(a) No hearing aid shall be sold to any purchaser unless accompanied in writing by a thirty-day trial period providing that if such purchaser returns the hearing aid in the same condition as when purchased, ordinary wear and tear excepted, within thirty days of the date of receipt of such hearing aid by such purchaser, such purchaser shall be entitled to free adjustment of such hearing aid or the return of the full purchase price of the hearing aid and accessories as itemized on the receipt therefor pursuant to subdivision (9) of section 20-404, whichever the purchaser desires; provided, a hearing instrument specialist and audiologist may retain as a cancellation fee for return of the hearing aid a charge not in excess of twelve per cent of the purchase price, excluding charges for any custom earmold and batteries. The charge for any custom earmold and any supply of batteries shall not exceed the seller's regular selling price for such earmold and batteries. In computing the actual cost, all rebates, discounts and other similar allowances provided to the seller shall be considered.

(b) Every hearing instrument specialist and audiologist shall include in every receipt and contract pertaining to a sale, in reasonable proximity to the space reserved for the signature of the buyer, or on the first page if there is no space reserved for the signature of the buyer, a clear and conspicuous disclosure of the following specific statement in all capital letters of no less than twelve point boldface type of uniform font and in an easily readable style: THE BUYER HAS THE RIGHT TO CANCEL THIS PURCHASE OR RENTAL FOR ANY REASON AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT OF THE THIRTIETH CALENDAR DAY AFTER RECEIPT OF THE HEARING AID. A CANCELLATION FEE OF TWELVE PER CENT OF THE PURCHASE PRICE MAY BE IMPOSED.

(c) Every hearing instrument specialist, audiologist, corporation, partnership, trust, association or like organization that engages in the sale of hearing aids at retail shall include in every receipt, contract or order pertaining to the sale of a hearing aid, in reasonable proximity to the space reserved for the signature of the buyer, or on the first page if there is no space reserved for the signature of the buyer, a clear and conspicuous disclosure of the following specific statement in all capital letters of no less than twelve point boldface type of uniform font and in an easily readable style: ANY BUYER WHO ORDERS A HEARING AID AND LEAVES A DEPOSIT OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS OR MORE WITH THE SELLER SHALL BE ENTITLED TO CANCEL SUCH ORDER AND DEMAND A FULL REFUND OF SUCH DEPOSIT, LESS ANY EXAMINATION COSTS, IF THE BUYER IS UNABLE TO INSPECT THE HEARING AID AT THE SELLER'S PLACE OF BUSINESS WITHIN FORTY-FIVE DAYS AFTER THE DATE THE SELLER RECEIVES THE DEPOSIT.

(P.A. 77-473, S. 8; P.A. 82-123; P.A. 86-403, S. 45, 132; P.A. 95-360, S. 4; P.A. 99-111, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4, S. 19, 58.)

History: P.A. 82-123 amended Subsec. (b) by requiring every hearing aid dealer to include in every receipt and contract a conspicuous statement concerning the imposition of a cancellation fee of 12%; P.A. 86-403 made technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 95-360 added audiologists to those subject to Subsecs. (a) and (b); P.A. 99-111 made technical changes, replaced references to hearing aid dealer with references to hearing instrument specialist and added new Subsec. (c) to require all receipts, contracts and orders re the sale of a hearing aid to disclose to the buyer that if the buyer leaves the seller a deposit of at least $100, the buyer may cancel the order and demand a full refund if the hearing aid is unavailable for inspection within 45 days after the date the seller receives the buyer's deposit; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4 amended Subsec. (c) by changing hearing aid dealer to hearing instrument specialist, effective July 1, 2001.