CPAPs for Sale on Craig's List

I was looking at Craigslist last night, and there was a guy in my city with a Resmed AutoSet 10 with just 48 hours of use for sale for $450. I asked why he was getting rid of it, and he said that he sells CPAPs "to feed his family." Where do people like that get these machines from? When I asked the seller, he did not respond. I know we have a couple of sellers of used machines on the board. Where would someone get a continuing supply of practically new machines from? This guy just didn't sound like he was on the up and up. Thank You!

SweetTeaGal wrote:I was looking at Craigslist last night, and there was a guy in my city with a Resmed AutoSet 10 with just 48 hours of use for sale for $450. I asked why he was getting rid of it, and he said that he sells CPAPs "to feed his family." Where do people like that get these machines from? When I asked the seller, he did not respond. I know we have a couple of sellers of used machines on the board. Where would someone get a continuing supply of practically new machines from? This guy just didn't sound like he was on the up and up. Thank You!

I suspect many of us have wondered the same thing.......I know I have in some cases.
There are probably any number of possibilities and some would probably be considered "illegal".
Some people give up on their therapy and/or need the money, so they sell the machines which would help their health. In some of these cases, if their insurance is still paying for it, that could/would be considered insurance fraud.
I suspect some of these machines "walk out the back doors" of some of the DME shops.
Some previous owners/users may be deceased and family members are selling them.
Some hospitals upgrade their inventory (for patient use) periodically and there are places which buy and sell those used machines in large lots. I happen to have a couple of machines that came from one of those sources (they were cheap, but they work).
Some people find them in second-hand stores or garage/yard sales and snap them up for little money and resell them for a profit. The last one I bought......from a forum member......had that type of history and had only 3 blower hours of use (essentially "new").

Like I said, lots of possibilities. Caveat emptor.


Den

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Maybe they read obituaries and then go to the departed's estate sale........

I got two of my machines directly from a DME that was advertising them on craigslist, they were used machines, whether they were from someone that failed cpap and the dme took 'em back, or otherwise, I didn't ask...

a couple of others I've gotten have come indirectly from a DME, through an intermediary, stock clearing, etc.

---or a 5-finger discount by former employee . . .

chunkyfrog wrote:---or a 5-finger discount by former employee . . .

could be, however (not that it matters) the only zero hour machine I've gotten was from what seemed to be a non-dme (as far as I know) again, through craigslist. that one was still in the box.... my first resmed, a s9 elite.

Do most people on this forum actually keep a spare machine on hand just in case? This makes a lot of sense to me personally. But I'm new to all of this...

I would love to get my hands on a smaller/portable one for a backup/camping.

lowsats wrote:Do most people on this forum actually keep a spare machine on hand just in case? This makes a lot of sense to me personally. But I'm new to all of this...

I would love to get my hands on a smaller/portable one for a backup/camping.

Ooooooooooh YEAH!!!

At least we try to get users thinking about it.
"Murphy's Laws" apply to this therapy, too. If it's going to fail, it will at the worst time imaginable.
Over the years, the nature of the problems have changed (water in the machines years ago to power supply failures and other problems in more recent times), but it's like taking a long trip in a vehicle.......would you do it without a spare tire (and other tools) in the trunk?
" Do ya feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? "

For some of us , even one spare/backup machine, masks or other equipment isn't enough.........

For what it's worth, I did my first year with only one machine and mask.......and was "sweating bullets" until I got my first backup/spare. My original machine started developing a slight "whine" in the motor during exhale after about a year of use and I wanted to get it sent in for warranty repair while it was still covered, but I wanted to be sure I had a second machine before I sent it in.


Den

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Some probably come from DME's, and are "legit" as in "not stolen." The DME's rent them to someone who fails compliance, then gets back a used machine and doesn't want to resell it as new. They collect a certain amount of money from the original customer and insurance. They then sell them to someone who resells them.

The manufacturers probably look down on this, so they keep quiet about it.

Some are probably people getting the machines through their insurance who always planned to resell them. That's probably a part of the reason for the compliance periods.

Many people do legitimately try it, but give up and sell their machines. Apparently, some don't have the trial rental period for some reason. Or don't realize it's a rental.

There are some people who are wanting to get bariatric surgery, but somehow, their insurance requires them to do CPAP first. Not quite sure why, but I've heard this from multiple places. Perhaps, apnea is used to justify the bariatric surgery, and they have to "fail" CPAP first.

Some are from people who get them from people who have died, for instance, in nursing homes, etc. I met one who seemed to be a DME supplier to medical care facilities, and think he got them when the patient died and resold them.

Some are the survivors of a CPAP patient, or someone who got an upgrade to bilevel, ASV, etc.

Some are probably flat out stolen, but I wouldn't think that CPAP is a good stolen item to specialize in.

Thank you so much for all the information. I never even thought about all the possible supply lines. Have a great weekend everyone!

Wulfman... wrote: "Murphy's Laws" apply to this therapy, too.

Well said, I shall begin the hunt and start saving for a backup machine. I have spent enough time in emergency medicine to be a firm believer of two things:

1. Murphy's Law
2. Its always better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

lowsats wrote:Do most people on this forum actually keep a spare machine on hand just in case? This makes a lot of sense to me personally. But I'm new to all of this...

I would love to get my hands on a smaller/portable one for a backup/camping.

I've got a spare, a friend of mine who's got CHF has two spares, so, three of the same machine.

I have 3- S9 Autosets...Bought 2 low hour machines on Craigslist.

For $145, can't tell if its an Airsense 10 'autoset' or something else like a brick, out of Reading, MA on craigslist. Could be good, could be bad.

https://boston.craigslist.org/nos/hab/5611831349.html

lowsats wrote:Do most people on this forum actually keep a spare machine on hand just in case? This makes a lot of sense to me personally. But I'm new to all of this...

I would love to get my hands on a smaller/portable one for a backup/camping.

The Full sized ones weigh about 5 lbs, if you can't carry that, maybe you should be at home watching a tape of the great outdoors. Small travel XPAPS have their downsides, Cost, Noise, lower treatment limits, shorter lifespands. Sometimes, bigger is better. Jim