What are the differences between retailers Hidden Hearing & Amplifon?

Hidden Hearing vs Amplifon

What are the differences between retailers Hidden Hearing & Amplifon?

Which one is better?

So, you have chosen to go private for your hearing aids – but which provider?  When it comes to choosing a hearing aid there any many factors to consider other than the device itself.  Some of the most common questions asked are, 'Who is the best hearing aid provider?', 'How much do hearing aids cost?'  or 'How do different retailers compare?' 

For instance, how does Hidden Hearing compare to rivals Amplifon?  What are the differences between them?

We, at Hearing Aid UK, think it is important to know the main retailers out there.  This way you can gain from a better understanding, which in turn might help steer you in the right direction when searching for hearing aids. 

Here we compare two of the big retailer names on the high street by discussing their pros and cons of the service they provide - so you can see the differences and whether they are right for you and your hearing loss needs.

Who are Hidden Hearing?

With a head office in Kent and around 80 clinics and 200 hearing aid dispensers, this retailer is the third-largest in the UK.  Hidden Hearing is owned by the same company that owns manufacturers Oticon and Bernafon -  William Demant Holding.  Oticon and Bernafon are two of the major manufacturers in the industry.

Advantages of Hidden Hearing

• Due to the number of clinics, this retailer is extremely accessible, and chances are there will be one on the high street near where you live.
• They provide a home visiting service, which is booked at a convenient time for you.

Disadvantages of Hidden Hearing

• Because Hidden Hearing is owned by the same company that owns Oticon and Bernafon - it means you will probably be recommended hearing aids from one of these brands.  Therefore, you might get an unfair and biased service due to these affiliations.
• They don’t display their hearing aid prices online.  It is becoming increasingly hard to compare hearing aid prices when very few retailers publish them on their websites.  From a consumer's perspective, this information is valuable and it can save time when researching hearing aids and providers. 

Considering that the price point is a huge factor for most consumers, we feel that not publishing prices can only be negative.  In fact, Hidden Hearing is one of the main retailers who don’t publish their prices.

• In the Which? Report they came bottom for pressured sales – 45% of their patients felt underlying pressure to purchase when they visited their centres.

Who are Amplifon?

Although an Italian company, Ampifon currently has a sizeable UK presence and operate in eighteen countries.  Their Italian Head Office is in Milan and they also have a UK HQ in Manchester.  To date, they have around 200 centres and employ around 100 dispensers.  Similar to Hidden Hearing they provide a home visiting service, but it’s important to know that this is not offered in all areas of the UK. 

Amplifon came to the UK hearing aid market in 2006 with Ultravox, who own Amplivox, Ultratone, Sietech and Hearing Health.  They have no affiliation with any hearing aid manufacturer, but they have always been known to have a solid business relationship with Resound.  With this in mind, most hearing aids they sell are from this brand and to put this in perspective 11% purchased Widex and roughly 19% invested in Phonak hearing aids.

Advantages of Amplifon

• In the last Which? Report, they were considered ‘good’ regarding keeping to appointment times, facilities offered, staff and service in general.
• They have a large number of centres nationwide and globally – similarly to Hidden Hearing, there will be a store conveniently nearby.

Disadvantages of Amplifon

• It states in the latest Which? Report, that they didn’t score well in the way of hearing aid choices offered to customers as well as their clarity in pricing and model information.
• Another low score in the same report was the pressure they put on their customers to make a purchase.
• As we said earlier, we feel that they potentially have quite a biased approach to which hearing aid manufacturers they talk about and promote - in this case, Resound.
• Their home visiting service is quite limited and not offered in all areas of the UK anymore.

We, at Hearing Aid UK, are completely transparent with our prices, services and much more.  The advantages and disadvantages that we have stated for Hidden Hearing and Amplifon have come from a reliable source - the Which? Report from last year.  You can view this report here

What do we offer our customers?

1. Free full hearing test - either in practice or in the comfort of your own home, wherever you live, for no extra charge.
2. Hearing aid fittings, programming and aftercare are included in the price you pay - no hidden extras.
3. Fully qualified and registered audiologists who are members of our nationwide network of professionals.
4. Wide variety of hearing aid options available from the top manufacturers of the industry.
5. Truly independent and unbiased service with no affiliations with any manufacturers.
6. We offer up to 40% off the high street prices and always publish them online, unlike some of our competitors.

Here are some other articles you may find useful when researching hearing aids:

Click on the links to find out more information surrounding hearing aids and hearing healthcare.

• What are the different hearing aid types?  Hearing Aid Types
• What were the best hearing aids in the industry?  Top 5 Hearing Aids of 2021
• How much do hearing aids cost?  Hearing Aid Prices and Costs – See What You Should be Paying

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