ComplaintsforMiracle-Ear, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  10/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am writing on the behalf of my mother, **** *******, she is 84 years old. Her hearing aid was not working. It was dropped off to her normal place in **********, **. After over 2 weeks of not hearing nothing, she called the Miracle Ear office and was told it was picked up. She told them NO; it was NOT picked up. She was then told by "*****" that she would check and call her back in 30 minutes. Never heard back. My mother tried calling and only got the answering machine. I called and on the second ring, the phone was picked up by "*****"I told her I was calling for **** ******* and why hasn't she been called back. Where is her hearing aid., has it been repaired. Oh, she will check. I also said, I better NOT be disconnected or on hold forever. After, forever, "*****" tells me they found her hearing aid in the "wrong" folder and can be picked up at any ******* was picked up and still does NOT work. Plus, it was to have been fully charged. It was not, or who is to say since it doesn't work at all.I don't think they did a thing with her hearing aid. That's why they "all of a sudden" found it in a folder. The hearing aids cost her $5,000.00 This is the type of service received?

  Business response

  10/24/2024

  We are sending the aid back for replacement and not charging the patient for any inconvenience that we created.  We are also going to provide a loaner hearing aid to the patient so she is able to communicate.  

  Customer response

  10/25/2024

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  The only thing I would like to mention is that she was told by "*******" that she would be receiving a hearing aid (we believe it's a new one) and that it was not a loaner. The new one will be picked up and the old one returned. 

  Thank you for your help.

• Initial Complaint

  09/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had an appt with Miracle on July 18th for my Earring aide to be cleaned. I went my appt was at 9:30 at 11:30 i finally got in. They would not clean my earring aide as they said my appt was for a hearing test. It was a blonde hair girl when she called me in she put me in the booth with my earring aides in and did the test she said boy you can hear good. When she called me out she realized that my earring aides were in I had to go back in for test. NOT EVEN 5 MINUTES LATER SHE SAID MY EARING WA SO BAD. She talked really fast so hard to understand but said I need new earring aIDESand talked me into them. My fault I signed contract and did not know that I could return them in 30 days if did not like. Anyways she put them in my ears and did a word check. Nothing else I did return week later saw **** and he did nothing not even asking me I I liked the earring aides. After that my left earring aide started making squealing noises and a monthl later died. Had appt at Miracle and receptionist was very rude said I did not have appt. I showed her the phone number I called and told her my left earring aide was not working. She told me to sit down and 10 minutes later she took me to the room and she herself fixed my earring aide. I also told her they kept falling out of my ears and she said they did not fit the t o you I said no. Know 30 days later I am having same problem with my left earring aide it squealed for a while and know not working. I would like either new earring aides or my money back. 8000.oo is a lot of money for this to happen and I will not work with miracle ear again. I wanted something. Very unhappy

  Business response

  09/05/2024

  We have ordered new hearing aids and will replace the current aids with a new pair.  We will contact the patient when they come in

• Initial Complaint

  08/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  August 2023 Miracle Ear hearing Aids and Service From the beginning, the hearing aids did not stay securely in my ears. After Mr. ***** replaced the lead, the fit did not improve. Mr. ****** mentioned that this was the longest lead available, advising me to wear them higher on my ears. This suggestion is impractical, especially since I wears glasses. Additionally, the devices whistle constantly and randomly shut off, rendering them ineffective.Despite the initial fitting issues, by the time I recognized that these aids would not provide a proper fit, four months had passed, making it too late to reverse the ***************, the hearing aids are not even one year old. I recently received the right one back from repair- the third repair. My last appointment was seven weeks ago, in that time the left one stopped working. I am now resorting to using old aids once again, as the new ones require repairs yet again, and I have been unable to get anyone to return my calls. The not even one-year-old hearing aids that have proven to be defective and have never fit properly.

