Posts Tagged ‘hearing aids on the internet’

Clothes, books, televisions and even hearing aids — you can really buy just about anything on the Internet.

But there’s an important question to ask when buying things online: if you haven’t seen or tested it out in person, how do you know it will be right? Take a bed, for example. Would you buy a mattress without knowing whether it’s comfortable? Would you buy a TV without first seeing the quality of the picture? Would you buy hearing aids without the help of a qualified professional?

Really, the Internet is great when it comes to researching and comparing consumer products. And when it comes to hearing aids, it’s the same story. Hearing aid consumers can go online to research different hearing aids and find out important information on hearing loss. They can even buy hearing aids online. Many people do go online to buy hearing aids because of the cost. For a lot of people, insurance will not cover the cost of hearing aids, or they may not even have insurance in the first place, so they may turn to the Internet to search for the cheapest possible solution. In reality, buying hearing aids online may save a person several hundred dollars up front, but what many of them do not take into account is that they may be getting what they’re paying for: poor quality and a lack of hearing safety.

While you may save money up front, that savings may mean nothing later if you need to get your hearing aids reprogrammed or if you need to see a hearing professional to receive follow-up care. Another way that cost savings can be negated is if you buy a hearing aid online and need to get a local professional to program it. What’s more is that many newer digital hearing aids can’t even be fitted without the wearer being in the office.

Something important to do before you buy a hearing aid is to get a hearing evaluation. Be sure to have this evaluation done by an audiologist or a hearing instrument specialist. They should be certified and licensed to conduct this evaluation.

Manufacturers of hearing aids have even cautioned consumers about purchasing hearing aids online in order to protect them from possibly getting a unit that is not actually what they ordered. This is such a serious issue that manufacturers have placed alerts on their websites that stress consumers should buy hearing aids directly and only from qualified and trained hearing professionals. Hearing aids purchased online may also not be appropriate for the hearing loss of the consumer, manufacturers also warn. Here’s is Starkey’s policy, and here is ReSound’s policy.

Additionally, hearing aid professionals are a necessary part of the hearing aid fitting process. It’s possible for some hearing aids to be factory fit, but they should ideally be programmed with a computer so that it can be as accurate as possible in order to fit the wearer’s everyday needs and take into account their level of hearing loss. Still, even factory fit hearing aids will need adjustments every so often. An important consideration is whether you will trust someone unknown to program your hearing aid. How will they know it’s right?

So why exactly is buy a hearing aid in person so important? Well, first of all, properly evaluating your hearing loss and assessing your needs is vital when you’re buying hearing aids. A hearing professional needs to determine which hearing aids are best for you according to your hearing loss — not everyone is the same, and an ear exam is needed to find out which model is best. After that, a hearing professional must determine a hearing aid that will fit your lifestyle and meet your needs, and one that stays within your desired price range. The combination of discussing your needs with a professional and having them examine you will enable you to get a hearing aid that will work well for you. You cannot get this kind of expertise when you buy online, which is why so many wind up with hearing aids they’re not happy with.

One very alarming concern about buying hearing aids online is safety. A possible situation is that hearing aids arrive, and you put them in without knowing they’re turned on full power. This can seriously damage a person’s hearing. So in order to avoid this happening, the consumer would need to get the hearing aids checked out by a local professional — and that would cost them.

Another reason to buy hearing aids in person is the fact that digital hearing aids, being very sophisticated technology, need to be adjusted and programmed by professionals who are trained to do so. This is a complicated adjustment and program, as the professional must program each frequency depending on the person’s hearing loss. Programming and adjustment also involves the different features of the hearing aid. Even if you buy hearing aids online and the retailer programs the hearing aids according to your hearing loss — which is a rare thing for them to offer — there’s no guarantee that the settings will be correct. You might very well need to visit a local professional to get adjustment and proper fit. Programming a hearing aid involves much more than hearing loss, too. Your lifestyle, preferences, familiarity with wearing hearing aids and more should all be taken into account. And an online retailer just can’t do this.

Also, many of these new digital hearing aids have to be calibrated in the person’s ear canal in order to have a successful fit. This is done in-office, while the client is wearing the hearing aids and is hooked up to a computer.  This procedure can’t be done over the web or through the mail — it requires the client’s head. ReSound’s Azure, all the Starkey Destiny models, etc. require this in-canal procedure to be properly fit.

Yet another reason to purchase hearing aids in person is that a face-to-face retailer will be able to provide you with the all-important after-purchase care and follow-up visits to make sure your hearing aid is properly fitted. These essential services are even usually included in the price of hearing aids bought directly from a face-to-face retailer. Online retailers simply cannot do this. So you may wind up saving money up front, but that savings will soon diminish once you pay for several follow-up visits with a local professional. In some cases, it could possibly even wind up costing you more.

Though hearing aids at physical stores may seem to cost more than ones you find online, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re getting professional help and expertise with that cost when you buy from a qualified retailer who can provide you with follow-up care. The store you buy from will likely be a place that you visit frequently and form a relationship with. They will come to be a place you trust to help make your hearing as good as possible.

Another key thing to keep in mind is that a retailer on the Internet may not accept returns and may not guarantee the products they sell you. They may not even give you a trial period. So if your hearing aids don’t work out, this could mean a lot of wasted time and money, and you’ll be back at square one. A qualified retailer you visit in-person will work hard to provide you with excellent service and see to it that you’re getting a good product that is improving your hearing.

Though the up-front savings involved with buying hearing aids online may seem appealing at first, it’s important to consider all of this information so that you will wind up with hearing aids that you are happy with.