Audi scolded me for asking to trial a different brand

@Neville said:

They are returned to the manufacturer and junked,

Seems like a waste. No chance they’re wiped and tested and go back out?

I suppose in the bigger scheme of things, hearing aids are not sold enough in large quantities like a commodity product that each production batch, even if produced at a minimum level, would contain more than enough in quantity to meet the actual demand that junking returned hearing aids is probably not a big deal in terms of being wasteful because at the end of the day (or at the end of the life cycle of that brand’s model), they will have to junk all the brand new left over aids that are produced but unsold anyway. They wouldn’t sell the unsold aids for cheap because that would undermine and cannibalize the sale of their next generation hearing aid model.

My Oticon Real trial was originally going to be with a rechargeable demo unit, even though I wouldn’t buy a rechargeable. When I scheduled the date, they anticipated all the demos being out at that time, and ordered a 312 set for me. So they do have demos that are reused between clients.

Yes, but they don’t sell you demo units.

@user1115 said:

there is always a possibility of consumers abusing the vendor.

IMPpossible. The customer is always right.

One f the great experiences I had as a kid was working for my father on a going out of business sale. For once, we could tell unreasonable customers they owned what they bought. We also told some customers to leave because they got nasty. That was 1960 or '61.

Costco has always ordered new HAs for me. They don’t stock them. They do stock disposable batteries, receivers, wax filters, and domes, but not aids, chargers, molds. The ReSound dealer in Providence doesn’t stock chargers, either. The sent the Jabras I returned back to ReSound. They have laoner Jabras, 9030s, 9040s, and Rextons. That’s my Costco at a number of points in time, not all Costcos at all times, though batteries, domes, receivers, and wax filters seem pretty standard stock items - I’ve gotten them from Costcos in the Chicago and Boston areas.

Maybe the manufacturer offices give returned aids away as charity - $200 in parts leading to $1,000s in tax deductions… That’s just speculation, though.

Not supporting cros/bicros for some time on latest models is going to use up prior models for that function.

This sounds so unreal.
Hear is an example.
If a car dealer was to GIVE YOU A CAR SO YOU CAN DETERMINE IF ITS SUITABLE TO YOUR NEEDS, AND SAYS YOU CAN TEST IT FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. During that testing you find it does meet the thresholds outlined by the dealer or fails to perform to your satisfaction, you return the car and tell the dealer, that for you it is unsuitable as it does not perform as promised, will the dealer insist on payment for his time and effort in trying to convince you to buy something that is obviously unwanted? The answer is definitely no. Why then do the audiologist or hearing aid dispenser insist?
The hearing aid supplier should clearly tell the user Verbally prior to any fitting there is an automatic nonrefundable payment even if they are unsuitable and how much it is, and that amount had to be paid before any trial period.

@Torbill said:

So, in places where there are Costco warehouses it seems to me that Costco is becoming the new norm for mainstream HA customers who don’t have special needs - and Costco will do free trials, and highly extended ones at that.

I’ve read here that Costco’s retail price is less than private audiologists’ wholesale price, so the manufacturers are making less money on aids sold through Costco. Are they able or willing to reduce their total revenue by selling more of their output through Costco? If not, then there’s a limit to the expansion of Costco’s hearing aid business.

Costco doesn’t do what we’d normally classify as a ‘free-trial’.

They want payment in full, and then they honour a refund period. That’s great.

A ‘Free Trial’ from us is literally that. You walk out the door with a set of demo aids that have been set-up for you on the day you walk in. Not a set that have been ordered in for you, delivered a week later, that you’ve paid for and own the title of.

One is a purchase, the other isn’t. Costco is big enough that it gambles on this premise: the net effect is that sales have greater stickiness due to ownership inertia. If I survey a set of people who’ve just bought a particular brand, they will have more brand allegiance due to cognitive affirmation (just look at this site). Even though the initial purchasing decision is based on not a lot more information than the toss of a coin.

It’s great that their buying power allows them to level the field in some respects, but this isn’t one of them.

I would not settle for an audiologist like that. I recently went to a new audiologist who is competent, smart and listens to my concerns. I have to drive further to see her but after getting the wrong information twice and having lackluster customer service from the previous audiologist I decided to try someone new.

@Um_bongo said:

Costco doesn’t do what we’d normally classify as a ‘free-trial’.

They want payment in full, and then they honour a refund period. That’s great.

A ‘Free Trial’ from us is literally that. You walk out the door with a set of demo aids that have been set-up for you on the day you walk in. Not a set that have been ordered in for you, delivered a week later, that you’ve paid for and own the title of.

One is a purchase, the other isn’t.

Not every HCP in the US does this free trial thing. Many of them, my own included when I purchased the Oticon OPN 1, make you pay in full for the aids, with a stipulation in the purchase contract that you’re entitled to return them and get a full refund within xx days. So they’re not any different than the Costco pay/refund model. If anything, the Costco refund period is 180 days, while the non-Costco HCP refund period is normally 2 to 4 weeks, with usually 6 weeks top, but rarely 6 weeks unless it’s a state regulation.

Costco sells at the lowest margins they can and has high volume. They are profitable and have extremely loyal members. They keep growing while their competitors are shrinking. They now sell only three HA brands. Those HA brands can benefit by using the same model as Costco. With low profit margins they can be profitable while increasing their market share. This benefits consumers like me, while hurting private practice audis and other HA brands. Those who really need private practice audis and other HA brands will have to pay more.

Well put, not a free trial, per se. And if this is makes you competitive or superior to what Costco provides, so much the better for your business and your clients.

In the end I want satisfaction or my money back, and I want to know from the start that this is the way it works, and free trial versus satisfaction guarantee is not a primary decision factor.

I disagree with your last statement. Your statement would be true if all independent audis operated their business as you do. Obviously if this were the case this thread would never have started.

@user718 said:

Mine has a $300 consultation fee I’m responsible for, if I return the trial pair. But if I buy it, they count the $300 toward the purchase

If you agree to that you’re being taken for a ride. Big Time. Especially if you’re also being charged for hearing test (hopefully insurance covers) and cost of ear molds - which insurance doesn’t cover. Typically ear molds can cost $150 to $200. So if you reject your trialed HA (you tested) you’re going to be out at least $450 up. Yep - high way robbery.