CPAP Mask Pricing

I was hoping to get some opinions or experiences on this.

I have come accross a few websites that are selling masks for very cheap, cheaper than prices on CPAP.com. At first glance the sites look okay but after some searching they provide little to no customers service and the have no warranties on any of their CPAP or masks. This makes me sort of nervous about purchasing from these websites. Does anyone have feedback?

I'd really like to hear if someone has suggestions about me purchasing a mask and from where.

Thanks,
CPAPHurray

Which websites? What masks?

Some sites do sell masks to institutions for very short term use with inpatients and the masks are not long-term durable and are meant to be disposed of within a short time.

Cpap.com has told me that they will match prices from other internet sites. You may want to contact them. They are really great to work with.

I had to do some searching for sites that didn't require a prescription, ended up using 1800cpap.com to get my mask. Quick service, free shipping, cheap prices, and brand new in sealed box.

Steve

maineultraclassic wrote:I had to do some searching for sites that didn't require a prescription, ended up using 1800cpap.com to get my mask. Quick service, free shipping, cheap prices, and brand new in sealed box.

Steve

According to their web site, 1800cpap does require a prescription.

I would guess that some of these are "grey market" sites. DMEs and clinics get FREE sample masks from major manufacturers. The purpose of the samples is so that patients can try on masks and trial them. But I think a lot of DMEs sell these on the side rather than offer good customer service to their customers. If you look on auction sites there are sellers with histories of selling HUNDREDS of masks at low prices. That has to be where they are coming from, and, indeed, if you buy such masks they are almost always marked "sample, for short term use only".

They are the real thing--they aren't going to self destruct in thirty days or anything, but this shady business certainly drives up the costs of legitimate purchases as the manufacturers are not in business to donate money to unscrupulous DMEs.

How does one know whether the mask from a DME's is a sample or not? When they gave me both masks they didn't give them to me in a sealed bag. THey just brought the masks to me. I didn't even sanitize them and then i was thinking they are prob 'samples. ' So when i decide i'd like to keep one of the 2, shd i ask them for "new" one in a bag and return mine to them?

LSAT wrote:According to their web site, 1800cpap does require a prescription.

They never asked me for one, and I had my item in 3 days. Maybe it depends on what you order, a machine may require one.....but the Zest mask I bought didn't.

Steve

CPAPHurray! What an awesome name! I say Hurray too!

Totally off topic but I had to tell you how much your name tickles me.

Be careful you don't get a mask that's not intended for other than home CPAP use.

For instance, there are "hospital" CPAP masks. These are intended for use with a separate exhalation venting device and don't have an exhalation port to expel the exhaled air. You occasionally see these for sale.

If you use one of these with a normal CPAP setup, you will be rebreathing your exhaled air and death or at least major O2 deprivation/CO2 excess problems will follow. You won't be able to CPAP with it.

Most CPAP masks have a defined "heat sanitizing" process on the manufacturer's web site. It's usually something like "90°C water for one minute." I've taken a mask, disassembled, boiled a pot of water, turned off the heat, and then dunked the mask for several minutes.

You're at your own risk for damaging the mask, of course. Someone reported they left their hose in boiling water for 10 minutes or so and melted it. I would definitely not use 90C water for regular mask cleaning. I don't know how many "cycles" it's likely to survive.

Note that it's "sanitizing," not necessarily "sterilizing." "Sterilizing" requires a temperature higher than boiling water, but 90°C will kill most of the stuff you'd worry about for a CPAP mask.

You really should be able to insist on all CPAP masks be in factory sealed packages from the DME.

I have been known to dishwash new factory sealed mask parts before using. I'm a little paranoid about washing off whatever manufacturing goo is on the surface and/or chemicals that leach out from the bulk of the plastic right after it's manufactured.

I'm surprised you can get a CPAP mask from 1800cpap.com without a prescription. Do all websites require prescriptions?

This is sort of what I am worried about. When and if I purchase from websites like 1800cpap if their not requiring prescriptions, which I believe they should be, maybe they are sending us the sample/trial masks instead of the real deal. I don't want a sample or possibly a repackaged mask made to appear like a new genuine cpap mask.

Has anyone been to some of the websites that I explained in my first post, with top brands and cheap pricing? I'm just nervous that if something goes wrong with the mask or if it is defective that I won't be able to return it.

CPAPHurray wrote:When and if I purchase from websites like xxxx if their not requiring prescriptions, which I believe they should be, maybe they are sending us the sample/trial masks instead of the real deal. I don't want a sample or possibly a repackaged mask made to appear like a new genuine cpap mask.

What the heck does a prescription have to do with it? Brick and mortar local DMEs sell sample masks, used masks, open masks, fraudulently billed masks, masks with parts missing, etc. every day with a prescription. Obviously, just because a supplier requires a prescription, that's no guarantee of honesty.

Buy it online, use a credit card, dispute the charge if it's not what you ordered. If every second mask you buy online is fake, and you lose your money and throw the mask away, you're still ahead of buying from a DME. (excluding insurance questions)

What are you going to do? "Gee, this is a used mask marked as new, but since I had a prescription, I'm going to keep it and pay for it anyway."

I actually think it has a lot to do with honesty.

If someone is willing to do one thing that may be a little shady then what else are they willing to do? Just saying...

And who would want a used mask? ewww!

maineultraclassic wrote:I had to do some searching for sites that didn't require a prescription, ended up using 1800cpap.com to get my mask. Quick service, free shipping, cheap prices, and brand new in sealed box.

Steve

Compared their price for an Oracle 2 mask. It was $40 higher than where I got my last ones on line.

CPAPHurray wrote:I actually think it has a lot to do with honesty.

If someone is willing to do one thing that may be a little shady then what else are they willing to do? Just saying...

And who would want a used mask? ewww!

There's nothing shady about selling masks without a prescription. However, feel free to limit your choices or even buy from your local DME if you want to.

I don't have problems with someone selling a used mask. I have big problems with someone selling a used mask as new. Or selling masks in non sealed packaging as new.