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Repair experiences?
#1
Repair experiences?
In general, anybody got experience with having a CPAP repaired? I have heard that Resmed will not sell parts to technician/services to repair them, but will also not take in repairs from the great mass of unwashed people that actually use their products. I've also heard that you have to go through a DME Priest or Priestess?

Any comment or experience?

OMM
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#2
RE: Repair experiences?
In Australia, patients must go through a CPAP seller who will send their machine away to Resmed for a quote. They don't sell replacement parts at all. Resmed's quote to repair my S8 APAP was AU$600. more than the cost of a new machine i the US. I'm thinking they would prefer to sell a new one rather than repair. Obviously I bought a new machine, an F&P Icon +
[Image: signature.png]Keep on breathin'
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#3
RE: Repair experiences?
(01-23-2015, 07:00 PM)woozie38 Wrote: In Australia, patients must go through a CPAP seller who will send their machine away to Resmed for a quote.

My experience with Respironics in AU was the same. Send it away via the Supplier. Respironics charge $75 up front to look at it. According to supplier the repair is on top of that.
My supplier said that they don't charge handling but do charge the freight costs... and $100pm for a rental machine if I need it. I was told to expect $500 to $600 all up.

In the end I was fortunate - they sold me a new 60W PSU and an unused 'New Old Stock' Humidifier with new tub for $300 total. I probably helped that I told them the online prices for the bits...

It also helped that as an electronics engineer I could see what the problems were - and that they did not involve the main part of the equipment.
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...-and-fixed
Disclaimer: The 'Advisory Member' title is a Forum thing that I cannot change. I am not a doctor and my comments are purely my opinion or quote my personal experience. Regardless of my experience other readers mileage may vary.
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#4
RE: Repair experiences?
(01-22-2015, 09:56 PM)OMyMyOHellYes Wrote: In general, anybody got experience with having a CPAP repaired? I have heard that Resmed will not sell parts to technician/services to repair them, but will also not take in repairs from the great mass of unwashed people that actually use their products. I've also heard that you have to go through a DME Priest or Priestess?

Any comment or experience?

OMM

My experience with Resmed was very different but I am also a little, well maybe a lot, proactive to put it nicely, if the DME doesn't get the job done. I had a continual problem with my S9 Elite (I don't use this anymore) and the DME wasn't doing anything about it.

What I did was called Resmed's tech support and yep, I was told that they usually don't get calls from the patient/customer, however, he did talk with me, he was very aware of the problem, gave me a list of 4 or 5 things that contribute to the problem and then gave me a number and told me to have the DME give me a new machine and send the other one back which he did. THEN, of all things, I was back at the DME for some reason, probably to pick up supplies, and what did he do, put my chamber back in the machine with water in it and water spilled everywhere. Needless to say, he was told to give me a new machine. His mistake not mine so I got another machine. He tried to just give me another case and I didn't fall for that one.

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#5
RE: Repair experiences?
Which is why I stopped dealing with a certain Cpap seller in the US with its own forum.

Cost hundreds for postage and their quote fee. Then they wanted to charge over $300 in addition to repair and replace the fan assembly that was not faulty, as I only wanted a new selector button in the top of the unit, as it had fallen on the ground. The rest functioned perfectly. However, they said its a routine replacement. Why, if it works perfectly?

After having that argument, months passed before they told me that Resmed replaced the unit as an act of goodwill.

After all the postage and quote fees, I literally could have bought a new one anyway.
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#6
RE: Repair experiences?
(01-22-2015, 09:56 PM)OMyMyOHellYes Wrote: In general, anybody got experience with having a CPAP repaired? I have heard that Resmed will not sell parts to technician/services to repair them, but will also not take in repairs from the great mass of unwashed people that actually use their products. I've also heard that you have to go through a DME Priest or Priestess?

Any comment or experience?

OMM

It is a fact that the manufacturers won't accept private patient cpaps for repair. However it also isn't necessary to go through a DME. Accurate Biomed Services has been in the respiratory equipment repair field since September of 2000. We have three regional repair centers covering the Midwest and Southeast. We are also the nation's largest warranty repair center for both Invacare and Respironics. We have relationships with all other major manufacturers of respiratory equipment. We repair over 30,000 pieces equipment per year and are more than happy to assist private patients with their equipment repair needs.

Our phone number is 800-376-5660.


Moderator: If this is too blatant or self serving please delete.

Ian McCullough
Accurate Biomed Services Inc.
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#7
RE: Repair experiences?
I broke a hinge on the lid of my resMed S9 humidifier.

