Costco Connection - April 2012

Consumer reporter Pat Volchok gives a behind-the-scenes look at Costco products and services. Send your questions about this article to: buyingsmart@costco.com. BuyingSmart

Costco’s Hearing Aid Centers offer sound services

MOST OF US are actively involved with our own health and well-being. We take vitamins, know our cholesterol levels, remember our flu shot and visit the dentist. Why, then, don’t more adults get an annual hearing screening?

Costco Hearing Aid Centers buyer Leia Ray and director of operations Christian Anthis recently answered this question and shared the latest developments at Costco’s Hearing Aid Centers.

Christian reports, “Loss of hearing is
often misunderstood. For example, hearing
loss is considered as an older person’s issue,
but in reality 65 percent of those with a hear-
ing loss are younger than 65 years old. Also,
others may have been told in the past that
hearing aids wouldn’t help them. However,
with recent advances, about 95 percent of
those with the more common forms of hear-
ing loss are now helped with hearing aids.”
Leia adds, “It doesn’t help that a vast
majority of healthcare providers do not
include a hearing evaluation as part of an
annual exam. This is particularly harmful, as
it has been proven that the longer hearing
loss is left untreated the greater the chance
for the brain to forget how to hear certain
sounds.”

t

The new Kirkland Signature™ 4.0 hearing aids and remote control.

and the member’s lifestyle, either a Kirkland Signature brand or one of the other state-of-the-art products from major hearing aid manufacturers.

Signature

80 ;e Costco Connection APRIL 2012

The hearing test

The good news is that Costco Hearing
Aid Centers are much more than just a place
to purchase hearing aids at exceptional sav-
ings. As one of the largest hearing aid retail-
ers, the centers (there are 443 locations
servicing members around the world, with
379 in the U.S.) offer a free, comprehensive
hearing test to determine if someone could be
helped by a hearing aid to members 18 years
and older.

The follow-up process

Included with the purchase of Costco hearing aids are as many free follow-up appointments as needed. (Some retailers charge or offer only one free follow-up visit.) Noteworthy during this adjustment phase is the inclusion of the Real-Ear test, which measures the true match of hearing loss to hearing aid response.

Warranty periods for Costco hearing aids run two or three years, depending on the model. Included is free loss and damage coverage (with no deductible), with a one-time replacement per hearing aid during the warranty period. (Some retailers charge up to $500—per hearing aid.)

There’s also a 90-day trial period with no restocking fee on returns, and a 100 percent money-back guarantee. (Some retailers allow only 30 days or charge a cancellation or restocking fee of up to $200.)

For added convenience, especially for those members who travel or have a second home, customized adjustments on all Costco-purchased hearing aids can be made at any of the Costco Hearing Aid Centers in the United States.