What a Hearing Aid Trial Period Is

The phrase "hearing aid trial" turns up in a lot of places: clinic websites, advertisements, conversations at the bowling club. It sounds simple, but it is not a single defined thing. This article is a plain-English look at what people generally mean by a trial period, why the details differ from one provider to the next, and where Australian consumer law sits in the background. It is general information and does not describe the terms of any particular provider.

What People Usually Mean by a Trial Period

In everyday use, a hearing aid trial period is a set stretch of time after hearing aids are fitted during which the wearer uses them in daily life, and during which the provider has said certain options will be available, such as follow-up adjustments or changing to a different device. That is a description of how the term is commonly used, not a legal definition. The length of a trial or returns period is set out by each provider.

Because of that, the length, the conditions and what happens at the end are set by each provider. One provider's "trial" may differ from another's in how long it runs, whether fees are involved, and what returning a device means.

Why the Terms Matter

The word "trial" can cover quite different arrangements. Some questions that the written terms normally answer include:

• How long the trial period runs, and from what date.
• Whether any amount is payable if a device is returned.
• Whether a different device can be swapped in, and under what conditions.
• Whether the number of follow-up visits during the period is stated.
• What counts as returning a device in good condition.

These are the sorts of details that appear in a provider's written terms. These details are normally set out in the provider's written terms.

Where Australian Consumer Law Fits

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) explains that consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law apply automatically to goods and services bought in Australia. They are separate from any trial offer or store policy. The ACCC says that for a major problem a consumer can choose between a refund or a replacement, and for a minor problem the business chooses whether to repair. A trial period is not the same as these guarantees, and a trial offer does not remove them. The ACCC's repair, replace, refund page explains this in more detail.

Two points follow from that. First, a trial does not mean a refund is automatic, because the outcome depends on the terms and the circumstances. Second, consumer guarantees depend on the situation, such as whether there is a fault with the product, and are not triggered simply by a wearer changing their mind. For a particular situation, the ACCC and state and territory consumer protection agencies are the bodies to ask.

Devices Under the Hearing Services Program

Hearing devices provided under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program follow program rules as well as the provider's own processes. Eligibility criteria apply, and conditions apply under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program. Some devices are fully subsidised, which means they are paid for by the Australian Government, and others are partially subsidised, where the client pays an additional amount set out in the device quote. The Department of Health states that a client who decides not to keep a device must return it within the trial or returns period noted on the device quote from the provider, and conditions apply under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program. How any follow-up or change of device works for a particular person depends on those requirements, so the provider and the Department's published program information are the places to check. Our page on the Hearing Services Program gives an overview of the program.

Questions That Come Up

Because trial terms differ, people often come across the same handful of questions.

• Is a trial period the same everywhere? No. The terms are set by each provider, so the written terms are what count.
• Does a trial period mean a return or refund is certain? No. Any return or refund depends on the provider's written terms and on consumer law in the circumstances.
• Is consumer law different from a trial? Yes. The consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law apply separately from any trial offer.
• Do program devices follow different rules? Program rules apply in addition to the provider's processes. The Department of Health publishes them, and conditions apply under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program.

Where to Read More

For a wider view of hearing aid options, see our hearing aid solutions section. Everyday habits around device care are covered in general terms in our article on caring for your hearing aids, and background on hearing aids in the region is on the page about hearing aids in Rockhampton.

A trial period is better understood as a provider's own arrangement, sitting alongside consumer law and, for program devices, program rules.

If you'd like to chat about your hearing, the friendly team at CQ Audiology in Rockhampton is here to help. Call (07) 4848 6528 or book online.

This article is general information, not personal medical advice. For advice about your own hearing, speak with your GP or a hearing care provider.

Sources: ACCC (consumer guarantees, major and minor problems, repair, replace, refund); Australian Government Department of Health (Hearing Services Program voucher services, trial or returns period, subsidised devices).