Charge 5 - dark screen & discharging

[geschi]

+ 2 days ago, the screen turned black, but the Charge 5 still recorded
+ despite being charged more than half before going asleep (symbol showed "grey" but was still charged further), during last night to device turned off
+  charging today helped to get back to measuring again, but screen is still dark
+ change of clock faces and restarting the device - both did not help (both 3 times)
-> ISSUES: (I) screen ...as with other users plus (II) battery life time

[Jafrachrisvt]

This seems to be a common issue 😡

[Hecknaw]

I am assuming it’s the firmware update as mine went black right after. I tried the same restart/clock face change thing and it did nothing. 

[Jafrachrisvt]

The question is what is FitBit doing about it?  It's not an isolated thing and seems to have started a couple weeks ago.

[geschi]

add on:
Fully charged by midnight; almost empty ("all red") by 2pm the next day
and yes, we all wonder what Fitbit is doing about this

[KnoxvilleCathy]

I think you’re correct! I’m planning on directly contacting them today.

Sent from my iPhone

[Char008]

How did u get on contacting them directly. I am having same problem 😕 😪 

[KnoxvilleCathy]

I contacted them through the FitBit Help and Support. In my case, they sent me an option of 50% off one of the newest FitBits or a free FitBit Charge 5. FYI-I took the free Replacement and will not get the replacement until later this month. The chat contact "Sara" was very quick and efficient. I will not know for a couple of weeks if the replacement works or not.
Cathy

[geschi]

Have received some questions in return; at least they picked it up

congratulation for receiving the offer; if happen to be fan of statistics, this pause of not having a device will hurt

[Jafrachrisvt]

I reached out via chat help and was told someone would email me once they reviewed warranty options...

[geschi]

so crossing my fingers for you

[Jafrachrisvt]

They've graciously offered a 35% discount on a new device because my Charge was a year in April.  NOT HAPPY!  If it weren't for the fact that there are so many people experiencing the issue I wouldn't be as unhappy but there is a long list of customers who are having the issue and it seems to have happened at the same time.

[greenghoulie]

Geez - they just gave me a 35% coupon and said good luck 😕

[Jafrachrisvt]

Yup!  I've had multiple FitBits over the  years.  I can honestly say when my current Sense stops working and we all know it will like the recall on the Ionic and the death of my Charge 5 I won't replace it with a FitBit.  Kind of sad because up until now they've been really fair.

[wineflights]

I got the same 35% discount offer because I'm out of warranty, too. 🙄 Amazon has it for Prime Day for roughly the same price as the post-discount offer (sub 100), and you can get it in one day instead of having to wait for a month from Fitbit. 😮

Filed a claim with my credit card's extended warranty. It's a defect and/or manufacturer's issue, so I'm hoping that it'll be covered... 🤞

[KnoxvilleCathy]

FYI- I purchased my FitBit from Costco and I bought the additional year warranty through the Costco credit card. I believe this is why I received such a good deal. If the FitBit is less than 2 years old, Costco/FitBit have to honor the warranty added. In my opinion, FitBit has a good deal with Costco and would not want to mess it up. I have used this FitBit/Costco warranty twice in the last 5 or so years. It is totally worth paying the extra fee (I believe it was less than $100).

[wineflights]

The Costco credit card used to automatically include an extended warranty that tacked on 24 months for free. Anything purchased prior to January 2023 (when Citi changed the terms) is still covered and it doesn't/didn't matter where you bought an item - it was covered as long as it had a manufacturer's warranty. Of course, buying from Costco = better return policies, product support, and customer service.

A lot of other credit cards also have free extended warranties, most add 12 months. But having that extra year can be useful (as we're finding out now with the Charge 5). 

[Jafrachrisvt]

I'll have to check and see what credit card I used when I purchased the Charge 5 from FitBit.  I suspect it was my Costco Credit card.  Thanks for the information.

[wineflights]

Google "Costco Visa Benefits Guide" and you can download the current version (January 22, 2023) of "Your Guide to Protection Benefits" from the Citi website. The previous one with the extended warranty info is dated September 22, 2019, but I can't find it online anymore. The phone number is the same for both guides, so you can probably call and request the older one.

Even if you didn't buy your Charge 5 with the Costco Visa, it's probably a good idea to check your credit cards to see if any have extended warranty coverage. Could be helpful for Fitbit and other big/expensive purchases.

I hope that everyone who's been affected by this fiasco gets made whole somehow. 🤞

[skypilot51]

Suddenly my face went black. Still tracking but cannot see anything on my watch. Will contact Fitbit in AM.