CPAP Hardware Pricing Controlled??

I have just started to price a new CPAP unit spec online & noticed so far that the various retailers/outlets I have looked at appear to sell the spec I am considering at the same price, almost down to the cent.
Is the pricing dictated by the Manufacturers & everyone sells at Manufacturers Recommended Retail, or do some shave their margin??
& does anyone do Coupon deals??
Thanks

The price posted is dictated by the manufacturers in many cases. Sometimes when you contact the dealer you can get a "discount" but they are not allowed to post those prices.

In many cases, the base unit ("blower", flow generator) is a fixed price,
but related items (humidifier, DC cord, etc.) get deep "bundle" discounts.
Our hosts will match prices with their competitors --on request.

chunkyfrog wrote:In many cases, the base unit ("blower", flow generator) is a fixed price,
but related items (humidifier, DC cord, etc.) get deep "bundle" discounts.
Our hosts will match prices with their competitors --on request.

............................................
So its better to ring a seller & discuss the order spec to see what they can do on pricing, versus just dropping it all in an online cart & paying the bottom Total??

Say thank you to SCOTUS. Internet shopping is not as much fun as it once was.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... 0116148325

95C4 wrote:

chunkyfrog wrote:In many cases, the base unit ("blower", flow generator) is a fixed price,
but related items (humidifier, DC cord, etc.) get deep "bundle" discounts.
Our hosts will match prices with their competitors --on request.

............................................
So its better to ring a seller & discuss the order spec to see what they can do on pricing, versus just dropping it all in an online cart & paying the bottom Total??

Some of them have chat features which do the same thing as calling.

Do what you need to do to get a price and machine YOU can live with. Think buying a "preowned " car.

hobbs wrote:Say thank you to SCOTUS. Internet shopping is not as much fun as it once was.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... 0116148325

That is Bull shit. It is totally the manufacturers and they have been doing it for years.

BlackSpinner wrote:

hobbs wrote:Say thank you to SCOTUS. Internet shopping is not as much fun as it once was.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... 0116148325

That is Bull shit. It is totally the manufacturers and they have been doing it for years.

Not in the U.S. Before this decision manufactures had a manufactures suggested retail price, MSRP, but the merchant was allowed to sell at whatever discount he wanted. Now if the merchant sells for less, the manufacture can refuse to sell product to the merchant.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/busin ... .html?_r=0

http://www.naw.org/govrelations/advisor ... icleid=490

Now up north;

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... e15179780/

Hobbs: thank you for the "information"; methinks you need to take your meds--this is not a political thread.
Now just lie down until you calm down.

Some manufacturers require that the online seller advertise only the MSRP and offer no discounts unless they are offering the discounts everywhere and then the prices are still the same everywhere.
ResMed does this...and the recent reduction in prices were uniform and pretty much any online seller was offering the Resmed products at the same price.
If an online seller opts to discount ResMed products further and ResMed wants to get nit picky about it...they might lose the ability to sell Resmed products.
Cpap.com can't price match other online sellers when it comes to ResMed products because if someone is selling at a lower price...they are breaking the rules and could lose their ResMed contract.

Respironics wants the MSRP listed (or if they are offering a similar universal discount) so that all prices appear to be the same but they do seem to allow sellers to discount items within certain restrictions. This is why cpap.com prices sometimes say "call for special pricing" and sometimes it doesn't say anything and there is no discount when it comes to Respironics products.

When in doubt...call for pricing
but for ResMed products...pretty much what you see is what you have to pay.
Cpap.com won't break the rules when it comes to ResMed..they can't or they lose the ability to sell the ResMed products.
They won't price match if someone else is breaking the rules either when it comes to ResMed products...So if you find something cheaper at some other online seller...cpap.com won't/can't match that price without risking their contract.
It's ResMed's sandbox and if someone wants to play in it then they have to abide by ResMed's rules...same thing about international shipping that ResMed (and now looks like Respironics) ban for cpap.com.

Another aspect of the CPAP purchasing journey that is interesting is the requirement to have a Prescription.
To get a prescription you have to see [in my case], a Pulmonary Specialist.
Then there are the Insurance companies ducking & diving.
Not sure who is the instigator of the Prescription requirement.
After I am on the CPAP train & looking for a new unit & I am going to plunk down $xxx of m yown money for the total cost of a unit because the Insurance Company does not want to know, or has lined up the hoops to jump through, then struggle to see why I should need a scrip.
My money, my choice. etc.
If I want to use the unit as a spray paint compressor, also my choice.

If you are in the US, a prescription for cpap can be written by your PCP, nurse practitioner, PA, or even your dentist.
It would not surprise me if some have used an RX from a veterinarian.

chunkyfrog wrote:If you are in the US, a prescription for cpap can be written by your PCP, nurse practitioner, PA, or even your dentist.
It would not surprise me if some have used an RX from a veterinarian.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
I have a friend who is a horse vet, I'll remember that one.

Anyway, the online ads for Equipment, - who instructs the seller that they must show on their advt, "Prescription Required"??

95C4 wrote: Anyway, the online ads for Equipment, - who instructs the seller that they must show on their advt, "Prescription Required"??

Government rules - FDA

To me the requirement for a prescription indicates that the seller is following the FDA rules. That gives me some protection in terms of quality - I know that the machine has met certain requirements. As far as pricing is concerned, the same rules probably apply as apply to pharmaceutical products - the manufacturer has the "right" to try and recover the cost of the research needed to get FDA approval. Clinical trials are expensive, and are not undertaken lightly. I do not defend the prices of either pharmaceutical or CPAP companies, because I don't know the specifics of their pricing policies. However, I do want them to continue to produce safe and efficacious treatments if I need them. For CPAP (as I don't take any medications on a regular basis), that means a machine that reliably delivers the pressure I need and shows me that it is being effective/provides my physician with at least some diagnostic tools to be able to make adjustments if necessary.