Charge 5 stopped working after getting wet

[CynthiaAnneC]

My husbands Charge 5 stopped working (display went black) after the first time in a shallow swimming pool last week.  I purchased it just over a year ago in Canada. It was advertised as waterproof.  Is there any warranty?  Sadly this is our second Fitbit watch that has died just over a year after purchase. Can this be fixed.?We love our fitbits but tho is very too expensive to replace every year or so. 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[MarreFitbit]

Hi there, @CynthiaAnneC. Thanks for stopping by in the Fitbit Community Forums and sharing the details about the issue with your husband's Charge 5. I understand how you must be feeling. 

If your device got wet, it’s important to take it off and dry it well before putting it back on. On the other hand, if your device has come into contact with any liquid other than fresh water, you should clean it with fresh water and a soap-free cleanser and dry it with a lint free-cloth.

If you've done the above but to no avail, may I know if your Charge 5 vibrated during the restart process? If it didn't, I'd recommend trying the steps below:

• Clean the charging contacts on the back of your device and the pins on your charging cable using the instructions in How do I clean my Fitbit device?
• If the error "insufficient power source" appears on your device's screen, remove other devices plugged in to your power source, or plug your device in to another source.
• Try a different USB port or a UL-certified wall charger.
• Check the alignment and try reconnecting your device to the charging cable. For more information, see How do I charge my Fitbit device?
• Restart your Fitbit once again.

[CynthiaAnneC]

We did all of that.  The haptics still worked and the watch vibrated as expected but the screen was black 

[wmillerpgh]

Exact same issue... Device was wet from run in rain..and now black screen issue.

I have haptic response when trying charger reset.. no screen display.  Style syncs.. tried pushing new screen which loads but does not display anything.

Seems forum is flooded with these issues...

[w12bloved]

Mine just did this today.  Have only had it since Christmas.

[Susannemadd]

Very disappointingly this seems to be a fault with fitbits. My charge 5 is my 5th Fitbit.  I swim regularly and chose this as it has a swimming setting which I use religiously. Only owned it since October 2022 but yesterday in the pool it went black and unresponsive. I’ve followed all the steps (I always rinse and dry it) to restart by pressing the button on the charger but this has no effect whatsoever. Where do I go now short of returning it?

[Roy99]

My Charge 5 is a little over a year old. It went completely dark and couldn't be revived by any of the suggestions offered. I was in shallow water about 2 to 3 feet deep. Has anybody been able to get these wet ones up and running again?

[ack425]

My Fitbit Charge 5 died 19 days past warranty expiration (purchased 25 March 2022, stopped working 12 April 2023) after I went for a swim in the pool while I was on vacation. The  Charge 5 is supposed to be "water resistant to 50 meters" (https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1598.htm).

In September 2022, I purchased a Fitbit annual membership for $88.07.

Here's the steps of what happened and the detailed problem description:
1. Put Charge 5 in swim mode. Charge 5 at ~68% battery.

2. Mellow swim at the surface of the hotel pool, 30 minutes and 20 laps. When I get out of the water, take it out of swim mode. Charge 5 syncs with my phone which is nearby.

3. Go upstairs to shower and change. When I take the Fitbit off to shower, its screen is dark and unresponsive. (I have always taken it off to shower.) Open case with Fitbit support, but I can't follow the troubleshooting steps because I left my cable at home because I had enough battery for the entire mini-vacation.

4. Get home, plug in Fitbit. It charges fully and I can tap hard to wake it and it syncs with the app, pulling current date/time; it also is showing my current heart rate. However: only one green light on the back is working, the haptics (vibration/buzz) aren't working, and none of the swipe commands are working. I also note that the battery discharges from full to empty in less than an hour. I work through all Fitbit support troubleshooting advice with Fitbit support, but nothing resuscitates my "water resistant" Charge 5.

5. In addition, I had it sit in a dehydration bag for four days. The result is the same - no haptics, no green light, rapidly discharged battery.

Fitbit support has offered me a 35% discount on the Fitbit site to purchase a new Charge 5 (which brings it very close to the price I would pay on Amazon).

I asked to be credited the remainder of the annual membership plan and the company refused: "The credit that you request us is not possible, the premium is not refundable."

I feel defrauded - I am now paying for six months of Premium service that I cannot use because of a defect in the stated and documented purpose of the Fitbit Charge 5.