Tinnitus Terminator was a sound therapy program to eliminate tinnitus in as little as 30 days.
If you’ve read any of our previous reviews, such as Silencis Pro or Ring Zen, you’ll know that once a product claims to stop tinnitus completely, it’s not a good sign. Currently there is no cure for tinnitus, so it’s a big red flag if a company claims they can cure this condition.
Created by Timothy Seaton, this program used sound therapy recordings (also known as neuromonics) and cognitive behavioural instructions to stop tinnitus. This program claimed you didn’t need surgery, medications or hearing aids, just the Tinnitus Terminator to fix your tinnitus symptoms. The purchase included a PDF digital book with 17 audio files.
Although there were photos of a hard-copy book on the website, the product was only ever a digital download.
It’s hard to get additional information on this product as it’s no longer on the market. But did this program cure tinnitus? The short answer is no.
How did Tinnitus Terminator work?
All you had to do was listen to sound therapy recordings twice a week for 15 minutes each and your tinnitus symptoms will be gone in just 30 days. That’s it! You don’t need any additional equipment, medications, meditation, hearing aids or dietary changes. Tinnitus Terminator claimed it was all you needed to fix this incurable condition.
But what does sound therapy recordings, or neuromonics, actually do against tinnitus? A neuromonics device plays specific noises to desensitize your brain to the sound of tinnitus, effectively reducing tinnitus symptoms. Essentially, this works to trick your brain to hear the tinnitus noises less often.
Originally created in Australia, neuromonics has developed over the last 10 years through four clinical trials involving over 200 individuals with tinnitus. Between 80% and 90% of tinnitus sufferers experienced a substantial reduction of their tinnitus symptoms.
These studies discovered that over six months, these patients became less aware of their tinnitus so there is some science behind using neuromonics for tinnitus relief. However, these professional neuromonics trials take at least six months and include audiologists who adjust the sounds specifically based on your symptoms. In addition, each treatment usually takes about 2-3 hours. It’s far more complicated than just listening to some sounds twice a week for a few minutes. Tinnitus Terminator also doesn’t have personalized sounds based on your tinnitus symptoms, but rather a one-size-fits-all approach.
Originally, Tinnitus Terminator was sold for $47 and could be downloaded right away after being purchased. The program also came with a 60 days money back guarantee through Software Projects Inc. What’s interesting is that this company also sold Quiet Mind Plus for tinnitus, which turned out to be incredibly ineffective and eventually shut down as well.
Was Tinnitus Terminator a scam?
Unfortunately like other tinnitus products, there are few red flags that this program was overselling its capabilities. The Tinnitus Terminator website claimed a few very big statements, which other reviewers noticed that might have been exaggerated:
- Over 43,000 people have received positive results after using the program
- Even though tinnitus is a very individualized condition, creator Timothy Seaton claimed this program worked for anyone, regardless of the severity of their tinnitus or any other variables, such as age, medical condition, etc.
- They claimed the program is valued at $197, but is sold for $47 instead
- Tinnitus Terminator will get rid of the tinnitus permanently in 30 days or less, used just twice a week
All of these are huge claims to make about a condition that is incurable. It’s also interesting that Tinnitus Terminator was sold through Software Projects Inc., which also sold Quiet Mind Plus. Both products have since been taken off the market.
There was also confusion around who the actual Timothy Seaton was. On the original website (which has since shut down) he claimed to be a 55 year old living near Denver, Colorado. His dramatic story includes that doctors had “cut off his ear” to cure him of tinnitus. What doctor would do that?
However, on the video posted on tinnitusterminator.net (which now points to a new product called Noise Away) the picture and voice identified as Timothy Seaton is actually a man named Todd Bradley. Todd did have surgery on his ear and wrote about it on his blog, although it was not related to tinnitus.
It’s not uncommon for companies to use actors in their promotion videos, or use false names. However, it doesn’t always increase the legitimacy of the product being sold.
