There is an excellent post somewhere (!) in this forum by a registered provider, possibly Neville or Stephen Bright (um_bongo). It says in effect, if I recall correctly, although trialing multiple HA’s at once sounds like a good idea, the different new sounds that one is adjusting to with each different HA makes choosing one or the other confusing and a wash. That it works better to see if one HA model can be adjusted to reach a high level of satisfaction for the wearer because you only have one experience to compare, the new fitting after adjustment to the old or the experience before HA’s, not how does A sound relative to B relative to C relative to no HA’s, etc. I may be extrapolating WAY BEYOND what the provider commented. Maybe somebody with a longer history in the forum can find the post I’m thinking about or something similar to “document” my “helpful” comment.
Yes the “brain” can play funny tricks when trying to test a new hearing aid in a short time span. So I do see the “possible wash issue” in trying to test two, three HA in one sitting. On the other hand let’s say some one lives 45 minutes from their hearing retailer and wants to test a new HA. So you have the initial visit to discuss HA’s and then give the green light to order. Then you have a second visit to pick up the HA and program software. If that passes you go home and then come back for a second software adjustment. If that passes then you probably come back and make final payment for HA. So four trips back and forth. I can live with that. But let’s say you’re not happy with ordered HA. So now we start round two with a new HA and it starts all over again. Don’t know about you but heck I’d love too try two or three HA’s all at once (if feasible) and then roll the dice verses eight - ten plus trips back and forth for HA order, testing, return, new testing, new adjustments, etc. Yea the system is not perfect but no one likes making massive trips to hearing specialist over a one, two, three month period if ordered HA’s are not working out. I’d bet when most people buy a car they make only one or two visits to a dealership and then do a deal.
If you want it done right then you will do what is needed, I have always been that way. I have traveled across country to get medical help or even the vehicle I wanted
With my audi, I had to pay up front. So if you’re trying two or three at once, the insurance is only going to defray the cost of one and you’re going to have to pay the whole HA cost of the other two up front. Theoretically, the audi shouldn’t charge you the full service pack for the other two but you might expect some increased cost there for three initial fittings.
The other thing, since someone said that trialed hearing aids are destroyed, is that you’re effectively increasing the cost of HA’s, perhaps if the cost of the destroyed HA’s is distributed around in the charge to people that are happy with their first HA’s. Or why don’t grocery stores allow you to test bite the produce before you make a purchase, etc.
Maybe just as there is room for Lexus’s and Lamborghini’s along with the Yugo’s, there should be a variety of economic options for the rich and the poor. I think we’re talking the Lamborghini option here, not for the masses. Maybe it’s time for concierge HA dispensing. Pay a big up front HA fee each year. Trade in your HA’s for anything else you want any time. That would be the way to go if you’re really well-heeled. 
Hearing aid leasing is already here in some places.
If someone wanted to pay three fitting fees, give a copy of their credit card and sign a form saying that they would pay for any damage/loss of devices, I feel like a lot of audiologists would go for this. I have never had a patient suggest this.
If a patient wanted to book a whole day of my time, test as many hearing aids as possible including neighbourhood walk-abouts and mobile adjustments, I think that would actually be really fun. (Expensive though.)
Well lets clarify a few things for new hearing aid buyer here. No one pays up front for a hearing aid. They pay a “deposit” for a percentage of the overall hearing aid cost. Like $200 or $300 down with the understanding (in most cases) that that deposit can be used towards another hearing aid the “user” might want to try. Also let’s clarify that most HA users do not have insurance to pay for a HA. And if you do have insurance chances are the insurance company will steer you towards one of the cheaper models then the high end. I do envy though anyone who “good HA insurance coverage”. Insurance is a rare animal.
Testing a HA on a trial basis is of little cost to hearing aid manufacturers. I’m talking HA and not ear molds purchase or AU time. That 30 day trial (tested HA), if returned is going back almost brand new, can be re-examined and then probably sold as new to the next unknowing customer. It’s not like you’re putting 300 miles on a new car. And as we all know hearing aid internal guts/parts - are peanuts as far as cost. What we are paying for is the cost for research and development and maybe a “special patent” for that HA you selected.
Yea its a racket since the “masses” don’t wear HA’s but one has to wonder with the baby boon generation now in their golden years if HA costs might drop a little. Maybe not.
Well then I’d say you are being taken for a ride. Reason is when you try a new HA you are testing it - not buying it. Furthermore the risk factor - overall cost factor should not be on the user, unless after the trial period when you say yea or nay. Secondly no HA retailer or HA manufacturer is going to give you a 180 day trial period to test a HA. That unheard of since why would a HA manufacturer want to take back a six month old (used HA)???
