Dr Cliff not recommending Costco

Honestly if I didn’t have my VA benefits I would have to go to Costco for aids or do without.

Not as bad as some videos I’ve seen of his, but still seems ingenuous at times. There is a difference between not recommending Costco and recommending against Costco. I suspect his recommendations to Costco on how to improve care could apply to any hearing aid provider. Basically getting hearing aids is a crapshoot. It is still my belief that you have as good a chance (if not better) by going to Costco than picking random private practice and Costco (at least in US) will be less expensive by far.

Most of the issues he has described are systemic to the entire industry, likely including many of the providers in his paid network. Many providers perform real ear measurements for theatrical purposes and then promptly reset the fine tuning to the manufacturers proprietary formula. It’s really annoying considering I think real ear measurements are an essential starting point. I’ve seen hearing aids from “prestigious” hospitals and private audiologists have exactly the issues he described.

Dr Cliff is an example of the "YouTube creator who finds they have to constantly create new videos because they need to keep their number of subscribers high.
Stuck on a treadmill situation.

As I posted on another thread, this video is a blatant promo for his “Best Practices” provider network!
He is threatened by Costco’s ability to provide quality hearing instruments at rock bottom prices, and the possibility of the Philips 9050 is a real threat to him.

Dr Cliff’s bias against Costco is starting to wear thin. Is it the best, most premium audiological care possible? Maybe not, although my experience has been nothing less than top notch.

Does it offer an easier route in for regular people (i.e. people who might choke at spending several grand on a pair of hearing aids) to access the hearing care that actually improves their quality of life? For sure.

Is this not ‘A Very Good Thing’? Apparently not.

In YouTube world, that’s “engagement” and worth $ to the “content creator.”

So true, what YouTube influencers/creators such as Dr Cliff find is that they have to keep increasing the “outrageousness” of their posts in order to keep/grow the amount of engagement. Hence his stance on Costco is changing from being quite neutral a few years back.

Which is why I have no interest in his advice.

I have been using Oticon for 14 years, but have tried Phonak. Resound, and Starkey a long the way. There is just something about the Oticon sound that keeps using Oticon. And now that my audiologist has my fittings figured out and it is easy to copy my fittings from one set of Oticon aids to the next I really feel comfortable with Oticon. And I don’t desire to thoughts of possibly going through another 18 months of monthly appointments to figure out a new brand of aids.

Personally I have stopped watching his videos because in my opinion he favors phonak over other brands. There good but there are other brands that are just as good. Costco did a great job on the hearing aids I got from them. They where also reasonably priced which is important when you have to pay for the full amount not everyone can afford 5000-8000 out of there pocket.

I am much the same @Stargazer, like you, I haven’t watched a Dr Cliff video in years, IMO his reviews are heavily biased towards sales, and Phonak… And I am an avid Phonak user! Costco does a wonderful service for those on a budget, HOH in some circumstances, would otherwise not be able to afford premier hearing aids, especially those folks on a fixed income, you get excellent devices at a knockdown price, and that is the bottom line, anybody with a little savvy can easily see, Costco gives you the the biggest bang for your buck… When money is tight, you have to choose your options wisely! As far as Dr Cliff decrying Costco goes, that might easily be interpreted as “Sour Grapes”… Cheers Kev