Hearing aid full replacement prior to warranty expiration

Thanks for those stories! Also, I sense that a 3 yr old HA, even new, isn’t worth all that much to the maker or the vendor. Where’s the market? No one is likely to choose to buy a dated model. Better to give it to a former and continuing client, earning goodwill and loyalty.

I sent in my Phonak Roger receiver from 2016 and Phonak replaced with new.

@hold4triple said:

Well we agree to disagree.

Almost all hearing aids these days come with some type of repair and/or loss and catastrophic damage coverage, from the manufacturer . This coverage typically ranges three years. The hearing aid manufacturer repair warranty covers repairs to the hearing aid that are performed by the manufacturer. Does that mean from time to time aids two, three years old will be totally replaced. Yes, that can happen but in most cases aids under warranty are repaired and returned to user at no cost.

Can you provide one iota of proof for that in relation to RIC Hearing Aids?

Got to love the power of Dunning-Kruger vs. working in the in the industry in 3 decades at component supply, manufacturer and dispensing level.

You clearly didn’t read what I wrote: for *MOST manufacturers, RIC repairs aren’t worth it. Even if you get the same outer shell back the RIC electronics slug inside will be changed [usually if they want to track the aid by the same serial number: like Sonova]. Resound don’t even both doing that, they just ship new aids with new S/N. Even changing mics on a RIC takes a level of expertise and incites a level of subsequent failure modes.

Push for a longer warranty: Resound are effectively bundling 5 year ones with their recent stuff, expect Li-ion batteries to need a couple of changes during their life and work WITH your audiologist to get best long term value from your purchase.

If I destroy the aid and bring all parts back I can get new for around 200 eur. (phonak).
If I have to pay 200, I wouldn’t expect the hardware cost more than 20-50. Investigation what went wrong costs time, not worth it.

Edit: also, default warranty here in Germany is 1 year I have two bc my fitter is in some guild which negotiated better warranty.

Only other option we have is to insure the aid (covers one loss per period or 2 full replacements/big repairs) for 4 years (which cost around 1/2 the price of the aid at the end).

I decided I’ll just pay my part if I destroy them, and I don’t plan on losing them.

And I have no plans to travel to Brasil or similar places to risk of being robbed on the beach (that would also be covered, and yes, it happened to at least one client of my fitter, before that I’ve never thought that someone would demand HAs, but it seems ebay sellers can have shady origins).

That’s standard and actually most hearing specialist offer a three year lost or stolen policy. Not sure why a 2 year plan at Costco would stand out when everyone else offers three years?

Thanks! I remember that now.

The manufacturers usually replace the internals of BTEs and RIcs … far easier than trying to repair tiny parts.

However, due to a controversial US law case involving a Roberts Radio warranty, they will say they have repaired the aid … but in fact they have simply moved the serial number plate to a totally new unit.

Why would doing a MFi version preclude them doing their current style for everyone else? It does not have to be either or. They could do a MFi version as an option. They might even be able to do it with the same hardware but different software. That would increase sales without being as expensive as designing a new aid. They do different aids for people with different levels of hearing loss. They could do aids to suit each of us including those who need MFi… I have been patient and waited a long time now. I have an iPod touch, an iPad mini(mainly for reading), an iPad and a Mac. Limiting pairing to only two devices and difficulties switching devices makes the Recent offerings from Phonak unacceptable for me. I am not going to spend $10,000 or more for new aids that do not meet my needs. I have tried Resound and they did not meet my hearing and comfort needs. I need Phonak to step up and truly cater for the needs of people like myself. There are a lot of iPhone users out there and Phonak will not be first choice for features (find my HAs is a great feature). I don’t want to have to trial every brand that does MFi. I Like Phonak sound and want Phonak to cater for my needs. Of course if they keep stubbornly ignoring my needs then I will eventually switch brands by going through that long trial process.

@Psocoptera said:

I am not going to spend $10,000 or more for new aids that do not meet my needs.

I think this is the most important.

@Psocoptera said:

don’t want to have to trial every brand that does MFi.

But I think about this part you might to think twice.

And no, it’s not expected that phonak will do MFI (nor is that that easy to do as you think, plus different levels are same hardware just some software switch to give or take features, whereas MFI from what I gather uses different chip than regular BT does, so, it’s hardware issue then, so that makes it basically having 2 has, which would probably drive costs even higher, since they’d need double teams for research and development)

What is the future is what I said, every manufacturer will support that new BT standard that’s coming, but it will take some years until they first invent the standard (I think they’re close?), then phones start implementing it, then they’ll do aids that support that when there’s financial reason to support that. I wouldn’t expect seeing HAs that have something that only few phones have.

What I mean, if you want to wait for phonak to support mfi, you might not see it in your lifetime.
The future is platform independent connection, so it makes no sense to invest into MFI just to abandon it when this new thing is around the corner.

The new standard was agreed upon over a year ago. What slows down implementation of that is all the old and different types of phones out there. Phonak have this idea that they can cater to all phones but that means they refuse to embrace the possibilities of true smart phones. Old phones with just Bluetooth will never do things like find my HAs. I used the first and second version of Resound Linx aids and the MFibfeatures were fantastic. I have not seen Phonak even attempt to offer those features which is a real shame. I should not have to compromise comfort or hearing to update to the 21st century. Trialing HAs is not actually fun. It was not a good experience last time and I don’t want another long process again. At the moment I am not going down that road. Phonak won’t embrace new Bluetooth standards because they still want one device that can communicate with even the most basic phone. It will be a long time before all those phones are retired and a new generation of managers take control at Phonak. True platform independent smart features are so far away for Phonak that I doubt they will ever happen.

