Repair taking 7+ months !

[Poolboy]

REPAIRS- I am disappointed to Report that seven months have passed since I dropped off my Löwenstein CPAP machine for a modum repair, and at this point, my local supplier still doesn’t know when Loewenstein will complete the repair. This is definitely unacceptable to me. Did they forget that CPAP machines are Life support equipment? I am in Canada. 
- What are your repair experiences? What brand of machine? How long did it take? What country?  
I sure hope to hear of people somewhere else, or with a different brand, who have better repair experiences than mine.

[srlevine1]

In the United States, 3 days with Supplier #28 but it was a ResMed machine with an authorized ResMed specialist.

Unfortunately, parts for lesser-used brands in other countries often take longer.

Is this an “authorized” repair station?

Have you tried contacting the manufacturer directly?

Can you use the machine with a broken modem until the part arrives?

Does your device alternatively capture data using an SD card or USB CABLE?

Have you considered obtaining a ResMed machine and keep the repaired device as a backup?

Can you apply pressure by contacting a government consumer agency or the media?

How hard is your DME pushing the manufacturer?

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE THE DEVICE AS A COURTESY.

Is an insurer involved and can they assist you.

[rdw1982]

i replaced the blower in my wife's resmed 10 in about 4 days, most of that was waiting on shipping, and an over night trip out of town.

[Lucid]

My question is have you followed up periodically with the repair place?  I assume you've probably been calling them periodically, but it's worth doing so if you haven't.

Here in the U.S., I called my Medicare durable medical equipment supplier (DME), the company contracted by Medicare to supply CPAP machines and supplies in my area, when my ResMed AirSense11 started making a weird soft whistle at the end of each inhale.  I'd had my machine for two and a half years, so it was six months or so past the two-year warranty period.  Luckily, the DME said that since I was on Medicare, they would repair it. 

They mailed me a loaner machine, and I mailed my machine to them for repair.  Therefore, I had no treatment interruption.

They told me the repair would take about three weeks.  After one month, I called them and was told they'd had to send it to ResMed for repair, that they didn't repair the machines themselves.  Then we had the holidays, etc., and I got distracted.  

Yesterday I called, and they told me the policy had changed.  They don't repair them anymore, I should just keep the loaner, which was new.  I replied that the loaner was most definitely not new.  It had arrived smelling very strongly of cleaning product or dryer sheets or something.  I asked to get my machine back in order to send it somewhere else for repair.  She said she would look for it. and I heard sounds of rummaging.

After a couple of minutes she came back to the phone and said ResMed had sent them new machines to replace the ones they had sent for repair but hadn't indicated to whom each machine should go.  Yikes!
She immediately sent it out, and today, two days later, I received a new AirSense11, with zero hours of use on it.  

I got the loaner on October 17, 2024, and the new machine on January 15, 2025, so it took three months.  But I don't know when my DME got the unidentified new replacement machine back from ResMed.  It might not have taken quite this long if I'd followed up again sooner.  The moral of this story is to follow up on everything.

Good luck, poolboy!  I hope you get your machine back in good condition or are able to spring for a replacement.  There have been some excellent deals on ResMed AirSense10 machines in the last few months.  Also, many APNEA Board members have found amazing deals on pre-owned and even unused machines on Craigslist.

[Poolboy]

Hi all.  I appreciate your responses. Here are some answers to your questions and some feedback :

- The Lowenstein that is being repaired is my spare unit incase my Resmed 11 fails.  I purchased it used with low hours and a very low price but discovered the modem failure when registering it with the DME where it was originally purchased.  It happens to be the DME I purchased my Resmed 11 from, so I am known there and have good rapport with the Respiratory therapist there.

- I was warned that Lowenstein repairs could take up to 6 months but was hoping for better.  

- The repair is being treated as warranty even though I am not the original purchaser.

- The machine was sent by the DME to a third party for repair so I have no contact with them.

- I have followed up with the DME every second month and each time they also questioned the repair company.  I think the unit has been slowly passed to several locations for testing, waiting on shelves, and repair.

- I cant tell how persistent the DME was with their check-ins with the repair people.

- The parent company of my DME is the manufacturers Canadian representative  and the importer of these machines (I am in Canada), so I am kind of dealing with the manufacturer.

- There is no insurance company involved at this point.  They paid 70% of my startup costs, machine, mask, hose, but they have no interest in the machine after the purchase.  There wasn't even a compliance period. 

- The unit that's being repaired has an SD card, so the modem issue doesn't effect me other than it would be nice for my data to upload so the Respiratory therapist can review it, and machine software updates happen via modem, I think.  Also, the repair is being covered by warranty, so why not get it fixed?  (other than it is taking for ever)

- And, yes Lucid.  Your three month long repair took a while, but that's much better than the one I am dealing with. 

* * * What I have learned though, is having a spare unit or being prepared to purchase a spare one, may be necessary if a person's primary cpap machine breaks and needs repair. 

In Canada we are legally allowed to sell used cpcp machines on the private market, and they are constantly available in the used ads. I now think having a spare is essential.

[Lucid]

Yes, I agree it's essential to have a backup, especially after suffering through the loaner with the overpowering dryer sheet smell.  I bought an AirSense10 during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale period as a backup to my AirSense11.  It's just incredible luck that ResMed sent my DME a new AirSense11 instead of repairing the not very old one.  

I wonder what happened to my original machine... My hypothesis is that ResMed didn't even try to repair it but rather that they sell problem machines at a discount to companies that try to repair them and then sell the ones they can fix as refurbished.  Do not quote me -- this is a wild-@$$ed guess, lol.

I hope you get yours back soon, poolboy!