Can I ask how people got theirs insured here in Oz? Cheers
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I lost my hearing aids, got a new pair, found the old pair, was using one old, one new. Didnt know this. Sent them back for repairs. You wouldn’t believe the conversation between Phonak and my audi.
It was something along the lines of them accusing me of theft, accusing my audi of theft, and telling my audi they’d void the warranty. I was an 11 year old kid and didn’t know any better. They didn’t void the warranty, and I sent back the new hearing aids they sent me originally. Thankfully there really wasnt much difference. The old ones were an analog 3 channel, new one was an analog 4 channel. Not much in the way of “premium” features.
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Yeah, using the loss warranty voids the repair warranty on the previous set as a minor way to try to reduce fraudulent claims.
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I got mine insured as part of my home and contents policy (RAC, WA). I had to make a claim too. Felt a bit guilty about that for some reason, so I never tried to add my aids again after that.
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I thought carrying a pouch or case was standard practice, for times where the HA could be in jeopardy.
I carry one but only use it if there’s heavy rain. If it’s light rain I put on my hat.
Do you not take them out at all?
Apologies if this sound basic, I’ve only been wearing hearing aids for about 18 months or so.
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@Bermuda: Please read the quotation in my prior post.
@user199 said their use of the aids was sporadic, hence the reason for the case. This is not the same as your motive of protection.
The general consensus is that we only take them off when showering, sleeping or swimming.
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I lost one of mine on Day 1 of Glastonbury Festival back in 2014. On arriving home I made an appointment with ENT as they were NHS issued. Finally got a replacement 3 months later. The following day I received a small package in the mail, my lost aid had been found and returned by the festival! Stuck a new battery in and it worked! I now always carry my NHS ones as spares when I go away.
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Excellent that they sent them back to you! Not many people would do that. I lost my very first ones I had when I was a teenager… I still have no idea how it happened! And they gave me another set without saying anything. I think now they charge £65 or something (in Wales anyway) per NHS aid if we lose them.
Yeah I once did something even worse, I went out one Saturday afternoon, planned a whole day out, movie, meal at McDonald’s and stuff, got to the movies, felt in my coat pocket, couldn’t find the £10 note I’d come out with! D’oh!
Sad thing was, later in the day, I actually found it, it WAS in my pocket all the time, just stuffed right down.
Me too. Less chance of them getting lost.
I thought i lost my Phonak P90 HA. Found it 45 minutes later at the bottom of swimming pool. Powered it down removing the battery and left it in the battery warmer overnite. Next day it worked fine.
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Ohh I feel for you! I’ve "lost* mine twice and.irs the most dreadful panicked feeling took me 3 hours of hunting everywhere and they were on the floor in my. Bedroom! The colour was a perfect match to my carpet and also pebble stones outside I’d taken them out to use headphones this was pre Bluetooth and I never had connecting devices since they were nhs ones. After that I made 100% sure to make sure I left them in a dish or case and told my husband never ever move them unless it seems like they may fall or something spilt or I go into a panic.
Years ago my childhood dog took my hearing aids off a fireplace and took them into the garden. Woke up to blind fear as I had always left them in one exact spot took my parents scouring everywhere when my mother found them in the grass outside, she didn’t chew them just carried them outside. After that we put them up on a high bookshelf she never did it before or again.
Now I always place my current aids in the charger or if I want to keep them safe from paint, dirt or sweat during work or moisture I have a larger hard hearing aid case from some very old aids I no longer have. They go in that and are placed in a zipped part of my handbag or on a counter in the room I work in. I work alone so hearing aids aren’t always needed when doing super nasty cleaning apartments work or painting them.
If I’m swimming the aids go in the box and are locked in the car in the glovebox with the car locked and in full view…it’s rare to swim but sometimes my husband does take us to our local lake on a hot day.
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I lost ONE of my aids … to an inquisitive DOG. I was spending the night at in-laws, and in the morning reached over to the nightstand for my aids. Hum! One was missing! Then I followed a trail of broken plastic and wire fragments allllllllll the way out the door and down the hall.
I about had a heart attack, cuz I had no backup pair on me and was visiting out of town here for a few days.
Taught me a lot about the need for backup aids. And dogs.
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Lol bluejay 2 of my mum’s pups did that with my NHS ones both were oddly enough her ruby cavalier king Charles but a good 11 years apart between pups chewing them. They both only did it once each and being so far between replacement aid due to each dog being very young puppies NHS didn’t charge me.
Thank goodness the first I can’t remember how he got them the second one he snaffled them from a drawer that was ever so slightly open. Woke up so confused going I know I put them in there. Well I found the aid and battery but it was in both times a replacement situation.her black and tan girl didn’t touch them. However once the rubies hit adulthood I could leave them anywhere and they’d just rest head near them without touching or I’d ask them to watch my hearing aids and they’d rest their paw by them without an issue.
Current Pekinese had absolutely no interest in my hearing aids she’s a dopey girl and not a chewer at 17 years. My cat oh boy anything that dangles resembles laces or moves like a wire or lace it’s fair game so my current aids are ALWAYS in the shut rechargable case overnight. As long as it isn’t moving he doesn’t give a hoot. Animals are funny ones for hearing aids.
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I have a puppy that’s a year old.
These stories have helped me change my habits to keep my hearing aids secure. It’s not my dog’s fault if I leave my hearing aids out where they tempt him. It’s my fault!
I used to have Golden Retrievers. Had 5 of them, one after another. Food on the counter? Nope.
I used to think it took them 2 years to get their brains! Some it took longer.
Another thought–the little batteries. The spare ones need to be kept safe too. Babies and dogs and cats can eat those too.
DaveL
Toronto
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LOL these posts are comforting and hilarious! I’m glad I’m not alone in that special category called “DOG ATE AIDS”. I’m amazed that any animal (short of goldfish?) would ignore a pair of tasty, small aids that smell JUST like their dear owner.
With battery-operated aids, I’d put them in a box inside a drawer. But with rechargeables, I’ll have to make sure the charging base is WAY UP there. Like maybe I should add 13-ft ladder + xtension cord to my travel packing list? Augh.
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Back in my College years, I frequently threw hissy fits, pulled my hearing aid out and threw it down the hole of a Pool table.
It wasn’t directly my fault though, just some complete idiot from London insulting me because I dared to live North of the flippin’ M25.
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I have an android phone. I have Tile app. How do I track my HAs?
I do have two Apps one is Wunderfind, this gives me the range to the nearby bluetooth devices*. The other is Bluetooth Scanner.
*at home Wunderfind shows left aid, right aid, my printer (I didn’t realise it had BT) and two Tile devices. It gives a range estimate with my left aid within 1 metre.
The Scanner has 9 devices. This is a more sophisticated App. It shows my right aid with a 0dBm signal. My left aid shows -60dB though that is actually closer. As the phone is moved so the dB strength changes.
One issue is in a busy street as everyone probably has a BT emitter
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Goldfish hate Phonak Life aids, cause they’re “WATERPROOF”!!