ComplaintsforTobii Dynavox, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  04/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  First Sales call:June 15, 2023 Item sent incomplete for required use: 1/23/2023 Patient requiring completed item died Feb 6, 2023. Company emails that necessary part can finally be installed: 2/172023 Company refuses return of the incomplete device: April 13, 2023.

  Business response

  04/21/2023

  ***,
  I have been in receipt of your email and your BBB complaint as well. First, please allow me to express my sincere condolences for the loss of your husband. I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through.
  
  I have read through your concerns for understanding and have researched with several of our department leaders as well to determine what took place.
  I want to take this opportunity to explain the series of events as I understand it and we can go from there.
  
  It looks as though ***** received his TD Pilot, without Gaze in August of 2022.
  I will say that this is a device that can be and is sold with or without the Gaze functionality. Typically the SLP makes that determination based on the patient’s diagnosis.
  The Gaze function allows for the eye tracking to be utilized. Without the Gaze function, the device is still a fully functional touch device.
  It looks like in early January is when we got notification of the desire to add eye Gaze to *****’s device and we had begun that prior authorization process to get the insurance company’s approval to do that. We asked that the device be sent in to have that upgrade added.
  At that time, we received notice from the SLP that Gaze was not needed and the device was returned as is.
  We were never able to receive the insurance company’s approval to add Gaze unfortunately before ***** passed so that was never completed.
  
  I’m very sorry to hear that ***** wasn’t ever able to use the Gaze functionality. Again, the only reason it would have been shipped to him originally without the Gaze function is because the recommender would have stated that it was not medically necessary at the time. We do have clients that use our devices without the Gaze functionality all of the time based on their circumstances so that is not unusual and certainly not our intention to ever provide someone an ‘incomplete’ or unusable device, but rather we’re working with what the medical team and insurance tells us is necessary and that they will pay for.
  
  I’m very sorry that we’re unable to return the device at this time. I will say that there is a resell market out there for those looking to avoid going through insurance as well as organizations that will always put a donation to good use.
  I’m hoping that this helps and if there’s anything further I can help with, please don’t hesitate to ask.
  
  *********************************************************
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Lindsay S******* **************
  Customer Service Manager
  **** ******* ******* ***** *** *********** ** ***** *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We worked with ******* T******** in Nebraska to get an iPad and a mount for our non speaking son. The tablet was ordered but ******* didn’t order the mount. We’ve had the tablet for over a month and still no mount, so no practical way to use the device in the home. I keep hearing how we have to wait yet another 30 days and TD isn’t letting use a loaner mount of comparable design to the one that they forgot to order. Absolutely horrendous customer service and no regard for children with communication needs. At the end of the day, TD and ******* openly admit they messed up, but aren’t doing anything to remedy the situation in a timely manner, instead blaming funding and insurance for the extra wait time. I get being human and making mistakes, but then fixing them should be a top priority and it’s clearly not here. “Sorry” doesn’t give us a mount… This will definitely be the very last time I deal with this specific rep if I can help it. The software itself can be bought off the app store for $50 and ipads are $1k or so, yet TD charges insurance thousands of dollars. For what? For their “great” customer service? Kids with disabilities and their parents have enough to deal with already without having insensitive reps who can’t be bothered to provide a temporary solution to the problem they created. The funniest thing is *******’s title is a “solutions consultant”, yet where is my solution?

  Business response

  07/13/2022

  Upon researching, it appears that the client received a funded SC Tablet device in June 2022. The solutions consultant, *******, was in error in not ordering the mount as well and has apologized for this oversight. Unfortunately, the mount will have to now go through the same insurance funding process and this does take time that we as a company can only control part of as we are working with the insurance company to secure funding. In the meantime, the Regional Director for this case, ***** ********** has been in contact and arranged for our trials team to ship a loaner mount for them to use until their funded mount can be shipped. He was in text contact with *** ******* and those texts are attached here. We are considering this matter resolved. 
  

  Customer response

  07/21/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  

  This issue is not resolved as we do not have the mount we have ordered. The replacement mount they ordered is not the same model as the one we wanted and is not usable in our home. It has a right neck instead of the goose neck and thus lacks the mobility and adjustability required. 
  
