TodayCentral Pa. hearing aid company to pay restitution
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Article RatingA Central Pennsylvania hearing aid company has agreed to pay $100,000 in restitution to resolve claims that consumers were treated unfairly when they attempted to return hearing aids within the 30-day money-back return period, according to Attorney General Tom Corbett’s office.
The Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Unit reached the agreement with Riverside Hearing Services in Camp Hill, which is owned by William Kovach and has an office in Carlisle.
Corbett said Riverside allegedly did not treat consumers fairly, most of whom were elderly, when they attempted to return the hearing aids in the 30-day time period mandated by law. Riverside allegedly used stall tactics to prevent the customer’s return of the hearing aids, according to Corbett.
The Attorney General’s office illustrated one incident where an elderly woman reported having problems with the hearing aids within the first 30 days and was told to “adjust” the hearing aids until she was past the 30-day return period. When she directly asked Kovach about it, he stated, “I don’t like where this conversation is going,” and 30 minutes later he had apparently left the building.
The woman again tried to contact Kovach but he either refused to speak to her or hung up on her when she called.
Riverside also allegedly charged up to $600 in non-refundable fees to discourage returns, according to Corbett and allegedly called individuals on the Do Not Call list. Riverside was not registered as a telemarketer in Pennsylvania.
Additionally, Riverside allegedly advertised in telephone directories under the heading “audiology” when they offer no licensed audiological services.
Through this agreement, Kovach has agreed to charge no more than 10 percent of the purchase price or $150, whichever is less, including service fees, and will no longer advertise audiological services, unless he employs an audiologist.
The terms of the agreement Kovach agreed to was to pay $100,000 in restitution, to extend the statutory money-back return period from 30 to 60 days if a consumer reports a problem within the first 30, to provide a separate written notification containing the exact date on which an aid must be returned for a refund and to pay $25,000 in civil penalties and cost.
