Why I No Longer Recommend Costco Hearing Aids
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- čas přidán 29. 04. 2024
- Dr. Cliff Olson, Audiologist and founder of Applied Hearing Solutions in Phoenix Arizona, discusses why he no longer recommends that you buy hearing aids like the Jabra Enhance Pro, Philips HearLink, or Rexton BiCore Hearing Aids at Costco.
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Over the years I have been tested and fitted with hearing aids by three different audiologists. The third of these was at Costco. Have to say that in my experience, I received far better treatment and a much better result from Costco. That, despite the fact that the first two audiologists cost more than twice as much.
Cliff: Costco services are variable. So are those provided by independent outlets, everywhere.
After going to an excellent audiologist, that was way beyond my budget, I went to Costco. I was treated by the senior technician. Having been through the audiologist Best Practices, I was very pleased that my hearing test was virtually identical at Costco. Having not gone any further at the audiologist, I can’t compare the fitting and tuning of my Philips 9040s. Having Medicare, I am eligible for an appointment with the audiologist soon and I will see how close Costco treatment compares. I personally feel like I received good care at Costco.
Audiolost 100%.
My aids are from Costco and we're still in the trial period. Best practices, real ear and as many visits as I need to get it right. They couldn't be nicer.
Sorry Cliff, in Canada you are wrong- private clinics are four times the price of Costco and costco has better audiologists, better warranty, service and zero sales pressure. no comparison. Costco has limited models but their service is incredible as are their prices
Ehhh, I'm from Canada and I don't feel the same way. I had a terrible experience at Costco.
@@JPBimmer you went to one?????? did you talk to customer service? what did they say? 4 costcos i dealt with, one made an error i spoke to manager and they fixed it....fantastic customer service Costco Canada
Dr Cliff. I am a costco customer. And I have had a great experience with them. I went to an audiologist after I went to Costco. And he checked everything and said that it was one of the best fittings done. He couldn't do any better. That was after I had to return my ks10s. I had a lot of trouble with charging. Mine would overheat and not accept charge. I currently have the jabra 10s.
It's hilarious that the guy who wants you to spend $6-7,000 on hearing aids is badmouthing the store that will sell the exact hearing aids for $5,000 less. What a surprise that audiology clinics are mad that people are going to Costco. I do agree the service is better at an audiologist's clinic but they definitely don't provide $5,000 worth of service. I've been to Costco and had a hearing test. First, he's criticizing Kirkland which they don't sell anymore. Second, his experience was ONE visit by his assistant. He has no personal experience. Third, so far my experience was identical to the audiologist I've used for the last eight years and, yes, they do best practices. I took all the time I wanted and am seeing the same person each visit.
Costco sells the top level HA from each manufacturer - implying that they sell inferior quality aids is sleazy and makes me question your motives. They also do real ear measurement and repeat it when you go for an adjustment . There are obviously Costcos with poor service and independent clinics with bad service. I’m sure you have disgruntled patients as well. Costco also gives you a 6 month trial period during which you can be adjusted until satisfied and if not you can return the HA’s and go elsewhere, so you have nothing to lose by saving money.
"Top level" hearing aids that have performance issues compared to the name brand hearing aids as evidenced by the KS brand that I discussed in the video. Real Ear Measurement doesn't matter no matter how many times you repeat it during an adjustment, if you never do it right, as discussed, and shown, in the video. I probably have disgruntled patients as well, again, like I mentioned in the video. When someone isn't doing well in a 6 month trial period (which is about 5 months longer than is necessary to properly treat a hearing loss) most of these individuals feel that they have reached their best hearing possible, even if they continue to struggle. So basically, you have a LOT to lose, & its way more than just $1,500. You lose your ability to hear.
I get it! You have stated this time and time again! Didn't your mom ever tell you if you have nothing nice to say then just don't say it. Do I want to drive a new Cadillac, of course I do! But there are those of us that can't afford to spend $4k to $6k every 4 to 6 years for new hearing aids. If you really truly want to help more of the hearing impaired, charge the same price as Costco. Oh, wait, you can't afford to do that....will neither can we. It's time to leave Costco alone. You cater mostly to the above average. Nothing wrong with that. God bless America.
The statistics on this video are very misleading whether intentionally or out of ignorance. If a local Costco sells 1000 hearing aids over 6 months and 50 of their customers were not happy with the end result that would be a 5.0% unhappy rate meaning 950 patients were happy. So doctor Cliffs 50% unhappy rating is just statistic that out of his new customers half are former Costco hearing aid customers. So if doctor Cliff had 4 new patients on a given month and 2 of them were former Costco hearing aid customers unhappy with their experience or outcome that’s 2 people. Throwing around a 50% unhappy with Costco is misleading at best and malicious at worst. Given the amount of schooling Dr. Cliff received with obtaining his doctorate degree it is incredulous to believe this type of statement would be possible without malice intent. I am reminded of a famous quote “education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”
Costco is not 50% of the total market. Yet, the account for over 50% of all poorly fit hearing aids in my clinic. Interpret that however you want. 👍
@@DrCliffAuD were the other 50% of poorly fit patients from you? Or other non Costco providers? You are saying you never have patients that are unhappy? How glorious you must be
@@DrCliffAuDeither you’re making up stats just like you’re making up that the KS10’s had charging issues but the Phonak Audeo didn’t, or you’re willfully misinformed. A simple search of the forum on hearing tracker would bring up multiple threads from 2020-2023 of people having the EXACT same charging issues. You know what fixed it? The same thing that Costco was doing. Ensuring they use the correct and new power brick that Phonak provided. Then finally updating the firmware.
