Hearing Aid complaints

[dhgunit]

Hello everyone, I am a hearing instrument dispenser and I see many complaints on here that I feel like I could help answer....like why your audiologist or dispenser chose a certain option over another, why does it cost so much, etc.

It hurts me when I read about people's experiences and it turns into "They are all crook's, it is a racket" etc.

This is not true.

Yes, there are some bad professionals out there, just as there are in anything else.

First one I will tackle is the cost. After that if you have any questions just go ahead and post them. For a set of my digital hearing aids you are going to spend between $1900-$6400.

Yes, I realize that is expensive. But they aren't being jacked up as high as you think. For a business to stay open and provide you these services it must make a profit.

So you have the corporate company dispensing the hearing aids. They have to pay for research and technology, the hardware, taxes, and employees. And on top of that they need a profit.

We dealers already have a lot of money invested when the product reaches our office. We have to pay for rent on our office, pay employees, advertising, utilities, office supplies, tools, and finally the product.

I only bring in revenue from the hearing instrument.....all my services are free.

I could lower the price of the hearing aid and charge ticky-tack $20-$80 for little things like cleanings, tube changes, and adjustements but I don't.

 

[Banjo]

Hello everyone, I am a hearing instrument dispenser and I see many complaints on here that I feel like I could help answer....like why your audiologist or dispenser chose a certain option over another, why does it cost so much, etc.

It hurts me when I read about people's experiences and it turns into "They are all crook's, it is a racket" etc.

This is not true.

Yes, there are some bad professionals out there, just as there are in anything else.

First one I will tackle is the cost. After that if you have any questions just go ahead and post them. For a set of my digital hearing aids you are going to spend between $1900-$6400.

Yes, I realize that is expensive. But they aren't being jacked up as high as you think. For a business to stay open and provide you these services it must make a profit.

So you have the corporate company dispensing the hearing aids. They have to pay for research and technology, the hardware, taxes, and employees. And on top of that they need a profit.

We dealers already have a lot of money invested when the product reaches our office. We have to pay for rent on our office, pay employees, advertising, utilities, office supplies, tools, and finally the product.

I only bring in revenue from the hearing instrument.....all my services are free.

I could lower the price of the hearing aid and charge ticky-tack $20-$80 for little things like cleanings, tube changes, and adjustements but I don't.

That sounds around right. I personally know someone who runs her own clinic. So that's how I know what you said is true.

 

[Tousi]

Hello, dhgunit and welcome to this site. I think a lot of the negative stuff you are reading about your profession is masked in/by something else: The overwhelming number of audiologists and hearing aid dispensers know next to nothing about deafness that occurs in those mostly born that way; their language; their culture, etc. The majority of your clientele are hearing people losing some of their hearing with advancing age.

We appreciate those few audiologists/hearing aid dispensers whounderstand something about deafness beyond the medical view.

 

[dhgunit]

Hello, dhgunit and welcome to this site. I think a lot of the negative stuff you are reading about your profession is masked in/by something else: The overwhelming number of audiologists and hearing aid dispensers know next to nothing about deafness that occurs in those mostly born that way; their language; their culture, etc. The majority of your clientele are hearing people losing some of their hearing with advancing age.

We appreciate those few audiologists/hearing aid dispensers whounderstand something about deafness beyond the medical view.

What you said in the part I highlighted is true and for the reason you gave. I rarely ever deal with someone that has been deaf from birth.

If a patient comes in and they are deaf I also cannot help them with any of my hearing aid choices so I refer them to an ENT for an alternative solution.

I will need to stick around here and read what this community has to offer and that will help me understand my patients quite a bit better, I am sure.

 

[djchur]

$1900-$6400

$1900-$6400 for hearing aids!!!

I'm so sorry that you guys in the US don't have a healthcare system like the NHS here in Britain. We might not get a choice of colours or styles but at least we don't have to fork out ridiculous amounts of money like that just to be able to hear, something which most people on this planet take for granted. I suspect that also the more severe your hearing loss the more you have to pay, that also is ridiculous!

 

[Hask12]

I think I'm very fortunate that I have the audiologist that I have. And I know I could probably go elsewhere and get the same aids for less, but I don't because of the relationship and trust I have developed with this particular audiologist. But when I buy new aids and it's time to pay and he can immediately knock $800 off the price without even blinking it;s makes me wonder what the real price of the aids really are. Keep in mind the cost of the aids prior to the steep discount were in the ballpark for what people on line said they were paying for the aids.

 

[yizuman]

Hello everyone, I am a hearing instrument dispenser and I see many complaints on here that I feel like I could help answer....like why your audiologist or dispenser chose a certain option over another, why does it cost so much, etc.

It hurts me when I read about people's experiences and it turns into "They are all crook's, it is a racket" etc.

This is not true.

