Hearing Aids online

[Jenny]

I am 72 years old and am about to follow my husband by getting a hearing aid. His cost over £1000 each from Hidden Hearing but a friend has just bought much cheaper from an on-line site called Hearing Direct. he is very happy but does anyone else know of them?

[york310]

It's run by the same guy who has been doing Glasses Direct for several years - James Murray Wells. From what I recall its glasses direct side is a slow growing business which he has had to try to get millions in investments from others but he thinks he is competing with the big companies even though he probably does as much as one big store not the company.

He probably did the hearing aid side to compete with specsavers and boots as they do the same.

How on earth can you have a real hearing test on line? Surely it would depend on the computer you use to what the sounds would be like. I'm sure you have specialist computers and headphones and are often in small cubicles when you have a proper test. Does this online test check each ear individually or both together? What if you only have problems in one ear or one is worse than the other? Should they be set up seperately so they balance?

He sells them with the opportunity to return them if they are no success because it's probably hit and miss if they work.

Hearing loss can vary so much how can this online test check all of this precisely?

In my opinion I don't see how it can replace a proper hearing test.

Its like getting a pair of ready reader glasses off the shelf. Try them on and they may magnify the image and be ok but it may not be exact. They can work well for some people but for others they are useless.

[brenda]

You can get a digital hearing aid on the NHS, after having a proper hearing test done.Batteries are free, as are repairs.An excellent service.I know cause I am fortunate to wear one and have done so for the last 6 years.