• Initial Complaint

  08/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 28, 04 I went into the Miracle Ear store in Nixa Mo. to be fitted with hearing aids, the specialist fitted me with a pair and sent me home, this was with a free trial for 30 days in which I was to receive a refund of my money. I went back 4 times for adjustments at the specialist request and each time the aids was not working property, I still could not hear and the specialist would constantly insert the aid in my left ear against my ear drum which caused pain. I told her repeatably about this, and she would not listen to my complaint. I heard all kinds of excuses to why the aids were not doing their job and each time it was my fault. I don't understand why it was my fault, I did not make the aids. So before the thirty days, I returned the aids for my refund because if was obvious they were not working. I did receive a refund minus $633. I messaged a man, ******************* several times at their corporate office, he stated that If I had read the purchase agreement that I signed I would have seen that they would withhold $316.50 for each unit. I informed ******************** that I never seen or even signed such an agreement. He then said he would refer me to Corporate Office, that was on 7-30-24 and I have heard nothing from them. Since I was not told about the restocking fee or whatever it is called, I must request that my $633 be refunded to me. I feel like that Miracle Ear is withholding my refund because of the local office not fulling explaining the policies and failure to have me to sign the agreement agreeing to the $316.50 penitently on each aid. If I had know this at the time I would not have tried the aids, since most other companies that I checked with, give a full refund. And some after 45 days. My case # is *****

  Business response

  08/27/2024

  It is unfortunate that the hearing aids did not work out for the patient. The state of ******** and all states allow us to keep the restocking fee. We did refund all the patient's money except for the restocking fee which is standard practice in our industry. His wife did sign the purchase agreement when she paid for his hearing aids. The purchase agreement is always gone over thoroughly with every purchase explaining warranty, service and the restocking fee and the patients are always given a copy of the agreement.

  Customer response

  08/27/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:  I personally did not sign any agreement, I was not told about any restocking fee, and It is not standard practice in the industry.  I have since went to another company and they tell me there that they have never heard of any restocking fee associated with the hearing aid industry and that they give a complete refund to the customer things don't work out.  But back to my original complaint, it was me, not my wife perching hearing aids, my wife told me that she did not receive a copy of any agreement.  The agreement should have been with me, I was the one who was there getting fitted for the aids, this is involving a third party and I am the responsible party.  It is like going to a doctor, you are responsible for yourself and have to give permission for any one to ask or take part in your treatment.  It is just another way of a company trying to make profit any way and by any means possible.   *************************

  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am filing a complaint against Miracle Ear, **********, **. According to the Miracle Ear advertisement, they claim 100% guaranteed.On April, 2023, I went to Miracle Ear in ********** and spoke to *************************. I had seen an ad on TV of the style of hearing aid I wanted. She gave me a hearing test. The two types of hearing aids she gave me over the year wasn't even close to what I asked for. I asked her why she wasn't giving me the aid I asked for and she said, "It is because of your hearing test results." The first hearing aid was chargeable, but not the one. The second one took up the whole inside of my ear, which I could see just looking in the mirror. I mentioned that and she said, "Look at me. Look straight at me. I can't see them." Of course not, she is the one trying to make the sale. She kept saying to me during the year, "Well, you aren't getting your money back." She made forms of the inside of my ears, sent them to a manufacture to be made. When they came back, I first noticed I could see them just looking in the mirror, they also were battery operated. I asked her why the batteries, "She said because the manufacture said that my ear canals were too small." Really! I have arthritis in my fingers and I couldn't even put them in. She told me she could show me by using a tweeze. ?At this point, I am so upset and very unsatisfied with the service, products and time period. I put a $500.00 deposit down the first day, and a check for $5,390.00 the first part of May, totally $5,890.00 So much more to this situation. I documented through the time period. Most important, I just need help to solve this situation. *********************

  Business response

  09/09/2024

  Dear *******,  I had left a message on your phone explaining some of what happened and the reason for my delay.  As I said my husband and I are recovering from Covid and had just returned from our vacation.  So my apologies.

  I wanted to explain that this is a disgruntled client who was not happy with the fit of the hearing aids.  I did everything in my power, and more, to try to make her happy with the fit and comfort of the aids.  The manufacturer told me that her ear canals would not support a rechargeable hearing aid.  Her canals are so little that the rechargeable batteries that are built in to the aid would not fit in her ear canals.  That is why I told the client that I would need to fit her with the battery aids.  However, because of this, I offered her 2 years of batteries included at no cost.  She said fine when I fit her with the aids.  I encouraged her because they did look just fine and she could hear very well.  I continued to see her to help her adjust to the hearing aids.  