See a lot of folks who need HA don’t shop around or ask questions. So Joe Blow spends $6000 for new hearing aids, get run over by car during trial period and then is out $6000 since he paid in full. The risk should be on the HA manufacturer and not the HA user during the test period. No one and I mean no one should pay in full for any HA until they are satisfied with the HA long term and not just 30 to 45 days. Anyone paying full price day one for a new HA is putting the “Chicken before the Egg” and making a Major Mistake.
Well I don’t buy HA from grocery stores but to each his own. I am glad Costco is out there since the cheaper prices they offer put price pressure on HA manufacturers to lower their prices. And I’m sure Costco can do a half decent job with folks with mild hearing loss. Not trying to pick on you but you are telling me if anyone wants to return a Costco HA after 179 days - you can and with a full refund? I find that hard to believe. So gee I could try a Costco HA and wear it for 179 or six months and return at no cost? Then try another Costco HA for 179 days and return at no cost? Almost a year and I get to wear two new HA for free. Doing business like that eventually means the business goes bankrupt.
my Quattro’s have been extremely impressive in background noise. I have severe-profound loss, and I am in very difficult environments - operating rooms with face masks.
I think that unfortunately this relies a bit on the audiologist’s expertise, whether or not they are using real ear measurements, etc.
although resound doesn’t get the biggest following on here it seems, the Quattro’s are impressive devices that should be seriously looked at.
I haven’t dealt with Costco for hearing aids but one of my best friends does have a pair of hearing aids from Costco and she says yes you can return them in 180 days, and I get my hearing aids for the VA it is now 180 days to decide to keep them it use to be 120 day, then before that 90. My friend says that the only issue she has with Costco is getting someone to listen to her about her hearing needs and to make the adjustment so she can hear better. She has tried several different Costco and none of the hearing specialist will listen to her issues, and just tell her to get use to them. That too me is no way to be.
When I go to the VA for help I take a list with me of my likes and dislikes, a long with a list of what is working and what isn’t working. I have never had an issue with my aids not doing the very best that can be done with them, and I have had my aids replaced even after the time limits due to not getting the results needed. That happened with my very first set of hearing aids from the VA.
I’m sure most Costco stores have telephones. Why don’t you give them a call and educate yourself and alleviate your ignorance instead of demonstrating it?
Well you hit the nail on the head with Costco. Yes you will find HA’s with far lower prices at Costo versus private HA dealers. But the place Costco falls flat on it’s face is the audiologist performance and HA testing/programs changes. Costco main business is not selling HA’s so the company is not going to bend over to hire truly professionally trained audiologists to handle someone’s hearing loss. To do that you need someone with a “Dr.” before their last name and several years of experience. Now someone with a mild hearing loss or first time user might just get by with a half way decent hearing specialist at Costco. On the other hand if you have a medium range to severe hearing loss you’re best to go to a professional hearing aid retailer who makes their bread selling hearing aids and not tires and tuna.
Sorry Mark if you bought your HA’s at Costco. Obviously you think a 180 day HA trial period is a big plus rather then some sales ploy. Anyone who has tried or tested a hearing aid knows you get all the answers you want (pro and con) in the first 30 - 45 days of use, if not sooner. Sure there are aid adjustments that are made and different situations you try the HA in - but 180 days to test a hearing aid. That just “sad” to think some store has to say “try for 180 days and return if not happy”. This is what gives people a “bad” image about hearing aids and those who sell them. Thought you knew better Mark?
Believe it or not, this exact view has been covered on this forum. Someone awhile back complained that their audi was gouging them and when the person brought up the price to the audi (“can’t you be more reasonable?”), the audi replied something like Costco is the place you buy toilet paper, not hearing aids.
The overwhelming advice from the forum was to leave the audi immediately, go straight to Costco to purchase the alternative choice HA’s, and while one was at it, to pick up a case of toilet paper and a Costco roast chicken (or two) to boot! (yummy!)
Also, if you look at the CR ratings, which you yourself posted(!), Costco is rated highly both as a place to purchase HA’s and as to the quality of the HA’s they sell. This is from a survey of over 17,000 readers, 19% of whom got their HA’s at Costco. Presumably a lot of these folks shopped around if 1st-time users or are experienced users. Costco carries “defeatured” name brand variants, e.g., no tinnitus control, no remote assistance, etc.
