Re: N5 upgrade does not cover loss/theft - AB too

[Guest guest]

Hi Bob - I was pretty sure this was the case with AB. They also have had a

number of recalls and failures. They are all on the market to make money - big

business. They use the users to push the business and reap all the benefits of

that but when it comes to protecting the consumers where we need protection -

it's not there.

Alice

> >

> > Cannot help but wonder if companies are legally bound to inform its

> > consumer base of changes to policy such as this one.

> >

> > Banks and credit card companies must do so when they make changes to the

> > user agreements. Is this any different? It would be an unacceptable to

> > find oneself facing a loss of a sound processor and thinking he/she was

> > covered, to make the claim only to learn of this new policy after the fact

>

> > and not having a plan B as backup.

> >

> > Quote of the nanosecond...

> > My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

> > & Dreamer Doll ke7nwn

> > E-mail-

> > Gone.to.Dawgs@

> > Home Page-

> > http://webpages.charter.net/dog_guide/

> >

> >

> > N5 upgrade does not cover loss/theft

> >

> >

> > Just wanted to warn people getting an upgrade, especially those who maybe

> > upgraded in the past: starting with the N5 upgrade, Cochlear is no longer

> > including a 1 time loss/theft replacement with the purchase of a new

> > processor. They revised their policy (without telling anyone) when the N5

> > upgrades first became available, so now the loss/theft only applies to the

>

> > original implant processor, i.e. the one you got when first implanted.

> >

> > If you were just implanted and got the N5, you are good for 3 years with

> > 1-time loss and theft replacement through Cochlear. If you recently

> > upgraded to N5, you only have the 3 year warranty. No theft/loss. This

> will

> > come as a shock to those of us (or whose children) are used to getting the

>

> > loss/theft included with each upgrade. I know it came with both the 3G and

>

> > Freedom upgrades. There are probably a few people walking around with no

> > loss/theft coverage without knowing it. If your N5 processor gets stolen,

> > either that is the end of it and you go back to using the Freedom, or you

> > buy one for $7000 (or somehow finagle your health insurance company to buy

>

> > it for you -- good luck.)

> >

> > I first learned of this because a child who upgraded from the Freedom to

> the

> > N5 in March 2010 recently lost her N5 processor. Her mom called Cochlear

> > and was told of the policy change, and that she was not covered. The

> > child's audiologist thought there had to be a mistake, so she called

> > Cochlear and was told there was this policy change (that they didn't ever

> > really tell people about -- even some people at Cochlear were unaware.)

> >

> > This policy change also affects N22 users who upgraded to the Freedom

> within

> > the last 3 years.

> >

> > So, just a word of warning -- you may wish to insure your shiny new N5

> (and

> > it *is* shiny, after all, and I do like that) through a rider added to

> your

> > homeowner's insurance, or through ESCO.

> >

> > (Oh, and one of the moms on the cicircle called Advanced Bionics to find

> out

> > their policy on covering loss/theft for upgrades and was told it was the

> > same as Cochlear's :-( )

> >

> > Lydia

> > Mom of , 14, bilateral CIs

> >

>

>

>

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