Resmed Preferred Internet Provider

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 8:23 am

Anonymous wrote:...

And this whole 'corporate greed' liberal nonsense makes my blood boil. Define corporate greed. Also define a 'fair' price for CPAP equipment please. Go ahead, I want to know.

Funny how things become their opposite ... 'corporate greed' is now a liberal characteristic (well at least greed is still nonsense I hope).

Anyway, a fixed pricing structure is one of many possble characteristics of corporate greed.

Fair price on the other hand equals what buyer is willing to pay and seller is willing to sell ... used to be called 'free market price' ... I suppose that is now also a liberal kind'a thing too

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:05 am

OK Guest

Name me another product that the company voids the warrenty just because I did not buy it from the "RIGHT" person. Once the "CORRECT" price is paid to the manufacturer why should he not stand behind it just because the seller is willing to except a little less profit. Yea, I guess I don't understand.

Jerry

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:57 am

6PtStar wrote:OK Guest

Name me another product that the company voids the warrenty just because I did not buy it from the "RIGHT" person. Once the "CORRECT" price is paid to the manufacturer why should he not stand behind it just because the seller is willing to except a little less profit. Yea, I guess I don't understand.

Jerry

...a number of electronics not purchased from authorized retailers online. The first one that comes to mind for me is anything from Pioneer Electronics. There used to be a statement on the front page of their site RE:authorized internet dealers.

Perchancetodream · Post by **Perchancetodream** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:39 am

Anonymous wrote:The usual "woe is me" line of responses I'd come to expect.

Any manufacturer plainly and clearly has the right to dictate its own distribution process, including who should be distributing, conditions surrounding distribution, etc., as well as leveling any type of uniform pricing policy. Obviously, as usual, you're looking at this through the one-sided eyes of a consumer who would like to pay essentially nothing for whatever you buy. And this whole 'corporate greed' liberal nonsense makes my blood boil. Define corporate greed. Also define a 'fair' price for CPAP equipment please. Go ahead, I want to know.

When any company finds itself in a situation where less-than-perfect distribution of its products is occuring, they take corrective action. For whatever reason. I salute their efforts to correct this.

I know that life appears much simpler when it can be painted in limited colors and expressed in time worn stereotypes, but life really isn't that simple.

Resmed is not restricting the distribution of its products. An unscrupulous internet dealer is lying to the public in order to increase his sales. I personally find that offensive and don't see anything political in it. But I am sure that you can find some valid reason through your "red-tinted" glasses.

(Am I the only one who remembers when red had an entirely different political connotation?)

Susan

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:40 am

Guest wrote:When any company finds itself in a situation where less-than-perfect distribution of its products is occuring, they take corrective action.

Yeah, that's what they said. The so-called "corrective action" they took was laughable. And sad.

For new readers who might be wondering, "Huh? What are they talking about?"

LINKS to discussions about resmed's internet sales policy
viewtopic.php?p=98895

ratkinson · Post by **ratkinson** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 7:04 pm

Guest,
Are you currently a cpap user? Or perhaps a rep?

Anyway as far as the warranty issue with some careful cpapauction shopping I can buy two or three for the same price. My back up is my warranty.

Rich

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 8:11 pm

As Ozij pointed out, including the link to Resmed's URL on this, no where on Resmed's site do we find that them saying they will void the warranty. That wording, that I posted, came directly from the site of an online DME supplier who "does" sport the blue seal on their web pages.

oceanpearl · Post by **oceanpearl** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:09 am

I certainly wouldn't go to Walmart for a kidney transplant!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:06 pm

I'd love to know what a "fair" price for CPAP equipment is...funny how these questions never get answered!

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:45 pm

I assume that a "fair price" would be about what cpap.com charges as they must be making a profit as well. I'm not interested in subsidizing any other DM equipment the local DME suppliers sell. And if I were uninsured and paying out of pocket I would be even LESS INTERESTED in subsidizing the other DM equipment they sell.

WearyOne · Post by **WearyOne** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:53 pm

Anonymous wrote:The usual "woe is me" line of responses I'd come to expect.

Any manufacturer plainly and clearly has the right to dictate its own distribution process, including who should be distributing, conditions surrounding distribution, etc., as well as leveling any type of uniform pricing policy. Obviously, as usual, you're looking at this through the one-sided eyes of a consumer who would like to pay essentially nothing for whatever you buy. And this whole 'corporate greed' liberal nonsense makes my blood boil. Define corporate greed. Also define a 'fair' price for CPAP equipment please. Go ahead, I want to know.

When any company finds itself in a situation where less-than-perfect distribution of its products is occuring, they take corrective action. For whatever reason. I salute their efforts to correct this.

1. There's a difference between "paying essentially nothing," and being ripped off. I think this is especially true regarding the prices for mask parts, such an cushions and pillows. I run my own small business, so I understand the need for a reasonable profit. But there's a big difference between making a reasonable profit and ripping off patients who need the products.

2. And if I don't agree with the "corrective action" a company takes, I and fellow consumers can take our business--and money--elsewhere.

When you're in the position I'm currently in--no insurance coverage--the cost of medical supplies I NEED becomes a very real problem.

Pam

Snooze_Blues · Post by **Snooze_Blues** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:07 pm

Hi Guest, Don't forget that you didn't answer this question, either (hee-hee):

Are you currently a cpap user? Or perhaps a rep?

... and to answer your question, if I can dredge up some old economics memories, a fair price is what the buyer thinks is fair, and what the seller thinks is fair, and whatever price they agree upon between themselves.

