ON THE INTERNET, ETHICS IS THE ISSUE
Thanks for your inquiry and permit us a brief introduction.
Our 106 year old company (in medical since the 1980s) adheres to the highest ethical standards. The most important transaction ingredient, when dealing on the Internet.
We can offer you hundreds of hospital references, from Johns Hopkins and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for whom we have both taught ultrasound and installed systems, to thousands of private physician customers, but the following comment from a physician to whom we have sold nothing but who has taught ultrasound courses with us, to a doctor who asked us for a reference at the beginning of this year, is one of which we are particularly proud. We promise to deliver to you the same impression:
Dear Dr. Borg,
I am a surgical oncologist who does breast and head & neck surgery. I am an Ultrasound Instructor for the American College of Surgeons and have been working with Larry for almost 10 years. The most important thing I can say is that he is an honest, no nonsense guy – a straight shooter. He is not going to sweet talk you.
I don’t have personal experience with the machines that he sells but I trust that he will back anything that he sells with honesty.
I myself have been using the same machine for the past 10 years without problem. Every machine on the market today is far better than what I’m using. It’s been my experience that the new 100K machines the radiologists get are too sensitive – every cyst now has debris in it and becomes complex. So I wouldn’t worry too much about the machine except getting the features that you need for your specific practice.
Best of luck and I’m sure you won’t go wrong with Larry.
I don’t see your colleagues often (although I know them) as I am doing most of my surgery now at Lenox Hill Hospital.
Richard A. Lopchinsky, M.D., F.A.C.S.
A lawyer's
Caution to doctors
:
The results of sales charm and
personality that cloaks telephone or written fibs about
equipment quality and reliability can deliver a system
that's worthless, without A REAL manufacturer's warranty,
or costing you thousands to repair.
ON THE WEB...
What's a promise worth
without verifiable credentials?
(See FBI information
at end)
Avoid the following
typical Internet disaster:
“In May '06 I purchased a Voluson
730 from National ______. Price was to include
2 days for installation and training. 11/07, my
machine quit working with an error message of "floppy
disk failure (40)". I called National _________
who said they would put a call in to a service tech.
I also called their installer who told me to simply
remove the back of the unit, locate the backup software
and re-install through the CD unit. Unfortunately,
backup software had not been shipped with the machine.
When a tech called, my advice was to use a vacuum cleaner
hose to suck out any dust from the external drives.
He said if that doesn't work I will need to schedule
a service call. My machine has been down 9 days
now with many client cancellations. A local service
company has replaced the hard drive (not the problem),
sauntered a blown resistor cap (not the problem) and
ordered a replacement board (still waiting for part).
National ____________ will neither answer or return
my calls. The installation tech who promised a
copy of backup software also will not answer or return
my calls. At this point, I have a useless expensive
piece of equipment, service techs who are trying a hit
or miss approach and 37 very disappointed families who
were hoping for a look at their child." ( This email
came to us from a customer who bought from a web seller
named National. (If you want, ask us how to contact
this customer who desperately contacted us to fix their
system because it stopped working).
Many Internet sites
substitute used parts...
Read the following
Internet dealer to dealer emails:
“ I need
to purchase a GE Voluson 730 Expert with only a 3.5
Convex 2D probe( AB2-7 ). It must be an Expert
system. This order is going down the week after Thanksgiving.
If you have this system, please contact me with Price
and Availability! ! ! “
A doctor called us from Los Angeles
with his sad tale: He wire-transferred $28,000 to an
Internet Seller for a Sonosite Titan that was supposed
to be a certain Rev. Number with features he ordered.
A system arrived, but the improper Rev. Number and without
paid for features. He asked his Internet seller to correct.
They said they could but not at this time. He asked
for his money back. They refused. We are now trying
to solve his problem.
