What Happens to Defective CPAP Units?

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:49 pm

This may sound like a dumb question, but I'm wondering what happens to CPAP units that fail in the first few days, get exchanged for new units and returned to the manufacturers.

If nobody sells used CPAP machines, where do they go? It seems unlikely that the manufacturers scrap the units. Is there a private seller of refurbished CPAP machines or what? Surely, the DME's don't buy refurbished units.

Regards,
Bill

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:18 pm

I have a Polaris ISP9800 purchased (very inexpensively ) that was stated as 'refurbished' and has a sticker on it base with a factory code for the reburbishing process.

At least one other on my machines is clearly reburbished but in that case I am not sure by who.

One obvious source of used machines is those outfits who sell ex-rental machines. These don't get scrapped but will be on sold.

One interesting thing I did see recently was a large mid-west CPAP retailer who had put 8 unworking Remstar Pros for sale in an 'as is' not working state. When selling them they didn't advertise who they were but it was very easy to pinpoint that fact.

I would be very surprised if they scrap all machines returned to the factory.

Cheers

DSM

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:19 pm

I think they all get shipped to DSM. He then fixes them, posts pictures of their insides, uses them, and gives us a review of them!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:44 pm

If you google refurbished CPAP machines you'll find there are some places that sell them. (But most of the hits come from using the phrase, "We do not sell refurbished CPAP machines".)

It seems so risky to buy refurbished, but maybe the price makes it worthwhile. Can't imagine they can guarantee anything, though. There are refurbished machines that came from hospitals, which is probably a safer bet than a refurbished machine that came from John Q. Public who got water in his machine, let it sit that way for 6 months and then brought it in.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:45 pm

Anonymous wrote:I think they all get shipped to DSM. He then fixes them, posts pictures of their insides, uses them, and gives us a review of them!

I would be happy if they did

DSM

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 5:49 pm

Anonymous wrote:It seems so risky to buy refurbished, but maybe the price makes it worthwhile.

Of course. . ., but that's the matter of the cost-benefit ratio. If you can afford a new machine and don't want to play around with an old one (like DSM) then new would be best for you.

Kinda like used cars, I suppose. They're risky too, but lots of folks buy 'em.

If you're living on a shoestring though, a used or donated machine might just save your life, and you'd probably be tickled to get one. . ., it's all a matter of perspective.

Regards,
Bill

Yoga · Post by **Yoga** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:28 am

The DME's use refurbished units. The first one I received failed after about a month. If a machine does not have a new car smell, the you have undoubtedly received a used machine.

Wish I had found the forum before dealing with a DME!

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:58 am

NightHawkeye wrote: <snip>
If you can afford a new machine and don't want to play around with an old one (like DSM) then new would be best for you.
<snip>

LOL

My 1st xPAP was a brand spanking new cpap.com Remstar AUTO

several other subsequent ones were all also 'new' (or so the sellers claimed . All but one smelled new & had zero hours - the other (A Resmed Spirit) was claimed to be new but I was satisified upon very minute inspection that it wasn't. I believe it was refurbished but working fine.

then again - several others were sold to me as used most seemed to have very few hours. But one (the PB318) smells like it was retrieved from a violent housefire but it is over 10 years old and looks it .

Of them all, the BiPap appeared to have had some sort of memory reset.

Cheers

DSM
Curator of the new Sydney North Shore xPAP & maskmuseum

sthnreb · Post by **sthnreb** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:11 am

If you have a problem with a machine within the first 30 days, you may get it replaced with a new one or repaired. The ones that are replaced with a refurbished are then refurbished themselves and sent back out to others that send in units for repair. After the first 30 days the only option is repairs or accepting a refurbished machine from the manufacturer at their option. So, what happens to them? The manufacturer stocks them for replacement of units under warranty. It is imperative if you have a problem with a new unit that you report and return it within the first 30 days for replacement with a new and not refurbished unit. After 30 days, you could get a refurbished unit a year or more older than yours. They do give you a new 2 year warranty with the refurbished units. Realistically, their life expectancy is less than a new one since all parts are not replaced.

sthnreb · Post by **sthnreb** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:18 am

[quote="Yoga"]The DME's use refurbished units. The first one I received failed after about a month. If a machine does not have a new car smell, the you have undoubtedly received a used machine.

Wish I had found the forum before dealing with a DME!

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:53 pm

sthnreb wrote:It is imperative if you have a problem with a new unit that you report and return it within the first 30 days for replacement with a new and not refurbished unit.

That's the approach I took for the flaky card reader in my new unit. CPAP.com sent out a replacement within 30 days and the old one's going back. I wasn't about to wait a month to get the darned thing fixed, or get a refurbished unit back.

Regards,
Bill

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:11 pm

You were fortunate to know this. Some learn by experience, I was one. Actually, my card on the unit worked well until they did a repair. After that, I would have to wiggle jiggle the card until the machine could read it. One should just be able to slide it in and it works and not have to work it all around. My new machine works well with no problem, just slide card in and out. It must be when they remove the top of the unit it doesn't seat back properly when they reinstall it unless they do it right. When you buy new and get a faulty unit, it should be replaced with new like you paid for. That's why they give you a new 2 year warranty with the refurbished. It should last 2 years. But after that, who knows? Like the auto sold for new as a demo with 10,000 miles on it. You loose 10,000 mile on the back end of usage but pay for new.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:29 am

Anonymous wrote:I would have to wiggle jiggle the card until the machine could read it.

Thanks, Guest. That's exactly the problem I experienced. At first I decided I could live with it, but then it lost half a night's worth of data because after I'd jiggled it around so that the flashing lights stopped, it turned out that the machine didn't even think it had a card installed. I then tried my other card in it to be sure that the problem wasn't card specific and called up to request a replacement.

Regards,
Bill

Machine

Additional Comments: Resmed AirCurve 10 VAuto BiLevel with HumidAir