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Really need advice on making a purchase.

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Hey all,

Looking for some advice, I am looking at making a purchase on eBay on a brand new pair of Phillips Hearlinks. The seller did send me the serial #, and I called Costco, ran them in the system, and said they have never been registered in their system. She also made it very clear that if they were bought at Costco anywhere in the USA, they would be in the system. She also made it very clear that they would not help me with them at all. I understand that I could DYI these as I have found the software and understand the Noahlink, but I would be spending $600 are the aids, $180 on Noahlink,$50 on receiver wires, on something that will not have any warranty? What would you do?

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I’m assuming these are your first hearing aids and you know very little about them? If it’s at all feasible I’d pay Costco the $1600 or so and get a 3 year warranty and good service. If it’s not feasible I’d say look for some good used hearing aids and save even more money, but I think getting full service for your first set of hearing aids would be worth it.

I agree and anyway DIYing your first set of hearing aids is not really viable at all because you need to understand what you are hearing to be able to adjust them successfully.

@KCDANO said:

The seller did send me the serial #, and I called Costco, ran them in the system, and said they have never been registered in their system.

So your not buying from a US seller?

@KCDANO said:

brand new pair of Phillips Hearlinks.

How do know for sure they are new and unused? But I wouldn’t worry about the scaremongering from some random person you spoke on the phone, I’ve never seen “Grey market” Phillips on the market, but plenty of others brands I’ve brought over the years.

@KCDANO said:

but I would be spending $600 are the aids, $180 on Noahlink,$50 on receiver wires, on something that will not have any warranty? What would you do?

I’d first ask the seller for a better price, as for the Noahlink wireless buy one regardless, as you’ll be able to use it on most brands/ models, this will open your options to others on eBay.

Phillips 9050 or older? I just did a search on eBay and only saw one pair of new 9050 from a non-reputable seller (only 2 feedback).

$600 + shipping +tax, $180 Noahlink, $50 wires, $150 on domes + filters (3 yr) + 2nd set of wires (3yr period) = $1000 in 3 yrs (assuming you will keep them that long).

These devices won’t come with a warranty, service, or support from any audiologist in the US since Phillips sells exclusively at Costco. However, if you were considering a non-Costco major brand device set, you might be able to visit an independent audiologist.

For the price difference, I would go to Costco: You get 6 months return policy, professional fitting, unlimited supplies, unlimited help and 3 yr warranty.

Don’t overlook the importance of professional help; in this situation, the price difference is well worth it.

If you made your mind about these aids, get the eBay extended warranty. If eBay doesn’t offer this, don’t bother.

It’s concerning that these devices were offered to you as brand new, especially since they are only sold at Costco in the US. It raises questions about where the person might have obtained them.

@OcramSagev said:

$600 + shipping +tax, $180 Noahlink, $50 wires, $150 on domes + filters (3 yr) + 2nd set of wires (3yr period) = $1000 in 3 yrs (assuming you will keep them that long).

Hold up there, $150 on domes and filters? Not that much, 2nd set of receivers? These last much longer then you think, I have a set with 5 years and still going,the Noahlink wireless is a one off price that would be required for any projects.

@OcramSagev said:

These devices won’t come with a warranty, service, or support from any audiologist

So this the whole point of DIY right, yeah no need to worry about them, everything is available on eBay.

@OcramSagev said:

especially since they are only sold at Costco in the US.

Actually no, all over the world where Costco are, but are also available in some European countries.

So these will be my backup pair, as my main pair is Phonak Infinio sphere I90 Ultra. The eBay seller claims he buys storage units, and these were in a unit he purchased. I due not like that when i called Costco that they show no history at all - so the ? is where did they come from. Being these would be my backups i like the idea of teaching and learning how to program.

In reply to @tenkan

$150/3/12 = $4/month – This was just a very rough estimate and depends how often you change them (I change my monthly, I’ve seen people who change them every 2 weeks). Your wires lasted 5 yrs but I have wires that lasted 1.5 yrs. I’ve learned to be conservative when making estimates. We are not talking big amounts here anyway.

No, the 9050 is not sold outside of Costco. In Europe, outside of Costco, it is called the Hearlink 50 (link below). If the device was sold at Costco, it would be in their DB.

Like you, I enjoy and support and procuring things myself but I also value services and support (including loss coverage) and, as I said earlier, in this case I think the price difference is worth paying for those services.
Hearing aids1

Yes they are 9050’s. I do now have all the Phonak software now and wonder if i should look for a pair of those instead. I have read about people having issues with some of Phillips’ quality.

I haven’t heard that, they are rebranded Bernafons , a cousin of Oticon.
The price of Costco in eBay is lower than other brands. Phonaks are more expensive in eBay than the Phillips.
I found a set of Widex SmartRICs 440 on eBay for $400, nearly in new condition, though it didn’t include wires, which cost $75. Like you, I wanted a set to experiment with and use as a backup. The Widex ended up replacing my Infinios (non-Sphere) as my primary hearing aids. So yes, there are some awesome deals on eBay.
We’ll help you here with the

In reply to @KCDANO

@KCDANO said:

I do now have all the Phonak software now and wonder if i should look for a pair of those instead.

This is the direction I would go.

Pick a good name brand and stick with them. Phonak for example is very available on eBay. Since you have a set of Spheres there is absolutely no hurry. Take your time and find good deals on all equipment needed. There are fantastic deals out there if you just take your time.

In reply to @OcramSagev

@OcramSagev said:

No, the 9050 is not sold outside of Costco. In Europe, outside of Costco, it is called the Hearlink 50 (link below).

So my point was they are sold outside of Costco in the EU is correct, I’m not saying the ones on eBay that the OP wants are from there, just that Costco USA isn’t exclusive, of course these are sold in the UK, Australia, NZ by Costco as well (called 9050)

@KCDANO said:

do now have all the Phonak software now and wonder if i should look for a pair of those instead.

Well the software for Phillips is also available, I haven’t heard that the Phillips have any more issues then others, these are rebranded and use exact same parts as Oticon, Bernafon, Sonic, so yeah as there just for backups then you have plenty to choose from.

I would not recommend them. Mine turn a year old this month and I stopped wearing them months ago.
They do not have an update come for anytime soon they are poor on phone calls and bad in noisy situations. This is my opinion based on my purchase.

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