Also, maybe an EBay buyer of used hearing aids should become aware of two more considerations;
Good points also! I have been told by an audiologist that HAs issued by the VA might fall under your first category if sent to Phonak. But this is unclear. Either way, eBay is a dangerous place to acquire HAs but I would buy from there and have done in the past as long as the cost is something I’m willing to write off if they break (which they do on a regular basis YMMV).
Yep, I buy EBay HAs also.
I found a online seller from NYC who is an HIS and order aids from India. It comes with a one year international warranty. I take good care of aids and have the Phonak hearing aid dryer. I wear my hat to protect the aids from heat and rain.
Definitely not, Phonak nor the VA own the HAs once they are fitted, they then become the property of the person issued them, I’ve been through this myself a few times and had no problem with Phonak, granted I’ve had to pay a couple of times for the repairs.
I used that source as well. Although it’s not my first eBay purchase it does give me reason for concern considering the verbage on the supplied warranty card!
If you do need warranty work how is that accomplished?
I wonder what I’m doing right?
I’ve bought used and brand new and sealed Phonak Aids off eBay since 2011 and not one has gone faulty.
My friend who I got into self programming only 3 months ago has messaged me saying that one of her new Phonak Aids is no longer working and she bought brand new and sealed off eBay.
Any Audiology clinic can send to the manufacturer (in this case Phonak) for a repair, warranty or no warranty.
Could be something simple, blocked wax filter, broken receiver wire?
She bought the Phonak Sky V70 P, which are a BTE. She was desperate for colourful hearing aids.
She changed the ear hook but still no joy. She has the lights activated as she liked them and the light is not even flashing. The battery works in her other Aid tho.
“Any” can but many won’t. I have direct experience with three different audiologist who would not program or accept me as a client if I wanted them to work on used HAs that I bought off eBay, except the pair that I bought new from South Korea. They would work on them including sending them to Phonak (but no warranty).
Hint: when buying used HAs (from anywhere) obtain the serial numbers first and either plug those numbers into the Target software and check for warranty coverage, or call your friendly local audiologist and ask them to do it. If Target responds with “contact customer service” there is NO WARRANTY.
There are a pair of P90-R used HAs on eBay this moment that shows the serial numbers and current warranty period for another couple of years. These would likely be valid HAs (ie not recorded by Phonak as either lost, stolen or sold outside the USA).
Just a warning that one shouldn’t rely on what shows up on Target as accurate info regarding warranty. I bought a PartnerMic once that showed 3 year warranty, but according to Phonak had no warranty.
Yes MDB. I’ve been on this forum for over ten years and I’ve never once seen someone post something like: “oh sure I bought a used pair of hearing aids off eBay that broke after a certain period of time and I sent them in to Phonak through an audiologist who repaired them for free under warranty.” Maybe it has happened but I think it is safest to assume NO WARRANTY and pay an amount that reflects that.
(E,g, used P90-Rs shouldn’t be worth more than half the price of a new pair of Costco’s KS10s IMHO.)
Worse than this, I’ve been specifically told by a friendly audiologist that if he sent a specific pair of HAs I had bought used on eBay to Phonak for any reason they would not be returned. YMMV.
Yeah that’s unacceptable behaviour, I’ve also come across those types, but luckily there’s more that will, and I’ve found quite a few over my many years of experience with HAs, I’ve brought a lot of my HAs from eBay sellers and have actually made a few friends along the way, as I’ve brought from them more then once, when I go to eBay to buy i don’t even bother with checking about a warranty, warranty on these are a bonus not a given I’m afraid.
Here, me, I’ve done this myself, and more then once I’ve sent them to Phonak directly without any input from a clinic!
Talk about scaremongering, he’s talking rubbish and I hope you told him so!
That’s a bummer, so looks like she won’t even be able to try a factory reset with target, it’s not offen a “new” HA dies like that, as in, you would usually get some kind of warning something is up before they completely fail.
Could it be a moisture issue?
I think it’s moisture.
She said she doesn’t understand why she should use some sort of dry box etc.
I’ve used a Dry & Store since I was 13 years old! I’m now in my 30s!
She needs to buy a hearing aid dryer to prolong the life of her sky aids. I have the Phonak D-Dry and it works great.
Ironically she doesn’t want to pay out for one but in the long run, she’ll pay out for more on repairs or new hearing aids.
Doesn’t make sense really.
She will learn the hard way that an hearing aid dryer is cheaper than hearing aid repairs.
I bought a new pair of OPN’s online when they first came out from a guy in Colorado Springs. I cannot remember his name now, he was banned from this forum for his crude mannerisms! When I couldn’t get ahold of him for warranty repair work I turned to Loyd’s for assistance. They were very happy to help and even got the warranty work approved which was a BIG deal. Turns out he never registered the serial numbers and Oticon was hedging on even repairing them. I produced a sales reciept and only then were fully repaired under warranty plus I paid a minimal fee to Loyd’s for their part in the deal.