In fact, Phonak released firmware specifically FOR charging cases (Audeo included) to address this exact issue. It was happening with BOTH products. You either know that or are completely ignorant of the facts.
This video is riddled with misinformation and completely false statements. And don’t hide behind “interpret my stats how you will” type statements. That’s such a con.
Womp womp
I have had Kirkland 10’s for almost three years and love them. I certainly could not afford hearing aids from a private provider!!!
Sadly this video was based on anecdotal evidence. My experience has been different. My trip into hearing aids over a decade ago started by visiting multiple audiologists. Each recommended their most expensive model. The standard explanation was "they are the best!", not a single one could explain why that model was appropriate for me. Finally, I tried a Costco. At least there the advice was explained clearly and even though I realized that I might not be getting "the best" of current technology I thought I was getting fair value that matched my needs at the time. The same thing happened when it was time to replace the first pair. Now much more experienced and educated I visited 6 audiologists and got the used car salesmen vibe from each recommending "the best" (e.g. most expensive) I ended up back at Costco where I at least I didn't feel like somebody was trying to fleece me. I'm still left with the feeling that I really wonder what the difference would be for my hearing if I had "the best" and if it would be worth the cost difference from my pair at Costco.
What a self-serving video. How could a local provider know enough about the entire Costco network to generalize like this. Anecdotal knowledge is not enough.
i think it was the 50% of people coming into his office with costco issues that swayed him into believing that something was wrong. Now if all of those people are coming from his 1 and only Costco store, then that could just be a problem with that provider at that particular store.
Cliff is a bit more astute that the typical hearing care professional. His information isn't just based on anecdotal information. I, myself, have a practice like Cliff (in Oregon), and have versed myself in Costco's policies and procedures. I was on our state licensing board for 12 years, and, as a result, became acutely aware of Costco's training and procedures. It's not hard information to find out.
Anecdotal information isn't enough, but it isn't the sole thing this video is based on.
@sfrink1425 Anecdotal evidence was all that was offered. And to be of value it must be compared to statistics of the industry overall. In other words how does Costco stack up to the rest of the hearing aid industry. Most of the stats on things like this are customer satisfaction driven, which is related to but different from actual quality of service.
I have my own anecdotal stories to relate with myself,my father, my mother, and two other individuals I am close with: both with Costco and independent audiologists.
lol the 50% statement is hilarious. Why would anyone that is happy with Costco hearing aids go to Dr cliff? So they can pay for a hearing evaluation? So they can buy Hearing aids for three times the cost??
Those people that left Costco and went to see cliff are the ones that just arnt happy. That’s fine, go where you want, but the way cliff tries to pass this off is passive aggressive. Be better baby cliff
The 50% is hilarious to everyone except for those in the 50%. You got the point though...go where you want.
@@DrCliffAuD yet here you are, talking trash about a competitor. Funny how you diidnt discuss your cost difference. How much does a test and consolation with you cost? What are your prices for comparable hearing aids? You charge a restocking fee if they don’t like them after your 30 day trial? Show the whole picture, “Dr”.
People have to be willing to advocate for themselves when they don't receive satisfactory service. Going somewhere else and paying a lot more for hearing aids is no guarantee that you will have a better result. Costco offers a full refund for up to six months after purchase, which is more than enough time for people to get used to wearing hearing aids and to go back to the hearing center for adjustments. If it doesn't work out, you get your money back; you can't get a better policy.
That's not the problem with Costco and the hearing aid stores. It's the inconsistency of service.
Inconsistencies are a problem everywhere, not just costco.
I enjoy watching Dr Cliffs videos….i’ve been using hearing aids for 20 years….I’ve only used two providers….Kaiser Permanente due to my Medicare Advantage discounts and Costco. Up until a few years ago my preference was Costco….great prices and quick service and appointments. The professionalism of both providers was pretty equal…still is….i just got a pair of the Jabra 20’s two weeks ago from Costco….PERFECT!! My complaint is they are swamped with appointments so follow up takes longer….ditto for KP…..out of curiosity, how many different COSTCO outlets are you referring to?
Dozens.
@@davidhuez7027 Thank you ...
First, let me say that I am one of your biggest fans. I hope you never stop your podcasts because there is always so much to learn and the market changes so quickly. I am always listening(ha ha). That being said, I am a Costco fan. Yikes!!! Shields up!! No, I appreciate what you do for customers. I know that they are going to get the best care possible. But to me spending $5000(I'm guessing)for you, or $1500 for me(which I can afford) is not comparable. Everyone wants to do the best with which they can afford. I was one of the lucky ones. I have a better quality of life now thanks to my local Costco. They took good care of me. I'm wearing my KS10s now(2 years) without any issues and hearing much better. Again, thank you for your podcasts!
Sour grapes I am thinking Dr Cliff!!!
This is not just a Costco problem but an industry problem there’s no guarantee a private practice will be better
True, but Private Practices get to choose if they provide high quality service as well as best practices. Costco provider just work for a large corporation and have to provide the level of service dictated by corporate.
