Refund policy

Our Promise: Warranty & 45-Day Better Hearing Guarantee

At Smart Hearing we stand by every product we make. We want you to feel confident and comfortable, so we include:

• A full one‑year warranty from the date your hearing aids arrive. If a manufacturing issue arises during this time, we’ll happily replace your aids at no charge.
• 45-day trial / Our Better Hearing Guarantee: Experience your hearing aids at home and out and about. If you don’t notice better hearing after a genuine trial*, you can return them within 45 days for a refund.

If you have any questions or concerns at any point, please reach out — our friendly team is here to help.

Note: Our guarantee is intended for a real-world listening experience in cases of mild to moderate hearing loss. If you have severe hearing loss, or if the product is returned without having been trialled genuinely, the guarantee does not apply.

Thinking About a Return? We’re Here to Help

Should you wish to return your hearing aids during the 45‑day period, just follow these required steps:

1. Contact us by email at support@trysmarthearing.com We’ll listen to your concerns and walk you through the process.
2. If we can’t resolve the issue together, we’ll send you return instructions to the most convenient return warehouse based on your location.
3. Send your hearing aids back using a tracked service, so we can both follow their journey back to the respective warehouse.

When returning your aids, please include them in their original packaging with all accessories (charging case, cable, cleaning brush, ear tips, tools, etc.), and make sure everything is in good working order. Including your order number will help us process your refund quickly.

Return postage costs to our warehouse (the most convenient return warehouse based on your location) are the responsibility of the customer. We recommend a tracked service for your peace of mind, but customers may choose any carrier. Refunds cannot be processed before the returned item is received and inspected.

Important:

• Returns sent without prior authorization or to unauthorized addresses will not qualify for our 45-Day Guarantee and will be refused and are subject to additional fees.
• This is because each return must go to the correct medical-device processing facility, where the product can be safely sanitised, inspected and logged under UK hygiene and compliance standards. 

Please note:
Royal Mail occasionally prints a Cannock routing hub address on certain tracking labels.
This is not a Smart Hearing return address, not a processing facility, and parcels sent there cannot be located, inspected, or linked to your order.
Because the item cannot be recovered or verified, returns routed to Cannock cannot be refunded or accepted under our guarantee.

To protect your refund eligibility, always wait for our team to provide the correct authorised return address for your region before sending anything back.

Manufacturing Issues

If your hearing aids develop a manufacturing fault, we will provide a refund or replacement straight away. Everyday wear, water damage or accidental damage aren’t considered manufacturing defects, so we may not be able to refund in those cases.

After Your 45 Days

Forty-five days is designed to give you enough time to experience the difference. Returns requested outside this period aren’t usually eligible for a refund. If we receive an unauthorised or late return, we’ll return it to you (a small handling fee may apply to cover postage).

Items We Can’t Accept Back

For hygiene and safety reasons, some items are final sale and cannot be returned:

• Extended warranty plans
• Cleaning kits
• Replacement sets
• Drying or disinfection devices

How We Process Your Refund

Once we receive your return, we’ll inspect it within 5‑7 business days. If everything meets the return criteria, we’ll issue your refund to the original payment method. Your bank or card provider may take a little extra time to finalise the transaction, so please allow a few days for the funds to appear.

If you haven’t seen your refund yet:

1. Check your bank or card statement.
2. Contact your card provider about processing times.
3. Email us — we’re always happy to help track it down.

Warranty Returns & Potential Fees

In certain cases — for example, if the hearing aids have been used — a cleaning and hygiene processing fee may apply. This covers the cost of clinical-grade sanitisation, safe repackaging, and quality assurance checks to ensure the returned devices meet health and safety standards.

These costs are not applied automatically, and we’ll always confirm and explain any applicable charges before you send anything back.

Goodwill Replacements & Exceptional Resolutions

In certain exceptional situations — including delivery disputes, post-delivery loss, or issues outside standard insurance coverage — we may provide a complimentary replacement as a one-time goodwill gesture.

Any replacement provided free of charge is not covered by the 45-Day Better Hearing Guarantee and is not eligible for refund or return.

Such a replacement is issued solely to resolve the original matter and does not constitute a new purchase, new trial period, or extension of the original guarantee.

