CPAPAuction shutting down?

plr66 · Post by **plr66** » Sun Sep 11, 2011 4:51 pm

gasparama wrote:
LSAT wrote:http://cpapauction.com/
LSAT made a good point. I just followed the link and the site seems to be perfectly normal.

Actually, not. There are zero items listed.

gasparama · Post by **gasparama** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:08 pm

plr66 wrote:
gasparama wrote:
LSAT wrote:http://cpapauction.com/
LSAT made a good point. I just followed the link and the site seems to be perfectly normal.
Actually, not. There are zero items listed.

Yeah, someone pointed that out in a private message. It's just depressing.

moresleep · Post by **moresleep** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:20 pm

A notice of the shutdown has finally appeared on the Cpapauction.com homepage:

Dear CPAPAuction User,

CPAPAuction.com is ceasing operations effective immediately. We are not accepting new registrations or listings for sale. All open bids and listings for sale have been canceled. No fees will be charged related to canceled listings.

We apologize for the short notice and thank you for supporting CPAPAuction.com.

Sincerely,
Johnny Goodman
General Manager
CPAPAuction .com

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:29 pm

--So, I'm guessing Johnny is being bound by a non-disclosure requirement/"gag" order.
Obviously, he cannot communicate about the matter--but we can guess.
Johnny, I do not blame you; Just please keep the forum and cpap.com open.
Thank you.

moresleep · Post by **moresleep** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:16 pm

It would be nice if someone would tell us why Cpapauction shut down, but there are three obvious alternatives:

1) It simply was not economical. Commissions on sales didn't pay enough to maintain the site.

2) Cpap.com didn't like the competition from used/grey market goods, so closed it down.

3) Manufacturers of products Cpap.com sells pressured Cpap.com to close it down.

Fortunately, there are still places, such as Craigslist, Dotmed, Secondwind and Ebay, to take up the slack.

fuzzy96 · Post by **fuzzy96** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:25 pm

i can't help but wonder if........ since most of the stuff there was used ,opened,or returned (some was new) if there isn't some regulation buried insome fine print that someone just found outlawing the sale of such equipment and supplies. just some conjecture here from a brain fogged hosehead

KSMike · Post by **KSMike** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:30 pm

I still suspect some sort of regulatory intervention. If the owner can't speak to the reason, I understand. It would be nice, though, if he could at least indicate whether or not he expects any impact to cpap.com or cpaptalk.com.

archangle · Post by **archangle** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:01 pm

I always assumed that site was more of a public service thing than a profit center, so I can understand it being dropped if it was causing them problems.

I think our hosts do a lot of good for the community. Thanks.

jobe2433 · Post by **jobe2433** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:59 pm

well this is awful! I just went to place an Icon Primo on the site just to find its shut down.. If anyone needs one of these machines PM me... lol

Stevah · Post by **Stevah** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:37 am

Re: CPAPAuction shutting down?

New postby coconut on Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:23 pm
So where will people go to sell and buy used ones now? It'd be interesting to know.

Yes, I hope they can come back; some legal thing I presume.
I purchased many a different mask there once I decided to get serious about finding my best mask; and stay alive awhile longer.
Actually I bought my machine on ebid .net. (no space) That was before I found cpapauction. I will say, in retrospect, that I remember paying quite a premium, but I was glad to do it. I can not speak to what their prescription requirements are now ( there were none formerly). I believe that this forum and cpapauction saved my life.
It is too bad there is not a craigs-list for the whole country, that would work.

MidnightOwl · Post by **MidnightOwl** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 7:14 am

Stevah wrote: It is too bad there is not a craigs-list for the whole country, that would work.

http://craigzoom.com/

And there are many others.

J-Mac · Post by **J-Mac** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 10:06 am

Ouch!! Doggone, I just found out the hard way that the auction site closed down. Though I was a member and had made three or four purchases there in the past, I never received the email announcing the closing that many apparently received. What a disappointment!

I make most of my CPAP-related purchases at cpap.com but I did like the capability to buy some extra cushions or filters at cpapauction.com. For example, if all I need is a package of filters it was much more preferable to get them at the auction, mainly due to shipping costs. I purchased just a pack of disposable filters once at cpap.com and then realized that the shipping was almost equal to the filter cost! So I always try to coordinate my purchases so that I get the filters when I am purchasing something else so the shipping is not so high. But every now and then I find that I am just about out of filters but don’t really need anything else, and I get stuck with higher shipping. And since I purchase all my own CPAP equipment and supplies - and am living only on Social Security disability - I need to save as much as I can!

It appears that no one knows exactly why the auction site closed, though it certainly does appear that it was a forced closing of some sort. The web site is no longer reachable; if you try to go there you are redirected to cpap.com instead. I thought that was odd but then again IIRC cpapauction.com was somehow connected to cpap.com, wasn’t it? Actually I thought that cpap.com owned the auction site, at least at one point, and sold used products there since they can't or won't sell them at their regular site. I don’t want to buy from Craig's List, as I know too many folks who have been burned there. Seems to be much worse than Ebay was when they allowed CPAP-related sales. (Happy memories of many mask purchases on Ebay!!)

Oh well, no news and no questions about the shut down really, as I know there aren't any true answers. Just lamenting having discovered that the auction site is no more.

Thanks!

Jim

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 10:25 am

J-Mac wrote:Just lamenting having discovered that the auction site is no more.

Yep, I used it for all my mask experiments. I sure couldn't have done those experiments with regular retail costs.

EBay is pretty much our best bet now. Couple of months ago I got 24 of the fine white disposable filters for $11.99 and that included mailing. With some smart shopping one can even piece together some masks by getting the replacement parts and putting the purchases together to build your own mask. Just have to watch for deals.

At least EBay will stand behind the sales and most of the sellers have multiple positive feedback ratings. They won't want to risk a negative feedback.

J-Mac · Post by **J-Mac** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:03 am

Thanks pugsy.

I didn't know that Ebay was allowing CPAP stuff again. For a long time they banned it altogether - nothing, not even filters. It was too difficult for them to monitor and make sure no Rx items were being offered. I think they were warned by the govt. and so they just shut it all down. I'll have to take another look at it.

Thanks again!

Jim

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:15 pm

J-Mac wrote:I didn't know that Ebay was allowing CPAP stuff again. For a long time they banned it altogether - nothing, not even filters.

Anything requiring a RX is still not allowed but items without RX are allowed.
Machine, humidifier and complete mask packages are still not allowed.

But as with anything the sellers have found a way around things. Mask replacement parts do not require a RX so the sellers are breaking down the packages. Often just minus one part. I saw a Swift FX sell for buy it now price of $35 (plus $5 S & H) and all it lacked was a nasal pillow. Not all the deals are that good but with careful shopping, they can be found.