Brand new, won't charge

[AshleyHartl]

I just bought a replacement Alta HR (my original will no longer sync or hold a charge for more than a day) The new HR will not charge or turn on. This is brand new out of box, I haven't even been able to sync it yet. I've tried using both my new and the old charging cable. My old HR will charge fine on both old and new cables. I know it is plugged in correctly. The button on the charge cable also does nothing

[Odyssey13 · Accepted solution]

Hi @AshleyHartl  the fastest thing to do would be return it where you purchased it. The Alta HR was retired quite some time ago and your new in the box item probably had a dead battery for a long time. You try anything here on the article for trouble syncing? see if any of this helps - click to read

[AshleyHartl]

This is highly disappointing that purchasing a new in box HR is an unviable
solution. My original HR's problems are two-fold: first, it hasn't synced
properly all month. Second, it barely holds a charge for a day, rather than
a week. It's clearly dying as a piece of hardware.

This is unfortunate to me because Fitbit no longer offers a tracker with
the appeal the HR has. The newer devices look "clunky" and unattractive,
and I'm uninterested in a smart watch. It seems Fitbit no longer carries a
product I have any interest in.

[wiimama]

I so agree! I bought my Alta in Feb of 2017. I have been very happy with it, (except for the fact that it has always registered up to 1/2 mile less than Map My Walk does.) Only during an intentional walk.  I use both. I depend on it for daily steps. Lately it has actually died long before the charge should have been gone. And even after just charged turns out not to be tracking at all. I had a full charge this morning, took a 3 mile walk which registered on Map My Walk. NO steps registered on my tracker. I synced it later and it started tracking so now is showing about 1800 steps today when it should be well over 8000. Seems that if it was not synced it still would register steps. I am afraid it is probably in a hard fail state.  It has been acting up like this intermittently for the last couple months. Now seeing the comments above regarding Alta and Alta HR which have been discontinued, I am afraid to buy one if I can find it. But I also, do not like the other currently available designs. They are too big. I loved my Alta and am very disappointed. I don't want to have to change tracker companies, but I think I might have to. 

[Cuba22]

I'm having the same issues as @AhleyHartl - except mine was a gift so I can't return it. Tried to charge straight out of the box.  Took 10 hours.  Put it on and within 1 min it was dead. I had literally walked 5 steps.  Unimpressed.