Refurbished hearing aids being sold as new? Be wary!

Hearing Aids
#1

Let the buyer beware!
This is a sensitive subject, but with the amount of problems I and many other consumers have with “brand new” hearing aids I question if refurbished ones are being fraudulently sold as new, whether by the manufacturer or the hearing aid provider. You can call me paranoid, but it’s time for consumers to request their hearing aid dispenser to unwrap the box of a new set of hearing aids in front of them. I plan on doing this from now. And if they don’t, it’s adios for them.

And if your hearing aids don’t work properly the first time you use them, demand a new set of hearing aids be ordered or shop for another provider. Think about it, why should you accept a defective set of hearing aids from the get go and have the audiologist “repair” them? Would you do that when purchasing any other expensive set of electronics? It’s time for the few or many lazy money hungry business minded audiologists and hearing dispensers to provide the services that hearing impaired persons deserve. Consumers, get what you pay for and don’t feel you are inconveniencing the audiologist. It’s your health and money. Can’t wait for OTC hearing aids to be sold. Say goodbye to the hearing aid dispenser cheats out there! You’ll be out of business very soon!

#2

That IS interesting. I asked to be present for the “unboxing” like with those videos but they weren’t having it. Presumably for them to set them up before my arrival I guess but who knows.
It would be interesting to hear from folks who have done this successfully.

#3

I don’t recall about the box for the aids but they were set up in my presence and using audiogram direct and real ear measurements. I did receive the original box and saw the accessories come out of their boxes. Still have the boxes and containers.

#4

A lot of hearing aids come with a lot of useless packaging, and often we are pre-fitting them in advance. At my office, support staff unboxes, throws away 90% of the packaging, double checks all the serial numbers against the shipping list, puts on the right and left markers, organizes them with batteries, dry kits, informational literature, etc. before I get a hold of them to pre-program in advance of the fitting appointment. If you want your hearing aids unboxed in front you you, make sure to give your provider the heads-up at the time of order.

Also, if the audiologist repaired your hearing aids they were likely broken because of debris in the mics or speakers, or twisted/broken wires. So, user causes. These days the range of possible in-house repairs is quite limited–it’s not like we’re in the back lab soldering miniature circuits. We’re back there suctioning crud out of the microphone ports (a lot of which cannot be seen with the naked eye). If the hearing aid were really a lemon from the get-go it would have to go back to the manufacturer for repair. Even then, a huge percentage of hearing aids that go back to the manufacturer for repair are still going because of debris in the speakers and microphones, or moisture damage.

I have no problem with OTC hearing aids theoretically. Practically, there with be a lot of people walking around with non-functional devices that are full of dirt and grime.

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#5

I would rather the pro set them up in advance, if they have time. I don’t think I have ever had a bad hearing aid component right out of the box.

If you really don’t trust your pro to sell you new hearing aids, may be time for a change. Trusting and liking your pro is an important part of it. It doesn’t mean that you like the person in a way where you would want to hang out. It is more of an appreciation of their skills.

For example, I like my primary care doctor. He is a blunt, sarcastic doctor who gets in my face sometimes. I like that. I don’t want to hang out with him. But I know he is looking out for me, and has skills, and I appreciate what he brings to the table.

#6

Why would any dispenser want to do this?

It would be an easy/obvious thing to check up on too: if you’re that paranoid about it, go to another dispenser and ask them to check the serial numbers for the date of manufacture and warranty period. Even if you get a refurb done they only warrant it for six months, so it doesn’t carry a full warranty.

Apart from the risk of getting into potential trouble with trading standards and the HCPC here for unethical practice I can’t see any reason why you would do it.

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#7

There sure seems to be a lot of criticism of people who are in business and expect to make a living doing so!
If you are in “Business” and are not “Business Minded” you will not be for long. I do not believe there are many audiologists and dispensers practicing fraudulent and deceptive tactics. In my experience, they are performing a valuable and caring service, it is also an honest business service. Being an audiologist is not a charitable or social position. I have dealt with many in this profession and have never come across anyone that I would describe as lazy, uncaring, or doing anything but trying to assist people with a physical problem achieve a better life and making a living for themselves while doing so. I have never been cheated, deceived or received any inferior service.Rather the same, or better service, that I would expect from any health care professional. Thanks for being there, you have improved my life immensely.

