Nathaniel purchased the hearing aids from a local company in June 2024.
He said they were supposed to be top-of-the-line.
"My wife and I paid $6,500; these are supposed to be the Rolls Royce or the Lamborghini of hearing aids," Nathaniel said.
However, he experienced constant problems, starting with the charging port.
"I started experiencing problems with the charging port. I put the right one in, ok, it lights right up, I put the left one in, all of a sudden it goes to sleep…boom. I said, 'Oh, what’s happening here?' Nathaniel said.
The issues continued for months, causing severe feedback. As a 75-year-old fitness guru and martial arts instructor, Nathaniel said the malfunctioning hearing aids became a distraction during his classes.
"It was gigantic feedback, you know, so my brain is going loco," Nathaniel said.
"Knowing how I teach my students about mind and body it would put a barrier on me because if they’re a certain distance away then I’m not able to hear them," Nathaniel said.
Nathaniel went to the business about 17 times over the course of more than a year to try and resolve the issue.
"It went on and on, for about six or seven months and then I’d go in and switch up again," Nathaniel said.
"My middle name is patience," Nathaniel said.
His wife, Miriam, eventually wrote to the Let ABC15 Know team for help, saying in part:
"I've been told that a new pair was on its way. To this date I still haven't received a call that they're ready for pick up. At this point I feel that I'm getting the run around. All I want is a new pair of medical hearing aids that work properly," Miriam said.
Betty, a volunteer with the Better Business Bureau and Let ABC15 Know, contacted the company. Within 24 hours, Nathaniel received a call from the business.
"I am so sorry you went through this, we’re going to get you a new pair," Nathaniel said.
The company provided Nathaniel with a brand new set of hearing aids, a new charging port, and a new warranty date.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
