normal markups on hearing aids
The recent comments about 10x markup for hearing aids are absolutely
untrue in all the cases I know of audiologists who sell hearing aids. It
is completely absurd unless you are talking about some unethical hearing
aid dealer or audiologist (It is more unlikely that an audiologist would
be able to do this because most of them would buy high quality
products). My markup often times isn't enough to hardly cover my cost,
especially pay for the time I spend with customers on training, setting,
resetting, remaking, troubleshooting, making impressions, new
impressions, sending in for repairs, selling batteries, etc. etc.
Audiologists have at least a Masters Degree or more in their field
and this specialty should be worth some mark up on the price of hearing
aids to cover their professional selection of the aid, it's special
setting for that individual person, and all the other follow up that
often accompanies them. The audiologist could charge a price that was
less if they charged PER VISIT/PER PHONE CALL prices plus PER ITEM
prices every time someone walked in their door or called them on the
phone. When people try to purchase aids over the internet, they are not
only forgetting the service they will give up, the important selection,
setting and fitting they give up, but they have to be very careful or
their loss/damage warranty coverage that comes with new hearing aids
will also not apply.
I have never ordered a hearing aid that even came close to costing me
only $100. In fact most of them, unless very simple, cost at least 10
times that or more. I would like to know where this information came
from that stated there is a 10 times markup on the equipment sold.
Please let me know. I'd be selling hearing aids closer to $10,000 each
if that were the case.
Sincerely, Jan,
Audiologist, also a consumer for over 15 years buying and having
hearing aids fit for my daughter, with no audiology title, using other
audiologists and paying fair but higher prices than I now pay as an
audiologist for quality products and quality professional service