  Regards,
  
  **** *******

  Business response

  08/11/2022

  Following the initial interaction, the mount loaner offer was deemed an unacceptable solution by the customer as it wouldn’t have been the exact mount that the client needed. As it happens, at this time, approval from their insurance came in to proceed with the mount purchase. This particular mount is also what we call an SP (Special Part) mount, meaning a mount that we don’t typically carry/stock but one that would need special ordered from the manufacturer (Rehadapt in Germany). Rehadapt agreed to expedite the shipment for us given the urgent need. Despite this, the package got held up in Customs causing a further delay in shipment. Due to this delay, our Purchasing team ordered a 2nd mount from Rehadapt with the hopes that this one would not end up stuck and get to us sooner, which is what ended up happening. The proper mount was received by the customer on 8/6/2022. The customer confirmed having received it but was still having some issues with it not working exactly as they had hoped. Ongoing support for these issues is being provided by our Solutions Consultant. The Solutions Consultant has offered some potential solutions and to meet her during therapy to help work these issues out. If they are unable to be resolved, we will offer the option to return the mount if needed.  
  Customer also requested that their Open Key cost (to open the device) be waived for their trouble. I explained to her that unfortunately, this would be prohibited for me to do and provided her the reasoning:
  
  Why are you required to order an open key for funded devices?  
  In July of 2015, Medicare (CMS) updated the National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Speech Generating Device, which allows Medicare beneficiaries the ability to open their SGDs and grants access to non-covered services such as the internet, video conferencing etc. These services are clearly noted in the NCD as non-covered services by Medicare and must be paid for by the beneficiary.
  Tobii Dynavox, nor any other supplier, should be providing an open key to a beneficiary at no cost due to prohibiting law. Please note that no employee of Tobii Dynavox is allowed to purchase an open key for a beneficiary.  As Medicare providers, violation of this policy is considered fraudulent.

  We are considering the matter resolved at this time and will of course, continue to provide ongoing support as needed via our Solutions Consultant and our Customer Service and Technical Support channels.

  Customer response

  08/12/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is somewhat satisfactory to me. It's crystal clear from our interactions that the business is only willing to do the bare minimum, always passing the blame to someone else (insurance processing, suppliers or customs) and not proactively trying to help customers. Everything had to be scratched and clawed out of them, when the root cause of this issue was the solutions consultant making a mistake. I do not feel like dealing with them any longer, aside from trying to get the existing mount to work, so the case can be closed. We will definitely not be wasting expensive speech therapy time to make adjustments to the mount, but might potentially meet at another time if it's needed.
  
  Regards,
  
  **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  04/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’m writing in behalf of my brother, ******* * ***** who through Essentia Health (Superior WI) and the (St. Cloud MN VA) was shipped a voice assisting unit from Tobii Dynavox (**** ******* ** *********** ** **********). Sadly because of insufficient and inappropriate action on their parts, he is now at home without continued voice therapy as the unit has never worked from day one, is unable to be updated by the speech therapist or myself, and the company refuses to return my phone calls or reply to emails. Initially we verbally agreed to accept this unit to assist in Michael’s speech therapy. We were not made aware of any 30 day expiration in returning the unit, or the length of time we would have the unit; whether we would “own” the unit or return it when Mike’s condition improved or anything. Everything was verbal and nothing written. Everything was processed between Tobbii Dynavox, Essentia and the VA after verbally agreed on in a session by my brother and I, with the salesperson, and the Essentia speech therapist. As my brother’s advocate I wanted the unit shipped to me but it was explained that it had to be shipped to my brother, the VA client’s address. We were led to believe that it would be shipped “ready to use” by simply turning it on, and entering a password. There were no written instructions on how to set up this Apple Tablet unit, or cautioned about trying the password multiple times. My brother (a vulnerable adult) tried doing so and after several tries the unit was locked and states that it must be connected to iTunes to reset the password. We immediately took the unit to the speech therapist at the very next session, that very week and sadly she spent her entire session trying to connect it to iTunes; her computer would not recognize the unit when plugged in. I offered to take the unit myself and try to do so but my computer also would not recognize the tablet. One hour spent. I am my brother’s advocate, not his tech support. However after no s

  Business response

  04/11/2022

  Hello - 
  
  The iPad this customer received required them to go through the initial Apple setup when it arrived.  The client set an Apple password and forgot what the password was.  In order to fix this, Apple requires you to do an iOS reset. Our sales rep provided the steps to do this but the client wasn’t comfortable doing so.  We’ve setup a repair to bring the device in so we can reset it for them.  We’ve setup for UPS to come get the device so that the client does not have to pay for shipping.  We’re shipping it to their local sales rep after the repair so they can set it up for them to prevent this from occurring again and they will work with the client to make sure everything is setup the way they need it once received.
  The Solutions Consultants on this case took care of the customer follow-up/interaction as it had already been in progress.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