I think it would be good for everyone to stay away from ad hominem attacks. If you read the Forum Rules, you can be banned for engaging in it. I’m guilty of tartly replying to a poster or two and have thought better of it afterwards. One thing one can do is open a Notepad like app, write all the vitriol you’d like to get out of your system, then save it to a folder like “Messages Not Sent to (wherever)” That way you can vent - but privately.
They say in discussing differences, negotiating, it’s hard to get the other side to come over to your point of view but what one can often hope for is to at least move folks closer to a middle ground by degrees. So that’s something to keep in mind in debating - you’re not likely to convince someone with opposite views to accept your side but at least they might come closer to peering over the fence that divides you and understand your point of view in a more reasonable way, hopefully.
A lot of posters post things only from their own view point. And that gets old real quick. I’m not knocking anyone who buys HA’s at Costco and don’t mean to be harsh on a company that does in fact provide HA’s at substantially lower costs I did mention that earlier. It just that some poster here can’t see the forest for the trees and don’t want to point out some of the (negative) reason’s Costco can offer cheaper hearings aids. Like large retail stores - bulk warehouses having extremely high turn over in staff personnel. Do you really want to spend $2000 plus on Costco Hearing aid then then find out shortly thereafter the person that tested your hearing and then sold you a hearing aid left Costco? Do you think the replacement hearing specialist will stay long term? Remember a HA should last five, six years before it might need to be replaced. Personally I like the fact that my AU has been around for fifteen years and is not going anywhere for the next twenty years. That’s piece of mind - which I’m not sure you get at Costco.
But hey this could all be water over the dam because in late 2020 Walmart could start offering OTC counter haring aids and then we will have a new company we can praise or complain about. Just think about it - Walmart selling hearing aids to the masses, with ? kind of customer support service to back it up. Oh I know - Walmart will offer a 190 day test period and if not satisfied you get your money back. What a JOKE
Starting to wonder if poster’s here have multiple names? Sure seems like it. Also starting to wonder if those same posters with multiple names think they rule the world? Or at least rule Hearing tracker.
No just someone that doesn’t like the way you are such a disgrace to this forum and to a friend.
Craig you most be a very lonely person because I cannot see how you could ever have any friends.
Overoaked - thanks for response. I guess I hit a nerve with an earlier poster who said he paid full price for new hearing aids before testing them. I also received my last HA’s (worth $5000) without putting down a deposit during my test trial period. My AU trust me and vice versa. At the end of the trial period I bought the hearing aids. Yea Costco hit a nerve with one poster who then attacks me with multiple names. In time I will be able to tell the true posters here who want to share relevant HA information versus those who want to post BS.
The only question is whether you want to. What others do or don’t do is really none of your business. You don’t want to use them so you don’t use them and that needs to be the end of it. Others have their reasons for going there that are just as valid as yours for abstaining and really don’t care what you think. Why should they give a damn about the opinion of some know it all stranger on an internet forum who has no vested interest in anything they do?
Every clinic within 100 km of mine charges the full cost for the hearing aid at the time of delivery and offers a refund minus a fitting fee if they are returned. The alternative is to send patients to collections when they run off with your devices, which is a hassle and a half. I’m sure there is a lot of variability around the world, but I would guess that paying up front is generally the norm.
The rep of our main manufacturer reports that every hearing aid returned to them is junked.
We refund the families of patients who die shortly after purchasing hearing aids. Depending how far out it is, most manufacturers will offer a partial refund.
When everyone around you is getting irritated, the most rational response is not to assume that they are all one person.
Gee now Mark and Neville post almost identical posts. Have to report that to Hearing Tracker since we now have one “nerd” using several alias names. Sad that people posting here can’t just use one poster name and move on. Keep posting Mark (I mean Neville) and “B the Fool” that you are. Oh and please keep cutting and pasting like a three year old.
I think if you read a variety of posts by these different forum identities, it will be clear that they are distinctly different people. OTH, it seems strange that you can’t imagine your posts might stir up more than one person.
There is a very famous American short story by the 19th century writer Stephen Crane called The Blue Hotel. It’s about a stranger that comes to town in a midwestern Nebraska cowtown back in the wild west. The stranger, being a Swede in the American West, has increasing problems as the day passes fitting in with the locals. I had to read the short story along with a lot of others in a college humanities class. But whenever I’ve stumbled into a difficult social situation, I’ve thought of that short story and what it says about the group vs. the individual and how atavistically harsh a group can be to a stranger in their midst when there are increasing misunderstandings.
