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Caveat Emptor

plantagenet

plantagenet

Well-Known Member
Messages
318
Location
Berkshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Be careful what you buy on line! If it's cheap, there's a reason. I recently ordered test strips from an on line provider who was selling at about £6.00 less than the Bayer price, so I ordered two boxes of 50. When I received them I found the use by date to be just over 1 month hence, meaning that for me, I would just about use 1 pack and the other would be wasted. In the end my cheap option has cost me an extra £30. I won't be using that supplier again. Moral, don't skimp on the important things, it costs more in the long run.
 
Hi, yes you need to be careful but I suspect the Use by date has plenty of leeway so I, personally, might use the out of date ones if only a month or so but others might disagree.
 
Daibell said:
Hi, yes you need to be careful but I suspect the Use by date has plenty of leeway so I, personally, might use the out of date ones if only a month or so but others might disagree.
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Thanks you were brave enough to say what I wanted to say. I would use them too but check a couple of times by using a newer one to be on the safe side.
 
I think I'd probably be prepared to use very recently expired strips with caution. Or get some control solution (usually free) from the manufacturers to check them out.

I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way, but reputable sellers will normally list the expiry date. If they don't, then you should ask for this information - if they're not trying to pull a fast one then they should be happy to tell you. The last batch of Contour Next strips I bought from eBay recently at around £10 a pack all had 2017 expiry dates, and I'd never consider buying any unless I first had this information. It often amazes me though how little (usually vital) information is provided by some sellers, but I believe it's also up to the buyer to make sure they have any and all the relevant information before they commit to a purchase, so that they do actually get what they think they are..

Robbity
 
I had a different problem with buying online test strips. In my case the new batch suddenly jumped by 5 mmol/L compared to the previous box. When I looked at the box, it seemed to be a valid manufacturers box, but had different text on front. Also the barcode had been obliterated by marker pen, and the batch code was not recognised by the manufacturer when I contacted them. The pak was counterfeit. I did get a refund in full.

As an aside I also had a batch from my pharmacist that read abnormally high. I took them back to the pharmacy for a refund, but the pharmacist refused. The excuse is that my meter was playing up and must be faulty. Needless to say I moved my business away. My GP took pity and issued me a scrip to cover my loss. He was amazed that I had been able to detect faulty strips in only a couple of days but I showed it from the graph I used in my spreadsheet. He has now supported me in self monitoring as i have shown I am in control of it.
 
The other thing to bear in mind with test strips is the temperature at which they have been stored.

I was tempted by some at a good price once, but decided against because it was full summer, and I was very sceptical that they would be stored in appropriate conditions during their entire journey through international mail, and the PO system. Heck, even a courier's van will reach high temperatures on a sunny day...
 
plantagenet said:
Thanks everyone, I will go to the Bayer shop in future.
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If you are self-funding, and it's cost sensitive (quite naturally), then you could consider the SD Codefree from Home Health. Ignoring the cost of replacing the meter, which is clearly a one-off, the strips are extremely cost-effective, even ignoring the bulk buying discounts available when you buy 5 or 10 tubs at once. That brings the strips down to £6 per tub.

All manufacturers will have the odd problem, but as diet controlled T2s, surely we are looking at trends, rather than the absolute numbers required by those taking insulin or other "hefty" drugs?

Starter Kit: http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

Strips: http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/
 
If you are a GP-registered diabetic, then both the meter and the strips and lancets can be purchased VAT Free. Make sure you register with the website before selecting the items in your basket. Amazon also offer these items, and again they are VAT Free and may be delivery free as well (standard delivery). Homehealth also offer the option of selecting items online etc, but then paying by card over the phone, if you don't want to key in card details online (office hours only, of course)
 
Thanks, I was just being parsimonious, besides as Brunneria mentioned we don't know how these dodgy suppliers keep their products and in this case, as the date was so short, it must have been in stock somewhere over the summer months. The Diabetes.co.uk shop sells them as well, so would be good to keep it in the community when I order the next batch.
 
"If you buy cheap,you buy twice" is an old adage that I live by,particularly when grocery shopping although it seems to be true in everyday spending too.......
 
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