Audi scolded me for asking to trial a different brand

The written agreement with United Hearing through audiologists I’ve been sent to is to pay $250 for returning the aids, only if you don’t end up buying another pair from him/her. I trialed a couple pairs and bought the 2nd pair. No return fee.

I feel lucky to have done what I did. My ENT had a hearing test done and found that I needed HAs for the first time in my 79 year life. I made an appointment with the Audi connected with the ENT. The Audi was extremely professional, explaining my HA options, his costs and policies. The costs seemed high, the policies very restrictive, and very unfavorable to me as a client. Costs for each hearing were about $2,000, or $6,000 for a pair. The trial was just a few days, the return policy was costly, and repair costs, even with nearly new aids, was costly. He inferred that Costco would not be satisfactory. Frankly, I did not trust him and thought his primary purpose was to enrich himself at my expense. Because after 10 year experience with Costco I had much more trust there so went there and bought Philips 9040 for about $1,550.

I apologize for my not very well written last post. But, I tend to get excited, and a little incoherent when I think I could have been taken advantage of. I’m sure the audiologist in private practice that I didn’t use has many very happy patients as he has been in this area over 20 years. What I did was best for me. I would have much more respect for that audiologist if he had told me that with my hearing needs I would be satisfied by Costco at a far lower cost, but he has bills to pay, as do I. I’m sure private practice audiologists have felt threatened by Costco and they are now threatened even more by OTC HAs, as is Costco, but Costco delivers personal in-person service.

@user1199 said:

So my questions are:

1. Is he right about it not being normal to trial different brands or models back-to-back before purchasing?
2. Is the return fee normal?
3. Does any of this raise red flags?

I, too, have skimmed over answers and RUSHED to reply - with some experience from my own journey.

1. NOT NORMAL. ABY-NORMAL (as they say in “Young Frankenstein”) - I’ve had several audis over the 30+ years I’ve worn aids. Luckily, half of them have welcomed my trialing other brands, and have even recommended the ones they think might work for my cinderblock ears. To me the analogy is that hearing aids cost a LOT of money - like cars. So I’m hoping the industry is moving towards more flexible “trial runs” with the aids. Ultimately, we should get a make, model, color AND features for the total package. If audis and clinics want recommendations and positive reviews online, they should look at us as customers with choices - not disabled victims subject to ONE choice only.

I’ve trialed as many as 3 aids (Starkey, Widex and Phonak) back-to-back before buying the pair that worked best for me. And BOY do I give that audi 5-star reviews and testimonials - without his asking.

2. The only fee I’ve ever EVER been quoted up-front was $100 per impressions taken for custom molds. That’s totally fair! The one time I returned a pair of Oticon aids after wearing them for 9 months, the audi applied a 50% discount and sent me out the door with Phonaks. That was an odd one-off, cuz I returned the Oticon OPN cuz they never came out with a streaming Connect Clip, and I gave up on them as a company. I guess I’d be willing to pay a $400 restocking fee - but IF I thought I’d stay with that clinic, I’d ask for a discount or have that money applied to the purchase of the set of my choice.

3. Yep, the flag is flappin’ RED. Think twice about returning to this clinic and ESPECIALLY this insensitive, know-it-all audi. Hearing isn’t like vision. It’s nuanced, and can’t be “fixed” with a simple prescription like lenses. Oddly, it’s the patient/customer who wears the aids who really, truly knows how he or she wants to hear his or her world! With the best of intentions, audis will do the tests (tone, speech comprehension) and measurements (REM) for what they’re worth, but ultimately the CUSTOMER is going to articulate what works for them.

I’ve only dumped two audis in all the decades I’ve worn aids. One, cuz she told me she was busy, would make one adjustment, then hoped to “never see me again.” Plus she charged for every single visit. The other, cuz he wore a labcoat emblazoned with a brand name (can’t recall which one) and BY GAWD that was the ONLY model he’d fit me with. He couldn’t get the fitting right, he slathered clear nail polish on my aids to make them fit more snugly, and ended up giving my ears otitis.

