Late in 2024, I purchased the top-of-the-line Phonak models available at the clinic. Everything functioned correctly until August 25th, at which point one unit completely failed and required factory repair. We opted to return both devices just to verify the second one was still in good shape. Just recently, the second device also quit working entirely. This feels outrageous to me, and I’m baffled that my audiologist considers this normal. Has anyone else dealt with this? How did you resolve it? My old set lasted over six years without issues. My biggest fear is being abroad for an extended trip and having them fail again. The audiologist won’t give me a refund or a swap, insisting the warranty handles it. I am absolutely livid.
Is there a chance the wax guards are clogged?
That’s terrible. You should consider legal action. I trialed a Phonak pair once during the legal 60-day window. They malfunctioned exactly like yours, and they actually attempted to charge me! I refused to pay. I’ve held a grudge ever since. Look up complaints on the Better Business Bureau website; I’ve seen others get refunds that way. Corporations hate being listed there. Good luck.
You seem like a nightmare client. If I were your provider, I’d drop you as a patient right away.
As with all tech, a few units always slip through quality control with defects. This is especially common with newly released products before the bugs are fixed. It’s annoying, but that’s what the warranty is for—to fix or replace them.
I’ve faced comparable problems with Phonak. One unit actually failed again just a day after returning from the shop. That made two failures in 30 days. I think I’ve had a couple of other Phonaks die prematurely over the years. Plus, the fit was never right. Even though custom CICs are tricky, they couldn’t seem to match my audiologist’s specs correctly. The company claimed the CIC style is prone to issues because the hardware sits in a damp ear canal.
Definitely, I went through this with my initial set. I was sending them in for service almost monthly. Luckily, my audiologist advocated for me since they were clearly duds. She managed to get them swapped for the newer generation, and I just covered the price gap.
I’ve had two Phonak devices fail within a single year. I suspect moisture or perspiration is the culprit. The warranty covered the replacements both times, but it’s a huge hassle. Now I just remove them whenever I’m working out.
In early September, I got the premium Phonak model for my elderly mother. She’s had trouble hearing for weeks, and I just discovered the charging cord is faulty. Even though the lights indicate a full charge, the devices are totally dead. Having worn hearing aids for 25+ years without trouble, I can say these are junk. The charging components feel incredibly flimsy—worse than cheap toys. I’m telling everyone to stay away from this brand. Edit: My current set is Widex; they’re two years old with no problems, and the tinnitus features are great.