Health Management Services, Inc.

Review: Since my sleep apnea CPAP device failed, I contacted the company which had provided the machine to me, Health Management Services, Inc. Their representative told me on the telephone that for $250.00 I would be provided a brand-new machine to replace the old one. She asked for my credit card number in payment, which I gave to her. She told me that they would place an order for the device and that when it came in, in about one week's time, I could come in to their store with my old model and receive my new machine. This verbal contract, with my payment sealing the deal, was satisfactory to me, and I considered the transaction complete. However, later the representative called me to state that I would owe another $200.00 since the unit was over five years old. (No one had ever said anything about a time limit to re-order supplies. I had assumed the device would work for a number of years. My first machine was ordered in July, 2008, so it is a mere 5 years and a few months old.) This demand for considerably more money seemed highly irregular to me and in violation of the contract we had concluded over the telephone. The representative gave me a telephone number for Fisher & Paykel, manufacturer of the device, to ask them to waive this additional charge. However this phone number has not worked, although I have tried it a number of times. I feel that I have been a victim of a strategy to ensure a sale and then to increase the price after the agreement is reached. I believe that this is unethical and unfair. In the meantime my sleep apnea is left untreated without the necessary device prescribed for me by my physician.Desired Settlement: I would like for our agreement to be honored. The $250.00 that I in good faith offered with my charge card in payment for the brand-new CPAP machine should be accepted by Health Management Services without any other charges or fees added to the originally-agreed-upon price.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Health Management Services, Inc. regarding complaint ID 9790170.

Regards,