My wife and I picked up our mail after spending 6 months in Mexico. We had 2 totes full of junk.

Head and shoulders above the rest was the 2-3 monthly letters/ads trying to get me in for the latest and greatest hearing aids.

No, my wife wasn't in on it.

Between direct mail and the full page newspaper ads......how much profit are in those darn things?

Mike

Your'e right for all the advertising they do, must be VERY good profit involved.

If you want an indicator of mark-up (not all of which is profit), look at the prices at Costco for hearing aids: some of them are national brands, some are nationals that are re-branded for Costco.

The Costco prices for high quality hearing aids are thousands of dollars lower than the same brands at some hearing aid stores.

The OP is probably part of a group that has sold its contact list. Are you a member of a group like AARP that would know your age?

My worst selling contact lists was American Society of Mechanical Engineers. I used my work address for them since it's a business related group. The bastards sold their mailing list, and next thing I know I'm answering questions on why playboy solicitations are coming to my mailbox.

I've tried calling & asking to be removed from mailing list . They take my info and tell me it may take up to 4 weeks to be taken off their list
That seems to work for ~ 2-4 months , then the same ads , with the same Manufacturer will start again , only this time it will be a different Store Location.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
The OP is probably part of a group that has sold its contact list. Are you a member of a group like AARP that would know your age?

No doubt my age is floating around - like most folks. AARP is a likely culprit.

If these guys want to waste their money on direct mail, I don't care. We make a dump run every week.

By the way, my hearing is great considering my early years were spent standing in front of a wall of Fender Dual Showman with a guitar around my neck. Then a number of years in the engine rooms of Navy war ships.

Mike

The incredible cost of hearing aids is what keeps me from investigating them. They are a giant rip-off. There must be cheaper alternatives.

quote:

Originally posted by NK402:
The incredible cost of hearing aids is what keeps me from investigating them. They are a giant rip-off. There must be cheaper alternatives.

There are cheaper alternatives.
When someone speaks to you just reply "huh?".
It helps them realize they were whispering.

quote:

Originally posted by MPB:
When someone speaks to you just reply "huh?".
It helps them realize they were whispering.

That might cure the whispering, but how do you deal with the mumbling?

And the Low Talkers. Don't forget the Low Talkers!





Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKWYg9qFOpA

A good pair of digitals should cost no more than 2500. There are honest audiologists that can assist you. Steer away from the big name places like Audibel. There are only 4 manufactures of hearing aids in NA. The largest is Starkey. Many of the chains re-label Starkeys and charge several thousand dollars for them. Costco does sell them reasonably. Unless you have an injury on one side resulting in loss, buy them in pairs. Research indicates wearing only one will result in more loss on the unaided side.

quote:

Originally posted by NK402:
The incredible cost of hearing aids is what keeps me from investigating them. They are a giant rip-off. There must be cheaper alternatives.

I stock up during the hunting season at WalMart. At $15, no problem if you lose one.

https://www.amazon.com/Woodlan...reased/dp/B0001V5QJS

The walmart alternatives may help you short term, but will hurt you in the long run. They amplify across all levels.Most middle aged men have losses at specific frequencies. Good digital aids will amplify at the frequencies you cannot hear, and not the rest. Cheap aids amplify across all frequencies, destroying the freq's that are healthy. Your choice, but you will outlive your hearing with cheap walmart shit.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
The walmart alternatives may help you short term, but will hurt you in the long run. They amplify across all levels.Most middle aged men have losses at specific frequencies. Good digital aids will amplify at the frequencies you cannot hear, and not the rest. Cheap aids amplify across all frequencies, destroying the freq's that are healthy. Your choice, but you will outlive your hearing with cheap walmart shit.

They have an adjustment to raise the high frequencies.

I do not have insurance and can't afford the money for a custom hearing aid. I had a Siemens in 1982 and it was always having the receiver go bad on one and seemed to be a lemon. The other one worked fine until it popped out at the property and was lost.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
A good pair of digitals should cost no more than 2500.

$1,699 for the latest and greatest at Costco. I have a pair, BIG improvement over my previous hearing aids.

In my case it was about priorities. My hearing was declining, there was a good chance quality aids would slow or stop the decline. The question was what was my hearing worth? I made payments.