CPAPtalk.com

Unfortunately alot un-informed users just take what the DME gives to them. That makes DME the 'customer' not the user. We certainly have a say what to take. I will not endorse their product online anymore. See no product list on my profile!

It takes no time to get informed with minimal internet search skill. Find this forum just few minutes in google. ResMed better pay attention to the real users and the power of information we acquire.

kf10 wrote:ResMed better pay attention to the real users and the power of information we acquire.

It's hard to say. It doesn't seem that way now, but who's to say that in the future manufacturers of DME will have to pay more attention to what users want?


In any event, I can only do what benefits me, and if that cuts ResMed out as a supplier, then so be it. If enough people can follow suit, eventually it WILL affect ResMed. I don't think people have to find this board to figure out that ResMed products are over-priced. They may not realize that ResMed has predatory practices, but economics alone may drive people to equipment that is less expensive, especially as more and more people start to have to pay larger deductibles and such.

I can't find a Resmed Quatro small cushion for less than $50 online anymore, and the last one I got off CPAP savvy through Amazon was $30. bleh.

I'm SOOOO HAPPY I found a mask which is good for me and is not from Resmed (Headrest).

I decided months ago not to buy anything from Resmed. Yes the DME's are their customers but we are the DME's customers, I don't think we are so powerless.

If a lot of XPAP users seriously decide to boycott Resmed products, the day will arrive Resmed will need to think twice their rules.

Yes the new users don't know about Resmed practices or what to buy but it's true that after a couple of months or weeks they are no more new uninformed people and then they have the power to do something to stop this situation or only suffer it, as everyone of us.

rosacer wrote:Yes the DME's are their customers but we are the DME's customers, I don't think we are so powerless.

Nope. The insurance companies (or Medicare) are the DME's customers. And, in many cases, employers are the insurance companies' customers.

In this system, the patient is an annoyance to be ignored.

Hmmm, I'm of two minds on this situation.

1) I think that as far as brand new retail items to DME and online sellers, Resmed is engaged in illegal price fixing and probably violating anti-trust laws if they demand that sellers get a certain price. I'd like to see them taken on in a class action suit.

2) The auction is another matter. I don't believe that they can stop individuals who own Resmed equipment and supplies (which are essentially "used" items) from selling their own property on the auction site. I have about half a dozen masks that I either tried on and never used at all, or used only one night. If I want to sell my used masks or nasal pillows I paid for that don't fit me at my garage sale or an auction site (especially one that requires a prescription as required by law), they don't have a right to stop me. It looks like Resmed items from sellers who have equipment like that were removed from the auction site, and I don't think that Resmed has a right to do that.

But the acution had a shady side. I think DME's and sleep labs were reselling samples that were given to them free or at low cost by Resmed with the intention to introduce the DME and sleep lab customers to Resmed products. You know this is happening when you see sellers that have hundreds of sales. This is not right. Even though I bought items this way on the auction site (and appreciated it), I think it's ethically wrong on the sellers' part to be selling these samples, and in the end this practice drives up the cost for everybody.

Janknitz wrote:Hmmm, I'm of two minds on this situation.
2) The auction is another matter. I don't believe that they can stop individuals who own Resmed equipment and supplies (which are essentially "used" items) from selling their own property on the auction site. I have about half a dozen masks that I either tried on and never used at all, or used only one night. If I want to sell my used masks or nasal pillows I paid for that don't fit me at my garage sale or an auction site (especially one that requires a prescription as required by law), they don't have a right to stop me. It looks like Resmed items from sellers who have equipment like that were removed from the auction site, and I don't think that Resmed has a right to do that.

But the acution had a shady side. I think DME's and sleep labs were reselling samples that were given to them free or at low cost by Resmed with the intention to introduce the DME and sleep lab customers to Resmed products. You know this is happening when you see sellers that have hundreds of sales. This is not right. Even though I bought items this way on the auction site (and appreciated it), I think it's ethically wrong on the sellers' part to be selling these samples, and in the end this practice drives up the cost for everybody.

You are probubly right but the problem is that cpapauction is owned by cpap.com and ResMed can withold supplys to cpap.com unless they change the rules and cpap.com makes the rules for doing business. I would think in that case they would have very little choice since the don't make a lot of profit on cpapauction.