Here’s a plot summary and analysis of The Blue Hotel:
And since the story was published in 1899, it’s entered the public domain and is available to read in its entirety on the Internet, here from Washington State University:
You’ve posted some very interesting and useful information in the past. Why not chill out and not insist on duking it out with anyone? Don’t mean to suggest that you’re the Swede in the Hearing Tracker cowtown. It’s just a famous literary example of things flying out of control when someone stirs up a group by being very different and contentious for whatever reasons and generating a positive feedback loop, so to speak. I recommend the story to anyone who hasn’t read it. It made a lifelong impression on me.
As opposed to what? This is an internet forum where people discuss their real world experiences; look for answers; share solutions; relate experiences both good and bad and often look for answers to a multitude of questions—some of which are as simple as “is this normal”? And though there are some general rules that are universally applicable, sound is a very subjective thing making personal experiences anything but universal and certainly not authoritative in any sense. The only exception to that are men like Neville, um-bongo, rasmus braun and others such as them who are practicing audiologists and qualified to speak objectively and authoritatively. And they’ll be the first ones to tell you how difficult it can be to help the hearing impaired.
What no one needs is a presumptive know it all telling them what they need or criticizing and belittling them (if only by implication) for what they have done.
I haven’t read this thread in detail, but wanted to correct one glaring inaccuracy. Costco is not particularly limited in the brands they offer. Sorry to be repetitive for knowedgable readers, but they offer Bernafon, Phonak, Resound, Rexton and their house brand, Kirkland which is made by Rexton. That’s 4 different manufacturers. Many private audiologists offer just one brand.
I’ve never seen a place in my area that worked that way. Either you tried the demo pair for a few days, less than a week, or you bought them with a specified return period.
Yes, Costco has a 180 return period. Costco does much more than a half-decent job on severe-profound losses. See my audiogram as an example. They have excellent hearing aid models and state licensed pros.
Do you mean your pro doesn’t offer roasted chickens and pizza??
This is why the (in general) the hearing aid industry is so screwed up. There is no “standard” what so ever from one HA retailer to another HA retailer. Be it ordering HA’s, testing HA’s and paying for HA’s. In any case I’ve found that (by far) the majority of HA retailers (excluding Costco) sit down with a customer and after reviewing hearing level discuss options for trying/purchasing a new hearing aid. Once a specific hearing aid brand is decided the HA retailer orders that HA from the manufacturer. In most cases a contract will be signed stating the HA user has X amount of days to test HA and decide if he or she wants it long term. And the cost to test that HA is $100 to say $200. Maybe a touch more for two HA’s.
I’m not sure I’d want to test a demo unless it was just a chance to “try the HA of interest” before ordering for a 30 to 60 day trial test. A demo might to not give you the “hearing answers” you are truly looking for. And if you wear a “shell mold” a Demo HA won’t work - unless you have a shell mold made before testing. And as I’ve said early you don’t pay full price for squat - unless you want to run the risk of being locked into some bogus contract that can burn you short term or long term. Costco excluded on this, though I’m not sure Costco is going to be in the HA business long term if lots of customers return HA at the end of a 180 days.
I think the key thing some people are missing here is the word “Test”. And in my opinion when you “Test” something you don’t pay full price for it. You are trying some item or gadget or HA on a “test trial basis” that does not or should not require full payment. Seems to me Costco HA customers are tying to defend Costco full payment up front by adding the 180 day return policy. So one bad cancels out one good.
If Costco was more “consumer friendly” they would charge $200 to test a HA for 45 days. If HA is returned then maybe a refund of $75 to $50. If HA purchased then user pays in full, with option to return in 180 days for full refund if not satisfied with HA. Now that is what I call fair deal - but maybe the masses think paying out $2000, $3000, $4000 up front is just peachy.
There is no need to do it that way and I don’t know any place who does it that way. Costco has a painless return/refund process, so it would not be beneficial to go through the imaginary paid test process. You have a much longer period in which to work on adjustments and fit and if you decide to return anytime in the first 180 days, they refund 100% of what you paid. I’ve done it, going right up to day 178 and received a full refund.
