Selling used hard of hearing equipment

[ccyk_il_0u5uzzmeau]

I have some used hearing aids as weoll as associated hardware which I would like to sell. I have bought many items but never sold on EBay . How do I go about this.

[mybigsale · Accepted solution]

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@ccyk_il_0u5uzzmeau wrote:

I have some used hearing aids as weoll as associated hardware which I would like to sell. I have bought many items but never sold on EBay . How do I go about this.

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Proceed with caution. Understand ALL of eBay's policies. If you are selling hearing aids that required a prescription (or eBay determines you are based on eBay's determination), you may be permanently banned as quickly as you get started. What others are selling on eBay does not override eBay policy. 

Medical devices policy | eBay

[soh.maryl]

Have always been under the impression that hearing aids etc had to be professionally  fitted to the individual user based on that persons needs.  

[lonebuck-books]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

Have always been under the impression that hearing aids etc had to be professionally  fitted to the individual user based on that persons needs.  

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Yes and no.  It used to be that in order to be called a "hearing aid" a prescription and fitting/programming by a professional audiologist was required.  That changed over the last year or two when the FDA created a new category for over the counter hearing aids that could actually be called hearing aids.  Basically they graded hearing aids so that below a certain grade, they could be sold over the counter and over that level, a prescription is needed.  (I've done way too much research on this as I need one!)  OTC hearing aids are essentially an aid that increases volume and also has some rudimentary circuitry to help filter out background noises, highlight certain frequencies etc.  Every brand has their own proprietary features but they all are essentially the same.  For very minor hearing loss they work but for anything more than that, the prescription ones are needed.

With that said, as mybigsale already mentioned, proceed with extreme caution.  When it comes to eBay take down bots, it matters not one tiny bit what the FDA says.  If they decide it is a prescription item, they will shut you down fast.  Personally I wouldn't sell them here.  Way too big of a risk of a permanent ban.

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[ckimodog]

@ccyk_il_0u5uzzmeau 

Wrote: How do I go about this.

You don't. Hearing aids require a prescription which is prohibited on eBay.  Don't sell them here or they will be removed with a warning or possibly a suspension from selling. 

[soh.maryl]

Did you notice the reply by another responder who states there are exceptions to that rule?  

[maxine*j]

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@ckimodog wrote:

@ccyk_il_0u5uzzmeau 

Wrote: How do I go about this.

You don't. Hearing aids require a prescription which is prohibited on eBay.  Don't sell them here or they will be removed with a warning or possibly a suspension from selling. 

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No, Lonebuck got it right:    There are non-prescription, over-the-counter hearing aids.  They sell for considerably less than prescription devices and, as Lonebuck said, for people with simple, minor to moderate hearing loss (e.g., just the normal decline in hearing the elderly often experience), the OTC aids can be helpful.

eBay policy specifies that "hearing aids that require a prescription" are prohibited, so the OTC ones would be okay.   However, I also agree with Lonebuck that eBay's bots being what they are, prone to scooping up the innocent with the guilty, I'm not sure I'd risk trying to sell them on eBay.

Here's an article on OTC hearing aids, if you're curious:

https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/hearing-aids/best-otc-hearing-aids/

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[dbfolks166mt]

     As others stated you can but there are not only specific eBay policies but there are also a list of FDA requirements that must be met, first for initially selling OTC hearing aids. Selling used hearing aids is problematic from a number of perspectives one of which may be a liability issue should the buyer sue you for some quasi malpractice claim. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

If the hearing aid required a prescription when new, you cannot sell it used. If you do not know don't try it.

Non-prescription hearing aids are relatively new. It is unlikely that random used hearing aid will be these,

There are older hearing amplifiers which are otc but are not hearing aids and should not be represented as hearing aids.

There are plenty of ways of losing your account if you do not know the legalities of selling such products, and are not careful in the words you use when attempting to sell them.

If this is your business, the Ebay rules will reflect the same rules you have been dealing with.

[ckimodog]

@osullivansafety 

Please stop spamming the forum with your links.  It is against the rules and will be removed. 

[buddyboyusa]

Please remove all the ear wax before listing.