Is a discount and extended warranty enough to justify using the DME everyone hates?

[Stom]

Kaiser has a deal with their DME for people without DME coverage. The Airsense 10 is $650 or so, and comes with a 4 year warranty. But people seem to really dislike having to deal with that company, so I'm not sure if the discount of a bit more than $200 over what other retail DME seem to be charging is necessarily worth it. But how bad could it be to buy just one device from them?

I can get a similar price on Amazon, but that's a bit sketchy seeming since they don't ask for a script, and all warranty service for ResMed has to go through your DME. I don't know what happens to your warranty if your DME goes out of business...

(On the other hand, this DME's on-line retail score offers to remotely change a 1 or 2 digit number to update your CPAP prescription for a mere **$80** :-0 )

EDIT:
Just read the Yelp reviews - yikes!

[Sleeprider]

You can beat Kaiser's price, but that warranty is a good deal. I think the Airsense 10 Autoset with standard hose, carry case and humidifier is $575 on Amazon. Listings come and go frequently.

I'm not sure what number you are referring to that will update your prescription. You should just have a personal file copy of your prescription, and a copy is your right under HIPPA.

[Stom]

I'm not sure what number you are referring to that will update your prescription.  You should just have a personal file copy of your prescription, and a copy is your right under HIPPA.

The DME nobody likes charges you $80 to change your CPAP pressure via AirView. CPAP. One pressure. You send them a script. They make the change. (If it is a PAP bought through them.)

This board has shown what a trivial change that is to make. And the doc's office who wrote the script can do the same with AirView access, but, who knows, they might charge the same.

Reading some Yelp reviews makes me wonder if there is any value to 2 extra years of warranty if I have to send it through a company known for it's lousy customer service.

[pholynyk]

YOU do not need a new prescription to change your pressures, and YOU do not need AirView to do it. Just click on CPAP Setup Maunals in the black menu bar at the top of the page here, and find the instructions for downloading the Clinician's Manual for your machine. You already have SleepyHead to show you more data than most doctors look at, and here at the forum we'll help you learn how interpret it and change the settings yourself. It's not black magic.

The warranty is worth something, and so is the savings. Once you have the machine, you can deal with whomever you and your insurance company likes.

[Stom]

YOU do not need a new prescription to change your pressures, and YOU do not need AirView to do it. Just click on CPAP Setup Maunals in the black menu bar at the top of the page here, and find the instructions for downloading the Clinician's Manual for your machine.

Thank you :-)

I think that is why their $80 offer is so appalling to me. You can buy actual, durable things for $80. Or real services, that take time and expertise. Changing a 2 digit number for $80 is an appalling rip off, in some ways even more so than than things like $20 each hospital aspirin pills. At least the pills actually have some sort of substance to them.

I took another look at Amazon, and the seller folks were happy to see back on Amazon is gone again, reinforcing the idea to me that getting warranty service through an Amazon seller could be difficult or impossible. :-(  Lowest Amazon new price is currently $660 from "DodgySellerName12", shipping not included, and $679 from more reputable sounding sellers, shipping included.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

"The DME everybody hates"?????

You are gonna have to narrow it down a lot more than that for it to make any sense!!!@!@

OMMOHY

[Stom]

"The DME everybody hates"?????

You are gonna have to narrow it down a lot more than that for it to make any sense!!!@!@

OMMOHY

True, true. I'm still new here, so I'm not quite sure about the rules about not mentioning vendor names in the forum. And it isn't on the vendor list, so there is no number I can refer to.

[Stom]

OK, so the Kaiser supplier and DME that everybody hates rhymes with "apnea".

Reading on Yelp, allegations include that they call you rather than just doing business on line. They misbill people for higher amounts. They use your credit card to bill you for automatically bill you for replenishments you didn't order and don't want. And have terrible customer service.

If I could just buy one in person from them with cash, I'd be protected from their ways. But it doesn't seem that's how they work. I think I'm answering my own question :-)

[OMyMyOHellYes]

You can say names all day long. No problem with that. You can even say something like "Hey guys - check out the Whizzbanganator. Amazon has them on sale right now!"

Shy away from posting LINKS. Or anthing ending in ".com", ".org", unless you know it is allowed -

like https://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents/...lo_eng.pdf (CPAP manufacturer site for reference) or other non-commercial site for cpap reference like
https://www.aopa.org/go-fly/medical-reso...-disorders

OMMOHY

[PaulaO2]

Ask yourself this: would you take your car to a mechanic to have important work done and you know the mechanic is going to overcharge you for most services but offer a discount for you in another; offer great warranties; their service stinks; and their mechanics don't know a Toyota from a Tesla? And the Toyota forum all complain about them?

Yeah, probably not. Go with your gut, not your wallet. This is your health and you need to be treated fairly and respected as the consumer. Many DMEs offer discounts but could care less about you and your health.