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Hearing Aid Purchasing: Buyer Beware

About 10 years ago, what are called "Programmable" hearing aids were introduced to the marketplace. These are hearing aids that with the aid of a computer can be adjusted electronically to make them more tolerable and effective in more environments and situations. Such adjustments are of great benefit to anyone using a hearing aid or anyone selling a hearing aid.

The problem is that anyone buying such a hearing aid,whether it be one that uses Digital Signal Processing or Analog Signal Processing,should be sure that it is a Brand that can be serviced by any independent Hearing Aid Office.

If it is a private label, such as Beltone, Miracle-Ear, Audibel, Sonus,NuEar, or any other franchise or private-brand label, the software necessary to the adjustment and programming of such aids is only available to specific approved dealers.

The result is that such dealers are the only ones that can repair and service such hearing aids which means the owners of such hearing aids are at the mercy of such dealers and they have and show no mercy.

They have the Consumer right where they want them.

With no compeition the owners of such hearing aids are exploited and often times lied to about whether the hearing aids can be repaired or even adjusted and have to be replaced by the purchase of a new hearing aid.

The repair charges are usually whatever the traffic will bear designed to encourage the replacment of the defective hearing aid by the purchase of a new one. Again, the result of no competition.

No Consumer should buy any Hearing Aid that cannot be serviced and adjusted by any Independent Dealer in the United States.

Anyone buying any hearing aid should also receive a CD Copy of the Software necessary to the programming of the hearing aid so that the user of the hearing aid can provide such software to any Hearing Aid Dealer anywhere in the United States so the hearing aid can be repaired,serviced,or adjusted.

Buyer Beware.

Learn more about this author, David A. Thorpe.
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