@@DrCliffAuD That part I can not dispute, but my experience has been pretty good and the alternative was to cost prohibitive and got the used car man sales pitch from private practice . I think you provide great info
Amen!!!
@@DrCliffAuD you are one of the few people who ever offers valuable info for hearing loss community
@@DrCliffAuD Blah, blah, blah!
I have been to two different high priced hearing aid centers where units cost me $5,000 a pair including the test from the audiologist. I wasn't worried because of the insurance. I decided to try Costco when my third trip to a retail hearing aid center simply was going to cost too much. Tru hearing through my insurance. I would still pay out of pocket. I went to Costco and not only had the best hearing test (*three weeks after the test at the higher priced joint) but they caught ear wax build up before I could have the test. And my hearing test lasted about 45 minutes, a much more thorough test than the higher priced outlets. The hearing aids were also less than half what the other outlets wanted and the same quality. Costco rocks!
I've had pretty good luck with my K-10's, I had one failure in the past two years and Costco replaced it. As far as correcting my hearing loss, I think they did a good job, when I put them in, my hearing goes from muddy to clear. I am disappointed that they ended the Kirkland brand, but because my insurance like most others doesn't cover hearing aids, cost is a big reason to get the best I can afford.
I've had the Costco Jabra Enhance Pro 20 devices for almost 2 months. Great experience at Costco. Not rushed at all and the fitting appears to be great. This store (Tulsa) is new, opening about a year ago and as such may have a bit less customer traffic compared to a a well established store. I've got no complaints.
I totally agree. Im a hearing specialist for costco and its so frustrating not being able to take the time to give proper care. When they could raise the price and still be far cheaper than private practice but give us more time to properly treat patients. The truth is Costco does not want hearing instrument specialists they want a costco employee who can legally dispense hearing aids
Literally why I left. I had a regional manager for the confused about why we were following best practices for COVID in 2021, when there were six beds open in the ERs of our local county.
It was suspicious how all of our labels suddenly changed too. On the outside market Jabra is an over the counter solution from UHC (yes I know the units are different in theory, I haven’t been able to or wanted to compare tech specs) and it just feels altogether like the company has gone down hill from quality of care.
@@robertrappaport3610 Jabra is not affiliated with United Health Care. Jabra is a OTC device manufactured by GN or more commonly know as the manufacture of prescriptive grade GN ReSound. UHC has the "Relate" hearing aid which I'm assuming this is what you are referring to. The Relate is a more basic Unitron device under the parent company Demant which also manufactures Phonak devices. If you would like my source that is easy to understand and backs this statement just Google search Hearing Tracker hearing industry roadmap. Hope this helps.
My Costco Specialist spent 90.minutes with me on test day. Is she going to get fired for her superior efforts??
@@georgeargento1 I sure hope not, but before I left they had cut us down to 75 minutes and were encouraging 60 minutes for appointments. 90-120 is the right amount of time to ensure we learn about our clients needs and do a thorough test
@robertrappaport3610 where I used to go, national hearing care provider with 600 plus offices, you had 60 minutes and they wanted you to go out the door with a new pair in your ears. That's why Cliff trashing Costco is SO unfair and clueless.
I remember Brie requested a specific hearing aid vs allowing them to recommend the one that was proper for her hearing loss.
It is also worth noting that you had her visit one Costco vs several stores for the study research to be valid.
There are bad seeds on every business, it is possible she ended with someone that wasn’t very experienced.
Needless to say, I feel you should go to several Costco stores for the review to have a lot more credibility?
I have patients who have been to dozens of different Costcos with similar reports.
@@DrCliffAuD so you are saying that NONE of your patients have ever left you for another provider? That seems to be what you are inferring.
Still using KS-10 from Costco, never a problem. The fitting was as good as any audiologist I have had experience with and better than some. November 2023 received Lumity 90 from the VA they are only marginally better than the KS-10’s and initial fitting was problematic. I finally took them to Connect Hearing to be programmed to my satisfaction.
I’m not upset!😂
This is how you know costco is shaking the private clinics.
I disagree. I went to Costco after many years of working with other audiologists basically just for price. Later I used my insurance and found a great audiologist who did a far better job at testing and providing multiple options / brands and a very long trial period. One thing is certain Costco is not equipped to handle the more complex care that some patients will need. If price is all you need to be concerned with Costco is great, if you have any other issues or need complex care and options, Costco won’t work.
For over 10 years I have has excellent service at Costco. I have never felt that the audiologist was pressed for time. They spent whatever time was needed for testing and answering my questions. My most recent visit for testing resulted in the audiologist saying I do not now need to upgrade my HAs, but he let me test, in the store, two of the brands he would recommend if I did want to upgrade. I stayed with what I have for now.
Really bad taste to knock your competition. Usually means you can't compete on product and service. This guy is fixated on Costco. Our Costco has an excellent licensed audiologist and offers a strong warranty and superb service. Our audiologist doesn't stoop to knocking competition to make a youtube buck. Yuck to this guy.
I’d say this was a fair critique overall as a former Costco provider in CA
Shaking in my boots. 😭
I used Costco and so far satisfied. I started with the Philips, then Rexton and ended up with the Jabra Enhance Pro, which ended up being the best choice for my hearing loss.
