My experience with Fitbit Alta

[Gabriel_]

I bought a Fitbit Alta last year and it was spoilt. I contacted Fitbit through the live chat to receive a replacement. that replacement worked for a few months and after I put it into storage for a few months, I tried to use it again however it refused to start up and I ordered another replacement. Yet, the replacements still refused to work. Over that amount of time, I have ordered 4 replacement Altas and 1 replacement charger. The lastest one which just arrived today still refuses to start up. I find this extremely annoying and I hope that Fitbit can do something to get maybe a Fitbit representative down to Singapore to find out exactly what is wrong with all the replacements.

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity 

[RicardoFitbit]

Hello @Gabriel_, welcome to the Community Forums! Sorry for the delay in responding your post.

Thanks for all the information that was shared in your post regarding your Alta device and the replacements that were processed by our Support team. Since you already received assistance with them, my best advice for you at this moment will be to contact them back if you require further assistance or if you have any additional questions about the information that was shared by them.

Don't hesitate to contact me back if you have any additional questions.

[Gabriel_]

Hi, I would like to know if there is any way Fitbit can fix this problem
with my Fitbit Alta.

[WendyB]

@Gabriel_You stated you put it in storage for a few months.

If these batteries are not charged they will die. They need to be charged

[Gabriel_]

I charged it and it did not turn on.

[Jeni54]

This is a feeble excuse, it is NOT TRUE that these battery types need to be constantly charged .

Fitbit will just need to keep replacing devices which fail due to their poor design and puny batteries.

[RicardoFitbit]

Hello again! It's a pleasure for me to continue providing assistance.

@Gabriel_ Your reply is appreciated. As stated on my previous post, I suggest you to contact our Support team back if you require further assistance because you already contacted them and they provided you with assistance regarding this situation. 

@Jeni54 Thanks for your feedback, your comments are really appreciated and helpful for us to continue improving our products. Don't hesitate to contact me back if you have any additional questions.

@WendyB Thanks for your support!

I'll be around.

[Konradmi]

I am one more Fitbit Alta user with terrible experience. I have had terrible experience with Fitbit Alta and the Fitbit Support team. I have been treated like I was trying to cheat them. I sent both broken Ftibit Alta devices to them and I have Canada Post receipt, but the "can't find it".

Here is a letter I wrote to the Support team about a month ago.

Fitbit

Customer Service

199 Fremont Street
14th Floor
San Francisco, Ca 94105

USA

November 12, 2019

Dear Sirs,

My wife loves your Fitbit Alta product, and she has been wearing it for about seven years.

So far she had about five of your Fitbit Alta products so far. Unfortunately they do not last long, and they break and stop working after about two years.

I am sure you have all my purchases logged into your computer system, and you can easily check how many times we purchased your Fitbit Alta product.

Every time we purchase a new one I set it up via the Internet and connect to your system.

Is there anything you can do for my wife (your very faithful customer) so your next Fitbit Alta product does not stop working so easily?

I am sending two of the broken and not working Fitbit Alta products so your technical staff can examine them for any problems.

I hope to hear from you as soon as possible,

Sincerely yours,

Konrad

Here is my letter to the Support team:

I am one more Fitbit Alta user with terrible experience. I have had terrible experience with Fitbit Alta and the Fitbit Support team. I have been treated like I was trying to cheat them.

Here is a letter I wrote to the Support team about a month ago.

Dear Sirs,

Yesterday I wrote and sent the following letter to the Fitbit headquarters in San Francisco and I attached the last two Fitbit Alta broken devices.

My wife likes the Fitbit Alta very much and she wears it as a jewellery. The shape of the watch allows to wear it so it looks like a bracelet. She like it so much that she wears is day and night 24/7 so she can check her sleep pattern.

She had very bad experience with the quality of your Fitbit Alta product which breaks and stops working after approximately a year.
I am sure you have a log of all our connection to your Fitbit Dashboard system so you can easily see how many devices she has had so far. I believe she had over five Fitbit Alta so far (probably each Fitbit Alta has a unique ID, so you can see how many product we had so far). But as you can see she is an older lady and she gets attached to one thing she likes.

But we keep buying your Fitbit Alta and it keeps breaking. At the beginning we thought it was just one lemon and we believed that the next one will be good. Unfortunately all of them keep breaking.
The last one (I sent it to Fitbit in San Francisco) stopped charging.

So far we purchased five (or more) Fitbit Alta products and all of them broke after approximately a year or so. This is not just one lemon, but it looks like there is a design or manufacturing problem. We are an older retired couple and we are on a fixed income so some day we will have to stop purchasing your Fitbit Alta.

What would be your advice regarding your Fitbit Alta product?
Is there anything you can do to elevate our problems with this product.
Is there a possibility for you to sent us a Fitbit Alta that has gone through an extensive testing process and hopefully will last longer.

How about Fitbit Alta HR? Does Fitbit Alta HR have the same attachment to the strap? I have designed and made a nice bracelet that replaces the strap and attaches to the watch very nicely.

We have been having problems with your Alta for about seven years, so please advice how to go about this problem?
- Would it be possible for you to send us Fitbit Alta that has been extensively tested , so it would last longer.
- Would it be possible for you to send us your Fitbit Alta HR so I can redesign the bracelet my wife likes so much?

