Worst Audi appointment and worst Costco hearing Center

Hearing Aids
#21

Which province are you in?

Try a different provider. Sounds like you had an awful appointment. Maybe that clinician is bad. Or maybe they were just having a really bad day. Or maybe they were trying to cram what needed to be 2 hours of discussion, demoing and counselling into the 30 minutes that they had.

But frankly, doing a first fit and walking around the store isn’t likely going to be a great experience for your hearing loss. Any of the hearing aids Costco carries should be able to work for your loss, but it needs to be fitted appropriately (custom tips would probably be a benefit). My understanding is that Costco will refund all of your money if something doesn’t work out, so I’d encourage you to dive in with the hearing aid you think you want.

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#22

This is In ONTARIO . Am going for the other Costco branch and hope they will be better.
I agree that walking for few minutes around in Costco Wouldn’t give me the clear view but I just wanted to see how the aid will manage the noise area. My previous Linx2 was just making sounds so sharp in either noisy areas or restaurants.

#24

Haggis. I read the Phonak M70 on Both black box she brought the aids in, on the aid body and when she launched Target 6.0.1.

#25

YE GODS AshFan. Your experience is precisely the reason I have maintained an almost family-like relationship with my audiologist for almost 15 years now. I SO empathize with the callous treatment you endured for something that is stressful enough on its OWN to contend with. I agree with other posters: RAT THIS AUDI OUT at the highest management level. Costco CAN and SHOULD do better.

The thing with buying aids first time around - or really EVERY time! - is that it is a process. You simply have to be close enough to a caring, knowledgeable audi professional whose goal is to get YOU to the point of hearing enjoyment.

Every time my audiogram has been used to pre-program my aids, I go back 4, 5 even more times till I get the nuances as PERFECT as possible. There are so many features with today’s aids that you should end up with a pair that make speech, sound and music as natural as possible. There should not be feedback, LOUD competing noise, poor audio quality, pain/discomfort, or some of the things you ended up with at the Costco.

Consider asking your GP to recommend an audiologist - main thing is that the person has to be competent, caring and there has to be chemistry between you two. Be persistant - this is YOUR money and YOU are the person walking in stereo with these aids. Let us know how it works out.

3 Likes
#26

You made the point. Am looking for such Audi who consider my loss as his. Not just to make sales but also give correct service. No one is perfect but at least trying to.

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#27

It is too bad you had such a bad experience at Costco. Your fitter seems to be really badly informed. I would either try a different fitter (ask for the Manager) at the same Costco, or try another Costco. It sounds like you got a renegade fitter!

#28

I posted the following a few weeks ago about my experience at COSTCO:
My experience with COSTCO may have been unique, so it may not compare with the experience of anybody else. 4 years ago I got a pair of Phonak Brio from COSTCO to replace my OTICON which could no longer be adjusted due to my hearing having deteriorated significantly. COSTCO claimed the Brio was top of the line. The price was significantly lower than getting them from my audiologist. Within the first year, the COSTCO hearing aid dispenser tried to adjust them many times, if one setting had been fine, another program needed to adjusted, which would mess up all the other settings. Once I had to wait for 6 weeks for a Phonak expert to be at COSTCO to properly adjust them. Afterwards the HAs seemed to be failing, they were sent back to Phonak for repair, they were supposedly replaced, and the entire endless settings had be done over again. The next event was that the batteries would not last more than 2 days max. They were sent back to Phonak and supposedly replaced - my question afterwards: If they were replaced, how come they still have the same serial numbers of the original set? Answer at COSTCO: they don’t change the S/Ns. Afterwards, the ComPilot failed and was replaced also under warranty - the new one had different S/N! Eventually I got fed up and went back to my audiologist and got the HAs properly adjusted, for which I had to pay for every visit. Over the past few weeks I have been trying out a pair of OTICON miniRITE for trial and after one adjustment, I have decided to keep them - paying significantly more than anything I would get from COSTCO. I know from several friends that they did not have any bad experience with their COSTCO HAs and I am happy for them.