I recommend Costco for lower level hearing loss treatment. As my hearing has moved into profound, I transitioned to a private care practice to get access to the latest hearing aid products (they do cost much more, but I needed them).
In my world, everything has a cost benefit relationship. i cannot afford $4000 or more for hearing aids ... (x2 when you include my wife and i) ... so i am prepared to accept what i can afford. for me it is Costco or OTC. Leaning toward OTC but hoping i can afford Costco. If i go the Costco route, i have 6 months to love them or hate them so i think that will be enough time for me to make my mind up ... plus there are 2 Costcos in my town so if i don't like the service at one i can probably check out the other one. Plus ... you can't beat a Hot Dog and a Soda for $1.50!!!
Yep! I went to Costco got the 10. First time was great. Did have a small issue with the battery after the app or something did an upgrade. That was fixed. Then i purchased a second pair as i was moving out of the country. That visit was pretty good. But then one battery started draining after 4-5 hours no streaming. I was now out of the country. Ended up with a trup to the states. Sent the hearing aid in to Costco dor repair and made an appointment to pick them up. That all worked well but the tech apparently didn't have time to verify the programing. Now i have a pair that have a good battery but apparently are not setup for my hearing loss. 😢
Dr. Cliff, I appreciate your videos on hearing care. I went to Costco after watching many of your videos and was fitted for and purchased a pair of the Kirkland 10.0. I did have to exchange them for another set of Kirkland 10.0 because of the battery issue but that was easy to do as the programmed loaners for me until the replacements came in.
These Costco hearing aids have changed my life for the better. I am sorry to see, for whatever reason, the K10s will no longer be available. I do think every Costco should have an audiologist on staff, some stores do not. I also agree that more time should be allotted per customer if necessary.
My experience with Costco has been positive. I live on the south end of Tucson and got my hearing aids in 2020. Lauren, my Costco provider, was excellent. She did not push a particular hearing aid. Actually had me try 3 different hearing aids and walk around the store a few minutes. I ended up with Resound, which to me sounded the most natural. Just like any other healthcare the individual providing the care probably matters more than the company.
This doesn’t apply to Costco Canada. They use audiologists and do all the testing Dr Cliff requires. I have excellent Resound aids at ½ the cost.
Dr. Cliff I have watched many of your videos and am very impressed of your knowledge. I have been wearing hearing aids for 30 years due to a hereditary gene in my family that affects male descendants. I have been to so many Hearing aid centers and specialist i have lost track of all them and have a very bad taste of the industry. Essentially, in my opinion, I've seen it go from a scam industry to Costco, who is bringing some honesty to the profession. The so-called boutique Hearing dispensers I have been to lately don't have the advanced testing equipment that Costco does, all they want to do is a test ,give me a 30 day trial and if I don't like it they want $600. I'm tired of playing that game. I have received better testing better results from Costco than I have from independent hearing dispensers at a much better price. The key to Costco is finding a good hearing instrument specialist that is willing to work with you.
I went to a private hearing aid vendor, the service I received was below subpar, they didn’t do real ear measurements nor measured the wire length for my ears. I was also not shown or fitted with different options. They just gave me what they wanted and send me my merry way without telling me how to care for them, switch programs, turned them on and off, etc. I then read thousands of reviews from Costco customers and they all were very satisfied (recently).
Those private practices who don't follow Best Practices are worse than Costco.
Totally agree
How about obtaining the lower price at Costco, and then going to a HearingUp office to get the REM test and any other fine tuning needed?
Wondering the same. Hope you get an answer🤞
I was told by an ENT/audiologist private office that Costco "locks" their hearing aids and no one else can work with them. My Costco aids don't work for me so I wanted to pay someone else to reprogram them but no luck.
We don't. If we believe that patients are feeding a corporate giant at the expense of local small businesses, we will not support that type of behavior.
@@DrCliffAuD”that type of behavior.” You are a doctor of audiology, yet you refuse to run REM for somebody who had the audacity to save thousands of dollars buying from Costco?
You claim to support best practices, yet you won’t even run REM or advise people to utilize your “network” to help people get the best practices you claim to support so much.
What a con, man.
@paradisenavigator652 It's the other way around... Costco doesn't lock their devices. Which just shows that private practices are willing to lie to retain the clients.
Hi Cliff, I'm repeating the request that I made after your last Costco video. Simply presenting anecdotes (my assistant got bad advice from Costco) and recycling old news (KS aids sold a few years ago had a problem) does not enlighten those of us who need help hearing. Please provide us with some valid research that proves that clients who go to one of your certified clinics receive better outcomes than those who go to Costco.
The information I provide is from the observation of hundreds of disgruntled Costco patients seen in my clinic over the past 6 years. If you want research data, you'll have to fund it yourself. Perhaps you could ask Costco what their treatment success rate is if they track that data.
I wonder why Costco’s average return rate under 10% if so many people are unhappy?
I went to a hearing clinic that didn’t have a AUD on staff locally and I was tested and treated by a HIS. She has since left that clinic to pursue other opportunities in a different field. They added 2 AUD doctors to the staff and I can’t say the care is any better.