The remaining videos about Tinnitus Terminator used a different man identifying himself as Timothy Seaton.
Duane’s Blog also has a great write up on the contents of the e-book and noticed issues regarding the Tinnitus Terminator copyright. He found that at the bottom of one of the Tinnitus Terminator websites, there was “Copyright © Timothy Seaton” written at the bottom. If we believe the earlier story that Timothy lives in Colorado, his copyright should be listed listed with the US Copyright Office. Duane found that there is no copyright associated with Timothy Seaton or for Tinnitus Terminator.
If we continue looking at red flags associated with the Tinnitus Terminator program, we can look at how Timothy allegedly found the “cure” for tinnitus.
The story claims that Timothy found the cure by simply searching online. That’s it! He uncovered two “hidden” studies, from both the Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of San Francisco.
However, the website didn’t link to any of the original research that he was using from these universities. The website just included that those who suffer from tinnitus can benefit from this “newly discovered tinnitus treatment.” You might recall that this is similar to other products, such as Tinnitus 911. This tinnitus supplement also claimed that they found the “cure” to tinnitus by accident, simply stumbled upon it online.
There was also a very weird photoshop image of the second “Timothy Seaton” with a bandaged ear shown in the promotional video. It’s not likely that the image fooled anyone.
Did the Tinnitus Terminator Program cure tinnitus?
It’s safe to say that no, the Tinnitus Terminator program did not cure tinnitus. If you’ve ever experienced ringing in your ears, you’ll understand how debilitating this condition can be. Unfortunately, that means many people are willing to try anything to get their symptoms to stop, including this program. Thankfully it is no longer sold online, so new customers won’t waste their money.
Tinnitus Terminator Reviews
A good indication of a products effectiveness is reviews. Although many reviews can be false (or paid for), simple research into Tinnitus Terminator Reviews shows numerous upset customers.
Tinnitus sufferers have also gone to message boards and forums to discuss Tinnitus Terminator. Unfortunately for Timothy Seaton, the reviews aren’t good.
Bob wrote on one Tinnitus Terminator review: “You can get better free sound therapy on the internet. I tried this, and in six months, it was a total waste, but the free one actually helped. Save your hard earned money and don’t give it away for things that will not work.”
Other reviews included:
I bought the program and went through the entire sequence three times, to give it as much chance to work as possible. My tinnitus is completely unchanged. I’ve seen no improvement whatsoever
Greg
Of course, it’s a scam. If it weren’t, you would have seen it on the front page of every newspaper, on every TV channel and the inventors on every talk show. But it is a very inventive way of getting your money quickly and far away from you.
Don’t bother, but if you feel you must, please give your money to a real charity
Chuck
Absolute rubbish. The content of the recordings was absolutely ludicrous. Rainforest noises, thunderstorms, classical music, aeroplanes. Really? If these sounds cured tinnitus my problem would have resolved by itself years ago. But being the stubborn, pedantic person I am I dutifully followed the instructions. What a surprise; zero effect. How do these people sleep at night?
Sonya
Conclusion
Unfortunately, Tinnitus Terminator is just another ineffective program for those who suffer from tinnitus. From the dishonest background story on how this “cure” was found, to the wildly bold claims that this sound therapy will cure any severity of tinnitus in just 30 days, it’s fairly clear this product was misleading.
As we’ve seen with other products, such as Tonaki Tinnitus Protocol and Tinnitus 911, there are a lot of ineffective products for tinnitus out there. It can be hard to sort through what is real and what is a scam. And while Tinnitus Terminator did start out in science using cognitive behavioral instruction, it’s not likely that a program like this will reduce all severities of tinnitus. A much more personalized program will be needed, as everyone experienced tinnitus differently.
Luckily for those with tinnitus, this particular program is no longer on the market. Unforuantely many people had already wasted money on it (and it seems many couldn’t get their money back). We’ll need to keep looking for a better alternative to tinnitus symptoms.
