A real Lemon!

What should I do with a lemon? I purchased the Remstar bipap pro2 in Feb of 2005. It runs and stops for no reason. Because the auto on feature is set, it does come back on. After many emails with cpap I returned it and it was past the 30 day guarantee they say. It was returned to Respironics for repair and eventually returned back to me. Now it is stopping again for no reason. It is only about 6 months old and I've not gotten that much use from it considering having to return for repairs and back. What should I do, just keep returning it over and over and losing sleep, or keep it and choke when it stops and wait for it to come back on? Cpap says Respironics won't guarantee it and replace it with a new one and it is obvious they can't or won't repair it correctly. Sometimes the solution is worse than the problem. Getting sleepless...

I do not understand your warranty problem, as your machine has a two year warranty. I would return it, and since their initial repair attempt failed, I would ask for a replacement machine from Respironics as well as an extension to the original warranty date. I would also make sure the letter included what this problem is causing to your health. I would send this letter double registered, so that they know that legal action can and will be taken if needed. If you went through your insurance company, I would also seek their assistance in getting a new machine. I would even go as far to ask the insurance company to closely monitor Respironic machines for customer satisfaction problems and delist them if a pattern is found. I would also contact the FDA and see if they have any data regarding problems with Respironics machines. At the same time I would file a complaint with the FDA. After all, this is a $1500, and an essential medical product that you are having trouble with.

[quote="sthnreb"]What should I do with a lemon? I purchased the Remstar bipap pro2 in Feb of 2005. It runs and stops for no reason. Because the auto on feature is set, it does come back on. After many emails with cpap I returned it and it was past the 30 day guarantee they say. It was returned to Respironics for repair and eventually returned back to me. Now it is stopping again for no reason. It is only about 6 months old and I've not gotten that much use from it considering having to return for repairs and back. What should I do, just keep returning it over and over and losing sleep, or keep it and choke when it stops and wait for it to come back on? Cpap says Respironics won't guarantee it and replace it with a new one and it is obvious they can't or won't repair it correctly. Sometimes the solution is worse than the problem. Getting sleepless...

[quote="capt"]I do not understand your warranty problem, as your machine has a two year warranty. I would return it, and since their initial repair attempt failed, I would ask for a replacement machine from Respironics as well as an extension to the original warranty date. I would also make sure the letter included what this problem is causing to your health. I would send this letter double registered, so that they know that legal action can and will be taken if needed. If you went through your insurance company, I would also seek their assistance in getting a new machine. I would even go as far to ask the insurance company to closely monitor Respironic machines for customer satisfaction problems and delist them if a pattern is found. I would also contact the FDA and see if they have any data regarding problems with Respironics machines. At the same time I would file a complaint with the FDA. After all, this is a $1500, and an essential medical product that you are having trouble with.

First, with the warranty, there is a 2 yr implied warranty. Respironics does not deal with a end user, therefore you have to work through the company you purchased from. In my case, cpap. I have asked cpap as well as Respironics for a replacement, not used. A refurbished or used machine has a 2 yr warranty. I question the hygenics of used equipment and feel as many problems and mine only 6 months old now, it should be replaced. My insurance company has paid their life time limit for OSA and therefore the machine was out of my pocket, $1569. The FDA is an option. I was contacted today concerning the machine and asked to turn the auto on/off to off. See if this makes a difference. That is like buying a car with A/C and not using it. All functions are supposed to work. Thanks for the information and replying.

Hi
Some quick and obvious questions.
What test or method are you using that determines the machine has stopped ?
Is there no air being pumped at all ?
What makes it start up pumping again ?

Cheers

DSM

Hi DSM,
I have the mask on and am either sleeping or awake and the machine just stops. As this morning, I went to the bathroom, came back, put the mask on and laid back down. About 10 minutes later, while I was awake, the machine stopped, cut off, stopped blowing. This causes a gaging sensation. I think anyone would know when there machine stops blowing, there is no test other than no air flow. There is no air at all, it completely stops.
I have the machine set for auto on, meaning when you put the mask on and inhale 3 times, the blower starts up. When it stops as stated above for no reason, after choking and gasping, it starts back up due to the auto on setting. If I awake at night, I don't know if it is because it stopped or not, but this morning I was awake and fully aware that it completely stopped for no reason. I hope you can understand what I said.

If it were me, and Respironics is offering a replacement machine with a two year warranty, I would get the machine that I needed, and stop worrying. I certainly would not be concerned with a replacement's hygiene at all. It is not that difficult for Respironics to clean the machine. After all how do we know how clean the original factory setting was.

If it were me, and Respironics is offering a replacement machine with a two year warranty, I would get the machine that I needed, and stop worrying. I certainly would not be concerned with a replacement's hygiene at all. It is not that difficult for Respironics to clean the machine. After all how do we know how clean the original factory setting was.


They haven't offered a replacement with a 2 year warranty. They did the last time, but cpap opted to have mine repaired because I was concerned about hygiene, no knowing who had a used one or what they could have had. Besides, it was only about 2 months old at that time, I could see very little difference in 22 months compaired to 24 months for a used one. I preferred to have mine repaired, I knew I was the one using it and the hours of usage. A used one could have had used parts with many more hours than the one I had. I was willing to sacrifice the 2 months for the same machine and not someone else's used one.
I've had it back about 3 months and it seemed to run ok, until this morning when it stopped again as it was doing the first time I returned it.

Perhaps the good folks who own cpap.com and do quite a bit of business with Respironics, stocking Respironics masks and machines could put a little bit of polite pressure on Respironics to get this man a new BiPAP Pro 2 that works reliably.

He's gone the repair route once. Since Respironics was not able to repair it so that it works reliably it seems to me it would be in Respironics' best interests PR-wise (if nothing else) to send cpap.com a brand new BiPAP Pro 2 to forward on to sthrnreb. This is a very widely read message board.

