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My experience at Costco and my problems with my Pro 20 hearing aids

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I purchased a pair of hearing aids Pro 20 from Costco a little less than a year ago. For over two months I tried to get an appointment because I didn’t hear very well. I finally go to to see them. At the counter they changed the buds and the small clear wire frm the hearing aid to the bud. They did not vacuum clean them. When I saw the audiologist I said I thing the hearing aids don’ fix right. She ignored me. I said I can’t hear very well. She tested my hearing and then took the left hearing aid apart and changed some parts. I told her I cannot hear people sitting around a dinning room table, can’t hear women or people with accents, and can’t hear anything in a room with people talking. She said hearing aids are not supposed to make you hear as you did before. She ordered a devise that can sit on table to make the voices louder so I can her people speaking at a dinner table. When I got home, I went on line ad saw the new Pro 30 was now available. I saw a message that said you can exchange the pro 20 for the pro 30. I called them and they said you have to but a new pair. They don’t know f any exchange program. I also found that my hearing aids now ring because I believe the wire they put in was shorter than the one they had put in before. I also now see that after only 8 hours my hearing aids stop working.

Thet are not that easy to get to see since I had to wait two months and then when I saw them they didn’t seem to be very friendly when I told them my problems.

8 people in this conversation8 min readJump to latest

Sorry, you have had a bad experience at Costco. My only complaint is that I don’t know which my Enhanced Pro 30s require. Yesterday, my left hearing aids volume decreased so I changed the open dome and the wax guard. When I used the end of the tool to try to remove the guard, it came apart and I couldn’t get the end out of the receptacle. I headed to my Costco, and the woman cleaned them and replaced the guards. When she returned them, she told me those were the wrong wax guards. They looked the same as the ones I received when the hearing aids were fitted in May. A small black stick, with the new wax guard on one end. She gave me a small pouch with a few smaller sticks which I haven’t looked at. I don’t know who’s on first, nor what’s on second. The previous domes and wax guards came in a clear plastic envelope. These came in a very small case.

In 15 years with Costco, I was refused a cleaning without an appointment only once, when they were short-staffed and very busy. I’ve gotten cleanings and more and domes at 2 local Costcos in Illinois and 4 Costcos in Massachusetts and Nova Scotia. I also got the wrong wax guards once.:blush:

Would more assertiveness help? I’ve never had to wait for an appointment when my aids weren’t working, though I have had to pay for receivers (the wire leads) when they failed out of warranty.

If my aids weren’t working and I couldn’t get time with staff quickly, I might demand, nicely, to talk to the store manager. If I weren’t happy with a staff member, I’d refuse an appointment with them if there’s an alternative. I won’t let one of my local store’s staff do anything for me except to make an appointment or clean my aids.

Please don’t read this as blaming the victim. We shouldn’t have to be more assertive than to ask for help. But sometimes being more assertive helps a service provider be more helpful.

Costco does refunds. So when you said exchange, that is where you gave them an out. Now they should have understood what you wanted, and I would write a letter to corporate explaining your situation and ask to return the hearing aids for a refund.

If there is another Costco you can go to, then that is also an option.

@JeraldGreenberg On returning for credit or “trading in” your hearing aids at Costco - at least in the USA - you have 180 days, or just under 6 months. This should have been discussed when you purchased, along with a wtitten contract provided.

Your recent experience was indeed a poor one. Making occasional adjustments to your hearing aids’ programing is very normal and pretty much expected in my experience. Especially during the 3 year warranty period.

In reply to @philbob57

I have to wonder if the distance between Costco warehouses may be too great to easily go to another Costco. Note there is another post where the individual has to drive 200 miles round trip to go to another Costco.

And yes, sometimes you have to bring out that inner-junk dog.

