EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Spare Parts Spare parts rip off!

No doubt we are all wondering which one of those wonderful companies you work for, Mike.

In the meantime, I for one am still in agreement with what Bill is saying.

Thought I'd resurrect this one. Just been royally ripped orf. Unfortunately whilst I was off dodging raindrops on the south coast back in August one of my colleagues called a certain company in to sort out a fault that he struggled with. The engineer recommended some spare parts which we duly ordered. It has taken two months to finally get the parts (apparently that have to come from Japan!). One of the items was a microswitch which we were charged £51 for. You might expect a meaty industrial strength breaker for this price but no, I found it on RS for £1.52 AND is available for next day delivery. The other parts are a magnet and a magnet enforcer, £57 & £25 respectively. The magnet is nothing special (20mmx10mmx5mm), the enforcer is a tiny plastic wedge that is glued onto the magnet, guess what? The £57 magnet comes with the enforcer already attached. I now have a spare enforcer. To add insult to injury I've had a look at the problem and I don't think these parts were required, it looks like a latching mechanism either needs aligning or replacing. I've kept the information to a minimum to protect the guilty (for now!).

Well resurrected!

But (despite what you say at the end), this sad story is not much good without naming names (although we don't need to embarrass your colleague)!

To be honest, it could have been much worse (those prices, I mean). After all, if anyone is into gouging ... then why not go for broke!

But anyway, no doubt you'll be extending a warm welcome to the company engineer when (or perhaps, if) he visits again.

Over six years since my initial post and still the price gouging etc. goes on. It seems that the big biomed companies don't really don't give a s**t what we think as long as they continue to be payed their exorbitant prices.

Well at least I seem to have provided a forum topic for techs to blow off a little steam.

And if companies do keep ripping people off we should remember their names when it comes to buying new equipment. It is the life cost that counts not the purchase cost.
Robert

Read this and take note all you compnay people on the forum.

And it will continue until after you retire, John ... and well beyond that as well.

The only way to deal with them at the local level is to "show them the door" (and make sure they needn't bother coming back). I used to be able to get away with that sort of thing out in [overseas country], but how many NHS biomeds have the "authority" to act like that?

@RoJo: is there any linkage between what the biomed says (and thinks) and the purchasing of equipment? Does anybody ever listen?

But when it comes to "tech support", well the obvious answer there is to use a third-party service provider. Or, better still, do it yourself (and source your own parts as need be)!

Yes if you insist that the whole life cost rather than the purchase price is considered.
You need a full on Clinical Engineering led equipment management team to achieve this...yes I do know of places where it happens.
Robert

Actually you just need one bloke with a bit of drive (leadership, gumption ... call it what you will) ... yes I do know of places where it happens.

I recently needed to purchase a power supply for an Apex Pro quad receiver, but was quoted a price of £527 by the company. I found that the power supply manufacturer (Skynet) used a UK distributor and their price was £35 + shipping for the exact same part.

These companies need to figure out their pricing strategies. Oh wait!!! they have, as long as we pay it they will sell at an exorbitant price.

On the other hand, here is some Good News ... a "reverse gouge", you might say (and costing 1/1000th of the "OEM" item)!

There are some good comments, as usual.


... is it a modification?