Charge 5 replacement didn't include accessories

[Perkflower]

Wellllll, here we go. Fitbit not only has a crappy product in the Charge 5 but has no problem stealing your return product. Purchased the Charge 5 on Feb 28, 2024. On June 30, 2024 the screen went black, as it seems to do for most all customers according to the forum. I chatted with a rep, yes I have the chats emailed to me after so I can bring receipts, went through all the ridiculousness that we all know is script given to employees to appear as if they are helping. The rep tells me since it is under warranty to send it in and they will replace it. Of course it is through Fed Ex, which is nowhere to be found around me (no you cant take the QR code to a Dollar Store or other place that works with Fed Ex. Finally send the thing off, in its original box with all the original accessories to assure I am not accused packaging damage or any sort of nefarious behavior. I take pictures everything because I am not a newborn baby and know how things work. Sooooo, finally yesterday July 19, 2024, I receive an envelope (yes an envelope not bubble wrap not a box)  in the mail. I open this none cushioned envelope and I see a fitbit charge 5 watch face and that is all. My original box equipment and all is just not there. They have not replaced my product at all. WHO DOES THAT? WHO KEEPS YOUR STUFF AND SENDS JUST ONE PART???? WHO STEALS YOUR PRODUCT DURING A REPLACEMENT? I decide to call and after an hour and ten minutes, I do not have my product replaced but do have some 'refurbished' (previously broken or used and fixed) accessories which includes a charger and band being sent to me in the next ten to fourteen days. So now, I have a refurbished charge 5 watch face and 'refurbished' accessories which were not previously broken coming in the mail. I have no box with any of my information or serial numbers coming or a replacement to be made whole. IT'S CRAZY! They have literally kept my purchased product without returning it. I can't even check if the refurbished face works because I have no charger!!!!! So when I finally do check and it doesn't work, they will say well why didnt you check earlier. Fitbit and Google what is wrong with you?????

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Odyssey13]

Hi @Perkflower  when you return a Fitbit, they send you an address label with information telling you exactly what to return and which items to keep. It's been like this for years. Refurbished units are sent as they don't always have the color you wanted and they send what they have in the warehouse at the time of your return being processed. I'll ask a Fitbit Moderator to stop by to see if they can offer you some advice as to how to proceed.

[Perkflower]

Hello, 

No they sent a QR code for Fedex and I do not live by a Fedex. I had to drive a good ways to find a place that could scan the code. I have an email and it does not tell me any of that information. I was not 'sent' a label. They did attach it to the email but I do not own a printer. It is 2024.

No where in the email does it say to not pack up your watch and only send the face. To boot, the place Fedex said to go could not scan the QR code. I live in a rural area its not a hop skip and jump to places. They can send me a refurbished face but send back all my stuff or replace it. Here are the pictures of what was sent and the return non padded envelope for UPS to jam in my mailbox with the greatest of ease. I have contacted google help 3 times and Fitbit Support. Once by chat where they said they will replace my item, I have the transcript, and another time by phone, and then by twitter. It seems I am not the only one with this issue and the Charge 5. Twitter actually has articles about how horrible google and fitbit combo is going. I don't care if they send me the face of a refurbished item but send my accessories back to me as they were not broken to be refurbished. Unless its replaced with a new replacement send my stuff back with it. SERIOUSLY. A Fitbit moderator will do nothing but gaslight me even further but I am still here to bring receipts. I have pictures emails and chat transcripts. I am going back to an Apple watch. I had one for 10 years not one problem but figured Id try this stupid thing because its cheaper. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. No wonder there are so many complaints on the community. 

 Sent Fitbit as purchased for replacementIt was purchased 16 weeks prior so I still had the box.The serial numbers and boxWhat I was sent back.Just a face in an unpadded envelope.No where does this say what to sendI am returning none of these. It does not say we will not return what you send.

