CAROL STREAM, Ill. (WLS) — A Chicago-area couple was on the hook for almost $8,000 in deposits and financing for a hearing aid that they say didn’t work properly. The ABC7 I-Team is getting results after investigating the dispute and uncovering similar complaints about the same company.
The west suburban man says he thought he was making a large investment to hear better. About $8,000 later. he claims his “Miracle-Ear” hearing aid wasn’t properly working. He and his wife say the company wouldn’t take the product back and refund them, so they called the I-Team.
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Barb and Walter Fuja of Carol Stream thought Walter’s hearing troubles would improve after getting the Miracle-Ear.
“I told them my husband couldn’t hear… that I wanted the best for him,” Barb said.
They paid a $1,200 deposit, and Miracle-Ear helped them finance another $6,765 through a third-party company.
“So then he put them in his ear, and he goes down the hall and he says, ‘You hear me now?’ And Wally said, ‘Yeah, I hear you now,'” Barb said.
But the Fujas say just weeks later, the hearing aids were not helping Walter’s hearing.
“They take them in the back, and they play with them a little bit and they bring them back now and they’ll say, ‘How does that sound?’ And it does usually sound a little better,” Walter said.
After repeated visits, they say the hearing aids would work briefly, but then stop working again. The purchase agreement says if a customer is not satisfied or provided with enhanced hearing within 30 days, they can make an exchange or get a full refund, minus 10%.
“Every time, right, they told us and every time we left hearing, and two or three days later, we weren’t hearing,” Barb said.
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The Fujas say Miracle-Ear would not take the product back and give them a refund, so they stopped making those monthly payments.
“Miracle-Ear has an F rating,” said Bao Vang VP of Communications for the Better Business Bureau Minnesota and North Dakota.
The Better Business Bureau rating was an “F” for Miracle Ear headquarters in Minneapolis, when the I-Team did an interview with the BBB in December of 2025. However, after the I-Team reached out to Miracle-Ear, the BBB changed it to a ‘Not Rated,’ status in January. The BBB says that change can happen when information is updated or when a company begins responding to previously unanswered complaints.
“The low rating here is due to inconsistent responses to customer concerns,” Vang said. “The rating is not based on the nature of the product or service.”
This is how the BBB describes many of the complaints:
“Number one: service or repair problems after the sale,” Vang said. “Number two: disappointment with the how the hearing aids perform. And then number three: questions around promotions or solicitations.”
Miracle-Ear says it takes concerns seriously, and points out that the local store where the Fujas got heir product has an A+ rating with the BBB. The company says those 103 national complaints to its headquarters represent approximately .03% of 350,000 customers.
The company says it can’t comment on individual cases, but said, “At Miracle-Ear, we greatly value customer feedback and remain steadfastly committed to delivering exceptional service and satisfaction. We are always pleased when customers share their appreciation for the support they’ve received at Miracle-Ear locations.”
After ABC7’s first inquiry with Miracle-Ear, the Fujas got a $1,000 refund check for their deposit. But after the I-Team alerted the local store owner, he said he wanted to further resolve the issue. He upped the refund amount by getting them another check for $200, and documents show the store paid off that $6,765 dollars financed, through the third-party company.
The Fujas say they bought a less expensive pair of hearing aids from another company, and they say those hearing aids work well.
Consumers should always read policies carefully before making a large purchase or financing, and if unhappy, demand a refund quickly, if qualified.
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