“Dealers, We are currently
looking to purchase the following probe: Acuson
4C1 ( Aspen ) – Please quote outright and exchange
as well as warranty.(DOCTOR ORDER IN HAND. NEED TO SHIP
ASAP)”
The following is a particularly
interesting one - apparently, this Internet Storefront,
to satisfy a doctor's order, bought the wrong part number
from another Internet Storefront and shipped to the
doctor; then, it didn't work in the system they delivered
so now they have to try to buy the right one!: ”
I am still looking for the image detector board.
I purchased one, but it ended up being the incorrect
part number. Please let me know if you have this
available as I will purchase it today. HP 5500 Image
Detector Board XL p/n 77110-62420”
“Dealers,We are currently
looking to quote out the following system.Acuson
Cypress – please quote two separate configurations:Adult
Cardiac,Pediatric Cardiac,TEE,Acuson Cypress,Adult Cardiac,Pediatric
Cardiac,TEE,Vascular”
“Dealers:We are currently
looking for pricing on the following system:
GE Logiq 700 Expert,618E,348C,L39,546LPrinter. Please state availability and warranty.”
“Dealers, We are currently
looking for the following transducer :Acuson Sequoia
10V5 (please quote exchange and outright pricing as
well as warranty)Thank you,”
”Dealers,We are currently looking
for the following part:Monitor for the GE Logiq 500.
I don’t have a part number, sorry! Please quote price
and warranty.”
Dealers - I am looking to purchase
the following systems and need price availability: Siemens
Cypress or CV70 with ICE Catheter (intracoronary) capability.
2. Medison SA 8000 EK Color OB/Radiology
System Include: C2-5 ETN Convex Probe;
HL5-9 EDN Linear Probe; EC4-9 EVN Endocavity
Probe.
…and on and on every day!
To avoid these
shenanigans
You can buy from The Ultrasound Store
We don't tinker with any
system and don't buy from dealers or on E-bay. In fact,
when you buy from us your system is directly shipped
to you by the national manufacturer who owns it and
who warranties their system to you. That's the best
insurance you can get.This is how our 107 year
old electronics company founded in 1902 has earned its
reputation. (Click the Better Business Bureau Reliability
Seal to see the BBB confirmation).
OUR BANK:
SunTrust Bank; Chris Holland,
Officer: (770)333-7699
OUR LEASING BANK:
Highland Capital Bank; Peggy Nielsen, Officer:
(877) 327-4422
SOME REFERENCES:
U.S. Government; MD Anderson Cancer Center;
Johns Hopkins OBGYN Dept.; Mt. Sinai School of Medicine
Johnson & Johnson; Emory; Tenet; HCA; University of
Miami School of Medicine; U.S. Military approved vendor;
other Hospitals and nationwide private office physicians.
FINALLY, IF
YOU GET BAITED BY A SUPER-LOW PRICE
YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWS WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
AND FAULTY PROMISES
THAT EVAPORATE INTO THIN AIR
WHEN YOUR SYSTEM MALFUCTIONS
CALL THE FBI AS FOLLOWS. IT'S NOT THEIR JOB
TO SEEK A RETURN OF YOUR MONEY
(YOU HAVE TO SUE IN A CIVIL COURT TO DO THAT)
BUT TO INDICT AND PROSECUTE THROUGH
THE U.S. ATTIORNEY'S OFFICE
THOSE INDICITED FOR COMMISSION
OF FEDERAL CRIMES THAT INCLUDING
USING THE MAILS TO DEFRAUD:
The Cleveland FBI office is investigating
fraud in the used medical equipment field. If your facility
(hospital, clinic, doctor's office, etc.) has contracted
to purchase used medical equipment which has not been
delivered or has been delivered in an inoperable condition,
resulting in the loss of a deposit in excess of $10,000,
you may provide information confidentially to:
Special Agent B. Chiarito
Telephone 216/622-6649
Fax 216/622-6831
Or direct mail to:
Special Agent B. Chiarito
FBI
1501 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland , Ohio 44114
Sufficient detail must be provided
to document the fraud. This post was made at the request
of Special Agent B. Chiarito.