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#29

It seems some people like you and me Had bad experienced with Costco but you are satisfied with your current aid and Audi now.
Am more convinced that a good Audi with a medium or low level aid would make your hearing much better than a high end hearing aid. And we would be lucky to find one.

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#30

I got an appointment Next Wednesday with the other Costco branch. First impression was not bad as the lady there told me “you have to be free for 1.5 hours as we need to evaluate your hearing completely . We will not rush to give you the right solution “.
So, it seems there is hope.!

#31

What Costco branch (town or city ) is your new appointment with?

#32

Next Wednesday am going to Costco Heartland.

#33

KS 9.0. not available? This is B.S. I live in Vancouver, West Coast Canada, and got fitted with a pair of KS 9.0. last week. My experience so far has been excellent. The Costco branch I use is in Port Coquitlam.

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#34

As you know there are about 6 Costco stores in the greater Toronto area. The Heartland store will I’m sure have a qualified Audi to service you. Before you see her, ask the counter clerk for her business card which should have her title of “Audiologist, Reg. CASLPO” after her name.
I suspect your previous unsatisfactory experience was with an unqualified inexperienced fitter.

#35

And this was my first shock :flushed:

#36

Thanks. You just made me look the business card and yes the card mentioned so.

#37

Good luck with your next appointment!:+1:

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#38

My suggestion would be to send an e-mail to Costco Canada via their “Ask a Question” system. Identify the store, the fitter, and the concerns you had about misinformation. I’m sure Costco would want to know about an employee giving out bad information, and making claims that their premier hearing aid product, the Kirkland Signature 9.0 is not available, and especially being told to buy a hearing aid elsewhere.

I believe the Phonak branded product they offer is the Brio 3. I wonder if you were given one of those that happened to be in a M70 box?

With respect to power, typically all brands come in 4 power levels from standard to ultra power. This includes the Rexton and KS9. When I look at your loss in the Rexton software the M receiver is a bit under powered, but should have lots of power with a P receiver. Here is what the gains look like with a Rexton P receiver, and NAL-NL2 prescription formula, and closed click sleeves.

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Your right ear should be OK with respect to feedback, but the left ear may be a bit of an issue as you only have about a 5 dB margin between the soft sound gain and the blue shaded feedback potential area. If you decide to go ahead with an aid, I would try it first with a closed sleeve, and if it does not work out for you, then have them order a custom mold for the left ear. You can get your money back for the mold if it is not to your liking. They will remake it also based on how it works for you.

I would tell them ahead of time that you want to try an aid with the REM done, and if it is a Rexton with the own voice processing turned on. It really does not take that much time, and you are correct that if they do not do it, you will not know how the hearing aid is going to sound to you. Now if you want to try multiple aids, then the time will start to become an issue. You may need to do it in a couple of appointments.

Oh, and in general, lower level, and lower priced hearing aids do not cut back on power. They most often just have fewer bells and whistles.

Hope that helps some.

#39

Thanks Sierra. Actually, both box and target software showed Phonak M70. Also, she mentioned the same “Costco stopped selling aids marked with Kirkland and now selling Phonak the medium level, Rexton, Philips).
My appointment with other Costco branch changed to be Tuesday.
Re the power, yes am sure you’re right. I had the Oticon OPN with P and was good (except then feedback). Am on trial (which will end soon )with Marvel M90 and have 3M for both ears. I think these are the power for the Marvel!. I hope this appointment goes well

#40

For what it’s worth (if this helps anyone), learned after 28 years of purchasing hearing aids, I MUST HAVE EAR MOLD (NOT SPEAKER) IN EACH EAR attached to quality behind-the-ear hearing aids.

Wax in ear seems to plug up speakers. Easy to keep ear mold from getting wax; HARD TO KEEP WAX FROM GETTING INTO SPEAKER…if speaker in ear.

#41

I also had a very unpleasant experience with a Costco Hearing Centre in Ontario recently. Which Costco store (location) did you visit?
BTW, what’s the Costco price for a pair of Phonak Marvel M70 HAs?