This Site Helps Those with Hearing, Sight, or Mobility Issues Live Independent Lives
Hear-More
My father went deaf in his early 20's and he passed that "gift" onto me. I am not deaf but I have inherited the gene and will eventually lose all my hearing just as he did.
He recently passed on but, before that time, I often bought him items that made his life in silence more productive and allowed him more independence. Now I find myself buying some of the same things.
I shop at several online stores that sell items for the hearing impaired. One that I have frequented is Hear-More.
This is like a superstore for the hearing impaired as well as sight impaired and mobility impaired.
What the Site Sells
This site sells a large variety of products for the hearing, sight, and mobility impaired such as phones, clocks, mobility items, and some health supplies.
Navigation
The website is fairly straightforward. The home page is slightly confusing because there are many photos of items for people with all sorts of impairments. When I first went there, I thought, judging from the name of the site, that it sold only products for the hearing impaired but quickly found out it had a large inventory of items for those with other impairments.
The categories are broken up well on the left side, helping to ease navigation issues. The main categories are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind/Low Vision, Medical/Health, Mobility, and Household. Subcategories under each heading help hone down your search. You can also search for the item or brand name you are looking for via their search box.
When you find something you are interested in, you can click on the small photo and see a larger one with a good description and the price. You can also see similar items by clicking a link. I like that feature because sometimes I may see something I like but want to see what else is being offered before making a buying decision.
The site has consumer reviews for each product but they are short and not extremely helpful to me. Not all products have reviews written on them but the ones I read didn't sway me one way or the other.
If you are unsure about a product, there is live help available during the day and the ability to leave a message that will be answered quickly if no rep is available.
Once you find what you want and add the items to your cart, you go to the checkout. If you are a new costumer, you will have to fill out the usual personal info — name, address, phone number, and email address.
Once that is done, you will immediately go to the payment page and enter your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover Card number and expiry.
You can choose from three expedited shipping methods at a steep cost or accept the standard ground shipping which is free for orders over $50.00 at the moment. There is a shipping chart on the site that tells you their shipping charges and, in the past, there was no free shipping so I am assuming this is a limited time offer.
You will receive an immediate confirmation email and another one when the product ships a couple days later.
You should get your order within a week or so if using standard ground shipping and within the timeframe you paid for if you opt for expedited shipping.
My Experience
I have purchased items for my dad such as a bed shaker alarm clock and other adaptive devices and never had a problem.
I recently ordered an alarm clock with a louder alarm than I could get in a normal store and my order went through fine. The price was about on par with other similar sites and the clock was just as described. I got my confirmation email and shipping email and could track my order on the site.
I got my last order within five days after I placed it. Other orders have arrived in that timeframe give or take a day.
I did have one return and needed to get an RMA number to return the item. I did get it after a few days and was given a refund since the item was new and not used. I thought it would have been helpful for my father but, upon actually seeing the device, I realized it would not have benefited him. I was not refunded my shipping costs as expected and I paid to return the item. I didn't have a hassle with the refund though.
In all, I have had positive experiences with this site.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping for orders over $50.00 is free at the moment. I have no idea how long the promotion will last. In general, shipping runs from $5.50 on up. They have an excellent shipping chart with charges as well as a list of all the states and how long you can except to wait for your order once it is sent out. Very helpful.
Returns are accepted within 30 days of purchase but must be in new condition. You need to contact the site and obtain an RMA before sending anything back. You must notify the site within three days if an item is defective or damaged. You will get a replacement item and shipping instructions to return the defective product.
There are a small handful of items that can't be returned such as books, DVDs, and diagnostic aids.
Contact Info
They have an onsite form to fill out for inquiries and problems.
You can also call them at:
1-800-881-4327 (Voice)
1-800-281-3555 (TTY)
1-631-752-3277 (TTY) - Text-Messaging Service
1-631-752-0738 (TTY)
1-631-752-1137 (TTY)
1-631-752-1145 (TTY)
It may not mean much to a hearing person but the fact that they have several TTY (phone numbers for the deaf to use where they can type to the other party and get responses typed back) shows they are well aware of their customers' needs.
Their physical address is:
HEAR-MORE
42 Executive Blvd.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Recommendation
Those who are hearing impaired or deaf, vision impaired or blind, or mobility impaired will find a large selection of adaptive products on this website. Just in looking at alarm clocks for those with hearing impairments, I saw at least forty different ones from simply louder buzzers to ones that shake the bed, vibrate, flash, and more. You can easily tailor your purchase around the impairment that you are buying for.
Navigation is fairly simple and the "See More Like This" feature is great. You can see all items that are similar to the one you are looking at and make a decision based on all your choices.
Prices are not rock bottom but are certainly not inflated. The clock I recently bought sells for the same price almost everywhere I looked and I got free shipping so I consider my purchase a smart one.
Customer service is fairly quick to respond and the live help, when activated during normal daytime hours, is actually helpful. I wouldn't rely on them to tell me what to buy but they are there to answer site questions and the like.
This site has a great variety of items and, so far, I have had no problems with any of my orders. I have to give the site 5 stars. I have yet to experience a problem of any kind when shopping on this site and will shop on the site again.
Recommended:
Yes