I asked to have a real ear measurement done and they asked me why I wanted it done. They did the REM but I came to the conclusion that even tho they had the equipment they were not trained or proficient at using it nor did they perform it correctly (compared to what I see in Dr Cliff’s videos). Did it help?? Some areas a little but made others worse.
My Resound warranty has expired so they no longer schedule me to perform regular cleaning or checkups. Given my experience I doubt I’ll return to this dedicated hearing clinic and will try Costco next when my current aids need replaced.
Alguem sabe se a estimulação cerebral profunda pode ajudar no tratamento do zumbido ?
Thank you for sharing this information. 😊 Hope to see you at the HLAA conference in June. Enjoy your day.
Can you make a comparison video for Wired Smartic 440 cs Starkey Genesis Ai 2400
I suffer hearing loss (95% loss left ear, 40% loss right ear) since 25 years ago, I got opportunity to come to China for education since 2022, bought a 30yuan (around 4 USD) hearing aid, I now can hear very well and still use the same hearing aid since 2022. Just change battery after 6 months, battery is 1yuan.
Dr. Cliff, I have had 2 HA's from Costco, 1st was a pair of Rexton Cobalt 16s, not totally satisfied even after a number of adjustments, my hearing is 30-35 db down l&r not exactly same. After 7 years Costco could no longer program these aids, the necessary program was not on their equipment. I have had a pair of Resound GN aids, 5 years now. My hearing is now down 35-40 db.They corrected the major issue with the previous aids. Even now I do not feel the adjustments are just right, the "real ear" test was not used, person said it was to far off from my hearing test profile he wouldn't use it. Mostly my hearing is good, except I feel some compression adjustments are not right. My feeling is the HA programming quality is dependent on the specific person doing the testing and adjustments.
That said, a Costco HA can not be programed by any other than a Costco store, because their models are custom to Costco, and the programming software is specific to those models.
With all the audiologists out there how do I find the right one for me. I live near canton ohio
I love Costco..Now Hearing aids. My first set was rexton.with battery. .happy..5 yrs later Costco put me into Jabra no batteries..it's been only 7 months but already had them re adjusted..I'm still not happy with them. Going to make another apt to see why the hearing aids cut out, software issues, etc.. I use a Droid not an apple. Any suggestions?
Any performance issues could be related to the hearing aids themselves or how they are programmed. As far as having an Android phone, if the Jabras are the newer version & you have LE Audio in your phone, this should perform better. If not, you're probably using the ASHA Bluetooth protocol which is not very good.
I’m on Medicare and the Tricare for Life (military retiree Medicare supplement) insurance, neither cover hearing aids. Are there any policies I could buy to help with the excessive cost of treatment through an audiologist?
What about through the VA? They provide hearing aids at no cost. Like everywhere else, your experience can vary at the VA too.
@@paulstein916you got that right…
@@paulstein916 Thanks Paul, but after what I’ve seen my father and others go through at the hands of the VA, I’ll go without before I darken that door.
Go to the VA
Yea .. my local Beltone office tried to pressure sell me for $7,000 a set of Resound hearing aids… $ 10,000 if i didn’t by on the spot , 30 day trial period that would cost me $ 250.00. I then went to Costco, got a much more in depth hearing test than I did from the “audiologist “. Got the same premium hearing aids ( Jabra 300 ) for $ 1599.00. Better hearing test , 6 month full refund return period, unlimited follow ups , and free maintenance cleaning. No brainer from a financial view.
I seem to remember a provider in your HearingUp network had a dispute with a customer and the State sided with the customer against the provider. How could that happen since your standards are so high? Is that provider still in your network?
I personally did not feel rushed or pushed by anyone at Costco. They had me try different styles then walk around for 10-15 minutes then answer any questions I might have then try another.
Curious how Costco compares to Sam's Club. Sam's sells only the Lucid brand, which I have never heard of and don't know who the manufacturer is.
My experience with Costco is exactly as you stated. I’ve had a very frustrating experience with my mother at the East Peoria, Illinois Costco. You are correct that they have very short time slots and when your time is up, you are done and have to schedule another appointment to continue. She has been back at least 5 times. The quality of the service varies widely base on who is there when you show up for your appointment. Their ability to properly fit her hearing aids is substandard, she gets squealing and they keep trying different tips without success. My mom feels that she hears better without them at all. Very frustrating for me as I live 8 hours from her so I can’t be there to help and I know she could benefit from them. I’m a big fan and long time member of Costco and I implore them to improve this service as other providers are so unaffordable. As I read the comments it feels like Costco employees are stuffing the comments section with positive accolades and hits on you. It just seems unnatural as I assume most of your viewers are fans of yours.
I got hearing aids at Costco my hearing aids haven't been working well I've reached out multiple times to for an appointment but it's weeks out everytime
I agree with everything you said, I wore Jabra for 1.5 years, went back to costco over 10 times, eventually I got as much as I could from the Jabra, Less compression and more gain output power. Battery life went down to 16 hrs. I cannot believe Resound could make something so awful. 6 weeks ago I bought after much research Orka 2. I feel I have my life back and can hear again.
Here’s a crazy idea..
Buy your hearing aids at Costco or Sam’s or whatever discount place that doesn’t charge absurdly greedy prices and then take them to an audiologist that does REM and can do a proper fitting for a fair price.
What’s that you say? Oh, you won’t do that? I see. So you’re a hearing professional who offers top care, but only if you get the huge margin on HA’s that your clinic sells.