Taking a look at an exploded diagram it would be easy to change.

I got the part number and gave it to my DME to order the part for me.

ResMed would not sell them the part because they were not a certified repair center.

I temporarily fixed it myself and use it with great care. I am not going to pay a repair bill with shipping charges, etc. I'll just use it until it falls to pieces.

Does ResMed not think that there are users who could do a simple repair. I don't think so!!!
They want the money for doing the repair.

If there is someplace out there where I could buy the simple repair parts, I would.

Therefore the post in mention,that doesn't contain a link, might be somewhere I could the part needed.

Just my thought !!!
Coffee
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#8
RE: Repair experiences?
(01-24-2015, 04:19 PM)Bompa Wrote: I broke a hinge on the lid of my resMed S9 humidifier.

Taking a look at an exploded diagram it would be easy to change.

I got the part number and gave it to my DME to order the part for me.

ResMed would not sell them the part because they were not a certified repair center.

I temporarily fixed it myself and use it with great care. I am not going to pay a repair bill with shipping charges, etc. I'll just use it until it falls to pieces.

Does ResMed not think that there are users who could do a simple repair. I don't think so!!!
They want the money for doing the repair.

If there is someplace out there where I could buy the simple repair parts, I would.

Therefore the post in mention,that doesn't contain a link, might be somewhere I could the part needed.

Just my thought !!!
Coffee

Bompa,

I'm operating under the assumption that you may be referring to my post that lacks a link. I did include it in my original but it is not allowed on this board for me to do so (at least that's the message I got when I tried to post it at first). I then deleted the link and left our number. Perhaps if I wasn't such a putz at forum management I could figure it outWink

Having said that, and in no way offering a defense for DME's or manufacturers, the FDA does tightly regulate these devices. Any malfunction has to be rigorously documented (believe me, you should see the paperwork we complete for warranty repairs). If it is a malfunction that causes injury, the manufacturer is almost assured of a visit and audit by the FDA. My understanding of that process is that the manufacturer is grilled pretty thoroughly on their procedures and quality control. This would be the case no matter who repaired it. The question the FDA would be asking is why the manufacturer was supplying parts to unauthorized repair centers or the public in general and not providing certified training in the repair of their equipment. Many manufacturers, simply will not provide any parts to anyone. There are in fact manufacturers that for years have simply refused to supply our company parts even though we are credentialed to repair life support respiratory equipment. Without trying to put too fine a point on this, our company was audited three times in the past year from the same manufacturer even though we have never had a piece of that manufacturer's equipment fail due to a repair performed by our company in any of our facilities. The results of these audits were no out of compliance issues being found, in fact, this particular company now uses our policy and procedures as guidelines for inspecting other repair companies they utilize. We did remark however that the thoroughness of the audits were unusual from past experiences with the auditing process.

Contained in our warranty contracts there are clauses that prohibit Accurate Biomed from selling parts to anyone for some of this equipment under the threat of revoking our contract. I understand your frustration as one would think anyone with a modicum of mechanical ability to certainly be able to effect a repair as you described. It has a lot to do with the regulatory climate that companies such as ours and the manufacturers find themselves.

Not a very satisfying response I know, but I suspect you'd be surprised how much regulation has been put in place in the medical equipment field over the last few years.

Best,
Ian McCullough
Accurate Biomed Services
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#9
RE: Repair experiences?
Hi Ian McCullough and thanks for the input.

It's sad to think that we have to pay so much more for some things only because the government gets involved and carries their role to such ridiculous extremes at times.

These glorified electric fans don't need all that much attention by the feds since they aren't much of a life safety threat. If you apply that degree of caution to other things that are more of a danger, you'd have trouble getting several meds that people commonly use since they are often dispensed in quantities that would represent an overdose.

Restricting the flow generator to prescription status is bad enough, they even restrict us from buying the damned masks! That's completely ludicrous. Any time the government takes such drastic measures, you can bet your sweet bippy that corporate lobbying is behind it.

That aside, thanks for taking the time to enlighten us on how hamstrung folks in the business are and why we shouldn't take it out on the wrong people.

Best regards,

Dude
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#10
RE: Repair experiences?
You are correct that Resmed will not repair it for the end user, or sell the end user parts. However, you just need to find a dealer that has a contract with Resmed. They can send it in to Resmed on your behalf. Find someone who repairs CPAP machines. Call them and ask if they are able to send it into Resmed for you.
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