Good idea RG . We could trash Respironics here for a few days .

How about it all you Respironics users. Any more complaints about their product or service .

Lets here em .

:twis ted:

rested gal wrote:Perhaps the good folks who own cpap.com and do quite a bit of business with Respironics, stocking Respironics masks and machines could put a little bit of polite pressure on Respironics to get this man a new BiPAP Pro 2 that works reliably.

He's gone the repair route once. Since Respironics was not able to repair it so that it works reliably it seems to me it would be in Respironics' best interests PR-wise (if nothing else) to send cpap.com a brand new BiPAP Pro 2 to forward on to sthrnreb. This is a very widely read message board.

I think anyone who uses a machine just wants one that works and they can rely on. As I stated before, it seems the solution to OSA is worse than the problem. Medical services, gas and etc are going out of site so is it wrong to ask for ones moneys worth especially when it is out of pocket? Mr. Goodman did call me today about it and said I should try it with the auto on/off in the off mode. I will try anything to get the machine to run properly. But, it should run in all modes as advertised. If they do nothing, I guess I will be returning it for repairs for the next 18 months and then be out of luck. I want others to be aware of this problem in case they have a Respironics bipap pro 2.

sthnreb,

If you don't get the relief from Respironics you need to satisfy you, let us know and we can make a post with everyone's names on it that you can send to Respironics and let them know that we will boycott their equipment if this is the type of Customer Service they provide to one of our own. We can just keep copying and pasting with each of our names on it over and over until you have a few hundred names on it. Not acceptable. If it was a car and had the same problem over and over, you would be protected under the Lemon Law. Why shouldn't faulty equipment that has undergone repair already, and at the health expense of the user, not be treated at least in the same regard? This is far more important to one's well being than a car is.

If you don't get help, I will stand behind you, as I'm sure many others on this site will, too. Unacceptable. If they can do it to you, none of us are safe from this unsatisfactory treatment.

[quote="Sleepless on LI"]sthnreb,

If you don't get the relief from Respironics you need to satisfy you, let us know and we can make a post with everyone's names on it that you can send to Respironics and let them know that we will boycott their equipment if this is the type of Customer Service they provide to one of our own. We can just keep copying and pasting with each of our names on it over and over until you have a few hundred names on it. Not acceptable. If it was a car and had the same problem over and over, you would be protected under the Lemon Law. Why shouldn't faulty equipment that has undergone repair already, and at the health expense of the user, not be treated at least in the same regard? This is far more important to one's well being than a car is.

If you don't get help, I will stand behind you, as I'm sure many others on this site will, too. Unacceptable. If they can do it to you, none of us are safe from this unsatisfactory treatment.


Thanks for your support! I've been going through the service manual and the user manual and still have not found where to turn the auto on to off. I guess I will email cpap. I will try and do as they request and that was to turn the auto on to off and the auto off to off. The auto off was already set to 0 or off position. It is real discouraging to wonder if the machine is going to run or turn off. According to the warranty, the only option is to return it to cpap and hope for the best. After the 2 years, there is nothing to be done. This machine has been a bad experience for me and all I want is a machine that works. I was told they should last for 10 years or so. Mine has been repaired once already in the first 2 months of use and is still stopping now. I agree that everytime it is returned for repairs, the warranty should go back to 2 years. What's the difference in a refurbished and repairing mine? I do know I should be the only user of mine and how it has been taken care of. A refurbished could be a couple of years old with older parts that would break down sooner. Having said all this, I think they should replace it with a new one and perhaps check it out first. It's hard for me to believe that Respironics doesn't have this same problem with others. Thanks.

I think no matter what you are dealing with, there are always going to be those clunkers the fall off the assembly line and some poor person ends up being on the receiving end. Unfortunately this time, it was you.

I stand behind my promise to back you up. I hope others will stand in the same spot, too, and give one of our own some much needed support.

I would at least try to turn the auto on to off just to see if it makes a difference and might narrow down the problem to be something else. Can anyone tell me how the auto turn off works on this model and if it has one? I remember one time that I had a large leak on my humidifier and did not know it for two nights. I can not tell if if you are using a humidifier. I trying to cover all the bases and with some other possibilities and Goodman must already check that for you.

Oops I did not see your pervious reply it is being to sound more like a power problem with the machine itself. Are you using the white secondary filter on the machine and have you ever try to use a different power outlet on a different breaker? The issue with the humidifier leaking was with the coupler when you slide the water tank to it and it only goes into the coupler about 1/8 inch and can leak if the alignment is not right but you already said that the software is not reporting a leak.
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, auto

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APopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, Power, auto

[quote="john5757"]I would at least try to turn the auto on to off just to see if it makes a difference and might narrow down the problem to be something else. Can anyone tell me how the auto turn off works on this model and if it has one? I remember one time that I had a large leak on my humidifier and did not know it for two nights. I can not tell if if you are using a humidifier. I trying to cover all the bases and with some other possibilities and Goodman must already check that for you.


I've been all through the provider and user manuals looking for how to turn the auto on to off. I have not found it. The auto disconnect was already set to 0 or off position. The auto on feature is not changeable according to Respironics. It always remains in auto on and cannot be turned off.
I have the Remstar bi pap pro 2 with heated humidifier. The humidifier has a bushing that fits into the machine and the hose connects to the top of the water tank. I really see no way for it to leak. At least, I think I would know it. I use the Encore pro software and it doesn't display any large or unusual leaks. Actually, it is pretty consistant every night. The first time I returned the unit, I was told they replaced the circuit board. I can only assume that is the same problem now with it 6 months old and on the second circuit board. Or perhaps that wasn't the problem to begin with.