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What's going on with Medtronic?!

Lauren

Lauren

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I've had Medtronic pumps for years and years. Always had great customer care. For instance, about ten years ago they had a courier drive a spare pump out to me in West Wales on Christmas Eve because my battery alert had been a bit iffy!

So about 6 weeks ago I noticed I was running very low on infusion sets and reservoirs. I usually would have had an automated delivery by then so I phoned to see what had happened. They explained that I had missed a delivery, and that it had gone to a local shop for collection. I was surprised as I had no idea this had happened. I explained I'd had no notifications about this, and they told me 'yes, that's normal'.
They then said I had to wait until my next automated delivery in June, but they'd send me one box each of reservoirs and cannulas.

All fine...except I then ran out a month later. I emailed the eShop and Medtronic told me they needed my diabetes team to get in touch with them for me to be able to order consumables. Running very low indeed on infusion sets, I managed to wait a few days until I saw my consultant, who then wrote an email to Medtronic in front of me, requesting they allow me to order supplies.

I then phoned Medtronic again, around two weeks ago now, who told me I absolutely cannot order more supplies. I explained what had happened again. They sounded incredulous on the phone, asking me what I had been doing to go through the supplies so quickly? I told them again that I hadn't received my latest order, but I did also say that now and again an infusion set would fail, and that I was going through reservoirs a little sooner than usual because my insulin requirements have increased during pregnancy.
Medtronic seemed to jump on this and referred me to a colleague who dealt with replacements. Rather confusingly, she didn't have any of the supply codes to hand so she initially wasn't going to let me order anything. She told me to ring back when I had the box in front of me! I ended up googling the codes myself and telling her - to which she corrected me on one of them... bit confused! Anyway I was then going to be sent out ONE reservoir and ONE cannula... to last me until mid June.

These haven't yet arrived.

Last week I begged my diabetes nurses for help, and thankfully they had a box of reservoirs and cannulas, close to 'use before' date, but I don't care! I've been able to pick them up. My DSN has contacted Medtronic as well.

I've sent them another email querying the replacement reservoir and cannula.
I don't hold out much hope! But what more can I do?!

Very confused and stressed!
 
I’d read about their poor customer service and that was one reason I didn’t go for a Medtronic pump. This is poor service @Lauren I think I’d approach it in two ways: get your team to send a strongly worded email and phone them yourself, ask to speak to someone senior and say you’ll be making an official complaint unless they can do X in Y days.
 
Inka said:
I’d read about their poor customer service and that was one reason I didn’t go for a Medtronic pump. This is poor service @Lauren I think I’d approach it in two ways: get your team to send a strongly worded email and phone them yourself, ask to speak to someone senior and say you’ll be making an official complaint unless they can do X in Y days.
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Thank you for your advice. I had no idea they were known for their bad service! I've sent an email today but I'll give them a ring this afternoon if I can.
 
Lauren said:
Thank you for your advice. I had no idea they were known for their bad service! I've sent an email today but I'll give them a ring this afternoon if I can.
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Good work. It’s extremely stressful at the best of times but when you’re pregnant it’s absolutely not on, and I’d be pointing out that and the totally unnecessary stress they’ve put you under. Hopefully intervention from a manager will sort this quickly for you x
 
Speaking to a Medtronic representative, when I had my pump replaced last week, persuaded me that their staff are not sure exactly what is going on. Online ordering of infusion sets and sensors ended some weeks ago. In theory, they are now ordered automatically by date, and the WeCare app is supposed to give an indication of when we can expect the next order. Unfortunately, the app was showing that no order had been set up. On querying this, I was told that it would be sorted out eventually, no idea when, but to call the usual number if supplies were running low. Just guessing here, but when items are sent out, you usually have an e-mail to say they have been sent, and how. For me, it has always been by UPS from the Netherlands. If I am not in, the delivery goes to a shop in the next village. Just wondering, Lauren, if the delivery people failed to put a slip through your letterbox. If you know where the shop is, it might be worth a visit with proof of ID.
 
I have always had excellent service from Medtronic, so I am surprised by @Inka’s comment. What data did you use for this conclusion @Inka?

I have always phoned for any extra orders, and also phoned when I have had any failures which have then been replaced. I am on the automated ones ordered by my hospital so far, and when I found I needed to change my sets every two days, rather than three days they asked me to get confirmation from my DSN that they were happy with the increased order. This was done and emailed to Medtronic and I was then able to order some extras, and the automated orders were increased for me to take account of two day interval.