Got it.
Did you see the REM I measured from the Costco provider earlier in the video? 🤣
@@DrCliffAuD I don't think they did, lol. We all make mistakes.
The issue is not with Costco but instead with hearing aid manufacturers. The cost for hearing aids is prohibitively expensive for the average person and health insurers rarely cover hearing aids. Costco can purchase hearing aids in bulk, driving down the costs for consumers, but they need to sell more to maintain that relationship with manufacturers.
Hello doctor, please make a video on how to turn your mobile phone into a mobile microphone for hearing aids. Thank you.❤
Sometimes, I wonder about certain audiologists. I got a brand new hearing aide back in late fall of 2023. For some reasons, my hearing aide doesn’t sounds right and I knew that my settings need to be corrected or reset. Just made an appointment with the audiologist where I got my aide. I’m facing a potential charge of $200out of pocket just to do the settings to my aide which is not even 6 months old. I will never go to Costco or Sam’s Club to purchase an aide.
I am an audiologist and over the last two years, our clinics have fitted a few thousand Audeo P R and RT hearing aids. Based on my experience, I can confirm that we have had to send hundreds of pairs for repair due to recharging issues (and we still do, every single day). This is much higher than what we have seen with Marvel and Lumity hearing aids. Therefore, I am not surprised by Costco's decision to discontinue selling them.
Private clinics for BTE Pair $13000
Costco BTE Pair $2000
$1500 now!
Did costso provide a very good service to all the customers?
@@hearingaidcambodiaAll customers? No . Good service to most ,yes!
Private care can be expensive, and Costco can provide price relief. But Costco is not equipped to handle more complex cases.
@philip6770 where did you get this cost for private clinics?
I was a BIG promoter of Costco for years. Now not so much. The recent Jabra has turned off. 😊. I thought Cliff was overly critical
I have had fabulous professional service at Costco Hearing Center. Great service and good prices on hearing aids.
Did not have a good experience at Costco. Did research the issues with my hearing. Now on Medicare, the provider had a limited list of those I could go to, and systems available. Even so, the results were much better than what all Costco did.
I am guessing if Medicare pays towards your aids, you have profound hearing loss. Medicare does not pay for typical hearing loss unless it is offered thru a Medicare Advantage plan. Costco told me their HAs are not best for profound hearing loss, recommending me to other providers that carry aids that address profound hearing loss. I insisted on trying their version, and am very happy with the results, although my profound loss is only in one ear. Costco's 6months trial helped, as there is an emotional adjustment and simple getting used to any device in your ear.
Very, VERY interesting. Good info! You do speak clearly but loud and fast. I feel drained after watching your videos. JMHO Thanks for all your work and information.
My primary doc recommended COSTCO. I kept returning complaining about poor hearing in my right ear. In short, they said there is not a problem with the hearing aid or fitment. After several years I went to an ENT practice who after the hearing test said my right hearing was significantly worse than the left. That could be an indication of a serious problem. The ENT doc sent me for an MRI and I was diagnosed with a vestibular neuroma (Schwannoma). I underwent 5 treatments of CYBERKNIFE radiation. I feel if I went to the ENT practice first, the tumor would have been caught much earlier and my hearing loss would not have been as bad. I would not recommend COSTCO Hearing Clinics.
I have to put some of this issue on you, as you didn't say why you didn't get a second opinion from an independent audiologist or ENT. Nor do you say why you let this issue go on so long before seeing an ENT.
Can any other audiologist program Phillips hearing aids from Costco, or just Costco!
The Philips software is no longer accessible through the Philips website.
@@DrCliffAuDWanna answer the actual question? Yes, other providers can program Phillips hearing aids if they ask Phillips for the appropriate software. Just like any other hearing aid manufacturer.
Not all seniors can afford hearing aids from private audiologist. 😞
I no longer recommend Dr C (just kidding, your videos are very helpful).
I have Kirkland 10 aids that began having charging problems after about 2 years. Our local Costco hearing center sent them back to Phonak for repair which was successful. They told me that Costco wanted Phonak to recall 1/2 mil aids which Phonak refused to do, only fixing them on a an as needed basis.
Fortunately I am able to always work with the same professional who is knowledgeable and has been there for many years. I have not felt rushed by him and they are always quick and courteous if I have a problem like a broken wire. Too bad their providers/services are not consistent.
Fair video. I went to Costco after many years of working with other hearing care centers, however I only went because of price. I then found a great Audiologist rather than a Hearing Aid Dispenser. I’m not saying that some dispensers can’t do a great job, but a great audiologist like the one I work with now is hard to find.
An audiologist is by far superior to Hearing instrument specialist. The cost of hearing aids is criminal. Shame on those who take advantage of the those in need of hearing aids.
Oh I have the latest model of Phonak BTE Nadia P50-UP Left
Costco is the number one seller of hearing aids for a reason. They follow best practices and perform real ear measurements.
Cliff, you’re either making up stats just like you’re making up that the KS10’s had charging issues but the Phonak Audeo didn’t, or you’re willfully misinformed. A simple search of the forum on hearing tracker would bring up multiple threads from 2020-2023 of people having the EXACT same charging issues. You know what fixed it? The same thing that Costco was doing. Ensuring they use the correct and new power brick that Phonak provided. Then finally updating the firmware.