Yes, there are some bad professionals out there, just as there are in anything else.

First one I will tackle is the cost. After that if you have any questions just go ahead and post them. For a set of my digital hearing aids you are going to spend between $1900-$6400.

Yes, I realize that is expensive. But they aren't being jacked up as high as you think. For a business to stay open and provide you these services it must make a profit.

So you have the corporate company dispensing the hearing aids. They have to pay for research and technology, the hardware, taxes, and employees. And on top of that they need a profit.

We dealers already have a lot of money invested when the product reaches our office. We have to pay for rent on our office, pay employees, advertising, utilities, office supplies, tools, and finally the product.

I only bring in revenue from the hearing instrument.....all my services are free.

I could lower the price of the hearing aid and charge ticky-tack $20-$80 for little things like cleanings, tube changes, and adjustements but I don't.

Translation of a corporate hearing puppet slave person:

BLAH BLAH BLAH I want all your money BLAH BLAH BLAH

Hearing aids used to be expensive because most parts back in the day had to be hand built because machinists did not have the right tools to machine built them due to the sensitivity of the components. Now, precision machines are available, hearing aids is made cheaper and quicker, reducing the labor cost of hand built hearing aids while maintaining the same cost of what they charge for them before and after machine precision made.

As for charging more based on the individual's deafness, I agree with the reader's comments. It's bull to charge more based on how profound the deafness. It's easy to adjust the volume of the same product, if hard of hearing, adjust the volume to "moderate". If profound deaf, adjust the volume to "very high" Same hearing aid, different volume adjustments, so they charge more just by a mere cranking from one tool and three fingers.

Yiz

 

[Banjo]

The research and development costs plays a role in the pricing of the hearing aids, even at wholesale pricing. The manufacturers need to make a profit on the hearing aids to stay in business. It's not a charity, they aren't going to give it away for free.

Although I should mention that many manufacturers do give to charity and support many communities in third world countries around the world. Regardless, they are still in the business to make a profit. That's what capitalism is.

Now, what some people are forgetting is that manufacturers and the dealers are not one. The dealers buy from the manufacturers at wholesale pricing and let me tell you this, it isn't cheap. They have to charge a dispensing fee in order to pay the lease, the staff and their benefits, the utilities, phones, internet, equipment upgrades, software upgrades, computer upgrades, fees to keep their licenses, the list goes on and on.

It's easier said than done.

 

[dhgunit]

Translation of a corporate hearing puppet slave person:


Hearing aids used to be expensive because most parts back in the day had to be hand built because machinists did not have the right tools to machine built them due to the sensitivity of the components. Now, precision machines are available, hearing aids is made cheaper and quicker, reducing the labor cost of hand built hearing aids while maintaining the same cost of what they charge for them before and after machine precision made.

As for charging more based on the individual's deafness, I agree with the reader's comments. It's bull to charge more based on how profound the deafness. It's easy to adjust the volume of the same product, if hard of hearing, adjust the volume to "moderate". If profound deaf, adjust the volume to "very high" Same hearing aid, different volume adjustments, so they charge more just by a mere cranking from one tool and three fingers.

Yiz

This is the why I am here, for the uninformed people like this that have no clue what they are talking about.

It is bull to charge more based on deafness.....luckily I have never seen it happen. Where do you get your misinformation?

I have a hearing aid, it has a function, and it has a price. If you want it you have the option to purchase it. If you don't want it, you don't have to buy it. I cannot give away stuff for free Yiz.

Do you work for free Yiz?

 

[sallylou]

What kind of agreements are the dealers signing? There must be a contract between the manufacturers and dealers. I suspect that the purpose of the contract is to keep the hearing aids under the strict control of the manufacturer. Parts are not available any where except from select dealers. I don't begrudge anyone a living for their work, but don't pretend to be on the side of the consumer when the manufacturer is your partner. I often wonder whether dealers are merely franchisees. Dealers don't have the power to bargain effectively with big corporations.

I agree that most audis don't understand deaf issues. My audi's clients are mostly elderly people with presbycusis. I'd gladly change audis for someone who understands deaf issues. If only I could find one. . .

 

[Banjo]

What kind of agreements are the dealers signing? There must be a contract between the manufacturers and dealers. I suspect that the purpose of the contract is to keep the hearing aids under the strict control of the manufacturer. Parts are not available any where except from select dealers. I don't begrudge anyone a living for their work, but don't pretend to be on the side of the consumer when the manufacturer is your partner. I often wonder whether dealers are merely franchisees. Dealers don't have the power to bargain effectively with big corporations.

This is something some may not be able to answer since the contract may forbid any form of disclosure. But maybe you'll get an answer.

I agree that most audis don't understand deaf issues. My audi's clients are mostly elderly people with presbycusis. I'd gladly change audis for someone who understands deaf issues. If only I could find one. . .

