Lisa, I feel your pain. As someone who has been in the orthotic and prosthetic business for over 30 years I realize how confusing this can be. I hope the following explanation helps. There are some medical devices sold on the Internet for MUCH LESS than what we as a Certified Facility can purchase them for. Over the years I have learned that not all brace services are created equally. I am so very sorry you have had this experience. If you got a device from our office you also received a Receipt of Services form. At the bottom of the form and you will see where our practitioner signed (initialed) some statements. Some of those statements are: 1) “The product was obtained from a manufacturer approved distributor” 2) ”manufacturer guidelines regarding weight limits, sizing and activity levels have been followed” 3) “The orthosis/prosthesis has been assessed as structurally safe and demonstrates NO defects.” Those statements are a reflection of the standards our facility must meet in order to obtain licensing on many different levels. Internet purchased devices are sometimes obtained from suppliers that are NOT certified and are NOT required to meet the same rigorous and specific standards that certified facilities like Stubbs P&O Inc., must legally follow. I do not know your medical condition or what brace your physician ordered/prescribed for you. However, because you were sent to an Orthotic/Prosthetic facility your physician wanted to insure you received appropriate care. It was important to your physician that the most appropriate brace was chosen per his prescription and fitted professionally by a certified and licensed practitioner with the training to provide optimum value, comfort and follow up care if needed. I hope this provides you with a helpful explanation. Please feel free to call me with any additional questions or concerns. Our clients are important to us. Please know, we are here for you. Sincerely, Melanie Stubbs, Owner/Business Manager Stubbs Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc.