COST!!

[icyura10]

Well,

When we get those "N" packs of Large, Medium, Small, Use what you need and offer the others to someone else for nothing.

Sure you can find stuff on e-bay, but if it were me, I'd prefer to get something from someone here than e-bay... just my thoughts

Maybe this site should have a specific fourm thread for the purpose of sharing some things for free...I'm not sure what kind of laws could come into play if you were to "sell" them... being reimburse for shipping cost with no financial gain I suspect would be safe... but this isn't my area of expertise

[SuperSleeper]

Maybe this site should have a specific fourm thread for the purpose of sharing some things for free...I'm not sure what kind of laws could come into play if you were to "sell" them...

Unfortunately, the U.S. laws have changed in recent years. The way the current U.S. FDA regulations are written, CPAP masks are categorized as an integral part of a "Class II medical device" (just like CPAP machines) and as such are prescription-required items. For a website or forum to provide a venue for the sale, trade or transfer for those items requires two things 1) the seller (or transferrer) to hold a valid DME license, and 2) the buyer (or transferee) to present a valid prescription for the item. And of course, Apnea Board does not have the resources to comply those requirements or have our staff monitor and track such prescription-required transactions which would be required legally.

Apnea Board is based in the U.S. and must comply with U.S. and state regulations and laws regarding prescription-required items, regardless of where our members are physically located.

It is also unclear as to whether or not the FDA sees "mask parts" (ie, cushions, pillows, headgear, etc) as falling under the Class II medical device category. Unless and until the FDA clarifies their regulations, Apnea Board "plays it safe" and does not allow any member to "use their forum account to solicit or facilitate the sale, trade, or transfer of any prescription-required items (such as CPAP machines, humidifiers, masks or mask parts) [written in the forum rules, here]

Kind of pain that we have to jump through hoops in order to avoid getting on the FDA's radar screen, but it's done this way to legally protect the forum.

Of course, not every website or forum abides by the FDA regs - and in the opinion of our forum's legal counsel, such websites are risking potential legal problems should they be reported to the FDA. Here on Apnea Board, we are very small with a tiny budget based primarily upon donations. We simply can't afford to risk the existence of the forum by allowing the forum to be used in violation of FDA rules & regs.

By the way, although we comply with the law here, I personally think those regulations are stupid.

[natyprueba]

The polar bears are getting out of hand! Going to Arizona. So, is there a typical, giant, big box , stadium sized CPAP SUPERSTORE or something down there? Where you can buy nasal pillows for a few bucks instead of $200?

coastalhermit.

Hello.

I don't know where could be in the USA, this superstore that you are talking about. Usually we are link to a supplier through insurances and we get the supplies with a copay. The amount of copay goes with the quality of the insurance that you got. Another place to buy supplies is over internet and you can reach this option with out moving from Canada. You can google what you need. Is again this forum rules to list suppliers.
Remember that in USA this is a serious business and for a lot of stuff related with CPAP you need a prescription made by a Dr. that is in the USA system.
I saw my supplier only when she gave me my machine, After that. I call them over the phone and began to get over the mail, every month: filter, mask seal , etc. + the copayment bill.
I hope that you enjoy your next trip to USA. Welcome to USA.
Ralph.

[nydiver]

We have sales in Latin America and when I told the sales manager from Chile about my diagnosis of sleep apnea and me getting a APAP and all he listened close, when he went back south he went to Sanborns (Think Wal-Mart on steroids from low cost to ridiculous cost items, I think they would get you anything you requested given time) and just bought himself a CPAP and mask. Just walked in, picked out a machine and mask, paid and out the door he went, no dr visit, no RX. Cost: 375USD for a AS10 and F-10. He didn't get a tank so he had to go back and pay another 12 for that. I paid 400 deductible, 35 each time I go to the sleep center (4 times now) and 65 for the supplier/resp therapist visit to get my gear. It will be 35 at the end of sept to see the sleep center to review my progress, then 65 if I need the resp therapist to adjust the machine in 10 seconds flat. I'm going to skip the therapist, I can adjust the pressures myself thank you.

[coastalhermit]

When I bought my first one, (I have two) about ten years or so ago, the Canadian price for the S9 all -in was $2500.00. Washington state was about $1000.00. And that kind of ratio is NOT uncommon. For no good reason except shipping (and, of course, the varying dollar exchange) but shipping to Canada from say, Florida is the same as shipping to Washington state. EVERY free shipping anywhere over $100.oo ends with shipping to Canada coming in at $60.00 or so. I keep wondering how Trump could possibly be displeased with NAFTA 'cause it only got worse with NAFTA.

[natyprueba]

When I bought my first one, (I have two) about ten years or so ago, the Canadian price for the S9 all -in was $2500.00. Washington state was about $1000.00. And that kind of ratio is NOT uncommon.

Hello again coastalhermit.

I am really sorry about this problem. Maybe you will feel better if you know that Australian guys (the founding fathers of these kind of stuff + Resmed manufacturers) got the same problem. Their price are almost double than ours in the USA. The USA suppliers, by contract, can not sale Resmed machines for outside the USA. I have seen in the forum that these guys use a friend in USA to get the machine mail in the USA and then re send it to Australia. This method have probed way most cheaper for them. I don't know how they solve the prescription problem. I think that you must speak with Canadian guys to see how they solve this problem and keep a few more dollars in their pockets.
Ralph.

[coastalhermit]

Oh, I know that the US has some kind of monopoly and I understand that suppliers are honouring their contract but what kind of stupid contract is it that says "We will charge too much to Americans and then charge double that to everyone else!" So what if there is a contract! That's just paper. Just rewrite it to be more fair to everyone. The profit margins on a CPAP setup is 000's of percent!
'Course, greed is considered good nowadays, I guess. I bought my second one from a Craigslist guy who tried hard to use it for a bit but gave up. $500. I bought a new mask and tube but, still....less than a third of what my 'service provider' would do. And what, exactly, is the service gonna do if you live hundreds of miles away, know how to work the machine and never ever go to the provider?
I know, I know.....bigger issues than greed to deal with............I know.....breathe....1....2.....3

[chill]

The market in Canada is also 1/10th of the USA market which results in less competition. And internal shipping is more expensive (I am looking at you Canada Post!). We also don't do as well in on-line price competition as our American brothers do. All of those things contribute to keeping prices much lower south of the border. Grumble....

[0rangebear]

"We will charge too much to Americans and then charge double that to everyone else!...........................breathe....1....2.....3

[icyura10]

Apnea Board is based in the U.S. and must comply with U.S. and state regulations and laws regarding prescription-required items, regardless of where our members are physically located.

By the way, although we comply with the law here, I personally think those regulations are stupid.

I certainly wouldn't ever consider doing something that would give any of us new "jewelry", a new Halloween costume and a potential stay at one of the finer 8 x 10 rooms at the gray bar hotel......

and I'm not trying to argue... but I wonder how ebay gets away without having an issue. Go there and search a little bit and you'll find all kinds of "pillows" and other thingys for sale...

Just because it happens there doesn't mean its a good thing...



And thanks for the explanation...