If you have hearing loss, you have already met the predators. The $39 “hearing aid” that turned out to be a whistling amplifier. The clinic quote for $6,000 with no explanation of what you were paying for. The website with a countdown timer that resets every time you reload it. The five-star reviews from people with no last names.

Society is good at ramps and braille. It is bad at hearing loss. There is no curb cut for a conversation in a loud restaurant. So the market fills the gap, and much of that market is built to take money from people who are desperate to hear their grandchildren.

What this site does

• Red Flags teaches the tactics, so you recognise them no matter what the product is called next month.
• Watchlist names the products and sellers we have documented problems with, with the evidence.
• Real Choices is the short list of gear we would tell a friend to buy.
• Guides covers the rest: getting tested, understanding your audiogram, insurance, and getting more out of the gear you already have.

What we will not do

We will not recommend junk because it pays a commission. We will not soften a verdict because a company asked nicely, or not so nicely. We will not pretend to be doctors. Our method, our money and our mistakes are all public.

If you have been burned, tell us about it. That is how the Watchlist grows.

Evaluated by Scott West. Data scientist. 40 years of hearing loss.