Brain adaption period

• Hearing aids require a brain adaptation period. Clinical research consistently shows that the brain needs time to relearn how to process amplified sound, and that assessments conducted within the first one to two weeks of use produce misleading results that do not reflect the true benefit of the device (Taylor, 2007 — Audiology Online; Anderson Gosselin & Gagné, 2020 — PubMed/NIH).
• For this reason, returns requested within the first 10 days of use are not considered a completed genuine trial and will not qualify under our Better Hearing Guarantee, regardless of the experience during that period. We encourage all customers to persist through the initial adjustment phase and to contact our support team if any issues arise — most early-stage discomfort resolves with continued wear and small fitting adjustments.

*Important information

• Smart Hearing hearing aids are designed to support people with mild to moderate hearing loss in everyday situations. 
  
• They are not suitable for severe or profound hearing loss. If you are unsure about your level of hearing loss, or if you suspect you may have a more serious condition, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified audiologist or healthcare professional before purchase.
• Our guarantee is based on a genuine trial and hearing experience, not change-of-mind or comfort preferences, and applies to individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, which is the design scope of the product.
  
• Our Better Hearing Guarantee is based on your hearing experience compared to wearing no hearing aids, not compared with other devices such as NHS hearing aids, prescription devices, or other brands.
• A genuine trial means using the hearing aids consistently over a reasonable period (not just a few minutes, hours or days of use) in normal day-to-day environments — including conversation, TV, outdoors, and social settings.
• To ensure a fair assessment, customers must also complete basic troubleshooting and fitting guidance with our support team where required, as small adjustments often resolve early-stage issues.
• The Better Hearing Guarantee is a voluntary commercial policy that goes beyond UK consumer law. It is designed to support real-world usage in mild-to-moderate hearing loss. While we aim to be flexible, returns falling outside the scope of this guarantee (e.g. without genuine usage, general dissatisfaction unrelated to hearing improvement, very narrow ear canals, or other (medical) conditions unrelated to the hearing aids or outside the intended use case) may be declined or refunded only partially.
• Returns based solely on personal preference, such as device size, button firmness, or perceived comfort, are not covered under our Better Hearing Guarantee. These do not constitute a product fault or eligibility for refund.

This section clarifies how our guarantee and return policy applies to the most commonly reported customer situations, of which you can find more extensive explanations below. These clarifications form part of our published policy and apply to all purchases.

 

We’re Always Here for You

Whether you have a simple question or need assistance with a return, please email suppot@trysmarthearing.com. Our team is committed to making your Smart Hearing experience as smooth and reassuring as possible.

 

A. Common Situations That Do Not Qualify for a Full Refund

The following situations arise regularly and are explicitly outside the scope of our 45-Day Better Hearing Guarantee. We address each one below so that customers understand our position before contacting us.

 

A.1 Feedback and Whistling

A whistling or feedback sound from a hearing aid is almost always caused by the dome not creating an adequate seal in the ear canal — either because the dome size is too small, insertion depth is insufficient, or the aid is not seated correctly. This is not a product defect. It is a fitting issue that is directly and quickly resolvable by adjusting the dome size or insertion technique. Our support team can guide you through this in minutes. Persistent feedback at any volume level that cannot be resolved through fitting adjustment may indicate an anatomical incompatibility, which falls outside the scope of the guarantee as set out in Section above.

 

A.2 Sounds Too Loud, Sharp, or Overwhelming

If sounds feel too loud, sharp, or overwhelming when you first use your hearing aids, this means the product is working as designed. After a period of hearing loss — even mild loss — the brain reduces its sensitivity to sounds it is no longer receiving. When hearing aids restore those sounds, the brain has not yet readjusted, and everything can feel unnaturally loud or bright. This is a normal and well-documented neurological process called auditory acclimatisation, supported by peer-reviewed clinical research (Taylor, 2007 — Audiology Online; Anderson Gosselin & Gagné, 2020 — PubMed/NIH). It typically resolves within one to two weeks of consistent use. Sounds feeling too loud is not a product fault and does not qualify under our guarantee. We recommend starting at a lower volume and building up gradually, using the Noise Reduction mode in busy environments.

 

A.3 Own Voice Sounds Strange, Echo-Like, or Boomy

Hearing your own voice differently — often described as hollow, echoey, or as if speaking into a barrel — is a recognised audiological phenomenon called the occlusion effect. It occurs when the dome partially seals the ear canal, causing bone-conducted sound from your own voice to reverberate rather than escape naturally. It is caused by dome selection or insertion depth, not by a product defect. It is directly addressable by switching to a more open dome style or adjusting insertion depth. Peer-reviewed research published via the US National Institutes of Health confirms that occlusion is a fitting issue resolved through dome adjustment (Winkler et al., 2016 — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4765810/). Our support team can assist with this immediately. This does not qualify under our guarantee.

