]If you have insurance that will be covering all or part of the purchase price you may want to check with them first to see if they will cover online purchases and exactly what they need from you to process your claim. This is the ONLY reason I purchased my equipment from a local DME.

If you do not have such coverage then you definitely should explore all options... because a local DME will take you to the cleaners with respect to pricing. My DME here in Ottawa charged me ~$2,000 for my equipment that could have been purchased online for half of that amount. Worth the savings? You bet.[/quote]"

I talked with my extended heathcare provider and they will pay "fair market price" ($2,000 max for machine every 5 years and $400 for mask every 12 months). All they wanted to process my claim is a receipt. So I guess I will buy it in town as they will warranty it here or provide a free loaner if they have to send it out for repair. Thanks everybody for your advise, I would have hated to have just bought something and then found out about coverage.

[JoyD.]

I just checked cpap.com . . . to be sure I was correct in thinking that they guarantee their products and their price, and will match the price if you find it cheaper somewhere else. Yes . . . Here is what they state on their website:

"We want you to be confident that when you shop with us, you are receiving the best value available on the internet. If, within 7 days of your CPAP.com purchase, you spot an online or retail competitor with a lower price on the same item, let us know and we will credit you the difference."

You can't beat that . . . both reputation and lowest price!

Joy

[Hawthorne]

As a Canadian, unless your Province has some financial aid, as Ontario does on your first machine anyway (and sometimes in 5 years time in certain situations) and/or you have a very good extended Health Plan, it is far cheaper to buy online. If your Health Plan will not cover it or much of it, you may still do better online. Your Extended Health plan may not cover anything online but it may still be cheaper.

As Wulfman says, - Do the math. Make the calls and compare!

[Robby Sanders]

Its kind of a win lose situation. You can buy on the internet and their are many sites out their. Like for me i ran into problems with pricing. When i was quoted a price on a cpap i was astounded at how much it was but when i jumped on the internet i found many sites that had better prices then what i was quoted. at a medical store in houston. I will say that i can suggest a few from my experiences.

When i contact cpapwholesale i kept having problems with communication and when i would send an email it took them a week and a half to email me back.

cpap.com i just was not impressed by them because although they had some good prices the person i talked too was snobby and rude when i was asking questions she told me to reffer to their website in the middle of asking questions.

However i did find a website cpapscience.com located in houston. When i contacted them they were really nice and helpful and helped me in making the right decision for the right cpap. I bought my cpap through them.
In my opinion if your looking for great price and great customer service i would suggest try out cpapscience.com.
http://www.cpapscience.com

[Hawthorne]

I just checked out that website- cpapscience.com, and, on reading their FAQ section, I found that they do not ship to Canada at least that's what it said.

The original poster of this thread is Canadian.

I would not judge a company by one person I spoke to on the phone. I just placed an order on cpap.com (they do ship to Canada) this past Monday. When the confirming invoice came in an email, the shipping price was way too high. It was a mask and a few small things. I have ordered from cpap.com before and knew what the shipping costs for a mask and couple of small items would be. On the online order the shipping cost was incorrect, shown as more than double my last order in January.

I called immediately and the person I spoke to couldn't have been more helpful! She did suggest I not reorder ( was going to cancel and reorder being pretty sure it was a software "glitch") but rather, allow her to check it to see what happened. She said she would call me back. After several hours, I called again myself because I was going out and wanted to check on the progress. The person I spoke to at first, on that second call, sounded very "snobby" and impatient on the phone. I explained the situation and he interuppted me to ask for the order number again. Then I told him the name of the person who had answered when I first called (she made certain I knew her name). He switched me over to her. As she had been earlier, she was pleasant and helpful and explained why she had not been back in touch with me sooner. Since I was going out, and was anxious that the shipping not be delayed, she came up with an alternate solution. Within minutes I had an email with the order and the proper shipping charges.

I take the time here to tell the story because of the the previous poster, who wrote off cpap.com based on one call, one person.

I want the originator if this thread to know that cpap.com has great prices and is very good at helping with issues. They treat Canadians very well. I have many orders from them and always was very satisfied. If there was an issue ( one time that I remember besides this small issue with this order) is has always be resolved for me right away.