Unfortunate

I just placed an order for new mask and connectors.
Proud member and loyal customer.

100 Percent wrote: So, despite all the detractors, I feel vindicated in the fact that I was able to accomplish a few things:

1. CPAPcom has affirmed that they are in collusion with certain manufacturers to fix pricing in order to maintain an 'authorized dealer' relationship.
2. CPAPcom realized that their 100% price match guarantee was incorrect--and that contrary to their previous statement, they WILL NOT match pricing on certain manufacturers.
3. CPAPcom has amended their guarantee to include a provision that CLEARLY explains their loyalty to the manufacturer (not their customer).
4. CPAPcom has promised to "match the value" of their online competitors when matching the price is not an option for them--although extremely vague, THIS IS MORE THAN I GOT.

Don't let the door hit'ya
where the good Lord split'ya.

A couple of thoughts:
1. Any offer of a product for sale is just that - an offer. It is the starting point for negotiations. Usually, the "negotiations" are predetermined, and there is no haggling. However, neither side is obligated to complete the sale until a commitment has been made by either side. Opinions about the validity of the original offer aside, I am perfectly free to go wherever I choose. In the case of a bricks and mortar store I will walk out the door and never come back. Unfortunately, with an internet store there is the possibility of leaving a negative review, which can be extremely damaging to the reputation of the company. We could get into a long argument about whether the way this situation was handled is appropriate, but at the end of the day it is unlikely that a single bad thread will damage cpap.com's business substantially.

2. At the end of the day, my satisfaction with a purchase is about more than just price - it depends on whether the purchased product does what it is supposed to do, whether it is legal to own it, and the service I have received from the seller. There are probably other things that influence my satisfaction as well. At the end of the day, for the few things I have purchased from cpap.com I have been very satisfied - they (almost always) arrive promptly, are always in their original packaging from the manufacturer, and I can use them straight away. The one time I was not satisfied was my own fault - I didn't check properly that the Aloha replacement pillows I needed were actually in stock, so they were back ordered.

3. Writing the policies for a web site is not easy - I have done it on occasions. You need to be able to find an attorney/lawyer (depending on where you are living) to review it - and they need to be familiar with ecommerce laws. That can be expensive, which could drive up the price for a site such as cpap.com.

4. The internet does make it very easy to shop around - that is the role of the shopper in the transaction. Don't buy at the first site you come to. Be sure that the site has been around for a while. Check out a few reviews. Search on Google to see if there are many complaints - if you look hard enough you can always find one or two! Read the policies carefully, and read the policies on a few other sites. See if there are any red flags on the site you intend to purchase from. If you did all that, then you might have a legitimate complaint if the sale was not completed as advertised.

I say good luck to cpap.com - you have done a good job for me. To the OP, enjoy the rest of your life, with or without cpap.com. I agree with "Guest" about letting the thread expire!

One way to deal with price fixing by a manufacturer is to NEVER buy their products, and be vocal about why. If we all did this it would hurt them where they live, their bottom line. I have 1 Resmed mask, and nothing else, it will stay that way, as I don't want any money from me to go toward a company that exploits it's customers.

For a company that does this, they sell a lot of overpriced product. I don't like Bullies. Jim

Goofproof wrote:One way to deal with price fixing by a manufacturer is to NEVER buy their products, and be vocal about why. If we all did this it would hurt them where they live, their bottom line. I have 1 Resmed mask, and nothing else, it will stay that way, as I don't want any money from me to go toward a company that exploits it's customers.

For a company that does this, they sell a lot of overpriced product. I don't like Bullies. Jim

Here is another take on the situation as a Devilbiss customer who had to deal with possibly returning a defective machine under warranty and would have had to pay for a loaner. Apparently, Resmed will provide a free replacement loaner.

Yes, it looks like their price is alot more expensive than the devilbiss autopap which is 490.00. But then, add around 125 for the necessary software because without it, the online data is worthless in my opinion.

And then if you're concerned that the machine might fail and don't want to be without one, you would need to buy a backup which would push the costs close to what the resmed autoset is or even at a greater cost.

Fortunately, because I was able to solve the problem without having to return the machine. But now I have another issue that might necessitate a return which is another post.

49er

100 Percent wrote:Thanks TalonNYC for at least understanding the topic...I was beginning to lose my faith in humanity.

They should have eaten the $30 bucks as a loss and gained a customer for life...instead they chose to be short sighted and lose a customer.

If the eat the $30, then they break a legal contract and lose a good amount of their business. Can you imagine an online cpap company unable to sell one of the top brands? That would be very foolish for them.

Sometimes, a person or company makes a statement without considering what problems might come up. For example, if a company knows that it is a standard contract for retail businesses to never sell below the price told to them from the manufacturer, then they truly believe that no retailer would list the item at a lower price, thus, the guarantee will never be challenged in a way that breaks the contract. They did not consider that somebody else would break the contract, thus putting them in a difficult situation.

