Interesting dilemma afoot with my DME

old dude wrote:It must be sent in by the DME that "supplied" you the machine, which precipitated my earlier comment about buying a used machine from an individual.

Not true that it has to be the DME that sold you the machine to handle the return....ANY DME who is willing to do it that deals with Respironics can do it...if they want to.
People move...DMEs close their doors...Any DME or place like acbio.com can handle the return and act as a go between...if they would get off their lazy ass and do it. It would be unrealistic for a person who moves from New York to California with their new cpap machine to send it back to the DME in New York...just to have them send it to Respironics....or what if the DME closed shop...
Yeah it sucks that Respironics doesn't want the public sending machines directly to them but there's problem a decent reason for having someone run interference. Anyway..it is what it is and nothing we can do about it.

I have a DME that I buy masks from. Never used them for a machine. He knows I buy my own machines privately...and told me if I need help with one with warranty work...that he would be happy to be the go between for me. I don't expect a loaner and I don't expect for him to pay shipping (that's part of the risk I assume when when I buy privately and get a steal of a deal). But he can send any machine I buy back to the manufacturer as a go between for me.
That's the way it should be and it could be if your DME wasn't being such a jackass.

Pugsy wrote:

old dude wrote:It must be sent in by the DME that "supplied" you the machine, which precipitated my earlier comment about buying a used machine from an individual.

Not true that it has to be the DME that sold you the machine to handle the return....ANY DME who is willing to do it that deals with Respironics can do it...if they want to.
People move...DMEs close their doors...Any DME or place like acbio.com can handle the return and act as a go between...if they would get off their lazy ass and do it. It would be unrealistic for a person who moves from New York to California with their new cpap machine to send it back to the DME in New York...just to have them send it to Respironics....or what if the DME closed shop...
Yeah it sucks that Respironics doesn't want the public sending machines directly to them but there's problem a decent reason for having someone run interference. Anyway..it is what it is and nothing we can do about it.

I have a DME that I buy masks from. Never used them for a machine. He knows I buy my own machines privately...and told me if I need help with one with warranty work...that he would be happy to be the go between for me. I don't expect a loaner and I don't expect for him to pay shipping (that's part of the risk I assume when when I buy privately and get a steal of a deal). But he can send any machine I buy back to the manufacturer as a go between for me.
That's the way it should be and it could be if your DME wasn't being such a jackass.

Yes Pugsy, and the worst part is that up until now I thought they were great, and bragged on them every chance I got. I kept wondering what was up with all the problems with DMEs I read about here. As I mentioned earlier though, it was all based on a relationship I had with a single employee who subsequently went out on maternity leave and never came back.

As an update, I called this morning and thought I would try once more with the surly, non-reponsive employee I had been assigned to. When I was told she was on the phone, the attendant asked if I'd like to leave my number. I said no, she won't call me back anyway, so don't bother. I then asked for the name of the facility general manager, who was out until Monday. Within 5 minutes my non-resposive employee had called me back on her own and set me up for an appointment next Tuesday to swap out my bad machine. Funny how stuff works out like that.

I'll report back to see how the machine swap out goes.

Actually, I kinda have to support Respironics in this. If they took calls from all the confused little old people, like me, they would have to significantly raise the cost of the equipment.

I do get that you are frustrated with your DME. If the person who was so helpful when you bought the machine was still there, I suspect you would say this situation would never have arisen like this. I know DME's can have different parts, that have different rules. Once I wanted to try a mask I had never tried before. The rules say the doc must prescribe exactly that mask or I must be fitted by an RT, and I had six weeks to go on the mask I had, plus five months on the straps. I called the warehouse, and got a legalistic response, of , we can not provide that, call your local DME office. The local office response was, did I want to pick it up at the office, or have it UPS'ed (I live like 80 miles from their office) or they could see if they might have someone who could deliver it that day. I opted to have it shipped, for everyones convenience. I never got a bill or had to pay anything. What I am saying is it is not Respironic's I feel you have a grouch with.

Further, as frustrating as it is, your DME will first wait on a reply from PR. If PR says, give this person a new machine, which means you make the deal of the century, a brand new machine for what you paid for a used machine. Keep in mind, the DME has more clout in getting good treatment from PR than any individual buyer could ever have. Even if PR does not replace the machine, the DME might, after being sure that PR will not come through at that time, work something out that will make you happier.