In fact, Phonak released firmware specifically FOR charging cases (Audeo included) to address this exact issue. It was happening with BOTH products. There were instances of people buying Phonak products at the VA with rumors swirling that the VA might pull the product. You either know all of this and are lying about it to it to prop up your pyramid scheme Hearing Up Network, or you are completely ignorant of the facts.
This video is riddled with misinformation and completely false statements. And don’t hide behind “ interpret my stats how you will” type statements. That’s such a con, man.
So far, my KS10's have charged without issue.. So was their another reason for the bust-up with Phonak..
My wife and I both have KS10s. I can confirm that one or the other of us has a charging issue about once a week, same as many others report on Hearing Tracker. I classify it as a quirk, and I occasionally had quirks with my previous Marvels, but much less frequently. A few days ago one of my receiver wires broke and since the aids are coming up on 3 years old, turned them in for refurbishment. I'll probably receive an entirely new pair at zero cost and be good for another 3 years. So very happy with Costco, their fitting, their prices and their support.
my mom ussed costco and from seen they like 80% of other places not enough knowledge of hearing and short visits. I niot been avle to find a good place, unless I'm willing to apy $300 per visit. and those places that what is right are thousands more. I cant afford to get good care., point blank
I’m sure many have had a good experience at Costco but what they lack is consistency. The experience greatly falls on the audiologist at that particular Costco. I’m a patient of Dr Cliffs and my mother in Canada went to Costco for her hearing aids. Our two experiences were not even close. 3 years later and I’ve had to have my mother go to a private audiologist in Canada and in every way (other than price) he was much better and has solved the hearing loss issues Costco couldn’t. The cost of having my mother hear properly again and not feel isolated in social situations to me was worth the extra money. Bottom line, audiologists that are in private business have a huge incentive of doing an amazing job with their patients, as their business is run greatly on referrals. At Costco people just walk in and there is no risk to the audiologist as a business person. On average it shows.
Despite your takedown of Costco, it is now very good for your business representing 50% of it.
Also, your business model has changed over the last 5 years transitioning from independent and trusted advice/recommendation videos to presentations that are almost always sponsored by a hearing aid company. Ouch!
.....and of course, to fix the Costco situation you (shamelessly) promote another product of yours, your provider network.
Perhaps one does protest too much????
Hell yeah! I make a TON of money thanks to Costco. Unfortunately, there are also really good private practices out there who have happy patients that don't need me.
@@DrCliffAuD And there so crummy ones too that apparently do need you.
wonder who got to him, costco is awesome
I had a great experience with Costco, but it seems something has changed there. 😢
So you want people to spend excessive money. Why would any body believe what you have to say when your livelihood depends on dissing Costco.
No problems with my Costco, got the jabra ( which is resound)
I’m in Canada.
So disagree with you.
Cool. 👍
You've gotten a bit more snarky and cynical as time has passed. Nice. They fitted me with hearing aids at Costco for a conductive hearing loss without referring me to an ENT. Obviously it wasn't a solution for my hearing loss and they were very rude when i returned them because they weren't giving me a better outcome.
When I see individuals getting taken advantage of by Costco it upsets me. So yes, I agree, I have become more snarky and cynical towards Costco because of this.
OK, Costco didn't work out for you and you got your money back. Now you are left with paying thousands of dollars at an independent audiologist.
If that worked for you, then great.
This is Why I No Longer Recommend Dr. Cliff as a Reliable Resource on Where to Buy Hearing Aids.
Defying logic and statistical methodology, and dressing up his own customers anecdotes to appear as if they were representative nationwide statistics, is not a good sign as to where he is trending. These are the tactics often associated with some used car salesmen, not those of a would-be authority on hearing aids. He is detracting from his former reputation for reliability on technical developments.
Are your paitents realizing how expensive your hearing aids are and are switching to costco?
Hearing should be for all. Not everyone can pay the amout you guys charge.
He says at around 3 minutes that people were actually doing the opposite. Individuals are coming into his clinic from a Costco hearing aid center because they were dissatisfied with the service they received there. So of course if someone started out at Costco they’re aware of the price difference. What someone opts to do and what they receive for what they pay is up to them. It’s no hidden secret about what the price difference is between Costco and other places. The whole point of the channel is to make consumers more aware of the differences.
@@rucaud8931He’s not telling us the price difference, though!😂
@@rucaud8931 In Costco, the service and the appoinments are free of charge. The clinicians are very helpful, many times the clinicians treated members who walked in without an appt durring their lunch break. It depends on every costco, just like the private clinics, not everyone knows how to give a pro member service. If a Costco member have questions they can always book a follow up appt, free of charge.
Costco's hearing aids are in the $1,200 - $2,000 price range for a pair. Most independent hearing professionals like Cliff and myself have hearing aids in that price range. On a payment plan, the entry-level hearing aids can be less than $20 per month.
Costco does NOT have a monopoly on affordable hearing care.
They come to me AFTER Costco botches thier treatment. They happily pay to have me fix the issue.
What a surprise. A privately practicing clinician doesn't like the competition. And you may be right about the American market, I wouldn't know. But in Australia, Costco seems far more evidence based than many clinics such as yours. No "hearing aid dispensers" employed in Australia.
