I purchased the Specsavers Advance Hearing aids in the UK at the end of November 2024. I don’t know the model but they are White label Signia. Since the purchase, the left hearing aid stopped working and the receiver was replaced. The the right hearing aid stopped working completely and had to be sent back. The right hearing aid has again stopped working. The hearing aid connects to the app and is fully charged. I have tried changing the wax guard. The hearing aids are receiver in the ear. I think that this is unacceptable and I am thinking of returning them. I don’t know whether to go for a fully branded model from Specsavers or to go to an independent audiologist. I live in the Blackburn Lancashire district of the UK. Can anybody recommend any independent audiologists or particular hearing aid brand/model. Bluetooth connectivity is important to me, as is increased understanding in situations such as eating out and socializing. I do suffer a lot with ear wax and itching with the silicone domes.
Hi Brian,
Sorry to hear that you are having troubles.
I live in Shropshire and use Spec Savers to supply me with HA’s.
I can only say that I have always bought Phonak hearing aids and they have given me outstanding usage.
One thing I have learnt though, the HA’s cannot function as well as they might without a experienced audiologist. My experience is that Spec Savers do have experienced audi’s.
If I was in your position I would request a meeting with the owner of the Spec Savers branch you bought your HA’s from and tell them what has happened keeping your cool. Also mention that you are a member of this forum and that your case has a lot of interest on the forum.
Anyway, the hearing aids should have a manufacturers guarantee for a year, shouldn’t they?
In which case its up to Spec Savers to sort out the problem.
Personally, I would ditch your present HA’s and go for Phonak, based on personal experience.
Please let us all know what happens,
Regards Pete
- and good luck
Hi Pete,
Thank you for the advice. I have 90 days where I can change the hearing aids or get a refund. The audiologist that I saw at the beginning and after the first breakdown was unfortunately inexperienced. I had asked what brand the hearing aids were based on and he told me Phonak. I was pleased about this as I been looking at Phonaks. When I got them home and checked the app and manual it was obvious that the were a white label Signia. At my last appointment at the beginning of January I saw an experienced audiologist. I have an appointment on Wednesday, will see how I get on
Hi Brian,
May I suggest that you speak to the owner of the store instead of to an audi. initially.
When I had a pair of faulty spectacles, I saw a consultant who told me the frames needed to be bent ???
She then bent the frames with some long nosed pliars.
I got home and the lens dropped out again.
I returned to the store the same day because one was getting slightly peeved to say the least. 
I insisted on seeing the owner (Specs Savers are a franchise I suspect)
He did admit to the frames I had were being returned by other customers because of the lens dropping out of the frames. The consultant did not know this.
He said that he would authorise free frames replacements. RESULT !!!
The same applies to you. You will not receive a satisfactory outcome so readily with an audi as you will from the owner.
Based on my experience, may I suggest you follow suit.
Further suggestion. Ask for a refund and then buy genuine Phonaks 
Pete
Hi @Brian58 I gave up on Specsavers some time ago, or rather they gave up on me, after trialing 3 sets of aids. Never looked back since going to Costco almost 4 years ago, they have been superb. If you can, give them a go.
In fairness Barry: swapping one sheep-dip provider for another isn’t likely to elicit better (or worse) service. It’s lucky dip whether you get seen by an experienced individual over just whoever is manning the counter. Fortunately you had a better experience.
To the original poster, it sounds like there’s a wax management/service issue going on. Early life receiver failure can happen - like puncturing a tyre on a new car. It might be the product, but you need to be dealing with a provider who will actually resolve your issues. Feel free to ask for your money back or swap out to a branded model if it helps. Or go somewhere else where they’ll look after you.
Hi @Um_bongo I do understand where you are coming from. I have used both Costco Glasgow and Edinburgh, different members of staff but both with BSc(Hons) degree in Audiology. I know that does not necessarily mean they are good at their profession, obviously it needs to be combined with experience and customer care, and most of all customer satisfaction. I found that at Specsavers, testing was sketchy, and at that time no REM equipment for verification. Costco was a vast improvement, everything good from first fit.
Fair enough; I’ve employed a few Audiologists over the years.
Some of them can sell, some of them can fit, some have a good understanding of the pathology, some of them have good physical skills, some of them have good interpersonal skills and some have good clinical skills. A degree gives them about 40% of the training to do the whole job: and if it was from the NHS, it’s likely they only really learned one or two product lines well and one fitting system.
