Faulty Factory Equipment

My middle monkey is having some trouble with his listening ears.  They are not working he tells me.

What gives? 

The sales guy said they were guaranteed for life.  This pair is only four years old?!?!?  They should still be working!!  I'll have to see if I can find the warranty. 

This is our first real struggle with faulty factory equipment.  Our oldest child has sailed through his first six years with our only complaint being an extremely loud speaker system and a volume knob that is not always functional. 

Sure we have consulted the owners manual occasionally to learn how to recharge the batteries or adjust minor settings but there was nothing that was not an easy fix.  We have been able to troubleshoot our oldest child by the book, from day one.

The middle guy...he's another story. When we went to order child number two we found out that some changes were made to the original model.   Nothing major the salesman assured us.  This model will be nearly the same.  The manufacturers have just changed the look a bit and added a few different features. 

This one has a cuddle button and comes with a "puppy."  The new model is smaller, more compact and is built to withstand years of wear and tear, a little more rugged. It is extremely durable, it can run into walls, fall down the stairs and never stop running. 

Despite the durability of the new model we are learning that it has an extremely sensitive processing unit.  Although it appears more indestructible there are inner workings that require more specialized handling.  The owners manual doesn't address these issues so I had to broaden my search for assistance and so, I did what any smart, techno-savvy person would do...I Googled it.

My search of "four year old with listening issues"  returned  9,580,000  in .39 seconds. 

AHHH....I see I am not the only one having some trouble.

I poured over the results and discovered that many owners of this second generation model are experiencing similar issues.   It turns out that this model has requires a longer recharging time to make the battery fully operational. Needs more kinesthetic involvement and very firm boundaries.  Seeks one on one interaction and will occasionally resort to negative output just to get it.  Reading through the articles and information I found many ideas to help us maximize the potential of this fabulous kid.

What I found to be the most useful to me, however, was the camaraderie of others who had "been there, done that."  The suggestions and solutions and the stories were awesome.  Knowing that we are not alone in this. 

Knowing that our troubles are not due to equipment malfunction or misuse.  Knowing that we are not terrible owners, we just needed to gather more information.  It is knowing that we WILL figure it out and he will again be fully functional, operating with enhanced ability.

Knowing we are not alone makes all the difference.  Faulty factory equipment is just a part of life, but it is how you handle it that really matters.  Please share any suggestions, solutions, stories... here.

Thanks!