Don't get me wrong, if I had paid money for something like that, I would be livid as well. But let me ask a middling question. If you paid $300.00 for the machine originally, if the DME offered you that money back, would you really be happy?

The DME I deal with now, tell me that they would never sell a used machine of any kind. I have to wonder what they do with all the returns they get from those who do not follow through on their treatment? Anyone know that? I wonder if they have discovered a secret re-load of the firmware and change the blower hours back to zero?

purple wrote:Actually, I kinda have to support Respironics in this. If they took calls from all the confused little old people, like me, they would have to significantly raise the cost of the equipment.

I do get that you are frustrated with your DME. If the person who was so helpful when you bought the machine was still there, I suspect you would say this situation would never have arisen like this. I know DME's can have different parts, that have different rules. Once I wanted to try a mask I had never tried before. The rules say the doc must prescribe exactly that mask or I must be fitted by an RT, and I had six weeks to go on the mask I had, plus five months on the straps. I called the warehouse, and got a legalistic response, of , we can not provide that, call your local DME office. The local office response was, did I want to pick it up at the office, or have it UPS'ed (I live like 80 miles from their office) or they could see if they might have someone who could deliver it that day. I opted to have it shipped, for everyones convenience. I never got a bill or had to pay anything. What I am saying is it is not Respironic's I feel you have a grouch with.

Further, as frustrating as it is, your DME will first wait on a reply from PR. If PR says, give this person a new machine, which means you make the deal of the century, a brand new machine for what you paid for a used machine. Keep in mind, the DME has more clout in getting good treatment from PR than any individual buyer could ever have. Even if PR does not replace the machine, the DME might, after being sure that PR will not come through at that time, work something out that will make you happier.

Don't get me wrong, if I had paid money for something like that, I would be livid as well. But let me ask a middling question. If you paid $300.00 for the machine originally, if the DME offered you that money back, would you really be happy?

The DME I deal with now, tell me that they would never sell a used machine of any kind. I have to wonder what they do with all the returns they get from those who do not follow through on their treatment? Anyone know that? I wonder if they have discovered a secret re-load of the firmware and change the blower hours back to zero?

It is my understanding, which is subject to being wrong, that the blower hours can be reset per patient but the total machine hours cannot be. And honestly, I would be thrilled if they were to refund my money but of course that isn't happening. Being unaware at the time I paid them within about $350. of the cost of a new machine for a used one.

I probably confused things a bit by lumping together two separate but related gripes. I am indeed having a problem with the DME. And no question, you're correct in saying that if my "friend" were still there this would have never happened. But it also would have never happened if the system allowed me to contact PR directly and ship this thing right back to them for warranty repair. It just seems to me that PR's policy of only dealing with DMEs serves to fatten the bank accounts of said DMEs whether or not that was the original intent.

As far as dealing with "confused little old people", well I myself am almost 65 but I'm not generally too confused to deal with something like this. If I were I'd like to think I'd get some help. It's bit irrelevant anyhow I suppose, because like it or not the system is entrenched and will likely stay that way so it's mine to deal with best I can. It's just a little frustrating to me personally, that's all.

purple wrote:Actually, I kinda have to support Respironics in this. If they took calls from all the confused little old people, like me, they would have to significantly raise the cost of the equipment.

I do get that you are frustrated with your DME.

The problem (in a nutshell) is:

DME tells old dude to contact PR directly and WON'T talk to him about letting them ship the machine back to PR OR refunding his money.

PR tells old dude to contact DME and have them ship the machine back to PR.

robysue wrote:

purple wrote:Actually, I kinda have to support Respironics in this. If they took calls from all the confused little old people, like me, they would have to significantly raise the cost of the equipment.

I do get that you are frustrated with your DME.

The problem (in a nutshell) is:

DME tells old dude to contact PR directly and WON'T talk to him about letting them ship the machine back to PR OR refunding his money.

PR tells old dude to contact DME and have them ship the machine back to PR.

Yes robysue, it's a bit of a quagmire that seems to be surrounded by catch-22s.

But I won't devote too much more time to it. If my "swap-out" meeting doesn't go well next week I'll give their general manager one chance to make things right, then it's off to small claims court. I'm not the most patient person around I suppose.

