What You Need To Know About Mail Order Hearing Aids

A recent survey done by the National Council on the Aging stated that 55% of Americans who need hearing aids cannot get them because they cannot afford them. Most health insurance companies will not cover hearing aids, which can cost upwards of thousands of dollar per ear. Until the prices come to a more humane level, what is the average American to do? Get used to the sound of silence? Not necessarily. You can try to get a pair of mail order hearing aids.

Before You Go "Windows Shopping"

Before you fire up the PC and type "mail order hearing aids" in your favorite search engine, you need to go through this checklist:

Are mail order hearing aids allowed to be sold in your state?
Have you gone to the doctor to get an accurate diagnosis as to why you are having troubles hearing? Do you have the diagnosis in writing?
Are you feeling lucky? Not all mail order hearing aids will work as well as customized (and expensive) hearing aids.

If you can answer all three questions, get your bargain-hunter's hat on.

Making A Sound Choice

Before you buy mail order hearing aids, read the fine print. Know the company's return policies in advance. Some companies will give you a month or less trial period you're your mail order hearing aids. Some companies may request that you send them a copy of your doctor's diagnosis for your hearing loss.

And, before you make the final selection, do a little private investigation of the mail order hearing aids company. Do their phone numbers work? Do they have problems with the Better Business Bureau? And do their ads include addresses for customer support?

Your Rights

Federal law requires that if you buy mail order hearing aids, they are to be shipped to you when the company promises and also deliver what the company promises. If you are really dissatisfied with your mail order hearing aids and can't get the issue resolved with the mail order company, you have a right to make a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

If All Else Fails
There is no 100% guarantee that your mail order hearing aids will help your hearing loss. There just hasn't been a hearing aid invented that can work for everyone - even everyone with your type of hearing loss.

But you needn't toss the mail order hearing aids in disgust. You can donate them to one of many charities like the Lions Club or the Knights of Columbus that collect used hearing aids to distribute among the poor. You might be able to get a tax write-off for the donation.