The CPAP market seems to have a few competitive manufacturers, but most of the machines seem to get distributed through insurance mechanisms with the exception of perhaps web site sales and a few onesy-twosy brick and mortar DME stores, probably when someone doesn't know to look online or is so sleep deprived they don't think to. So I guess you could say that a "fair price" for a CPAP machine is what an insurance company says is a fair price, eh?

Normally, market pricing is relative and flexible by its nature, affected by supply and demand, competition, discretionary vs. health need, or put another way, products can have either an elastic or an inelastic demand, they can be highly fungible (like commodities), or they might be highly differentiated, like say automobiles with all the various options, at least that's what auto marketeers tell us. Meaning that people may just be willing to pay more for something that will save their lives than something that tastes good when they aren't really ever hungry. So a "fair price" for a CPAP machine may be derived quite differently than say a bag of Fritos. But I'm going a bit tangential here... so let me regroup.

If either a buyer or seller thinks a price isn't fair, no transaction occurs. Simple, huh?

Well, not really. Not when you have an insurance company in between the buyer/patient and seller, and a doctor in between the buye/patient and the seller, and a sleep lab between the doctor and the patient, and a DME between the insurance company and the patient and the doctor and the sleep lab, and you have the government (laws requiring prescriptions) between the doctor and the patient/buyer. And you thus have transactions that can occur with zero visibility into pricing to the end-user/buyer/consumer, "incentives" for dealers that may or may not appear as line items in income and expense reports, but affect the pricing of CPAP none-the-less, and all the other sort of back scratching that goes on when institutions start paying for things and "buyers" have no idea what those things cost.

A "fair price" is complicated as Hell, dude! I hope that answers your question.

But then again... I don't think you really care what a "fair price" is. It's more fun just to poke at those expressing their ideas of fair pricing, isn't it?

DME Police · Post by **DME Police** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:35 pm

Snooze_Blues, the world of healthcare has no need for thoughtful responses. Confusing the situation with facts that threaten all dme rules and traditions simply cannot be tolerated. Surely you can't expect patients to understand the economic ideas you present. These markets must be controlled for the good of dmes and manufacturers, er, patients alike. Watch yourself buster, you are messing with the dme police!

DME Police · Post by **DME Police** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:07 pm

Dearest Guest,

A CPAP is worth a million bucks if you have sleep apnea and you can't get one cheaper. Unfortunately, they do sell for less. The patients seem to think they have something to say about pricing. They seem adverse to paying more than is necessary to acquire the equipment. Fortunately the DMEs and manufacturers will hold the line. I will see to it.

DME Police

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:48 pm

Snooze_Blues wrote:Hi Guest, Don't forget that you didn't answer this question, either (hee-hee):

Are you currently a cpap user? Or perhaps a rep?

... and to answer your question, if I can dredge up some old economics memories, a fair price is what the buyer thinks is fair, and what the seller thinks is fair, and whatever price they agree upon between themselves.

The CPAP market seems to have a few competitive manufacturers, but most of the machines seem to get distributed through insurance mechanisms with the exception of perhaps web site sales and a few onesy-twosy brick and mortar DME stores, probably when someone doesn't know to look online or is so sleep deprived they don't think to. So I guess you could say that a "fair price" for a CPAP machine is what an insurance company says is a fair price, eh?

Normally, market pricing is relative and flexible by its nature, affected by supply and demand, competition, discretionary vs. health need, or put another way, products can have either an elastic or an inelastic demand, they can be highly fungible (like commodities), or they might be highly differentiated, like say automobiles with all the various options, at least that's what auto marketeers tell us. Meaning that people may just be willing to pay more for something that will save their lives than something that tastes good when they aren't really ever hungry. So a "fair price" for a CPAP machine may be derived quite differently than say a bag of Fritos. But I'm going a bit tangential here... so let me regroup.

If either a buyer or seller thinks a price isn't fair, no transaction occurs. Simple, huh?

Well, not really. Not when you have an insurance company in between the buyer/patient and seller, and a doctor in between the buye/patient and the seller, and a sleep lab between the doctor and the patient, and a DME between the insurance company and the patient and the doctor and the sleep lab, and you have the government (laws requiring prescriptions) between the doctor and the patient/buyer. And you thus have transactions that can occur with zero visibility into pricing to the end-user/buyer/consumer, "incentives" for dealers that may or may not appear as line items in income and expense reports, but affect the pricing of CPAP none-the-less, and all the other sort of back scratching that goes on when institutions start paying for things and "buyers" have no idea what those things cost.

A "fair price" is complicated as Hell, dude! I hope that answers your question.

But then again... I don't think you really care what a "fair price" is. It's more fun just to poke at those expressing their ideas of fair pricing, isn't it?

_________________

There were at least 2 people posting as guest, I think I just got owned trying to login as superjet... I"m the one who posted where multiple other companies frown on cut rate internet distribution(which nobody responded to BTW). I hope your avatar picture is a dock on lake of the ozarks, but that's just an aside. Not going to go into the multiple degrees from reality you went into with blah blah blah insurance screwing us all stuff, because the bottom line is that if ResMed doesn't like the way this site dispenses medical advice, or the way any distributor dispenses their products, they can choose to deal with the situation however they choose. Any amount of grandstanding anyone here does isn't going to change that.

I'm a registered tech with a BS in biology, I've been a user before, and also in the past worked in DME... so I think I've got both ends of the spectrum covered.

Mask

Resmed Preferred Internet Provider

Guest

What a CPAP is worth