This is long overdue. I've written good reviews too, one that led to a business getting a big surge in customers. I called first to the Allina Home O2 and Med Supply on Westgate Dr. in St. Paul where for 2 years I received CPAP supplies for my CPAP machine by mail. My 2 yr old machine that was a bran new gift from a friend who never used it was malfunctioning. The Allina supply store nearest to me told me their repair techs are at Westgate. I wanted a tech to estimate a repair cost. The phone rep said a repair starting fee is $300, but that a tech would take a free look. I said I could be there within a couple of hours. They said fine.
I should say, another Allina stunt was when they sent completely wrong CPAP supplies. They said with the humidity tank they wouldn't pay return shipping. They said I had to go to any of their outlets within seven days or I had to keep it, a $120 tank wasted! I could not waste something like that! I didn't complain... an extra trip downtown, parking, traffic etc, a hassle that was their fault. Also, over the previous 2 yrs they created all kinds of obstacles that lead to CPAP supply delays like telling me I needed to ask my doctor to renew the prescription. After I notified my doctor I'd end up calling Allina wondering why long after still no supplies, and they'd just say, "your doctor hasn't responded yet. It takes time." I'm sure they didn't call my doctor wondering why no renewal signed... another trick to delay and cause their State MA customers to order less than every 6 months as they don't make as much money on MA clients...
When I arrived at Allina's Westgate Dr. St. Paul store there was only one customer speaking to the receptionist before leaving. The about a dozen waiting area chairs were empty. The grouchy receptionist pointed to the chairs to wait for their tech. I waited at lease 1/2 hr, no busy phones, no activity other than one other customer arriving and talking to a sales person about walkers etc. A "tech" from a back room entered and directed me to a side office open to the main showroom. He said, without doing anything, that my machine was old and I needed a new one. I said all I need is an estimate to fix my 2 yr old machine and that it worked perfectly fine for me until it started shutting on and off on its own. I repeated that I was only coming for a repair estimate.
He still showed me their latest models. I only went along with it as he was so aggressive about it. We returned to his desk with the new machine he thought was for me. I said I would still like an estimate to repair my machine. He huffed and said he'd talk to repair. Wow! They told me I was seeing a repair tech, not a salesman! All was still dead quiet. He went to a back room. I waited at least 20 minutes. He returned and used every sales tactic to push their new machine on me. "If your machine breaks down it means at least three weeks to get your next machine, or get one right now!" I said their machine is a $1,200 machine (remembering what my machine was worth from my friend). He of course said there's no immediate guarantee if their new machine would be a "rental until full purchase" or an immediate full purchase from my state coverage. I of course thought they wanted a rental as then they could get more money than an immediate purchase...
I remained very polite and patient like I was from the very beginning and said it was important to know if it would be a rental to purchase or not as I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be on State of MN coverage. I repeated that I wanted was a repair estimate so I could make my best decision. He angrily set my cpap machine down very hard on his desk and said how I wasn't being like their other customers, another "tactic" of intimidation, and not the way to handle my machine! I remember several times him huffing and putting my machine down hard on his desk. He never did that when he carefully handled their own bran new machine he was trying to push on me.
He finally bolted up from his chair and marched to the back room with my machine. Again a long wait of at least 20 minutes! The truth was to the very end I never at all saw a technician! He returned and of course set my machine down hard on his desk and said it needed another external plug-in power supply, a small corded box but for a different model of a machine. He gave me that at no charge, yet still he was rude and said, "This is only a band-aid! Your machine is done for! It could die at any time! If you don't get a new machine now it's three weeks you'll have no CPAP!" I think he was hoping I'd be confrontational and I wasn't. I remained polite as I was all along and thanked him, wished a good day.
A 15 minute need took 2 hours! I later found their machine was $2,500!! He never corrected me when I said it was a $1;200 machine!! I was on Medicare and State MA, and never to return. 3 yrs later my same machine works wonderfully! read more