Add to that; 50% finished in the lower half of their cohort.
Costco is another sheep-dip operation - perhaps with better staff requirements - but chair time and margins are what’s important. If they manage to keep your aids on you through fewer fitting errors, then that’s working for them.
I could get a membership at Costco. The only fault is the nearest one is about 30 miles away. A long way to go for repairs or amendments etc.
I
I have to travel 22 miles to Costco, but worth it. Also same distance to my closest Specsavers.
Hi Brian,
How did you get on at your appointment at Specsavers
Yeah @Brian58, everything is relative, up here in the Highlands, 50 miles away, is just down the road… My nearest Costco would be over 200 miles away, in my book, that’s a viable option, if I was stuck… But, I am unsure if they cater for profound losses? Fortunately, I’m not stuck, Boots Hearing Care have a couple of branches in Inverness, 30 minutes by car. I know both Audioligist’s, both are excellent A.uD’s, so it’s a no brainer to go there… As for Specsavers, I wasn’t impressed by their Audiology service, which leaves me looking for somewhere else to get my glasses now, I will not be back… Cheers Kev.
Yes Kev, When I first purchased my KS10’s it was from Glasgow branch of Costco, a round trip of 120 miles from Peebles where I live. Also returned for 2 follow up appointments. Easier for me now Edinburgh has a hearing centre. I still think it was worth it, saving almost £2000 on the near equivalent Phonak Paradise.
Hi Pete, I actually had a telephone call the day before. They wanted to change my appointment to 14:30 that day. I couldn’t as I was working. I did however express my disappointment with the Signia based hearing aids, which incidentally started working again two days later. Although the right hearing still stops working when the rechargeable battery level reaches 60%. I think that Specsavers might have read my post on here, it transpired that my appointment was with the inexperienced audiologist that I mentioned in the post. The audiologist told me that the call was from the director.
I have decided to trial the Specsavers Advance Elite version of Phonak, guided by advice given on here, as I still have plenty of time left on my trial period. If they are no good I will step up to branded hearing aids. I quite like the reports on the latest ones with the AI chip. However, I do were glasses and have quite small ears, with very small ear canals, which might be a problem according to an audiologist review on here.
If I do go down the branded route I might look into going to an independent audiologist to find the best combination of service/price. Specsavers have been understanding of my situation
Hi Brian,
That’s great news. I saw from the list on the forum that Phonaks are the top of the list as the best HA’s. I’m sure you will have success with the Phonaks whatever model they are.
I don’t really understand, if Specsavers have been understanding of you situation why you should go down the route of going to an independent audi., but if you do, make sure they can provide the same backup as Specsavers, namely a 90 day trial period, 4 years backup and an annual assessment.
Keep us posted please, on how you get on with the Phonaks.
Pete
All in the “ear” of the beholder!
Thanks Pete, I will. I don’t think that Specsavers stock the latest Phonak aids. The audiologist wasn’t that clear. That will be a bridge to cross if the Specsavers branded ones don’t work for me. I am hoping that they will.
Hi Brian,
Not a week and a half ago I bought a pair of Phonak Audeo Spheres, I90, from the Specsavers branch in Shrewsbury. Aren’t they the latest HA’s from Phonak? If they are, it sounds as if the audi. might be “Learning on the job”, which speaks volumes.
From observation of your postings, maybe your Blackburn (?) branch of Specsavers need to pull their fingers out and their socks up and improve their audio capabilities and administration procedures, although they are trying to help you but have not got a really experienced audi…
Which brings me to another question for everyone on the forum. How does one discover who is an experienced, qualified audiologist in the UK?
Regarding my I90’s, with help from members on the forum, I am having lots of fun and experimentation with Noah and Target and I have improved the hearing capabilities of my HA’s.
Some oracle, on the forum, said that the audis’ set up was not the holy grail. How right he is.
Pete
Hear hear.
Very true
Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing Pete, an Audiologist might work wonders with one client, and struggle with another, hearing loss is such an individual thing, some losses can be similar, but never the same, so it’s very difficult to quantify… I have over 30 years dealing with various NHS & Private A.uD’s, upon meeting a new private A.uD, I will ask a few pertinent questions, much depends on their answers whether I stay or walk? Suffice to say, it all comes down to experience, and as we all know, there isn’t any substitute for experience! Cheers Kev.