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#8

I can see why a provider would have their staff unbox and prep. Perhaps @jossie381 can request she be there for the “unboxing” and return for the fitting. That still would not prove the manufacturer didn’t repackage the aids.
I think the staff would notice if something was amiss in the packaging.

When I looked at the itemized bill for my aids, the actual aids were relatively cheap when compared to the charges that went to the provider. It would be in the providers best interest not to want to be fitting something that may be potentially problematic as that would would cut into their profit margins.

#9

Why would a manufacturer do this?

They would be putting out a potentially faulty aid that they would need to service and could damage their reputation in the process.

For what ? To save less than $100 on component costs, that’s just bonkers.

#10

What typically happens when a client returns perfectly functional aids during the typical trial period because they did not like them?

One can buy a new car that may have been test driven by a number of people before it finds its final owner. In the opinion of the industry it is still a new car.

#11

Actually here that is called a demonstrator and is sold as such at a discounted price and the speedo shows how far it has been driven.

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#12

We trial demo Aids - which have DEMO laser marked on the side of the case. These go back to our stock and then we order fresh aids or use new standing stock upon ordering.

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#13

That would be a selling point over my experience with Costco. Costco policies seem to vary by location.For me one had demo aids for the 10 min walk around in store, the other did not believe in the short “trial”. I presume that if you decided not to take the aids during their 3-6 month trials they would go back to the manufacturer.

The Costco I got mine from had no stock, I had to wait for them to order in. and they had no loaner for when mine went back in for repair. They couldn’t or wouldn’t reprogram my old aids to my latest audiogram to compensate for any changes over the years.

These are things I will consider when it is time for my next pair.

#14

What a beautiful response! Sadly, every profession has PIA clients I suppose.

#15

A ‘Demo’ here is a couple of weeks before you pay, to see if you get on with the aids or swap to another pair. After you’ve paid you get a 60 day refund period, that’s not a demo, that’s a completed sale, but with return potential if the customer is dissatisfied with their purchase.
Fully purchased aids that get bounced by the customer within the sixty days revert to the manufacturer as they aren’t in a saleable condition.

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#16

And then what happens to them? Do they inspect and repackage as new? Sell them as ex demo? (I’ve never been offered ex demos, is that possible to request?) Disassemble and put the components into new cases to sell as new?

My audiologist took my credit card number but didn’t take any money, and I was able to try them for two weeks. If I wanted a longer trial, I had to pay in full. Has the audiologist paid the manufacturer anything at that stage?

I’m interested to know how returns work for the audiologist and the manufacturer. I took the first pair I trialled, but theoretically I could have worked my way through $20,000 worth of aids, then said I liked the first pair I tried 3 months ago. If I did that, would I end up with the actual pair I tried, or would they have been sent back by then? And is the audiologist out of pocket for any amount per rejected trial pair?

I’m also interested to know how many customers do that. Are there many who don’t end up taking the first pair, or any pair at all?

#17

I’m speculating here based on returning a hearing aid accessory to Costco. It was not returned to the factory but they filled out special paperwork noting it was not for resale. I assume they were going to use it to demo to customers who were interested. It wouldn’t surprise me if some returned hearing aids don’t meet the same fate, perhaps explaining why they sometimes have demos and sometimes don’t. (I’m using demo to mean trying on for a short time while in store)

#18

No, returned product is just written off. You can’t resell this product. It’s deemed a production loss, like a returned ITE.

I guess theoretically it coul be used as demo stock, but I wouldn’t want something with potential quality issues as a Demo for a new customer.

#19

Really? A $10,000 pair of aids rejected by a client after a short trial just goes in the bin? Is the audiologist out of pocket at all for them? Do they actually get returned to manufacturer?

If this is how it works then the production cost must be very low, a few dollars, and the sale price must be mostly covering design costs, which aren’t lost if a pair is discarded.

#20

Well, the low cost to produce nails it. Purchase price has no relationship to cost to produce. Software production cost are a different category but relates as a percentage to good sold. For returns, that can be looked at as zero.

Several years ago, the VA disclosed what they buy aids for. It was around $270 each which evidently gives a decent profit to the industry based on quantity sold. So the rest of it is business expense and controlled markets.