How do Wholesale hearing supply custom moulds or custom receivers?
And what about REM?
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Yeah. It is a good price, but I am very wary. If they are not locked and one can then make adjustments afterwards that is good, but Phonak self programming is for the birds (or serious enthusiasts/experienced audiologists) in my view! I can tinker with Target but REM is essential. Then there is the fear of breakdowns, replacement receivers etc. I would rather go to Specsavers or Boots or pray that the Costco Sonova relationship wakes up again.
Actually, I’ll message them in the week and find out what they say and report back here.
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OK. I’ve just posed the questions with them (About REM and Custom Ear Moulds Receivers). I got the following responses:
" In order to use our service, you are required to supply a recent audiogram. This allows our expert audiologists to:
- Confirm your chosen hearing aids are suitable.for your loss.
- Identify the power of receiver required
- Select the most appropriate dome or mould configuration to match you acoustic requirements
- Program the hearing aid to your audiogram, prior to shipping to you.
REMs can only be performed live face to face, so we cannot provide it using our online model. Whilst REMs is seen as the gold standard for verifying the fitting, it is not mandatory.
Should adjuatment of the hearing aids be required once you have received them, what we can provide is a remote programming session with one of our expert audiologists through the MyPhonak app. It’s free and easy. Only requires you to have a smart phone and Internet connection/WiFi.
Once we start the session, our audiologist will listen to your requirements, and if appropriate will run a live in the ear hearing test (called AudiogramDirect) which can remeasure you threshold of hearing, spot any frequencies that need recalibrate, then load the new frequency response into the hearing aids. In short, we retest and reprogram your hearing aids to match your response. It’s very effective!
If you still would like REMs, you can find and visit a local audiologist to provide it for you. Expect to pay an appropriate sessional fee with the audiologist."
Second question
"Custom moulds or receivers can be sourced locally from a local audiologist.
Most of customers can successfully use the instant fit rubber tips. But for more severe losses, custom moulds can be added later."
So it’s pretty clear that they don’t do REM and they don’t supply custom moulds/receivers. It’s up to you to contact “local audiologist” to do this.
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Do you pay tax for batteries? The United Kingdom has left the European Union, and the batteries produced by Varta are from Germany.
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@glucas That was my assumption, it’s Pay As You Go in a sense that you will need to see a local Audiologist if you want a face to face service.
Hence, one has to check which one suit his/her needs, either buy online and get separate service when you need it and pay for it, or go the mainstream route and seek a brick n mortar high-street shop for a full package.
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If you can find one that is willing to do it.
It’s a potential can of worms for the individual if the process goes wrong or you don’t like what they’ve done.
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@BSingleton
I bought from them about 6 months ago.
Like others on here, I got disillusioned by NHS Audiology not really being interested in fine tuning my Nathos Novas, so I decided to go private and viewed the Phonak Audeo Paradise P90 13T as the model that would best suit my needs, and took a screenshot of the price.
I then went to a recommended private Audeologist. I quoted the exact model, for him to investigate. After checking with Phonak, he suggested I bought them direct from Wholesale Hearing, as he couldn’t get them at anywhere near that price. He said he would do the rest when they arrived. They were about £2000. At this stage, I should mention that the arrived with a 20% off voucher, for any future hearing aid purchase (time limited). It may very well be worthwhile buying some batteries or something first, as a voucher may be sent before you buy!
I sent them the hearing test, including conductive and that lower line for ‘uncomfortable level’. They insisted on all 3 parts. I received a phone call a couple of days later asking about dome and tube sizes, and they arrived within a week.
I immediately took them to the pub! At this stage, I would say they were a definite improvement over the NHS, but not by a lot. I still struggled with speech in noise.
The Audiologist measured me up for slimtips. When they arrived, he transformed them, and all of a sudden I could pick out different conversations in the pub.
I found Wholesale Hearing excellent, although I haven’t tested the warranty.
