EBay?

Hearing Aids
#2

Iā€™ve bought a bunch of hearing aids on eBay. They were all just great.

Check the seller. There are a few people on there who sell a lot of hearing aids, and at least one has a regular business on the side.

But itā€™s obviously risky, or at least more risky than buying from a clinic.

Do a search on the forum. Someone ā€“ pvc? ā€“ had good tips, like making the purchase through your credit card. You do have some protections with eBay and Paypal if you do it right.

Oh there is one problem, and that is that it might not be so easy to find a clinic to set them up for you. I only went down the DIY route because I couldnā€™t find anyone who would help me.

Clinics will sell you custom earmolds, however. But when it comes to supplies ā€“ receivers, if you need those, or tubes, domes, etc. ā€“ youā€™ll have to get them on the internet, or on eBay. So youā€™ll need to know what you need.

I just bought new from Costco, but I only did that because I lost my last pair, and I wanted the peace of mind, as they say, of the insurance.

#3

I bought a pair of three month old v90ā€™s on eBay for 40%of the Buyhear price. They are perfect just as the seller said. I knew more about my seller than people know about Buyhere although they are now gaining a good reputation. You have to use the tools ebay gives you and keep your business head on. Because the serial number on Phonak tells the date of manufacture I had a leg up on other buyers and used the buy-it-now price. :wink:

#4

. . .and be prepared to get them programmed yourself. I knew the equipment and more importantly the software was obtainable and where.

#5

You could lose $900.

#6

You could save $5000! Self-Programming-Help

#7

Well, maybe $4000 :stuck_out_tongue:

#8

Not for the technically challenged though.

#9

Yeah, it seems best for people who enjoy the challenge and donā€™t mind sorting out problems. If youā€™re looking for a new hobby, great. If your time is precious and money isnā€™t a real issue, commercial route makes sense.

#10

You are correct! The technically challenged ppl should continue with being helped/fleeced by professionals. They have no other choice.

Iā€™m unsure if it was your intention, but you shouldnā€™t trivialize the self programming community. This has nothing to do with a hobby! The ā€œcommercial routeā€ is seriously flawed.

#11

Also on EBay you can find a ā€œHearing Aid Programming Serviceā€. This could be an option for ppl with a typical mild or moderate hearing loss.

#12

No disrespect intended. Just trying to convey that this was a serious endeavor and that it would take a significant time commitment.

#13

Yep, it does take a significant time commitment :slight_smile:

#14

OK, I am not technologically challenged,40+ years as an EE, CE, and ME. But I am OLD, 80, so much of my data base is OLDā€¦LOL
I bought the Resound Linx2 962s, a pair of them, programed before delivery, advertised as NEW, with a remote. Will get them in a week. Much less than the Audiologist wanted. I feel bad because I felt I owed her some loyalty after she worked with me and showed me what I needed, but $6000 is an awful lot of loyalty. (the price she quoted, $5000, was for the 761s, for the 961s she wanted $6700)

#15

Now thatā€™s what Iā€™m talking about!! $6K is definitely too much loyalty. Good work jimisbell.

#16

He asked how he could go wrong not how it could go right.

And not knowing basics like the aids were digital(see his other thread) is not a good sign for self-programming success.

#17

Wrong, right? What the hell is the difference in context of the OP?

He knows they are digital now. Without dropping $6000 to $7000.

Let him come back later and tell us whether it was successful or not.

No need to Pooh, Pooh his decision this early. Unless you are biased.

#18

Some of my past EBay buyingā€¦

#19

You can look at the jimisbell post below to see that his decision is based on experience with that specific line of hearing aids.

#20

I agree, you made a good choice. I myself inquire about going back to my audiologist for programming if I had any issues (backup plan). They agreed, but would charge me an expensive ā€œoffice programming feeā€. Anyway, long story short, after two weeks with self programming, I donā€™t think Iā€™ll ever go back to an audiologist for programming, as I feel I have so much more control. Jimisbell, with your tech background, you should have no issues.

#21

I will report back in a week.

Thanks, now I am feeling good about the purchase. I would like to get whatever I need to self program them. Is the AirLink anything more than a glorified BlueTooth dongle that works off the USB port or does it have some embedded code words to access it?

While I dont think I will need to program them, having the capability would be a good backup. I watched the Audiologist save the current settings and then make changes to the 761s so I know I can always go back if I have the proper software. Also I think the seller who is in Canada would be willing to reprogram them, maybe for a fee, if I wanted to send them back. The $6000 saved would pay a bunch of reprogramming feesā€¦LOL

Also the seller gives a 90 day return policy so I know they will be initially working. Generally speaking, digital circuitry, if once working, will work as well on day 1000 as it worked on day 1 unless mistreated in some way or is a Chinese copy with inferior componentsā€¦

I will report before Christmas. This is my wifeā€™s Christmas to me.