A silence in one ear

[DavidDvorkin]

Aargh! I just managed to destroy one of my hearing aids. The audiologist had said that they're so tough that you could run a truck over them and they'd be okay. But apparently you can't drag a small refrigerator over them.

And of course it's no longer under warranty. That expired in March.

Gloom. They're just little pieces of latex with chips and wiring and stuff in them, but for people like me, they have considerable emotional importance.

I've occasionally wondered what it would be like to use just one of them. Now I'll find out. On the bright side, it should make it easier to tolerate those guys a few cubicles away who talk and laugh too loudly.

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. SorryI know what that's like

One went dead and had to have it sent in. Also, had to buy an additional 6 months warranty on it. :(

How much to replace for you?

Mine were $2600 each almost 4 years ago.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Mine were $1400 each

Just over two years ago.

I have an appointment on Thursday, so I'll find out the damage then. The smashed one does produce feedback sounds, so the electronics might be okay. It's possible that I'll get away with something less than full replacement, but I doubt it.

[uppityperson]

3. dang, bummer. If mine go I'm going to have to get foam tipped ones from Costco

unless I can find another deal. I dread having them squished.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. Whew

Not as bad as it might have been, apparently.

The innards are still working. It's just the casing that was
destroyed. So the audiologist took a new impression and will send
that to the factory, along with the smooshed hearing aid with its
electronical guts, and they'll recreate the thing for me. Not cheap,
but a fraction of the cost of a completely new one.

So possibly by this time next week, I'll be able to hear with both
ears again. At least, to the extent that a deafish guy with hearing
aids can hear.

[uppityperson]

5. Good, glad it will work out. Odd question here about this group

This forum has a stalker, wondering if it is a poster or if someone at that site just reads here, but don't you have to be a member to read in groups? Hmmm.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. A stalker?

Can you point to a post? I guess I haven't noticed.

You have to be a DU member to post anywhere on DU, but the whole world can read DU.

Perhaps you meant that someone is posting outside DU about what's said here?

[uppityperson]

7. Last line you wrote

Site that shall not be named or the post will be deleted. You are right, all can read but only donators can post. 4. Only members with a DU Donor star next to their username may post messages in the DU Groups. Non-donors and non-registered lurkers are permitted to read DU Groups, but they are blocked from posting in them.

[DavidDvorkin]

8. Ah, I see

Too bad it can't be named. I'd be interested in having a look -- morbid curiosity, I guess.

Some of those right-wing sites pretend to sneer at us, but they seem obsessed with what we have to say.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. Stereophonic again!

Just picked up the replacement. Total cost was $275, and it's under a one-year warranty. Much less than the cost for new ones. Which does seem to indicate that a new one doesn't have to cost as much as it does, but I'm just a semi-deaf guy, so what do I know?

[uppityperson]

10. Good, glad you got it fixed. Interesting how the cost comared, eh?

glad you got it back again. I found this also when 1 of mine broke, replacement cost quite a bit less than a new one.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Yeah, amazing

I'm sure there's more work involved in making one the first time. But this replacement was in effect made from scratch anyway, so I don't see how the price difference is justified.