  I am board certified and do things for the right reasons.  I take care and put my heart into my job.  I've been taking care of clients for 22 years now and I have never had anyone complain like this before.

  As I also said in my phone message to you, I have proof of the decisions from the Miracle Ear Consumer affairs, and the Attorney General's office.  

  Thank you for your time.  If you need more information please let me know.  

  ****************************, BC-HIS

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I just wanted to switch to regular batteries instead of rechargeable batteries because when my husband was in the hospital and my batteries died I had issues trying to hear ** and nurses. I was apparently 2 days past the 1 year purchase even though that was for a pair I could not wear because they hurt my ears and gave me headaches and I changed a week later. Plus these only let me hear in the left ear when on the phone. They tried to resolve that issue today unsuccessfully. I just can't believe that they are using the purchase date of the original pair that I couldn't use and refused to let me change to the replacement battery type. This is not my first pair from miracle ear but it certainly looks like my last!

• Initial Complaint

  06/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was trying to find hearing aids for my mother in ***** and made the mistake of signing up with their website to receive information. The emails go on night and day and as of the dinner hour today I've received 39 emails. I filed a request with them a week ago to please take my email address off of their listing. They do not have an unsubscribe button on their advertising. They continue to harass me when it would be as simple as removing my email from their database but they do not do it. Someone named ***** says she is trying to help me and the case number is *****. Please help me I cannot go on like this and it is completely clogging up my email. These people need to be stopped.

  Business response

  06/12/2024

  Good morning,

  I talked to ***** this morning, I reaffirmed that we sent the request out for her to be removed from all email marketing. I explained this process can take up to 45 business days to remove from 3rd party marketing. I did request for her to send us screen shots of the emails so we could further investigate. She stated today 6/12/2024 that she could not see any emails from us on her laptop and that on her phone it looked like it had been resolved overnight. I recommended ***** take her phone to her local phone office, to make sure that her phone and email app she uses that there are no issues with them. She stated she was going to take her phone to At&t and have them check out her phone and email app. If she would like any further assistance, I am happy to help. She can send me a screen shot of the emails and showing the amount and where they are coming from. I can add that to her case and continue to help her. ***** left our conversation seeming like this has been resolved. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a pair of mid line hearing aides back of the ear. The right hearing aide after 1 yr had the lithium batter go bad and greatly burned the back of my right ear. Now I am stuck with a credit debt that is not attached to Miracle Ear to end my relationship with them. They would only replace them with old fashioned plastic plug like hearing aides that gave me a headache 2 days after wearing them. I tried to get an appointment to get back in and they seem to have all appointments booked out. I had a 1 p.m. appointment based on suggestion from Supervisor of Tech at ************** 7 store and they kept me waiting past my 1:00 time slot with another gentleman who was booked for a 1 p.m. appointment. Contact ************************* his supervisor at ************ for confirmation of issue. i put $2,000 down and still owe $4,000 for hearing aides I do not have and won't wear their subtitution.

  Business response

  06/03/2024

  Per my discussion with ****************** on 5/31/24, we are working to see what solutions we have for her. The hearing aids she's wearing now are not old technology, they are merely an In The Ear style that we sell to numerous patients and still have our top level technology in them. I discussed having her come in so we could modify the shell to help with the headaches. It's not super uncommon for this to happen, but when we find the problem area we can grind the shell down to relieve pressure. The other gentleman she saw in our waiting room was a cleaning appointment and he was not going to see our Provider. Rather, the Office Manager was cleaning his hearing aids. The Provider in that office (***********************) called me at 1:16 on 5/31/24, 16 minutes after ********************** 1:00 appointment, to inform me that she had left the building without meeting with him. Yes, he was unable to see her right at 1:00, but given he was free to call me at 1:16, 16 minutes is not an unreasonable amount of time to have to wait for an appointment. 

  As for the battery burn, I can not confirm nor deny at this point if that happened. We have not gotten a report from our factory on the status of that hearing aid, but when I get it, I will let the patient know the details. All I can say at this time is that it isn't a commonly reported problem and that we didn't see physical evidence of it on the hearing aid. 