In reply to @philbob57

Overall, considering their price, their volume of hearing aid customers, and their warranty and refund policy, I’m amazed at what a terrific job Costco does with their customer relations. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, last summer, Costco is the U.S. largest purveyor of hearing aids besides the Veterans Administration. Obviously, sometimes you might have to wait as long as ten days for an appointment with your hearing aid professional at Costco’s, or have to wait more than 30 minutes for them to clean your hearing aids, but remember that you paid more than a 50% discount over going to a private hearing aid clinic. My veteran friends informed me that the wait for the for hearing aids is a very long time.

I have private insurance and I still decided to go to Costco rather then use my insurance for the following reasons. One of my coworkers used our insurance and he had the following experience. First he had to pay for his annual $1,500 individual out of pocket cost, then he had to go to a listed clinic in the local area, they offered him three levels of hearing aids. And, he chose the middle level, and he only received a thirty day trial period. Also, the insurance only paid for the first $3,000 USD, and he was required to pay $1,500 on his own. Obviously, Costco cost me $1,600 for my Jabra Enhanced Pro 30s, with a three year warranty, and loss prevention coverage. Costco was a better choice for me. I didn’t ask him about his follow up care.

While my experience with Costco has always been good, realistically there are always people in any practice who are less willing and/or less skilled. So my question would be, at the Costco OP is going to, is the unhelpful person the only one in the hearing department? If not, make an appointment specifically with someone else. If that’s not possible, is there another Costco you can go to? If so, make an appointment there.

As to taking back 20s so you can get 30s a year later, that would have to be the manufacturer’s policy because it’s not Costco’s. Even in Costco’s 180-day return period, that what it is. You have to return the first aids you got and then purchase others. So if an exchange is advertised, that has to be from the manufacturer. I’d try to contact them with that ad about it in hand.

As to some of the problems OP is having, difficulty with background noise seems to be the most common complaint we all have with hearing aids. I also have a bad time with accents. Calling some helpline manned by people from India is a total waste of time. I often see mention of the accent problem from others too. Hearing people around a dining room table would depend on the size of the table for me :slight_smile: and again how much background noise was involved.

The 180 day return and refund policy is directly from Costco. I know from experience because I traded my Jabra Enhanced Pro 20 hearing aids for the newer Enhanced pro 30s within the 180 period. It was an easy exchange. I made an appointment in advance with my hearing aid specialist so she could get the new ones programmed to my proscription. Then, one of their people and I went to the return desk and I took the money in the form of a gift card. When the new ones were fitted, I used the gift card to buy the new ones.

@Flyboybob said:

The 180 day return and refund policy is directly from Costco

I had the young lady at the counter tell me today that the timer starts when you first pay for them.
I replied that that is BS.
You pay for them, wait a couple of weeks for them to come in. Then wait a few more weeks for the audi to get back from vacation. Then wait for an opening in the schedule to get fitted. 3 weeks more for the first adjustment.
I suggested the clock starts clicking on delivery. I’ll have to go through their contract with a fine tooth comb.

My initial complaints were never resolved. Being told to call the manufacturer for support is not acceptable. Today they gave me a business card for Jabra / Resound.
The service with my prior hearing aids invoked a letter of praise to both the store manager and the Canadian head office. A rarity in this day and age,
This time I’m leaning towards a letter of complaint to both. Plus the Audi’s regulating body has a complaint process which I will invoke if I continue to be lied to and ignored.

I don’t take the last item lightly. I spent my career in a health profession. I know first hand that a complaint to their regulating body will end up costing the Audi about two weeks of their time. Longer if I choose to drag it out through the entire process.

He better hope that his record keeping is as good as mine.

Jerals that “dinner table” problem is a description of classic hearing loss, the problem with women is classic high-frequency hearing loss, the problem with a room with people talking is a classic sound-in-noise problem. Saying hearing aids are not supposed to make you hear as you did before means that YOU should never go back to that practitioner. You are not getting basic service to tune your aids. If you care to take my advice, shop around and also don’t give up. Tuning is key.

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