[Lizzie99]

Yes, they did exactly the same to me, basically stolen my platinum blue fitbit with the box and all accessories and sent a small what they call pebble in its place. They tried to tell me that the instructions tell you not to return everything, but that is nonsense it says that nowhere.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @Perkflower and welcome to the forums, @Lizzie99. @Odyssey13 Thanks for your help!

@Perkflower and @Lizzie99 Thanks for the detailed information, the screenshots and the time taken while contacting our Support team. Before anything else, I'd like to clarify that the information about the replacement process is usually provided during your interaction with the agent, either chat or phone call, as the email will include just step by step instructions to start the return.

Nevertheless, I understand where you're coming from and appreciate your feedback as this will definitely help us to improve our services. Because you have a case opened, I contacted our team and I was informed that you already received assistance. In case you have a question, my best advice is to reply back to their email and keep an open communication with our team. I'm sure they'll continue helping you out!

[Lizzie99]

Hi Thanks for your attempt at intervening with Fitbit. I have stopped communicating with the team as I find the information that they give me is not in line with consumer laws in the UK, I refuse to waste any more of my time arguing for a faulty item to be replaced in full as I purchased it. I believe Fitbit have already been fined in Australia for trying to deny customers their rights in the consumer laws of that Country and I will issue a EU small claims procedure. To try and justify stealing my return product is probably the worst customer service I have ever encountered.

[FitbitUser0815]

They did the same thing to me! I paid for the extended warranty and then they tried to not even honor the 1 year warranty (the device was within that range). I had to fight with them for weeks to get the label. I was told to send everything back in original packaging if possible (i didn't have the box anymore). They lied to me and said they sent a new one (about a month after the old one failed). I was away on vacation when it arrived. Just opened the package and it's a bag with just the watch, clearly refurbished, not new like they said it would be. I'm never buying a Fitbit again. The customer service is absolutely horrendous! And it took an absurd amount of time to get this pathetic replacement.

[macpak]

Hi Perkflower

I am in the exact same predicament as you my fitbit 5 went the same as yours. I had enormous problems trying to contact to get renewal under warranty at end of July. Had the same watch face sent in an envelope with bubble wrap though. I returned my complete watch charger straps and all that was received and now have no strap or charger. Watch took about 10 days to arrive. I am not impressed with the fitbit service at all, and think that talking t them which I think I spent 2 long chats first one promised I would receive all the returf labels, after 5 days nowt received so a longer call this time staying on whilst the agent kept reporting to higher ups until I actually received the email with returns label. Nothing was said about returning just the watch face, only that the device should be returned for checking, hence I returned all. Now trying to obtain straps and charger from this company. To my mind this is not good service and appalling customer relations. They obviously do not care a jot about their customers and make it as difficult as possible to contact them,

[FitbitUser0815]

It took me over 2 months to get a complete charge 5 from them. I spent hours and contacted them a great number of times. I regret buying the device. I regret buying the extended warranty since they work SO hard to not honor the standard warranty. 

Fitbit promised a repair or replacement. I had to beg about 5 or 6 times to get the return label.It took 20 days just to get the return label. They tried to claim it wasn't under warranty so that was why they had not bothered to send it--it was still under the standard warranty and I had paid for the extra year. Then they said they sent a new device to replace it. It was clearly used and it took another month to get straps not in the original color, and separately a charger. What a terrible company! What a terrible product! It broke because I got it wet once. The device is garbage, just like the company.  

[matt442]

Another vote for nobody informing me not to send charger and bands with the charge 5. I will say I had no problems with getting the return information and the replacement came very quickly, but I too am now stuck with a replacement but no way to use it (no charger nor bands). Nothing in the email nor in the verbal/chat information saying to only send the body of the device.

Matt

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone, and welcome to our new members.

Thanks for the detailed information and the time taken while contacting our Support team. I understand where you're coming from and I'm sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. This isn't the experience that we want our members to go through, and your feedback is appreciated as it'll help us to evaluate and make sure our services are improved.

While I don't have access to your case, I'd recommend replying back to our team so they can provide you with more information about your Charge 5 and their resolution. You can reach them out via phone or chat by clicking here.