Also, if you read the CR Buying Guide advice in the 1/19 CR report, it mentions that you may just get a hearing aid specialist at Costco instead of an audiologist and CR’s recommendation was for the fitting itself to ask to get hooked up with the resident Costco audiologist.
Glad you had a good experience at Costo. Hey there are lots of “rip off” artists within private hearing aid industry so you just have to pick and chose carefully - which at times hard to do. It will be interesting to see how Costco future sales are impacted by OTC 2020 hearing aid legislation.
I’m also sure if at one Costco outlet where you might be treated poorly that a different store there could be a positive outcome. But I bet (read this Mark), you might see way more turn over in Costco staffing and those who do hearing tests/hearing adjustments. Personally I’d rather build up a long term relationship with a professional AU and Hearing Aid retailer then go into a Costco every two three years and see someone new behind the counter. And many times you have to wonder at Costco - how long has the person been in the hearing aid business and how long employed with Costco. Don’t know about you but if I’m going to pay out $3000 plus I’ll do that with someone who has been in the business for a while versus someone that just got hired last week and has been testing hearing aids for three months.
Jim - we are on the same page. The prices charged for hearing aids is obscene and truly out of control. So more power to Costco for providing a “cheaper” alternative. The only problem is the “hearing aid” by itself can only do so much and at some point you need a trained professional AU to get you the “final” results" you want.
When shelling out big bucks for a HA I want the option to choose from several brands and not just one or two. You think if I’m going to buy a car I’m only going to choose between GM and Ford. Think not. But when you go to Costco you are extremely limited to the brands of hearing aids you can buy. Now I don’t shop at Costco but I like the company and like the idea of buying things in mass quantity on the cheap. Costco is great for large families among other things. But sorry when it comes to “hearing” and find tuning a hearing aid to someone’s special needs - Costco is not my cup of tea.
Sorry Mark if you bought your HA’s at Costco.
I did not get my hearing aids at Costco. Not because I don’t think that there are some competent fitters there but because I want the latest top of the line instruments. I do my research long before I purchase anything as important as a hearing aid and then I make phone calls to various clinics within range and ask questions. And I don’t usually ask technical questions where I don’t already know the answer. I probably spoke with 8 or 10 before I settled on one. And during that time I spoke with hearing instrument specs and Doctors of Audiology that were, IMO, incompetent. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have been better served at the Costco I questioned than at some of the private clinics I interviewed.
Obviously you think a 180 day HA trial period is a big plus rather then some sales ploy.
Strike 2. I don’t personally need 180 days but it may help others and there is certainly no reason to complain about an extended period just because I don’t need to use it. It doesn’t effect me at all. Odd that it should bother you. BTW you might want to check your use of the word “then”. It should be “rather than some sales ploy.”
Anyone who has tried or tested a hearing aid knows you get all the answers you want (pro and con) in the first 30 - 45 days of us
Strike 3. Anyone who has spent a modicum of time on this forum should know that many don’t settle into their aids–especially first time users–for several months, sometimes more.
That just “sad” to think some store has to say “try for 180 days and return if not happy”.
Oh my, what can we do to cheer you up? Does Costco have to say try for 180? How do you know that?
This is what gives people a “bad” image about hearing aids and those who sell them.
LOL. Really? An extended trial period is what gives people a bad image about hearing aids? Not based on what I read in this forum it isn’t. It’s my understanding that if one buys the aids with a Costco credit card that the warranty is extended to 5 years. My gosh they’re really destroying their image with that one.
Would you like me to point out the logical fallacies in your post as well?
I totally accept your point of view. But I do think you were unnecessarily harsh on folks who’ve decided to go to Costco and found it a good experience. Hearing deficits are very complex but many folks are like me and have relatively simple, age-related ski slope high-frequency loss that can be well-compensated in a relatively simple way. As Don joked about playing around with DIY himself, at that level of deficiency, it’s not rocket science - not to say that the more expert and highly trained audiologist you go to, the better off you are likely to be. But one has to remember that the FDA has found it reasonable safe and effective (they’re not supposed to allow drugs and treatments that are not medically effective, etc.) to allow OTC SELF-PROGRAMMED hearing aids. Even the very sophisticated ReSound Smart Fit 1.3 fitting software that allows a highly trained professional to make all sorts of incredible tweaks is basically set up to allow the audi to fit you on “cruise control.” So yes, the more complex one’s hearing problem, the more you need especially expert, experienced, and highly trained help. But the FDA feels that at least an adequate job for many folks can just be done by a software “bot” the user runs.
Exactly. Belittling the experience of others provides no validation of one’s own.