Been wearing an Aid for 23 years..........Bought 4 in that time.........only have hearing in one ear. ........These are all behind the ear with molds
This industry is one of the biggest cons of our, (our parents, and into the future), life time...........Last aid cost $3000, before that i paid $3500, $2700, and the first in 96, was $2500
Good warranties, the first had a 4 year warranty. First 2 years were for a complete replacement, 3rd year was for 1/2 the cost and the 4th year was something like a 2/3rds of the cost.
When it did finally pack it in, (after about 6 years), i was up for another aid and the cost...........I inquired if they could replace the internals and found they could and the cost was about $500 instead of $2500 or what a replacement was going to cost.........
Funny thing was........aid was having problems under warranty, they said the speakers were replaced and the volume control was also replaced. This happened a second time while under warranty, (have to admit my work as a carpenter in the tropics sure did make the aids work for their warranties). On the early aids their wasn't a provision to stop the wax from getting into the aid and corrupting the speaker. Every so often i would take it to the Audiologists to get the wax removed and to dehumidify the aid............got sick of this, (2 hour travel each way to the Audiologists), so decided to take the aid apart and clean it myself............Well just a sealed unit inside that cant be repaired..........that means when they sent me the invoice detailing the speaker and volume adjustment was replaced it was all hogwash because all they do is remove the unit and replace it with another off the shelf.........So effectively a new aid.
When the second one gave up the ghost, i insisted on sending the aid to the manufacturer, (agent whatever), to see if it was possible to replace the internals...........Different Audiologist this time as the last passed away, and the new people were one of those conglomerates that were buying up all the small independents. Anyways, as these new guys had bought out the warranty when they took over the independent, and hadn't really made any money out of me because i hadn't purchased the aid from them specifically, they wanted me to buy a new aid............this i queried and made them send it of to see if it could be rebuilt............Yes it could for a few hundred $'s like before instead of the $0000's.
The last aid i bought the audiologist didn't set it up properly, (digital and all done with a computer program) I complained he adjusted it, still not the best and after a few time he said it was my hearing and what i had bought was the best for what i wanted and it couldn't be made to work any better.........4 years i lived with a substandard hearing aid..........had other problems so went to another Audiology group and got a replacement mold, (the ear mold has the speaker inside it), when they tuned the aid in they got it to work properly by using the right program..........
I now tell them what i want and what i want them to do. Or at least i ask questions based on what i know/found out and make sure they know that i know how it works so i am not just another deaf person, who walks out and never uses their aid because they aren't happy with them.
This industry is one of the biggest cons of our, (our parents, and into the future), life time...........Last aid cost $3000, before that i paid $3500, $2700, and the first in 96, was $2500
Good warranties, the first had a 4 year warranty. First 2 years were for a complete replacement, 3rd year was for 1/2 the cost and the 4th year was something like a 2/3rds of the cost.
When it did finally pack it in, (after about 6 years), i was up for another aid and the cost...........I inquired if they could replace the internals and found they could and the cost was about $500 instead of $2500 or what a replacement was going to cost.........
Funny thing was........aid was having problems under warranty, they said the speakers were replaced and the volume control was also replaced. This happened a second time while under warranty, (have to admit my work as a carpenter in the tropics sure did make the aids work for their warranties). On the early aids their wasn't a provision to stop the wax from getting into the aid and corrupting the speaker. Every so often i would take it to the Audiologists to get the wax removed and to dehumidify the aid............got sick of this, (2 hour travel each way to the Audiologists), so decided to take the aid apart and clean it myself............Well just a sealed unit inside that cant be repaired..........that means when they sent me the invoice detailing the speaker and volume adjustment was replaced it was all hogwash because all they do is remove the unit and replace it with another off the shelf.........So effectively a new aid.
When the second one gave up the ghost, i insisted on sending the aid to the manufacturer, (agent whatever), to see if it was possible to replace the internals...........Different Audiologist this time as the last passed away, and the new people were one of those conglomerates that were buying up all the small independents. Anyways, as these new guys had bought out the warranty when they took over the independent, and hadn't really made any money out of me because i hadn't purchased the aid from them specifically, they wanted me to buy a new aid............this i queried and made them send it of to see if it could be rebuilt............Yes it could for a few hundred $'s like before instead of the $0000's.
The last aid i bought the audiologist didn't set it up properly, (digital and all done with a computer program) I complained he adjusted it, still not the best and after a few time he said it was my hearing and what i had bought was the best for what i wanted and it couldn't be made to work any better.........4 years i lived with a substandard hearing aid..........had other problems so went to another Audiology group and got a replacement mold, (the ear mold has the speaker inside it), when they tuned the aid in they got it to work properly by using the right program..........
I now tell them what i want and what i want them to do. Or at least i ask questions based on what i know/found out and make sure they know that i know how it works so i am not just another deaf person, who walks out and never uses their aid because they aren't happy with them.
Plane I was on had an explosive decompression. Left ear ruptured... not the eardrum, the inner ear. All the fluid leaked out. Hearing in that ear is zip... nothing. The tinnitus.... it's the worst kind. I can't do the "white noise" thing because the volume of the tinnitus always increases itself to try and get above any background noise. Haven't been in a pub or bar in years 'cause it's frustrating seeing lips move and hear nothing but ringing. I've lived with it for goin' on 40 yrs now so I've mostly adjusted. Some nights though... I just sit and watch the sun come up.