Jerry

People buying products from the auction site are taking a risk with a product without warranty. Maybe it is the only way to be able to afford the treatment.

I have insurance with very low deductible ($25/year), I can afford the equipment for now. However if I lost the coverage due to retirement or off work, I have to payout from my own pocket, same as anyone who doesn't have insurance coverage.

What other manufactures will do? They could follow the same practice or they might risking branding themselves as a 'cheaper/inferior' alternative.

Our health/life depend on the treatment, I recent that some corporation taking us hostage, not because they are not making a profit. It becoming hostile to someone who only trying to find an affordable life-saving treatment.

At the end, the real loser are the end user!

Kinda relevant to this discussion...

Has anyone noticed the investigations being started by various states' Attorneys General into the pricing of digital books? If you look on Amazon, you'll find references to the "$9.99 Boycott" fairly easily.

kf10 wrote:What other manufactures will do? They could follow the same practice or they might risking branding themselves as a 'cheaper/inferior' alternative.

Our health/life depend on the treatment, I recent that some corporation taking us hostage, not because they are not making a profit. It becoming hostile to someone who only trying to find an affordable life-saving treatment.

At the end, the real loser are the end user!

Our host's site has this interesting page on which it shows the trending sales of product by manufacturer and type of machine. It is very interesting to see the stats for the Auto machines : https://www.cpap.com/cpap-user-preference.php

As a matter of interest, off on a tangent, I was at my sleep doc today regarding adding oxygen infusion into my CPAP line.

He is a HIGHLY educated fellow despite running a sleep clinic. He does NOT sell ANY sleep care products whatsoever.

He looked at my ResMed S9 Auto (TM) and looked at my S9 Auto graphs and settings along with my SaO2 readings and here is what he had to say (highlights added for emphasis are mine).

1. I should have gone into medicine - I would have made an outstanding physician (i.e. having trained myself over ten months and producing for him more information than he could possible have imagined with the exception of EEG output).

2. DO NOT immediately begin O2 infusion although it appears that it may indeed be indicated by my empirical data - we need to determine a safe level to infuse, watch the results on the oximetry graph AND on an EEG if I am/am not feeling a whole lot better.

3. Although indicated and the probable outcome of my research and data provision... O2 infusion comes with its own inherent issues and dangers and they mainly come from the fact that it is the CO2 (where?) and CO (where?) that trigger the body's autonomic nervous system into getting the diaghram to expand/contract during REM sleep - thus we need to treat O2 with respect.

4. "I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE AUTOSET UNIT THAT YOU ARE USING - IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE RESPONDING RAPIDLY TO HYPOPNEA EVENTS CAUSING THESE DESATURATIONS THAT WE ARE SEEING (finger pointing to graph of pressure from S9 Autoset and to oximetry readings)".


ResMed is not perfect. They are not the only machine on the market. I still have two of them and for the most part am happy with them excepting what I was told this AM.
May they live long and prosper (NOT).

I think that this is the last piece of ResMed equipment that I have purchased.

[quote="Slinky"]Really?? I thought he was "in" during the Recall, but "out" before the MAP policy. I did notice that he's moved on to their sleep center "branch".

Just curious -
What was the "recall" all about?

I'd appreciate the history lesson.

The simple way, would be to get the word out and have all the members here, start to boycott ResMed products. Of course, as with all boycotts, they only work if you are honest with yourself and the other folks, which most humans are not. I was planning on purchasing a 2nd machine as a spare and was leaning towards a S-8, which will not happen now. I just made a bid on another Respironics M series.......LOL.

howkim wrote:Kinda relevant to this discussion...

Has anyone noticed the investigations being started by various states' Attorneys General into the pricing of digital books? If you look on Amazon, you'll find references to the "$9.99 Boycott" fairly easily.

I really hate to respond to your comments, hate to hi-Jack this thread but you sure hit a sensitive spot with your comment. I am so mad. For five years I have bought e-books from e-reader and Fictionwise and read them on my Palm. They cost more than $9.99. Now that all the e-book readers are out and fighting each other all the books I normally read have been unavailable. Can't get an answer if they will ever be available again unless I buy a Kindle with their restrictive sales. Don't know what the problem is but maybe the investigation will help.

If anyone has any further information on this I will start a seperate thread.

Jerry