But I remain positive and hopeful that the swap out will go well, and will give it every chance to do so. I would accept a replacement with similar hours and warranty remaining or an expedient repair on my machine. And I suppose it isn't impossible they'll swap out for a new one, although I'm not holding out for that. The rep actually told me that they would give me a new one if insurance had paid for this machine instead of me personally. I can't quite figure that one out...

purple wrote:Actually, I kinda have to support Respironics in this. If they took calls from all the confused little old people, like me, they would have to significantly raise the cost of the equipment.

I do get that you are frustrated with your DME. If the person who was so helpful when you bought the machine was still there, I suspect you would say this situation would never have arisen like this. I know DME's can have different parts, that have different rules. Once I wanted to try a mask I had never tried before. The rules say the doc must prescribe exactly that mask or I must be fitted by an RT, and I had six weeks to go on the mask I had, plus five months on the straps. I called the warehouse, and got a legalistic response, of , we can not provide that, call your local DME office. The local office response was, did I want to pick it up at the office, or have it UPS'ed (I live like 80 miles from their office) or they could see if they might have someone who could deliver it that day. I opted to have it shipped, for everyones convenience. I never got a bill or had to pay anything. What I am saying is it is not Respironic's I feel you have a grouch with.

Further, as frustrating as it is, your DME will first wait on a reply from PR. If PR says, give this person a new machine, which means you make the deal of the century, a brand new machine for what you paid for a used machine. Keep in mind, the DME has more clout in getting good treatment from PR than any individual buyer could ever have. Even if PR does not replace the machine, the DME might, after being sure that PR will not come through at that time, work something out that will make you happier.

Don't get me wrong, if I had paid money for something like that, I would be livid as well. But let me ask a middling question. If you paid $300.00 for the machine originally, if the DME offered you that money back, would you really be happy?

The DME I deal with now, tell me that they would never sell a used machine of any kind. I have to wonder what they do with all the returns they get from those who do not follow through on their treatment? Anyone know that? I wonder if they have discovered a secret re-load of the firmware and change the blower hours back to zero?

I don't know for sure what your DME does with returns but my DME told me they use them for loaners for patients to use if something is wrong with their machine and they have to send it in for repair.

old dude wrote:

robysue wrote:

purple wrote:Actually, I kinda have to support Respironics in this. If they took calls from all the confused little old people, like me, they would have to significantly raise the cost of the equipment.

I do get that you are frustrated with your DME.

The problem (in a nutshell) is:

DME tells old dude to contact PR directly and WON'T talk to him about letting them ship the machine back to PR OR refunding his money.

PR tells old dude to contact DME and have them ship the machine back to PR.

Yes robysue, it's a bit of a quagmire that seems to be surrounded by catch-22s.

But I won't devote too much more time to it. If my "swap-out" meeting doesn't go well next week I'll give their general manager one chance to make things right, then it's off to small claims court. I'm not the most patient person around I suppose.

But I remain positive and hopeful that the swap out will go well, and will give it every chance to do so. I would accept a replacement with similar hours and warranty remaining or an expedient repair on my machine. And I suppose it isn't impossible they'll swap out for a new one, although I'm not holding out for that. The rep actually told me that they would give me a new one if insurance had paid for this machine instead of me personally. I can't quite figure that one out...

Well, I'm quoting my own post here to give this context, but here's the end of the story. I kept my appointment this morning with a very pleasant and chatty RT who asked me what was wrong with my old machine and took notes while I told him. He took off the nearly unused humidifier reservoir and asked if I wanted to keep it as a spare since they were going to toss it out anyway, and then he trotted out a brand new PRS1 760 and set it up for me- a no charge swap out with a new machine for a used one.

There was more to the visit that I'll post about later but suffice it to say that he also sold me a new back up machine at a very favorable price.

I don't have any idea of all the ins and outs of the equipment manufacturing/DME business but it's becoming more apparent to me that the actual machines themselves must not be where the money is. It would seem that the machines only serve as a vehicle with which to bill insurance companies and medicare.

In any event I couldn't be happier with my DME and I'm glad I didn't let one person wreck my relationship with them.

Well, that's pretty darned cool.