Here is why I think it is a bad idea at this particular point in the history of our industy.
The average person getting a hearing test for, according to the studies done on the topic, for eight years after they begin to notice issues with their hearing. When you combine a hearing system that has been declining for 8 to 15 years, with all of the promises that manufacturers make about their products, it leaves a lot of room for dissatisfaction.
So a person buys hearing aids from a manufacturer, no fitting professional, no one to hold their hand through all the tinny, scratchy, loud sounds that they hear during the first few days or weeks of wearing hearing aids, they will throw in the towel and send the aids back, and put off doing anything else about their hearing for another 5, 8, or 10 years, during which time their hearing is declining further, giving them less chance of success than when they started years earlier.
The value of getting hearing aids from a high quality, seasoned professional is not in the hearing aids, but in the counseling, guidance, and understanding the patient’s complaints and how to adjust for them, and walk them through the process.
Not to mention that the independent dispenser is largely responsible for the success of the manufacturers, and going direct to the consumer is sort of kicking those who helped you become a giant in the industry to the curb.