Consumer Alert: Hearing Devices

If you wear a hearing device, or if someone you love does, you may have noticed the glut of commercials on television for "low priced hearing devices" that promise better hearing. Many of these hearing devices are amplification systems, and not hearing aids at all.


Some businesses intend to deceive consumers by marketing "personal sound amplification systems" (PSAPs) or "hearing amplification products" as "aids for better hearing." Savvy consumers shouldn't be fooled into thinking that hearing amplifiers are custom hearing aids – they are not.

According to the FDA, "A hearing aid is a wearable sound-amplifying device that is intended to compensate for impaired hearing. A PSAP is a wearable electronic product that is not intended to compensate for impaired hearing, but rather is intended for non-hearing impaired consumers to amplify sounds in the environment for a number of reasons, such as for recreational activities."

Further clouding this issue for consumers is the fact that Internet-based suppliers of hearing aids have arrived, often marketing their products as "low cost hearing aids", with few or no requirements for a standard consultation and exam.

Reputable hearing aid manufacturers know that patients should have a personal face-to-face consultation with a licensed hearing professional for the most effective assessment and dispensing. For this reason, and because the Internet-marketed aids are not sold by authorized dispensers, manufacturers generally decline to warranty the devices. In fact, many manufacturers will refuse to even repair their own branded hearing aids unless they've been sold through an authorized distributor.

Consumers would be well advised to steer clear of hearing aids that are not warranted by the product manufacturer. (To find out if the product is covered by a warranty, contact the individual manufacturer prior to purchase.)

At McGuire's Hearing Aids and Audiological Services in Patchogue, we work diligently to provide thorough examinations and custom consultations so that in conjunction with patient needs, we can determine the best device for each individual.

If you have any questions regarding hearing devices, would like us to evaluate your current hearing instrument, or would like to receive a free screening, please contact McGuire's at (631) 758-3709.