So far so good and hoping that things haven’t gone downhill.
 
What data did you use for this conclusion @Inka?

A huge amount of googling, reading reviews, and reading comments on forums @SB2015 I’m always very nervous about swapping to a new make of pump and research for ages. The customer service wasn’t the only reason I ruled out Medtronic but it was one of them.
 
SB2015 said:
I have always had excellent service from Medtronic, so I am surprised by @Inka’s comment. What data did you use for this conclusion @Inka?

I have always phoned for any extra orders, and also phoned when I have had any failures which have then been replaced. I am on the automated ones ordered by my hospital so far, and when I found I needed to change my sets every two days, rather than three days they asked me to get confirmation from my DSN that they were happy with the increased order. This was done and emailed to Medtronic and I was then able to order some extras, and the automated orders were increased for me to take account of two day interval.

So far so good and hoping that things haven’t gone downhill.
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The customer service always used to be excellent, which is why I'm so surprised at how terrible they are being recently!
 
JohnWhi said:
Speaking to a Medtronic representative, when I had my pump replaced last week, persuaded me that their staff are not sure exactly what is going on. Online ordering of infusion sets and sensors ended some weeks ago. In theory, they are now ordered automatically by date, and the WeCare app is supposed to give an indication of when we can expect the next order. Unfortunately, the app was showing that no order had been set up. On querying this, I was told that it would be sorted out eventually, no idea when, but to call the usual number if supplies were running low. Just guessing here, but when items are sent out, you usually have an e-mail to say they have been sent, and how. For me, it has always been by UPS from the Netherlands. If I am not in, the delivery goes to a shop in the next village. Just wondering, Lauren, if the delivery people failed to put a slip through your letterbox. If you know where the shop is, it might be worth a visit with proof of ID.
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I checked with the store my order usually goes to after phoning Medtronic the first time and my supplies weren't there. Very surprised at the lack of email, as I always used to get these, but the medtronic rep said it's 'normal' not to now. Not sure that's right though!
I will check the store again tomorrow in case my most recent replacement order has ended up there.
 
My biggest problem with medtronic is very few staff actually have an English accent :( which is very frustrating as I can't understand a word they say .
 
Pumper_Sue said:
My biggest problem with medtronic is very few staff actually have an English accent :( which is very frustrating as I can't understand a word they say .
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Which has always been my prob with ruddy Abbott! So utterly fab (so far) with the Ypsopump care line - even when their name happens to be (eg) Ranjit or even (eg) Wolfgang - usually excellent command of spoken English with a reliable sounding Yorkshire accent!
 
trophywench said:
Which has always been my prob with ruddy Abbott! So utterly fab (so far) with the Ypsopump care line - even when their name happens to be (eg) Ranjit or even (eg) Wolfgang - usually excellent command of spoken English with a reliable sounding Yorkshire accent!
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Unless you ring out of office hours Jen. I got a young lady who was very difficult to understand (think she was Asian) and didn't know the answer to my query.

@Lauren under the Consumer Goods Act October 2015 the seller (i.e. Medtronic) is responsible for the goods until they have been received by the purchaser (you). So if you were not informed that the consignment had been delivered to a local shop, it's down to them to chase up it's whereabouts, not you.
 
PattiEvans said:
@Lauren under the Consumer Goods Act October 2015 the seller (i.e. Medtronic) is responsible for the goods until they have been received by the purchaser (you). So if you were not informed that the consignment had been delivered to a local shop, it's down to them to chase up it's whereabouts, not you.
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I agree. I wish Medtronic knew this!
 
Sorry you are having problems @Lauren , and very much hoping that this is not an indication of things to come. Fingers and toes crossed.
 
Ugh! What a disaster for you @Lauren - really not good enough that a whole delivery went missing (through no fault of yours) and you’ve been given a hard time for not having them.

I had a 4 year break when I switched to tSlim, and things do seem a bit more ‘ragged’ than when I had my forst 2 pumps (both Medtronic). My initial set-up went a bit wrong, and there was some miscommunication between my clinic and MDT, but it’s sorted now. I have noticed a recurring ‘back order’ theme though - new supplies coming in multiple deliveries as they don’t have enough to go round it seems.

Hope you can get hold of your missing supplies - it feels like you’ll constantly be living low on supplies otherwise :(
 
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