@Psocoptera said:

Are you sure? I thought it was only two. I just looked this up and it says pair with 8 and have 2 active connections for ease of switching devices.

Ah I misunderstood, my mistake.

That’s a shame really as the ComPilot can have 6 paired devices and 4 currently connected.

About where bt came so far, you know more than me thanks for sharing.

But yeah, I don’t see how mfi would be feasible for phonak since new is on the gate.

@Psocoptera said:

Are you sure? I thought it was only two. I just looked this up and it says pair with 8 and have 2 active connections for ease of switching devices. Don’t quite understand what that means except it sounds like it would not be easy to switch between three devices for example? Perhaps someone else knows and will post.

I don’t have 3 devices to test exactly, I can only draw conclusions from marvel 1 vs paradise 2 and how they behave.

If for example you paired with 8cor whatever devices, and you’re currently in range of one, HAs will connect to that one, both of them.
If you leave the room and eg go upstairs where another device is on, HAs will connect to it.

Different is when you’re in range of 2 or more paired devices and all have something to share.

Marvel will stay connected to one that was first caught. I have no clue to which it will connect if you come into the room where 2 or more are online and want to connect. Didn’t have that situation.

Paradise will connect to 2. Again no clue what happens when there’s three available at the moment you enter the range.

If you have bt devices off and turn them on, then HA will connect to the one they see first (and second in Paradise case). If you wanted marvels to connect to second device, you had to shut down bt on the first device.
I guess paradise does the same.

Different is that in order to listen from tv, phone and tablet as you go around using them, in marvels you’d also need to go around and shut down bt and turn on bt on the device you want.

With paradises you’d do the same for third device, you’d have to turn off bt on one of previous two connected. That’s what I expect.

However paradises currently have bug that thry5have issues to connect to my laptop if they’re already connected to my phone. So if I turn off phone bt, they connect to laptop, then I turn on bt on phone and they connect there again and have both connected.

If I play YouTube from laptop, goes into my HAs, if I play from phone, goes to my HAs.
I didn’t exactly test what happens when I play on both, I’m under the impression that in HAs will come the one started last.

My suspect is that bt on my laptop is something different and bt on phone is ‘stronger’ and it messes up with chip in paradises. Phone is bt5, lap is 4 something. I’m waiting for bt5 dongle for lap to test that theory.

But once connected, it really works nice.

@Zebras did compilot have any issues about order order of connection? Or they just worked?

And I have almost lost my aids in the waste paper basket three times now. Find my HAs could save my HAs. Just sheer luck I was able to find them each time I have lost them so far.

Hm, this is a bit weird. I mean, I have to whip my head really vigorously left and right to make it start going out.
I’d check for some security and not phonak to put find my aids
I mean, it might never come and you have aids now that you don’t want to lose.

If you have custom molds done some time ago, ear grows, so maybe they don’t hold properly.
Also, for domes, maybe it’s time for bigger ones.
But another option could be concha lock or similar ones.
Or wire that is tied to both and goes around your nexk if aids are some bigger ones, I forgot if you mentioned which type you have.

But they shouldn’t go out from you bending over or something.

Unless you mean they end with papers because you left them on the table?
Then maybe find some nice box or more, make dedicated places around the house and train yourself to leave them only at those places.

Sharing some ideas how to help yourself not losing them.

And I definitely know how trials are exhausting. I must say that I’d go hardware route first, than relying on manufacturers to cover that feature.

I agree with you, if they’re connected to myphonak app one button more that makes them beep loudly shouldn’t be that much work. For that connection phonak uses btle anyway.

If they’re turned off, then they can’t do it anyway.

Actually one aid (Phonak V90s) was sitting on the coffee table because I was lying on that side to watch a movie so I took it out. (Tried HA pillows but they are not comfortable) I picked up something from the coffee table to put in the waste paper bin and must have accidentally picked up the HA with the rubbish item. I have no problem keeping my aids on my ears.
But I can forget that one is out if I have been relaxing to watch a movie. Three times over 5 years is not often but when It first happened I had no idea where It was. The find my HA feature would have saved me a lot of worry and searching. Now I know to check the waste basket but that does not mean I won’t misplace one somewhere else next time.
As an aside I also lost my diamond ring in a paper towel when I wiped my hands after hand washing at work and also after visiting family at a hospital - found it again both times in the bin for the paper towel. I don’t wear any rings at the moment.

You really don’t have a luck with bins

Glad that you’ve found them every time. I did lose mine all around the tables as well, but then decided I’ll drop them in those two boxes whenever I want to remove them, one in living room and one in bedroom. That helped me definitely.

Didn’t know that HA pillows exist, when I lay down on mine while streaming, I don’t have problem, but I do have that memory foam pillow and I remove glasses when I watch something on my phone in bed, maybe that’s why.

But I agree, adding one button in the app that HA scream back at you shouldn’t be a problem on marvel/paradise platforms since they’re already able to do even hearing test remote. Why they didn’t add such button, I have no clue.

What I’m missing is why you think that MFI is needed for that?