Sincerely yours,

Konrad

[Konradmi]

I am one more Fitbit Alta user with terrible experience. I have had terrible experience with Fitbit Alta and the Fitbit Support team. I have been treated like I was trying to cheat them. I sent both broken Ftibit Alta devices to them and I have Canada Post receipt, but the "can't find it".

Here is a letter I wrote to the Support team about a month ago.

Fitbit

Customer Service

199 Fremont Street
14th Floor
San Francisco, Ca 94105

USA

November 12, 2019

Dear Sirs,

My wife loves your Fitbit Alta product, and she has been wearing it for about seven years.

So far she had about five of your Fitbit Alta products so far. Unfortunately they do not last long, and they break and stop working after about two years.

I am sure you have all my purchases logged into your computer system, and you can easily check how many times we purchased your Fitbit Alta product.

Every time we purchase a new one I set it up via the Internet and connect to your system.

Is there anything you can do for my wife (your very faithful customer) so your next Fitbit Alta product does not stop working so easily?

I am sending two of the broken and not working Fitbit Alta products so your technical staff can examine them for any problems.

I hope to hear from you as soon as possible,

Sincerely yours,

Konrad

Here is my letter to the Support team:

I am one more Fitbit Alta user with terrible experience. I have had terrible experience with Fitbit Alta and the Fitbit Support team. I have been treated like I was trying to cheat them.

Here is a letter I wrote to the Support team about a month ago.

Dear Sirs,

Yesterday I wrote and sent the following letter to the Fitbit headquarters in San Francisco and I attached the last two Fitbit Alta broken devices.

My wife likes the Fitbit Alta very much and she wears it as a jewellery. The shape of the watch allows to wear it so it looks like a bracelet. She like it so much that she wears is day and night 24/7 so she can check her sleep pattern.

She had very bad experience with the quality of your Fitbit Alta product which breaks and stops working after approximately a year.
I am sure you have a log of all our connection to your Fitbit Dashboard system so you can easily see how many devices she has had so far. I believe she had over five Fitbit Alta so far (probably each Fitbit Alta has a unique ID, so you can see how many product we had so far). But as you can see she is an older lady and she gets attached to one thing she likes.

But we keep buying your Fitbit Alta and it keeps breaking. At the beginning we thought it was just one lemon and we believed that the next one will be good. Unfortunately all of them keep breaking.
The last one (I sent it to Fitbit in San Francisco) stopped charging.

So far we purchased five (or more) Fitbit Alta products and all of them broke after approximately a year or so. This is not just one lemon, but it looks like there is a design or manufacturing problem. We are an older retired couple and we are on a fixed income so some day we will have to stop purchasing your Fitbit Alta.

What would be your advice regarding your Fitbit Alta product?
Is there anything you can do to elevate our problems with this product.
Is there a possibility for you to sent us a Fitbit Alta that has gone through an extensive testing process and hopefully will last longer.

How about Fitbit Alta HR? Does Fitbit Alta HR have the same attachment to the strap? I have designed and made a nice bracelet that replaces the strap and attaches to the watch very nicely.

We have been having problems with your Alta for about seven years, so please advice how to go about this problem?
- Would it be possible for you to send us Fitbit Alta that has been extensively tested , so it would last longer.
- Would it be possible for you to send us your Fitbit Alta HR so I can redesign the bracelet my wife likes so much?

Sincerely yours,

Konrad

[Jeni54]

A massively polite message there Konrad.

It would be nice to think that Fitbit would replace your endlessly-failing fitbits, but I would not hold my breath if I were you.

[Konradmi]

Thank you for your support and understanding.
Have you ever tried to complain through the Better Business Bureau or other places?

[Gabriel_]

That’s what happened to me too. They made me return one of my replacements like I have been lying to them about it

[Konradmi]

The same happened to me, only worse. I sent them my two broken Alta watches directly to the San Francisco headquarters (the only mail address I could find). I have a receipt but it was a regular mail so I don't have the tracking number. I sent them my receipt but they treat me like I have been lying.

[Gabriel_]

As I don’t live in the USA, I had to send it to Moduslink Fitbit Returns Center 51 Ubi Avenue 3

[Konradmi]

I live in Canada, but I sent it to the USA Fitbit in San Francisco.
It looks like both places are equally bad.
I also sent my complain directly to the Community (Forum) moderator, but no response.

[Gabriel_]

I just contacted Fitbit via the live chat and they told me that they will have to pass the matter to the higher ups and I feel that they still think that I am lying to them about the matter

[Konradmi]

Have you made any progress?
They keep asking me for more the same information I already explained. Terrible Customer support, the worst I have ever encounter. I have already talked to about 10 of my friends and told them to stay away from Fitbit products. They also don't believe me that I sent them two broken Alta-s. My receipt is not a registered mail so they pretend that they can't find it. For the past 35 years nothing got lost when I sent it via regular post, so it is just a convenient excuse when you have a terribly bad quality product.

[Gabriel_]

Yes I have. They told me that they will give me a Fitbit inspire instead as an upgrade. But I think that it is cheaper than the Fitbit Alta if I am not wrong.

[Konradmi]

They also told me that they were going to give me the Fitbit Alta HR, but in the next email they requested the receipt with the tracking number. I explained that I sent the two broken Alta-s as regular mail and I even have a receipt. But, they treated me like a cheater and they don't believe me. So don't hold your breath.

[Gabriel_]

I got the inspire yesterday and now it’s work properly, finally a working Fitbit!