Costco vs. Independent? Hard to stomach spending $7k again

Hearing Aids
#36

My local audiologist is completely independent and she makes a living taking care of her patients, many of whom are elderly. I’m a business owner, who has spent a lot of a time as a VAR (value added reseller) and I have empathy for her situation. I don’t think she is taking advantage of her customers. She provides a lot of ongoing value, often with no charges for it, and she bares a lot of risk, burden and overhead. What she charged me over time was competitive with others in this region, but frankly I didn’t do a lot of shopping, other than deciding that I didn’t want to buy what my ENT was pushing and that he wasn’t the only game in town. I’m better educated this time around.

The marketplace is changing, and her way of doing things maybe headed for extinction, but I say that with some sadness, and there something missing in a purely commodity based world. Ultimately, as a customer, I have a choice, and I will need to do what’s best for me (in this case financially), but I would hardly place the blame on the small local independent audiologist.

Just my two cents.

#37

@kendor

We’re not a big firm either. Family own and operated, in fact, for 25 years. We provide free service for the rest of our patients lives, including in home visits. I’m sorry, but there just isn’t an excuse for charging the patient that much. We’re talking about medical devices that people need to live normal, happy lives. You shouldn’t gouge every red cent you can out of someone for this kind of service.

#38

Progressive glasses only work well if the frame is fitted to your face then the pupils marked out on the sample plastic lenses. If the nose pieces change position even slightly it can result in your lenses not being in the right place for optimum vision. I have had a vendors laboratory substitute new frames for my preadjusted ones and had no end of trouble getting the frame adjustment correct again. I will never accept that again and will send them back if it happens again. I don’t see how the fitting process could be adequately done online.

#39

I can sympathize with a person whose business is under attack. The business models at some point all change. Sometimes, the change is dramatic. Shopping in a big box is different from shopping at a now defunct Marshal Fields. The service changed from Field’s full service model.

@audiometrix_hearing changed there business model long before it was forced. It is apparently quite successful. All the good others need to do is duplicate it. Likely more work and less comfort but the ones who do will prosper.

Looking at the current business model shows an industry that refuses change. It the “it worked before so it has to now” and that’s a flawed view. If you are my age, you have been bombarded by bait and switch ads for aids. “We offer 30 trials at 50% off. Contact us now” is a constant advertising lie. I have to wonder how oligarchy business can exist for so long.

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#40

@audiometrix_hearing was very convincing when I chatted with them and very price competitive. I put the hammer down on the Oticon OPN3s and will report back after I receive them. Thanks to all for chiming in. This totally went in a different direction then I expected.

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#41

We look forward to your feedback.

#42

I would never buy hearing aids online because I feel so much more comfortable having the advantage of having my Costco hearing specialist literally a mile from my home, but when it comes to progressive eyeglasses I have had excellent experience twice buying progressive rimless eyeglasses online from GlassesUSA and I have no connection with them except as a satisfied customer.
(OTOH, when it comes to eyeglasses, my signif/other bought progressive eyeglasses from Costco’s eyeglass department and was very unhappy with the glasses and with the service of their eyeglass department and returned them.)

#43

Of course this makes sense because if you’re going to buy Costco HAs then the natural thing is to have their HIS do the programming for you. But there are people who want HA brands/models not available from Costco, and for those people the online route will save them a lot of money.

I just got my programming device today and was able to get it up and running in about an hour and from now on I don’t have to visit my audi anymore. That’s not to say that people who want to buy online will need to buy their own programming device. The online provider should be able do it for them remotely just as effectively as the audi or HIS can in person. Of all the times I visited my audi and Costco HIS, the in-person interaction that I have with them could easily be done if I were on the phone instead with a programming device sent to my home. In fact I would learn a lot more from the experience at home because I can see everything on the screen and they walk through the programming. In their office, they don’t share what they do on the screen with me. I just sit there twiddle my thumbs while they interact with the programming software.

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#44

Thanks @audiometrix_hearing for taking good care of me. Based on the strength of a really meaningful initial consultation, I decided to put the hammer down on Oticon OPN3 devices. Easy enough to do, as I had a reasonably recent audiogram.

I had fallen into only using my previous ReSound Versos for when I was out of the house, or doing business. So far, I hardly notice the Oticon’s in my ear at all. They sound very natural to me, which is a big change. They are also very comfortable on top of my ears and inside.

My only issue is that the Android app doesn’t recognize my devices. I had low expectations on that, but it would be nice to control the volume from there.

Also, I’ve been using the Aftershokz Titanium bone conduction headset (paired with my computer and smartphone), which works very well with the HAs (and without). That was recommended elsewhere in the forums.

My devices arrived quickly, with a whole bunch of goodies in the box (extra batteries, domes, cleaning instruments, etc…). And of course, they were a lot less money than the first time around, with really no compromise on the product.

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#45

Do you have Bluetooth enabled on your Android phone before you open up the Oticon ON app? It needs to be on for the connection to be established.

#46

I just about fell of my chair when I read this! :smile:
If winning the lotto was as predictable as the answer to this one, then I’d be a billionaire!

1 Like
#47

We are glad to hear you are happy!

Let us know if you need any adjustments or if you want to explore the DIY option.

The bluetooth is finicky with android at this time, but Oticon swears a fix will drop soon.

#48

Yes… Clearly Oticon doesn’t have their act together on Android. I have a less popular (but recent vintage) ZTE Axon 7, and it maybe that unless you have a handful of flagship phones (e.g. Samsung), you are SOL. Because Apple purposely controls their own ecosystem, it’s obviously easier in IOS land…

#49

What do you mean by DIY?

#50

Program your hearing aids yourself.

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#51

The ReSound Forte is not a defeatured Linx 3D it is more of a defeatured Linx 2 or Enzo 2. Costco aids are 1.5-3 years old. If you want an old hearing aid, your audiologist can find one that works as well as any Costco aid but within your budget.

#52

You sure about that? Costco ReSound Forte (Product Information)

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#53

@SilenceIsGolden You are right about the unidirectional direction. Of course we could say that about any business – even when we throw in the communist. And it is even our (consumers) fault. To often, we accept list price where our forebears at least bargained with cars a last bastion. Don’t know how to fix that. If you look up oligopoly, you will see what we are up against in buying hearing aids. Aids are one of the limited areas where restraint of trade applies.

@user22 Would you mind changing your ID to something a bit more informative? As a forum it is hard to keep track of those who are informative with such impersonal ids. Of course that work the other way in remembering who uses FUD.

#54

See that’s the struggle for Providers. Our reps must be lying to us to save face about their products being sold in bargain marts.

We have always been told Costco hearing aids are always at least one, sometimes two, generations behind.

I was also told the Forte was a Linx 2.

However, any good provider can beat costco’s price with a better aid, so it’s not really a problem.

#55

Manufacturers talk about the hardware platform but only in generalities. Taking the Resound aids as an example, the hardware has been used for the last 4 generations. That implies that the difference is software and that the Linx could get a software upgrade to the current model. Of course, that would never happen.

Octicon’s current hardware is new generation hardware and this wouldn’t apply.

Looking at my iPhone 5S from 3 years ago, it upgraded to IOS 11 which will be the last software upgrade it will receive but that dramatically different from the HA model and a very profitable business model.

Android is more like the HA model, mostly. Few vendors upgrade software. This even applies to security problems. The vendors here seldom upgrade software.