Service/repairs to Respironics xPAPs and online buying.

There's a difference between "luck of the draw" when it comes to an XboX 360, a Nokia phone, a Ford car or a CPAP machine.

Whilst all of them are built by profit hunger companies, the CPAP machine is a critical care device. Microsoft can afford to ship half of their Xboxes broken, Respironics can't. People can die.

Therefor, I would expect my CPAP to last 10 years without a hiccup and I expect my Nokia to break after 18 months. Different toys, different markets, different goals, different expectations and different requirements.

I have never heard of a company that would not repair a product that I owned unless it was sent in by a dealer.

I was going to send my humidifier in for repair but I guess it won't do any good. I have had problems with it leaking since I had it and am convinced that the leaking water has burned up part of the heating element. No matter what setting I put it on I get the same amount of humidity. Uses the same amount of water if it is on 1 or 5. I talked to my DME who told me that as long as the element was getting warm it was working OK and would not send it in. Now I find out I can't send it in myself.

Bummer!!

Yep, Just received a return e-mail from respronics. Said I needed to have my humidifier checked because chamber leakage may have damaged it and it should be checked. But, won't take shipment from me. Must come from my DME and they say if it still gets warm it ain't broke. Finally admitted they don't have one to lone me if they send it in.

Try taking calls from people like you. The reason we can not take ANY unit or product from a patient is that these are prescription devices, they have to be dealt with by a company that can sell directlly to YOU, by order of a doctor. When you have a problem with your car, do you call Ford, Chevy, Toyota, etc... directly. NO you do not. You go to the DEALER you got it from, or an authorized one to have it repaired. You want to deal with online dealers, go for, but STOP calling the manufacturer, bitching when they won't help you. Deal with a reputable company that you can actually go to. If you people treated these machines like the medical device that they are, you wouldn't have a problem. Keep in mind also, a warranty is a warranty regardless what it is, we can have a 10 year warranty and you would still complain. If you have a problem with your provider, call your INSURANCE carrier, NOT the manufacturer!!!!!

SICK OF COMPLAINTS

Its clear from your post that you have not had to deal with many DME's especially as a patient. I'm sure there are some good ones but the majority of them want your money and don't want to anything for it. We have to pay for 2 of everything because we get no coperation and it is our health at risk. If you look at my previous post my humidifier is malfunctioning and my DME won't send it in. I can't send it in and last time I looked the humidifier did not require a script to purchase. Corredt me if I am wrong once I get the script and pay my money does it not belong to me? If you think medicare or my insurance company are any help getting it repaired you are dreaming.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, DME

[quote="SICK OF COMPLAINTS"]Try taking calls from people like you. The reason we can not take ANY unit or product from a patient is that these are prescription devices, they have to be dealt with by a company that can sell directlly to YOU, by order of a doctor. When you have a problem with your car, do you call Ford, Chevy, Toyota, etc... directly. NO you do not. You go to the DEALER you got it from, or an authorized one to have it repaired. You want to deal with online dealers, go for, but STOP calling the manufacturer, bitching when they won't help you. Deal with a reputable company that you can actually go to. If you people treated these machines like the medical device that they are, you wouldn't have a problem. Keep in mind also, a warranty is a warranty regardless what it is, we can have a 10 year warranty and you would still complain. If you have a problem with your provider, call your INSURANCE carrier, NOT the manufacturer!!!!!

Yes, Jeff. BIG time, dealing with it for 7 years and patients do not understand. 6PtStar, give me the serial number of your unit, I will look at it and see what I can do.