Buying hearing aids is - imo - very similar to buying a car. You go to an audiologist, who has contracted with (usually) 2 companies. So they offer those 2 brands. It is unlikely they offer every model offered by that manufacturer. One of those contracts is going to pay a higher commission than the other; so very often, that is the aid they push. If the person doesn’t like it, well, they have another one as backup, to offer. You go to a Toyota dealer and they talk to you about Toyota; they don’t have Chevy, Ford, Honda, etc.
Trial periods vary greatly. With some places it is as short as 2 weeks. With Costco, which seems to have the longest, it is 180 days. With some places you have to pay a small ‘restocking fee,’ so you do not get all your money back. The amount varies. With other places, you get all your money back - that is how Costco works. With a small few places, if you do not like the pair you trialed, you can switch to the other brand they carry, and get full credit; but you don’t get money back if you walk away.
Many audiologists offer REM fitting; a small few offer it for a fee. Costco offers it standard. Folks on this forum highly recommend you get REM fitting.
As I explained above, most audiologists work on commission. At Costco, they pay the fitters a salary. This is why their prices are much lower than anyplace else. I don’t know what you were quoted for those Resound pair, but at Costco you can buy a pair of good brand hearing aids for $1400 to $2500. That is for the PAIR. Costco typically carries 5 different brands, all well known. Their own label, Kirkland Signature (abbreviated KS on this forum) KS10’s are currently the Phonak Paradise, with a few features turned off.
As with buying a car, there are many features available, but not all brands all models offer all features. Investigating what features are out there and sorting out which ones you will use takes some time but helps you get the pair you will be happy with.
If it seems like I am pushing you to Costco, well. yes. The best deal, the best pricing, and good service. My Costco has 3 fitters, 1 is a waste of time, the others are great. If you don’t like the first person you meet with, switch to another person right there. Costco (in USA) does not accept insurance. So if you have insurance, you need to factor that in as you decide where to go. SOME insurance companies will allow you to submit your receipt and they will reimburse you; check before you to rely on that.
Ongoing, with hearing aids you will need domes, and batteries. Depending on the brand, make and model, you may have to replace wax guards every 3 to 4 weeks. Costco offers domes and wax guards free, and the pricing on their batteries can’t be beat.
So you get your hearing aids and head home. Now they are going to need adjusting. It takes some time for new users to get used to hearing again. Plus the aids need adjusting to fine tune them in to your specific hearing loss and lifestyle. Some places include a fixed number of adjustment visits. Costco has no limit. You may need programs set up - press a button and get the settings on the program for when you are (example) at the book club meeting at the local library. This can take a follow up visit or 2.
So you make a list with questions you want to ask, and features you want based on your lifestyel, and start checking with the places near you. What are the terms of their trial period? How long is it? How much is your fee if you have to return the aids? How many adjustment visits are included in the purchase price? What do they charge for adjustment visits after that? How much do they charge for domes? If the brand includes wax guards, how much do they charge for those? Note you can find domes and wax guards online, and save money that way. And batteries you can pick up in many, many places. Or just go to Costco and see what develops there.
Dr. Cliff has a series of videos on youtube which can be very helpful. Here is the one for first time hearing aid users, check his channel and watch a few of his vids: Hearing Aids For The First Time | Things You MUST Know! - YouTube