  I have only spoken to ****************** once, on 5/31/24. That was a Friday afternoon before the weekend and it is now Monday morning of 6/3/24. That hasn't been a reasonable amount of time for me to investigate this situation and provide a solution, but I will be working on it throughout this week and hope to have a solution we can all agree on by the end of the week. 

  Thank you,

  *****************************

  Area Manager, *********

  Miracle-Ear

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Purchased hearing aids on March 19, 2024 and paid $6929.00 for the purchase--first follow up visit on March 26, 2024--I had a very bad occlusion effect (echoing, hollow, or tunneling effect) --specialist tried very hard to relieve the problem--after many tries she was unable to relieve the problem--therefore I would receive a refund--she assured me they would make it right--It has been several weeks and I haven't received any response --I have called the office several times and always told the same thing--that someone else takes care of that and they know about it--It has been several weeks and I feel It should have been taken care of by now.

• Initial Complaint

  05/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My mom, ***********************, who is 85 years old and on a fixed budget, purchased a pair of hearing aids on 4/26/23 from Miracle Ear in ******* MA for $6,129.00. The hearing aids kept falling out and she returned to the store twice within a month's time (5/5 and 5/24) to tell them she was not happy with them and did not want them. They encouraged her to let them take a mold of her ear and try again, so she obliged. This happened 4 times over the past year (and one of those times they gave her someone else's hearing aids!)! She has had zero hearing aids for one year and she has been paying monthly ($1744 to date) with nothing to show for it! Today (5/8/24) I went with my mom to her 9:00 AM appointment where my mom was supposed to get yet another pair of hearing aids. We told ****** we were not happy because my mom has not had hearing aids for a year and has been paying monthly for them. She said it is the first she has heard of that...although she has been the one seeing my mom every time she went there! She immediately (the first words out of her mouth) told me to put my attitude away and told me to leave! Then she said, "I heard you didn't even want your mother to have hearing aids"! ****** also said we would not get our money back and we needed to leave! This is the completely unprofessional, rude, arrogant, etc., especially for someone in a customer service position!My mom and I walked out as ****** was still berating us from her office! This is truly unbelievable. Not once did she try to make anything better, she in fact poured gas on a spark!We want the money my mom has paid (without hearing aids) over the last year ($1743.96) and to cancel the remaining balance.

  Business response

  05/20/2024

  We have reviewed this complaint. The patient *********************** has had the hearing aids that she purchased since she took delivery on 4/28/2023.  She has brought them to every appointment that she has had. The patient has also signed outcome notes on her appointments that she was hearing well and happy with her hearing aids. 
  

  What has been documented in Nancys profile is that her daughter ******* came in on 5/8/2024 with ***** and ******* proceeded to scream at our patient care coordinator about the hearing aids stating that she has not had them for a year ( when they were brought in for this scheduled appointment by ***** and were handed to our consultant to overlook for issues. ******* continued to threaten that she was going to go to media and told our patient care coordinator that all s*** was going to break loose in the office. 

  Our consultant tried to resolve and defuse the issue but ******* continued to escalate and our consultant asked her to leave.

  We are will to process the return of the product and a refund minus the $150.00 per ear fitting fee and non-Refundable shipping charges of $39.  Total restocking fee of $339.  Once the product is return we will refund $5790.00 holding $339 restocking fees from the original purchase of $6190.00.  We will contact ***** to return product to receive refund

  Customer response

  05/23/2024

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and my mother.

  For Miracle Ear's record: please re-read what happened on the day I went with my mom to the ******* MA location because that is what happened word for word with the disrespectful person that works there. I never swore while interacting with that person...the words "shit will break loose" never came out of my mouth and at no time did that person attempt to diffuse the situation, in fact, they added gasoline to the spark when the first words out of their mouth was "you need to put your attitude away".

   

  Thank you Better Business Bureau for helping me get my mom's money returned!

  Customer response

  06/04/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
   

  My mother has not received the refund from Miracle Ear to date.

  I called **** at Miracle Ear 3 times last week to get a status and never received a call back.

  She returned her hearing aids on April 17, 2024 due to them not fitting again.

  I appreciate your help.

   

  Thank you,

  Heather

   

  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