I don’t know where you live or what your options are, but think about asking around, exploring online and finding a NEW CLINIC, NEW AUDI. Good luck to you, and go with your gut instinct.

@Neville said:

information is simply forgotten (like how to change a wax filter).

GUILTY AS CHARGED!!! I had to go to Youtube and watch a video2 to see how in he!! to even use that flying saucer-looking wax guard thingamajig.

It looks like it’s buyer beware with private practice audis. If I needed one, based on this thread, I would try to get a copy of all their practice policies before I wasted my time. At least at Costco everything is clear and consistent at all their HA centers. I recognize some Costco audis are more, and some less skilled. But, if needed, one could always ask to see someone else, even at the same store, or go to another store.

Where I live both the length of a trial and the amount which can be charged upon return are regulated by state law. I believe that this same practice of statutory regulation is in place in most other states. Check your states legal requirements bfore proveding further.

I don’t think anything is really free, someone pays. But Costco meets my criteria, and apparently, satisfies many others as I think they are the biggest HA seller. Everything they sell is sold at the lowest possible margin with high volumes. I’m happy with that and I trust them to deliver. If I’m not satisfied I know they stand by their generous return policies.

I don’t think anyone has mentioned this yet, but there is always a possibility of consumers abusing the vendor. For example, it is possible that someone has such high expectations that nothing will satisfy them or that someone thinks it’s their right to test everything on the market before making a decision. Reputable vendors may use the $400 per trial fee to protect themself from this kind of abuse.

Another thing that I haven’t seen mentioned is that if you return the aid after the trial period, isn’t it now a used hearing aid? Can they legally resell it to the next customer as new? I wouldn’t want to buy someone else’s trial (aka: used) aids. If nothing else, a used aid has a partially worn battery. But how would I ever know? If I asked, would they reply honestly? Do they even keep track of used vs new?

@user1115 said:

Another thing that I haven’t seen mentioned is that if you return the aid after the trial period, isn’t it now a used hearing aid? Can they legally resell it to the next customer as new? I wouldn’t want to buy someone else’s trial (aka: used) aids. If nothing else, a used aid has a partially worn battery. But how would I ever know? If I asked, would they reply honestly? Do they even keep track of used vs new?

I would guess that any returned HAs would be put into the demo pool for trials. Or they can be cleared out as refurbished or something like that and maybe sold out to places who may specialize in liquidating refurbished aids on eBay or some other venues.

I think the serial number would be how they keep track of everything.

Excuse me but no one should try to make a profit off selling a hearing aid to someone who is unhappy with hearing aid performance during 30 to 60 day testing period. Upfront charges for taking molds, mailing molds, hearing test, possibly cleaning out ear wax (give me a break) should be reimbursed to Audi/HA dealer. Yes time is money, but that’s the risk someone takes if they want to get into the HA selling business. In many cases we’re not talking $200 - $300 but $2000 - $3000 plus per hearing aid. That’s a lot of money for someone to swallow, especially if sers doesn’t feel new aid is up to par.

Now I understand there are probably many, many times a HA might be working as so designed, yet the user is just not comfortable with HA, per se. Or maybe the user doesn’t necessarily understand how aids work or there their limits. No HA gives user perfect hearing. Yet it’s the buyers choice during test period to say yea and nay regarding keeping an aid or returning it. Not the hearing aid dealer.

Tacking on some bogus $400 return fee is flat out Highway Robbery.

@user1115 said:

Can they legally resell it to the next customer as new? I wouldn’t want to buy someone else’s trial (aka: used) aids.

They are returned to the manufacturer and junked, and that cost is rolled into the cost of new hearing aids.

@Neville said:

They are returned to the manufacturer and junked, and that cost is rolled into the cost of new hearing aids.

Why not use them as a demo for the next customer? I assumed that’s what my audiologist does. Their demo aids aren’t marked as demos.

Because the clinician gets refunded by the manufacturer for the return. If they kept it, they would be out their services AND the cost of the device.