On a recent visit to the hearing aid center located in Fountain Valley,Ca, I stopped at their hearing aid center and asked about the products and the prices. They are offering REXTON Receiver in the Canal hearing aids for $995.00 each which is an outstanding price for such a quality product. Independent Hearing Aid offices pay about $850 for the same product.The REXTON product is labeled with the traditional KIRKLAND BRAND that COSTCO uses on many other products but it exactly the same product. The Receiver-in-the-canal, is the latest technical product offered by all hearing aid companies, and perhaps because of lack of knowledge, or because a less expensive REXTON product called an open fit, which is a less expensive product than the RIC (Receiver in the canal) is actually priced higher than the RIC at $1495.00 which doesn't make any sense except it has the REXTON label. When I asked the COSTCO employee behind the counter why one hearing aid was more expensive than the other, he explained that the more expensive hearing aid was designed for more severe hearing losses which is actually just the opposite of the truth. The open fit uses a rubber dome, shaped like a mushroom that is a universal fit for the , and was designed for only high frequency hearing losses and not significant or severed hearing losses, and intended to eliminate the feeling of being plugged up or under water when wearing a typical hearing aid as a result of the entire ear canal being occluded. Never the less, the lack of knowledge in this case was not important because that employee was not the hearing aid dispenser for that site.There is no question that the RIC designed product is better for all types of hearing losses, especially when fit with custom made ear domes encasing the receivers. The reason being is that they are easier to insert, properly centered in the canal when inserted, less likely to fall out resulting in a lost hearing aid, and provide for an overall better fit and performance of the hearing aid.
The custom earmold designed receiver may cost $50.00 more, but is well worth it and should be mandatory.The RIC design is not accounting for about half of all hearing aid sales and the best price is at COSTCO,other than my office!.Nationwide, the RIC design is being sold for whatever the traffic will bear and for up to $5,000 each, of which from $4,000 to $4,500 is profit for the dealer". COSTCO also sells a REXTON remote control which can be used in conjunction with the hearing aids, and that I recommend, for $96..00 which is about $60!.00 less than an independent hearing aid dealer pays for the same remote from REXTON:. It doesn't make any sense and the hearing aid dispenser should buy all their remote needs from COSTCO instead of from REXTON..
If you need any additional information on this type of product or any other question on any hearing aid purchase,repair,service,usage,etc,please feel comfortable to call my toll free number:.
David A'.Thorpe, AlsipMagistrate, (800)432-7114, located in Huntington Beach,California,92648. 30fa2c8