I would recommend them, but I’d also recommend first, finding a decent Audiologist who is prepared to work on hearing aids not purchased through them.
Peter
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They aren’t locked
Peter
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@Baltazard
His charges included the slimtips and totalled around £900. Worth every penny. I’m pretty sure he put a fair sized markup on the slimtips, but he has to make a profit. Total cost £2900.
He messaged me soon after, and it sounds like there’s a few Audiologists like his, grouped together. They had a meeting and have decided, that these online sellers, have changed their normal policy, and will now work on HAs not supplied by themselves (mine was an exception). He also said I now have unlimited visits for 12 months.
Peter
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Thank you everyone for your help.
I do like @kevels55 's option and I do like @PeterH 's option, but which one is better?
There is only one way to find out:
In nutshell :
Option Boots:
-£2995
-Fully fitted with unlimited 4 years face to face and/or remote services
-4 years warranty
-Boots are almost everywhere in the UK
Online Option (WH):
-£2200 (including free TV connector) (as of 26.11.2023)
-Free remote fitting for 5 years (I assume)
-5 years warranty
-No face to face fitting
Please feel free to add to the list.
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@kevels55 can you use batteries implant version with the Naida UP HA?
Not sure it they are compatible!
Specsavers do the Lumity (I assume you already know this) for £2800. Unsure if they do REM though.
My local options are audiologists like Scrivens or independents who operate out of opticians practices (I’m in Cambridgeshire). I haven’t made enquiries but I assume these outfits come in at at least £3000.
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@glucas Yes I do, but I didn’t have the prices in hand, also, I will add Amplifon (Swindon) which is an EU audiologist chain with strong presence in the UK, not sure about their prices either.
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There is a guy on ebay who is selling the Oticon Real for £2250 with programming and verification. When I say guy I mean an audiologist. I think he is based in Kidderminster (just south west of) Birmingham. He is offering a 6 week trial with a refund minus £100 if you return them.
I would be tempted but all my devices are Phonak, including the Phonak On iN.
@glucas I think, now that I can self programme to a degree, ebay will be my most likely source of purchase for replacement aids.
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Yeah. That would be nice. I’ve used Target as well, but in my case I’ve decided to leave it to the hands of the professionals, preferably using REM as a starting point. I have tried using Audiogram Direct but I think it does not match my curve accurately. That and the need for custom receivers/moulds means the self build model is a non starter for me.
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I believe the CI 675’s are compatible with hearing aids, from what I have gleaned from reviews, normal 675’s don’t last long enough for CI users… Cheers Kev 
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Just to say that I bought a pair of Resound Omnias from Wholesale Hearing a few months ago. The price was very competitive and they ordered what I wanted from Resound on a Friday and delivered them to me fitted to my audiogram on Tuesday. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from them again.
But I do my own fitting adjustments, so I wasn’t bothered with how they set them up. I didn’t need custom moulds and I wasn’t interested in REM. I told them what receivers to supply. I did have a chat on the phone with the audiologist who did the fitting on the Monday and he knew what he was talking about in my view.
Apart from adjustments I do on my own, I like to have advice I can turn to and so I subsequently paid my local Amplifon branch £500 to give me four years of support on the Omnias. It’s on the basis that I pay for consumables, but if something goes wrong, they will deal with Resound for me, give me advice, do audiograms for me and keep an eye on my ear health generally.
So Wholesale Hearing were fine for me, but I can see might not suit everyone.
Incidentally they don’t hold any stock, they buy what is needed from the UK supplier to fill the order. As I said, it was extremely quick for me. Also they don’t lock the hearing aids at all.
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Hi Um_Bongo
I really appreciate your input as a provider.
To give me a ballpark if i approach a local audiologist, what should i expect to pay for REMs? TI had a look at your website and never saw it mentioned as a service. Do you do REMs?
And what should I look out for going wrong?
Thanks in advance
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