 

A.4 Ear Discomfort or Pressure During Insertion

Some discomfort during the first few days of use is normal as your ears adjust to a new in-ear device. This is particularly common if you have never worn in-ear devices before. In almost all cases, switching to a smaller dome size resolves the discomfort immediately. We include five dome sizes in every box for this reason. Discomfort that arises because a dome is too large for your canal is not a product defect — it is a fitting issue with a straightforward solution. Persistent discomfort that cannot be resolved through dome adjustment may indicate an anatomical sensitivity, which falls outside the scope of the guarantee. Do not persist with a dome size that causes pain — contact our support team and we will help you find the right fit.

 

A.5 Skin Irritation or Sensitivity

Our domes are made from soft, medical-grade hypoallergenic silicone. A small number of users may experience sensitivity or irritation, particularly if the skin inside the ear canal is thinner or more reactive than average. If you experience redness or irritation, stop use temporarily and allow the irritation to clear. Third-party medical-grade hypoallergenic or foam domes are available from specialist suppliers and may suit your skin better. Skin irritation caused by individual sensitivity is not a product defect and does not qualify under our guarantee. We are happy to provide guidance on compatible third-party options.

 

A.6 Bluetooth or App Features Not Working

The Smart Hearing Comfort model does not include Bluetooth connectivity or smartphone app control. These features are not referenced on the Comfort product page and are not part of the Comfort model specification. If you purchased the Comfort model expecting Bluetooth functionality, this reflects a misunderstanding of the product listing rather than a product fault. The absence of a feature that was never advertised does not constitute a defect or grounds for a full refund under our guarantee. Please review the product specifications on our website before purchasing. If Bluetooth connectivity is important to you, please contact us before purchasing and we will advise on the appropriate model.

 

A.7 Partial Improvement — Guarantee Considered Fulfilled

Our 45-Day Better Hearing Guarantee assesses whether you experience any improvement in hearing compared to wearing no hearing aids at all. If you notice any improvement in any situation — conversations, television, outdoor sounds — the guarantee has been fulfilled, even if the improvement is not as significant as you hoped, or not consistent across all environments. Our guarantee is not a satisfaction guarantee and does not apply where improvement has been experienced but expectations have not been fully met. Statements such as 'it helps a bit but not enough,' 'TV is clearer but conversations are still difficult,' or 'I can hear better in quiet rooms but not in groups' indicate that the product is improving your hearing. These do not qualify for a full refund under the guarantee.

 

A.8 Comparison to Previous Hearing Aids or Other Devices

Our guarantee assesses improvement compared to wearing no hearing aids at all — not compared to NHS aids, prescription devices, Specsavers aids, previous hearing aids, or any other device. NHS and prescription hearing aids are professionally calibrated to an individual's audiogram by a qualified audiologist. That is a fundamentally different product and service. Stating that our aids are not as good as a device you have previously used, or that you prefer a different device, does not qualify under our guarantee. The relevant question is always: compared to wearing nothing, do you hear better? If the answer is yes, the guarantee has been fulfilled.

 

A.9 Reduced Sound or No Sound — Check the Wax Guard First

If your hearing aids suddenly produce reduced or no sound, the most common cause is a blocked wax guard. The wax guard is a small replaceable filter that prevents earwax from entering the device. When it becomes blocked, it significantly reduces or eliminates sound output. This is a maintenance issue, not a product defect. Every box includes eight replacement wax guards and a replacement tool. Please replace the wax guard before contacting us about a sound issue. Instructions are included in your user manual. A blocked wax guard does not constitute a product fault and does not qualify under our guarantee.

A.10 Returns After 45 Days

Our 45-Day Better Hearing Guarantee applies only to returns requested within 45 days of the date of delivery. Returns requested after this period are not eligible under the guarantee under any circumstances. The 45-day period is designed to give you ample time — more than six weeks — to experience the product properly in real-life situations. If you have not contacted us within 45 days of delivery, the guarantee period has passed. In exceptional circumstances, we may consider a goodwill resolution at our sole discretion, but we are under no obligation to do so and this cannot be assumed.