One star for a hearing aid's price, a decision I never made

This account was submitted by a healthcare provider and de-identified before publication. Details that could identify a patient or practice have been removed, and it is shared with the provider’s consent.

What was posted

A one star review complained about the price and warranty terms of a hearing aid, decisions set by the manufacturer rather than by my clinic, and framed the whole thing as a failure of my care.

What actually happened

The audiology evaluation and fitting themselves had gone smoothly, and the patient had heard noticeably better by the end of the appointment, but the review reads as a blanket condemnation. The care I provide is patient centered and careful, and none of that is what the review is actually about.

Impact

Yelp keeps it visible while filtering out some of my genuine positive reviews into the hidden section, and in a rural state with few audiologists, my Yelp presence matters more than it might in a big city, so even one skewed review has reach.

Steps taken

I tried explaining, in a flag to Yelp, that hearing aid costs and warranties are manufacturer decisions, and it made no difference. There was no mechanism to have the review recategorized as being about a third party's pricing.

Reported impact on this provider

Reputation Damage

Three others reported Reputation Damage

See all 173 →

Three Profiles, One Fabricated Story

All other dentists had given up on her and told her she needed all of her teeth pulled and needed dentures. She was young and wanted to try…

Read what happened →

She Named Me Everywhere—and I Had No Way to Defend Myself

She originally said she was upset because the doctor had removed a failing implant and didn’t want to pay for it. I asked her what I could…

Read what happened →

A False Criminal Accusation That Nearly Destroyed the Practice

The patient, an unhealthy, obese, entitled female was treated for a simple tooth extraction. She was prescribed a standard regimen of…

Read what happened →

Add your voice to the record

Behind every story is a career that deserved better.

If you have been affected, adding your story to the record is one of the most important contributions you can make to this campaign. Legislators read these accounts.

Every submission is de-identified before publication. Your privacy — and your patients’ — is protected.