Dealing with Supplier # 1 and their insane return policy

[sjssf]

Be aware: When you buy from [Supplier #1], nothing is guaranteed. You can use it and if it doesn't work, you can send it back on your dime and let them "evaluate" it. I wouldn't trust them if they think this is a good policy.

I am so mad. I just spent over $900 of my own money to get a Transcend Auto Travel CPAP Machine with EZEX and the multi night battery. I just talked with an agent and explained my concerns about the machine itself. I described what it was doing and instead of listening she kept telling me what she thought was going on. I don't have faith that the machine works but I do know she wasn't listening. The battery is faulty. It's a multi night battery and it lasted a night and a half, two times. That is useless. And expensive. SHe said they can't return it if it's used. Yes, in fact they can. They just won't. It's not like it's a breathing machine. It's the battery. They should stand by it instead of giving robotic responses.

The most irritating thing is I called to order the Z1 but the clerk told me I should go with the TRanscend as they had been around longer and it was a better machine.

I don't know what to do. It is really awful being in a remote place and not having the machine work as you think it should. To me, Multi Night would indicate it works more than one, at least two, nights.

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Moderator Action: Link Removed

sjssf - I removed the direct web address for the supplier from your post and inserted the link to the Supplier List. Per Apnea Board Rules, the only commercial links or web addresses allowed in this forum are to CPAP-related manufacturer websites. If you'd like to refer to the web address of a specific online CPAP Supplier (DME or Durable Medical Equipment retail store), please read our instructions on how to do that - guidelines are placed on our CPAP Supplier List (link at the top right of our forums).
Thanks for your understanding. -- SuperSleeper

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[darkcat]

This is what I found on for Transcend's Multi-Night Battery.
That it lasts for about 14 hr or so. "The manufacturer tested a fully charged battery at a pressure of 14 and estimates the battery can run 14 to 16 hours. Factors such as pressure setting, altitude, temperature and breathing habits will affect the actual run time of the battery."

Does the math add up for how much you are using it and the pressure level you are running? If not I would definitely talk to them once more.

[zonk]

Unfortunately they don,t ship down under. I've not dealt with them but from what I gather they seem nice people and quite popular around here
Second darkcat suggestion ... talk to them once more

[sjssf]

Does it seem weird that they won't just take it back?
I have to send it to them on my dime and then they somehow fix it. They won't do a return.
I told her I was between 12 and 14 and she said there were still more factors, like altitude, that would affect it. With this attitude, I really don't trust them.
Their policy is a flat no returns for used products, even a battery.

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Unfortunately they don,t ship down under. I've not dealt with them but from what I gather they seem nice people and quite popular around here
Second darkcat suggestion ... talk to them once more

They were very nice, as they gave me the boot!

[zonk]

From Transcend .... Operational Time
http://www.mytranscend.com/patients/prod...fications/

Transcend P4 Battery ...... Approx. 7 – 9 hours @ 14 cmH2O

Transcend P8 Battery ..... Approx. 14-16 hours @ 14 cmH2O

[Sleepster]

I think that when it comes to battery life manufacturers always seem to find ways to make it sound better than it is. Other forum members have reported disappointing battery lifetimes, too.

[sjssf]

Follow up: I called Transcend directly and described the air noise pattern and it seems like the machine is fine. I'm very glad about that.
Then we got into the battery. Who the hell knows? There is such double speak about it. I'm sorry, but an item called MULTI NIGHT BATTERY should last for at least two nights, if not more. Apparently it's 12-16 hours and then only if it's the dawn of the Age of Aquarius, a Tuesday and we have a Republican Senate and Democratic house.
I called back my beloved Company #1 and had a more knowledgeable agent. I am sending it back on my dime to see if it's defective or not. Where else in the world is this considered good customer service? It was $240 and it's not a multi-night battery as advertised. Where is the disconnect?

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[SnuffySleeper]

Well it's a tough one. It's not really defective, it's just not living up to your expectations. In my book. I think they should refund you, but the only companies that can afford to keep people happy like that are the walmarts and apples of the world.

Usually a website vendor would have to take the hit, and sell it used or just eat the cost if it's not defective as the manufacture will not take it back. So I see both sides here, as it's not a defective unit you will have to keep on their case about it, because it's up to them if they want to keep you happy or just don't want to eat the cost of the battery.

I really don't think the vendor is singling you out or being unreasonable, it's just their policy that's in place so they don't lose money.

[sjssf]

I'm not so sure it's not defective. They claim 12-16 hours and it didn't do that on a full charge.
If their claims aren't true, that's not the customers fault. And you can't market it as Multi-Night if you know this isn't going to happen.
Once I told them it didn't run as long as they claimed on a full charge, with my pressure at 12-14, all of a sudden altitude was an issue. Well, I wasn't at such a high altitude or heat or rain or anything.
Maybe it's different with this industry but most industries would have the vendor send it back to the mfgr. Especially since it's a battery, not an actual machine. They refurbish it and sell it at a discount.
It's interesting that Supplier #1 no longer sells the single night battery.

The bigger issue is a CPAP user is probably going to be needing new machines and supplies for a long time, if not a lifetime. It's not a good business model to be this way with a potentially lifelong customer (with a big mouth), especially when he bought the CPAP machine. We're only talking about the battery. I don't know too many other companies that would act this way.

[comatose]

It would be interesting to fully charge the battery and then put a similar known load on it, measure the amps x time to the machine cut out voltage.
Maybe someone else has another idea or process to work out if the battery is up to scratch?
If you can dazzle em with data you may have more hope with the supplier, or maybe even the manufacturer. If you had the data you would know whether the battery is ok or maybe even measure the amps between the battery and the cpap to see if the machine uses more power than stated.
Do you know anyone with a multimeter that knows how to use it?