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Oticon Warranty

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In reply to @alpine1

That looks like it broke due to user error and not a manufacturing one, at least to me. I had my Oticon ’s for almost 4 years before I had an receiver failure and the wire was in perfect shape, just the speaker failed.

In reply to @Psocoptera

@Psocoptera said:

Four years for a RIC receiver with wire would be exceptional from my understanding. Average is more like 12 - 18 months for most brands.

Perhaps, but I am pretty religious about changing the wax traps and not pulling them out by the wires. I bought the new receiver from the people that handle my cleanings and their price was basically what I could buy them for online.

Thanks! Good point! I’ve seen some provider not providing the ear lock with their OPN. But I do have it on mine. So I’ll start using this practice now going forward.

In reply to @alpine1

Not so much (the American way). I purchased a pair of Starkey and moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area a year later. I had a problem with one of my receivers and visited one of the local Audiology offices near my home. The audiologist checked the hearing aids, and replaced the bad receiver free of charge. He also did a free hearing test and re-programmed the hearing aids for me, again at no charge. I have returned to their office several times, and have only been charged once, and that was for new receivers with earmolds, which I probably needed to begin with. Why the great service? They hope to eventually sell me a new pair at $5 - 6,000/pair.

In reply to @Volusiano

Oticon receiver change is actually pretty simple compared to Phonak. Phonak’s contact pins are a bit smaller and require a bit more precision to line up, made even more difficult with age and or sight issues.

This is the 3rd pair of I’ve bought online. Albeit the other 2 were Phonak I never ever had to mail in the entire unit (s) to get receivers replaced under warranty. I’d call up asking for receivers and the replacements were mailed out immediately. I do understand that Oticon may have a different warranty procedure. I also understand that there’s a thing called the written procedure (I was a store manager for 13yrs @ a True Value) and the way things get done procedure. Given the size of this online provider and all the hype he put into his model here one would hope they’d take a different approach to receiver replacement. Without question I’ll be finding a different way to have the important warranty repair work done. As far as receivers they are not that expensive and as @pvc has shown (time and time again) there are many way to accomplish a goal.

In reply to @daryl_spindlersr

@daryl_spindlersr said:

Not so much (the American way). I purchased a pair of Starkey HAs and moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area a year later. I had a problem with one of my receivers and visited one of the local Audiology offices near my home. The audiologist checked the hearing aids, and replaced the bad receiver free of charge. He also did a free hearing test and re-programmed the hearing aids for me, again at no charge. I have returned to their office several times, and have only been charged once, and that was for new RIC receivers with earmolds, which I probably needed to begin with. Why the great service? They hope to eventually sell me a new pair at $5 - 6,000/pair.

Now there is an audiologist who understands the meaning of good will and karma!

In reply to @Coroplast

I would hardly call the $Au11,000 I paid for these “free” and I remove them exactly the way my audiologist instructed - included replacements are not “free”; they are included in the price. Even though my stethescope regularly squashes the wire, my first pair of wires lasted longer than the average user and a lot longer than the predicted 6-12 months that my audiologist suggested. Electric cords are made quite differently and there is no comparison.

I have no desire to have a lock sitting in my outer ear to potentially irritate it if not necessary.

Edited

Oh, you are absolutely right, they are not free but part of your service agreement.

Now telling me that the audiologist said so is a logical fallacy known as the appeal to authority. It is not sufficient that a person be an authority they must also be right. Pulling on those skinny little wires seems more pragmatic than correct especially when an alternative exists.

To the bottom line, some people have more issues with their ears and for them locks aren’t an option.

It would seem that both manufacturer and audiologist expect the aids to be removed in this fashion since the lock is supplied as an extra item to be added rather than an integrated part of the aid. My understanding is that the wire is held in place by a part meant to keep the pressure off the actual connection. Many of the locks seem to just sit over the wire so that would not be any protection as pulling on those would just pull on the wire also. The aids are actually very light so unless they are very tightly fit in the ear the forces involved are not great.

@Psocoptera said:

rt meant to keep the pressure off the actual connection. Many of the locks seem to just sit over the wire so that would not be any protection as pulling on those would just pull on the wire also. The aids are actually very light so unless they are very

For the OPN specifically, the ear lock sits over the receiver itself so pulling on the lock doesn’t put any pressure on the wire connection. It only pulls directly on the receiver.

Having said that, the wire connection to the receiver is all encased inside a pretty sturdy plastic wrap so I don’t think pulling on the wire to remove the receiver from the east canal puts enough pressure on the wire /receiver assembly to cause damage or wear and tear.

I now know that pulling on the lock is better than pulling on the wire but I still keep pulling on the wire by habit because that’s what I’ve been doing for the last year and a half without any consequence. But I WILL try to remember and change my habit if I can.

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