Why shouldn't I get those cheap hearing aids offered by some providers, or those "bargain" mail order hearing aids? What about those "advertised specials" I see in the newspaper or in a mailer? How will I know exactly how much my hearing aids will cost and what I really need?

People like to shop around. When it comes to hearing aids, many people "get taken" by some providers who tell people what they want to hear in order to do business with them, rather than telling people what they should really be looking for in hearing aids and risk losing the "prospect" because the price may be more than what they anticipated. The same is true with those "deep-discounted specials" you sometimes see advertised in your local newspaper or mailers featuring cheap, low quality hearing aids just to lure you into the offices of these unscrupulous dispensers. These unethical marketing tactics are even used by many larger hearing aid centers and national franchises, which unfortunately work with quotas and commissions. Their goal is to get as many people as possible through the door, and the "advertised special" does just that. People who answer to these ads will only be disappointed when, after an hour of testing, they are told that this "special" is 'not right for their particular hearing loss'. They will then be pushed and pressured to purchase hearing aids costing several thousand dollars. This unfortunate "sales tactic" has been plaguing the hearing healthcare field for decades. Be aware of these deceitful advertising practices when you see them.

The truth is that less expensive hearing aids can make you hear louder, but they do not produce the clarity that better hearing aids produce. Cheaper hearing aids will not work well in certain environments such as group functions or when among family and friends. In fact, they may become so annoying and unbearable that you really will not want to wear them much at all. Usually when people get the cheaper hearing aids they either end up unhappy and frustrated, or the hearing aids will just sit in the drawer instead of in the ears. Thus, even though at first you may feel as if you got a good deal, the money that was paid for the hearing aids was in reality just wasted.

This does not mean that a hearing aid costing several thousand dollars is necessarily better for you than a $1500 hearing aid. Your hearing loss may not be complicated enough to require more expensive hearing aids, or there may be a point where your remaining hearing ability may not be sensitive enough for you to be able to distinguish the difference between a good hearing aid and a better grade hearing aid. Or perhaps your personal needs simply don't require the features that a $2000 or $3000 hearing aid can provide. On the other hand, because of your required prescription and your particular personal needs you may benefit from the added features that a more expensive hearing aid provides. It really is impossible to give "an exact price" to someone who is shopping around. Your best bet is to go to a hearing healthcare provider who you can trust -- much like going to your dentist or your doctor.

At the Herkimer Hearing Aid Center we truly care about your hearing. A thorough hearing evaluation and speech reception test will tell us exactly what you are having trouble hearing and to what extent. After the evaluation, and once we know what your personal needs are, we will know what prescription you need and will tell you exactly what hearing aids you should be thinking about -- nothing more and nothing less. It is because of this philosophy of honesty and integrity that the Herkimer Hearing Aid Center has proudly grown to be recognized as one of the finest and most reputable Hearing Care Providers in the Mohawk Valley.

Keep in mind that high quality components are necessary for the hearing aids to process sounds with clarity. This enables you to not only hear louder, but also clearer, because only those frequencies you need amplified will be amplified clearly to your particular needs. Only through this method can a hearing healthcare provider determine what hearing aids you need, and how much they will cost. Nobody can tell you, either on the phone or in an advertisement, how much the hearing aids that you need will cost.

Whatever you do don't fall for the "advertised special" trap. You should always be weary about a practice who uses ads featuring cheap hearing aids. When seeing such an ad, you should ALWAYS ask yourself: "Is this someone who is looking out for my best hearing-care interest or are they just trying to lure me into their offices by advertising low priced (and low-quality) hearing aids?" The same is true with the old "We need 30 people to test..." trick. The truth is they need to get some people in there to 'buy'. Or the ad featuring "Two for the price of one" on a certain model, sometimes the cheapest version of that model (they may try to hide that fact by using a made-up model number to give themselves a way out) just to have an excuse later as to why they can't give you that advertised special. Notice they don't say 'Two for the price of one on anything we offer'. Another ad you may see features a coupon for a few hundred dollars off hearing aid model "x". Notice they don't tell you that model "x" costs thousands of dollars each. Or you may see an ad touting a three day event with "up to 50% off", only to find out after your hearing is tested that surprisingly the one hearing aid that is 50% off will not work for your particular hearing loss. There are many other slick advertising methods, so you need to be aware. Don't fall for any of these tricks. If they are already playing games with you and you haven't even contacted them yet, just imagine what you will hear when you answer to these ads. Whatever you decide to do, go to someone reputable. Yes, unfortunately hearing loss is very complex and hearing aids are seemingly expensive medical devices, and unfortunately people are always looking for a deal (it's human nature). And there will always be companies willing to lure people by taking advantage of this human nature. So as someone looking for hearing aids, you have to use your head. If the deal is too good to be true, IT IS!!!

As the famous writer John Ruskin wrote: "There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, an the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey."

This holds especially true for hearing aids. There is more to a hearing aid than just the model and manufacturer. Your hearing aid experience depends on many factors: The thoroughness of the hearing test, the quality of hearing aid components ordered from the hearing aid lab, the fine-tuning adjustment process, the expertise of the hearing care provider, etc. Even with the best hearing aids and the correct prescription, your hearing aids will need to be professionally fine-tuned for your personal listening comfort after the fitting based on your perception of the sounds around you while in your everyday environment.