I don't know if many of you have read about some inexpensive CoaguChek XS meters on eBay, so I'm writing this now, in case any of you want a meter, or a backup meter.
There are vendors on eBay who are selling used CoaguChek XS meters for as low as $25. These meters are missing the battery cover, and the plastic cover that helps slide the strip into the meter.
There seem to be quite a few.
My guess is that a company that had an anticoagulation service, has asked for them back from its customers. They removed these two parts to 'disable' them, and to obviously show that they're used. They may not have expected these to hit ;eBay or another reseller (or maybe they did).
It's also possible that the XS meters are being pulled off the market so they can be replaced by the newer InRange meters. (Vantus meters may also be coming into the market). This may make sense to Roche (if they're the ones that pulled back their meters), so that they can bring the new meters to market, touting the new digital features and minor UI enhancements, and begin making a lot of profit from these newer models (that still use the standard XS strips).
It may not be too difficult to craft a new cover out of cardboard or a sheet of plastic, and tape it on. I haven't tried testing without the strip guide, but don't expect this to be much of a problem.
I bought one of these meters (for $30, including shipping), and will test it against my other XS, a lab, and possibly against my Coag-Sense meter. If there are differences in accuracy, I'll report this in another post.
HOWEVER - these meters were made to handle thousands of tests. Controls are built in, assuring accurate testing. Code chips are shipped in each lot of strips, and a quality control test is done on each strip before the testing is started.
Aside from the missing parts (probably non-essential, anyway), these 'used' meters are probably a safe buy.
I've had my used meter since around 2014 or so - I wouldn't be surprised if the meters that these vendors are selling (two different vendors) are newer than the one I've had for 7 years. If I can figure out whether or not there are date codes that can be interpreted by this mortal, I may wind up swapping battery cover and strip guide from the 'older' meter to the newer one.
The offer on eBay is currently available (October 9 2021). I have no idea how long these meters will be available at this price.
There are vendors on eBay who are selling used CoaguChek XS meters for as low as $25. These meters are missing the battery cover, and the plastic cover that helps slide the strip into the meter.
There seem to be quite a few.
My guess is that a company that had an anticoagulation service, has asked for them back from its customers. They removed these two parts to 'disable' them, and to obviously show that they're used. They may not have expected these to hit ;eBay or another reseller (or maybe they did).
It's also possible that the XS meters are being pulled off the market so they can be replaced by the newer InRange meters. (Vantus meters may also be coming into the market). This may make sense to Roche (if they're the ones that pulled back their meters), so that they can bring the new meters to market, touting the new digital features and minor UI enhancements, and begin making a lot of profit from these newer models (that still use the standard XS strips).
It may not be too difficult to craft a new cover out of cardboard or a sheet of plastic, and tape it on. I haven't tried testing without the strip guide, but don't expect this to be much of a problem.
I bought one of these meters (for $30, including shipping), and will test it against my other XS, a lab, and possibly against my Coag-Sense meter. If there are differences in accuracy, I'll report this in another post.
HOWEVER - these meters were made to handle thousands of tests. Controls are built in, assuring accurate testing. Code chips are shipped in each lot of strips, and a quality control test is done on each strip before the testing is started.
Aside from the missing parts (probably non-essential, anyway), these 'used' meters are probably a safe buy.
I've had my used meter since around 2014 or so - I wouldn't be surprised if the meters that these vendors are selling (two different vendors) are newer than the one I've had for 7 years. If I can figure out whether or not there are date codes that can be interpreted by this mortal, I may wind up swapping battery cover and strip guide from the 'older' meter to the newer one.
The offer on eBay is currently available (October 9 2021). I have no idea how long these meters will be available at this price.