Unfortunately, that is true. You might get lucky someday.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Wirelessly posted

Are you deafies surprised they charge so much? It's the same reason why interpreters cost a lot.

We're not much of a market.

 

[dhgunit]

What kind of agreements are the dealers signing? There must be a contract between the manufacturers and dealers. I suspect that the purpose of the contract is to keep the hearing aids under the strict control of the manufacturer. Parts are not available any where except from select dealers. I don't begrudge anyone a living for their work, but don't pretend to be on the side of the consumer when the manufacturer is your partner. I often wonder whether dealers are merely franchisees. Dealers don't have the power to bargain effectively with big corporations.

I agree that most audis don't understand deaf issues. My audi's clients are mostly elderly people with presbycusis. I'd gladly change audis for someone who understands deaf issues. If only I could find one. . .

What do you mean by keeping them under the strict control of the manufacturer?

And I don't know why you are talking about taking sides with either the consumer or manufacturer.....I didn't know there was a war.

The patient ALWAYS comes first. If you come in I give you a free hearing test, if you have loss that can be helped I try to help you and usually the only way to do that is by wearing a hearing aid. If you have no hearing loss, if you have a conductive hearing loss, or if you are completely deaf then I do not sell you hearing aids unless it is prescribed by an ENT.

After receiving your hearing aids, I receive payment where the patient has a 30 day trial period and if they are not completely satisfied in every way, or even if they are satisfied, it doesn't matter......you can get 100% money back.

I really do not know how to be more fair than that.

 

[dhgunit]

Wirelessly posted

Are you deafies surprised they charge so much? It's the same reason why interpreters cost a lot.

We're not much of a market.

That isn't true.....there is a large market for the hearing impaired. Most of course are not deaf.

The reason we charge so much is because that is how much it costs to develop, manufacture, and fit the hearing aid. For a premier hearing aid. Now I have seen plenty of advertisements for $395 hearing aids sold out of his house and built in his garage.

You get what you pay for.

 

[dhgunit]

Just a question for some of you, how much do you think a mainstream manufacturers premier hearing aid should cost?

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Wirelessly posted

Wirelessly posted

Are you deafies surprised they charge so much? It's the same reason why interpreters cost a lot.

We're not much of a market.

That isn't true.....there is a large market for the hearing impaired. Most of course are not deaf.

The reason we charge so much is because that is how much it costs to develop, manufacture, and fit the hearing aid. For a premier hearing aid. Now I have seen plenty of advertisements for $395 hearing aids sold out of his house and built in his garage.

You get what you pay for.

I still stand by it.

Why is an iPod cheaper than hearing aids? Because Apple have the disposable means to mass-produce them to cater to EVERYONE.

 

[dhgunit]

Wirelessly posted



I still stand by it.

Why is an iPod cheaper than hearing aids? Because Apple have the disposable means to mass-produce them to cater to EVERYONE.

Comparing apples to oranges, but I get what you are saying.

Yes, there are less hearing impaired than people that like music.......but if a company is going to lose money they won't exist. So you are left with a choice.....companies making profits or companies not existing.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Wirelessly posted

Wirelessly posted



I still stand by it.

Why is an iPod cheaper than hearing aids? Because Apple have the disposable means to mass-produce them to cater to EVERYONE.

Comparing apples to oranges, but I get what you are saying.

Yes, there are less hearing impaired than people that like music.......but if a company is going to lose money they won't exist. So you are left with a choice.....companies making profits or companies not existing.

Now you see why I never saw any validity in deafies questioning the motives of assistive technology companies?

The law of means of production lends itself to that. It has been my experience that niche markets are nearly always more expensive than mainstream ones. You can't make hearing aids cheaper than they already are if the companies don't have the capital to lower research and production costs.

 

[sallylou]

Defensiveness with no answer. I expected as much. No doubt that contractual terms gag the dealers. FWIW, I figure that corporate contracts are contracts of adhesion, with the dealers having very little power in the relationship.

Don't pretend like you are magnanimous in offering returns. The return policy is required by law.

My audi is a very nice person but she seems unhappy that she can't "fix" me. Yet another pathological view of deafness.

 

[dhgunit]

Defensiveness with no answer. I expected as much. No doubt that contractual terms gag the dealers. FWIW, I figure that corporate contracts are contracts of adhesion, with the dealers having very little power in the relationship.

Don't pretend like you are magnanimous in offering returns. The return policy is required by law.

My audi is a very nice person but she seems unhappy that she can't "fix" me. Yet another pathological view of deafness.

No. I want to know what exactly you think we are being gagged about? What power do we need? What are you talking about?

That is all I want to know. You are speculating and I have no clue what you are talking about.

I am offering returns with no restocking fee, which is not required by law.

What is your purpose for seeing an audiologist?