I don't mind competition. I just don't like people with hearing loss being taken advantage of. I make significantly more money because of Costco. I don't want them to go anywhere, I would just rather they do a good job than have to have me fix their problems all the time.
@@DrCliffAuD you don’t like people with hearing loss getting taken advantage of? lol. Post your prices. How much is a hearing test?
This is gross. Let’s use CZcams to bash one of the best hearing aid competitors out there and use your channel to funnel people to your own brand
I worked at Costco for over thirty years in the meat department. Please do not ever use the word "professional" when discussing anything to do with Costco.
Ouch!
Respectfully I disagree.
Hearing aids are perceived as being very expensive, creating a barrier in the minds of people who may not have a lot of money. Do they just opt out? Live a limited life? Make do with some AirPods and fudge their way through life? Surely Costco speaks to a demographic that probably couldn’t countenance walking into a private audiology practice? If you’re well-heeled enough to use an Indy practice, I guess you’re not the target for Costco.
Living in the UK I have recourse to our National Health Service that supplies generally good HAs and audiological care. I have a pair of Marvel 70 equivalent aids from the NHS, but also use KS10s (aka Phonak P90s) which were transformational for me. There’s no way I could’ve had the full cost P90s, even buying through a chain that Sonova own! I only went private because the NHS was overwhelmed during the pandemic and waiting times for any care were sunbstantial. I need HAs to function at work.
There’s space in the market for ‘gateway vendors’ like Costco and for higher end Indy providers. Surely?
I just bought a pair of Jabra pro 20’s from Costco. I am totally satisfied with the testing and service . Went to Costco because of the research I did using yours and other videos. I did notice that a recent video of yours was sponsored by one of the HA manufacturers .
I planned to follow you to keep in the loop on new advances in the industry but now I’m unsubscribing and continue to follow the others. Thanks for the great previous advice.
Dr. Cliff is absolutely right disclosing the Costco dispensers problem in their heart. Costco offers the best prices on prescription HA, including one of the best today Jabra Enhanced 20 Pro with all of the recent technology of its mothership’s best HA (Resound Nexia) HA for less than $2K cost. No audiologist office as I’m concern will offer you the latest Resound Nexia for less than $2K. However, the Costco dispensers do not follow with the best audiologist practices, neither they have the training, education and equipment of the best practices audiologists. So, Costco problem is not the quality of the HA, but dispensers, who most of the time are only sellers of HA without really fitting, adjusting the HA based on the wearer’s specific needs. Costco is a high volume wear-house sale, but getting the right medical device & fit it is not coinciding with Costco business.
This guy competes with Costco. All of his videos are self-serving. The Dispensers at Costco are great. Find one you like. This kid’s gotta stop producing Clickbait. It’s just like bamboozling seniors. Into thinking that Costco hearing aids are less than. (get your autogram seniors! And shop around! This kid is like a slick used car salesman.)
Oof. Must be very threatened...
Shaking in by boots.
Did you just rely on REM? Perfect REM doesn't mean your patients get the proper treatment. It's a misleading point. You could blame Costco for this reason. Other clinics could do something, or even worse.
So tell me why 100% of patients who are re-fit to their Prescriptive targets (with minor adjustments afterwards) perform significantly better following Costco's approach of running Real Ear Measurement without matching targets? No good clinicians just rely on REM, but good clinicians do understand that matching REM targets is the proper way to set the foundation for modification based on perception and performance.
You are only saying this, because ostco is taking too many patients away from you, and you have too many empty slots in your booking.
He doesn’t not recommend Costco because it affects his business.
I quit Costco and went
My to an Audiologist much better
.
Sour grapes
Dr. Olsen thinks a lot about his own opinions, but that’s just what they are his opinions making very broad stroke comments off of what he sees in his clinic.
I could develop a website that tells you of all the things that I’ve come into a Costco clinic that were created by an audiologist… There’s a bunch of everything out there no matter where you go… It’s just unfortunate that Dr. Olsen feels the need to make broad comments about any provider . Very unprofessional.
i’d only go to Costco, thanks though 🤷🏻♂️
"you could have went with. . . " - - I thought doctors take English grammar.
Please, why do young ppl who do these kind of videos are so loud!!? And, hyper? Cannot or very difficult to understand!
Thanks for calling me young. I was starting to feel old.
yeah; this one seemed like an aggressive sales pitch.
We have many people come to us after poor experiences at Costco and find that their results are far better and our service is beyond compare. I hear a lot about first time hearing aid users getting hearing aids at Costco - they rarely buy their second set there.
Simple logic is that people having good experiences at Costco would have no reason to come to you, right? So presenting this statement in support of Dr. Cliff's video is totally laughable. My freshman college classmates in statistical analysis and logic would have been rolling in the aisles laughing, had you stood up and made a statement like this.
@@utuber1000 I guess you missed the point.
@@InfiniteHearing You've got that backwards.
@@InfiniteHearing your statement is unmeasurable. you said: "many people come after poor experiences at Costco." Since Consumer Reports stated that (based on the internet) 90% of Costco's Hearing Aid Patients are satisfied, you're getting, at most, the unsatisfied 10%?
Nope. Have owned three sets of aid, only the current ones came from Costco. They'll get my business next time as well. Unbeatable value.
Costco hearing aids are bad. News