what is the cpap blackmarket ?

[michelbeaini]

what does cpap blackmarket mean? I was watching a video on youtube and this individual mentioned that he bought his machine on the blackmarket? are they refrering to cpap supplys or something like ebay ?

[Crimson Nape]

Any site or entity selling items or products they are not either licensed or authorized to sell.


- Red

[Gideon]

If you see a unit at an estate sale, or Craig's list that is a black market.

[eok361]

i see sellers on cl listing practically--or literally--brand new machines, and plenty of accessories. 

is it safe to assume these are "hot" items? i don't understand how someone can get their hands on so many devices/items.

[Crimson Nape]

Some are buying returned machines from DMEs, or they are a DME or wholesaler, using a fake name, that are selling out the backdoor. I've purchased several CPAPs from a used medical equipment supplier. My latest purchase was a zero-hour unused VAuto with all factory packing and accessories, except the factory box for a very good price.

- Red

[eok361]

that probably explains the ads i see. thanks.

[raylock1]

For what it's worth, I saw some cheap F&P mask cushions on Ebay so I ordered a few.  Interestingly I received them in the same mail delivery as my bi-monthly order from my Medicare approved DME and noticed that they had the exact same return mail address although the company names were different.  I wasn't risking a whole lot with my purchase but probably would be more cautious if the dollars involved were more.

[JJJ]

For what it's worth, I saw some cheap F&P mask cushions on Ebay so I ordered a few.

The thing that I love and I hate about eBay is that eBay is never the seller; that's a private party or company that is associated with eBay only because they have an eBay account. The more accounts the greater eBay's income will be, so they enforce their rules only gently, or not at all. My biggest problem with eBay sellers nowadays is that many are actually  located on the moon, but when they open their account they give eBay a US address, which then appears in the 'location' field on the listing, yet eBay does nothing to police this. I recently bought some PAP accessories from a seller whose address was a few kilometers from my house. When it didn't arrive I started querying the seller, but without a response. When it finally showed up it had been shipped from China, with the seller's eBay username in the return address. Checking further this seller was apparently living in a dozen houses in the US, all simultaneously.

I've bought lots of sleep apnea supplies on eBay, but it takes a lot of time to research the sellers to be sure who and where they really are.