Have you never made a promise that you fully intended to keep, but could not, due to unforeseen circumstances?

Stick around and read the posts here on the various topics. I think most people here would agree that they have gotten a lot more than $30 in value from this great forum. I have not yet purchased anything from cpap.com as I am fairly new and got my first set of supplies from a local DME. I haven't paid them a dime, yet this forum has made a huge difference in my treatment. And because I am doing well, my mom got going again, and is doing better with her treatment. Once I confirm my insurance's reimbursement policy, I will start using cpap.com. Their prices are way better than my local DME, and I would like to thank them for this great resource.

I commend cpap.com's handling of this situation. To the OP --

Have you ever made a mistake? Did you admit it openly? Did you do your best, within your power, to make it right?

cpap.com did. They made a mistake in the wording of their policy. They changed it faster than any vendor I've ever seen. They admitted it OPENLY and apologized for it.

And you can bet your sweet butt if they COULD have honored the original wording and made it "right" with YOU, they would have.

As far as them quietly refunding the difference - you ruined that by making this public knowledge. Would they have done it quietly, on the side? We'll never know now, will we?

As far as their relationship with the manufacturer (and your criticism of that) -- their customers want those products, so our host sells them, despite all the red tape and BS the manufacturer puts them through.

Most vendors wouldn't give a crap about your piddly little gripe and sure as heck wouldn't allow you to publicly bash them.

cpap.com is one of the few vendors today that is 100% honest and above board. And they understand what customer service really means.

Everybody... STAND-DOWN!!. Lets all have some Tex-Mex and beer... I'm buyin'

Sheriff

100 Percent wrote:

nanwilson wrote:REALLY!!!!! You poor baby, do you actually think that a company will miss your business. You must be a VERY important person to think that you can sway the opinions of the folks here.
Nan

Nan, I would suggest you take a few moments to reflect on the lifetime value of a customer...and YES! I do believe that a company will miss my business. If fact, THEY BELIEVE THAT.

98% of dissatisfied customers never complain, they just leave.
85% of dissatisfied customers tell nine people about their poor experience.
13% tell 20 people.
A satisfied customer tells just five people.
Over five years, a typical company loses 80% of its customers; 65% because of a negative experience with the company.
75% of the reasons a customer leaves has nothing to do with the product.
Retain just 5% of your customers, and profits will increase from 25% to 55%.
The top five businesses in any industry have over 90% customer retention. Most businesses average 80%.
For every 1% improvement in customer rate sustained over five years, there is a 20% improvement in operating income.

At the time of this post, more than 300 people have viewed this thread.
I realize that there are certain 'fanboys' who believe I have no right to complain, but the fact of the matter is this---CPAPcom has amended their guarantee to include the following paragraph:


"The pricing for some products is dictated by the manufacturer, if you find a site selling these products for below the manufacturer's minimum sales price, we will not be able to match the product's price. We can, however match the value, give us a call."


So, despite all the detractors, I feel vindicated in the fact that I was able to accomplish a few things:

1. CPAPcom has affirmed that they are in collusion with certain manufacturers to fix pricing in order to maintain an 'authorized dealer' relationship.
2. CPAPcom realized that their 100% price match guarantee was incorrect--and that contrary to their previous statement, they WILL NOT match pricing on certain manufacturers.
3. CPAPcom has amended their guarantee to include a provision that CLEARLY explains their loyalty to the manufacturer (not their customer).
4. CPAPcom has promised to "match the value" of their online competitors when matching the price is not an option for them--although extremely vague, THIS IS MORE THAN I GOT.


Its just too bad that CPAPcom failed to honor their guarantee with me when they had the opportunity.
At least it won't happen again.

Yeah, so you complained loud and clear - CPAP.com publicly responded to your complaint and apologized. Suck it up, and either shut up, or move on.
I guarantee, they won't lose one single customer who frequents this forum due to your incessant whining.

xena

come on folks, he changed the world as he knows it. he'll be a legend in his own mind for a very long time. hell, for his brave whinings, history may record him as second only to the inventor of the round wheel that probably whined about having to carry heavy loads on his back and did something about it. and we were there to see it all unfold this time.

I have had remarkable success getting companies to bend the rules in my favor--
not by ranting and being a royal pain; but by being reasonable and respectful.
Since I have the common sense to not go about burning bridges, the companies I'd rather not do business with,
have no idea of this; and will continue to service me whenever I choose to use their services again.
This is important in a small town, and you never know how small your world is until you start building a wall around it.

100 Percent wrote: They should have eaten the $30 bucks as a loss and gained a customer for life...instead they chose to be short sighted and lose a customer.

A particularly NOISY customer.

And...one who has been using a BROKEN MASK for a few days now and is not as friendly as one who is getting his proper sleep.

Alternatively you could have understood the explanation of why you would be highly unlikely to find the product cheaper elsewhere. You could have eaten the $30 bucks, got some resful sleep then wake up without feeling the need to be not as friendly and NOISY ? Lets hope you get your mask soon.

~UB