Costco Kirkland Signature 4.0: FAIL

Hearing Aids
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#1

A few weeks back the in-ear receiver part of my left HA failed completely. Costco replaced it. Now over the past few days the left one is failing again, it’s getting quieter and quieter. I have checked it for wax deposits (none) and have put several new batteries in as well as a fully charged rechargeable. No help, it’s failing.

So I am now at a 100% failure rate for these things (bought two, two have failed, even though it’s the same one twice). I can’t help but think if they were made in Japan:

  1. they’d be much smaller
  2. they’d cost $35.00 a pair
  3. they’d last 100 years

So now I have to make another appt with Costco, wait while they get the part in, etc… At this point I think these things are crap and I should never have bought them.

#2

if it’s the receiver they should keep them in stock… I keep lots of different receivers in my office and simply swap them out. the guys don’t even need an appt. sometimes if I’m booked tight all day I’ll just leave it with the folks at the check-in desk and the guys swap their own.

fwiw, I’ve never seen a receiver fail slowly… generally they are dead or alive.

#3

They didn’t have the receiver in stock last time it failed, they had to order one in. It only took a few days, but still, I was without my HAs.

As for this failure, I don’t know if it is the receiver again. It comes and goes, just like it did last time. I even note though that the tones that indicate things going on in the HAs, and when they communicate with each other, are also affected both this time and last time. It’ll work ok at normal volume for a while, then crap out and go silent, then come back, etc… It’s actually more irritating than if it simply failed altogether, at least then I would take it out and not have to listen to it coming and going. But as it is, I keep hoping it will clear up, but instead it’s just getting worse… ie: it’s crapped out a larger and larger percentage of the time.

Right now it’s not working at all. 15 minutes ago it was fine. But these things definitely have SERIOUS quality issues. I already took back the bluetooth stuff for a refund because it was so bad, I may take the HAs back for a refund too.

#4

I just tried unplugging the receiver assembly from the BTE thing and swapped them side for side, and the left side is still dead, so it IS the receiver again.

Just to eliminate the possibility that it’s actually my EAR that’s doing this, I swapped the right HA into my left ear, and it sounds good (although it doesn’t fit well and the BTE is now FTE), so it’s not my ear either, it’s the garbage electronics that have failed.

#5

if you have already returned the accessories and are frustrated with the aids then you would be best served to return the aids and move on.

as I have read so much about Costco on here I made an undercover recon trip this past week and acted like a regular guy asking a bunch of questions. they did a solid job responding with the little information I offered them. my understanding from them and my research the Kirklands are Rextons which are Siemens. I have fitted lots of Siemens mostly Pure & Pure Caret and lately the younger guys are wanting the imini. the failure rate for the Pures is in line with the rest of the RIC style aids I fit. most of the failures we have with Pures are not totally dead receivers but where the sound becomes very scratchy kind of like a cheap am radio where you can’t get the channel clear.

#6

My Mom’s been wearing the Kirkland branded aids for a while, at least 18 months. They’ve been rock-solid. The right one needed to have the wax guard changed recently, but that’s it.

#7

Been wearing mine for 3 months and love my Kirkland’s/Reston Onyx HA’s. Paid $2K less too.

#8

Went to Costco this afternoon. Once again they don’t have the receiver in stock, so they were going to order one. I suggested they order TWO so that next time either I or the next victim won’t have to wait, so they said they’d order two.

#9

Since this has happened twice, I wonder if there is something wrong on the sound processor end that is causing the receivers to fail.