My Charge 5 is defective after a swimming holiday in the Mediterranean. I regularly went swimming in the sea with it (about 2 hours a day for 7 days). One day the battery was suddenly empty (from 75% to 0% within a very short time). I was then able to charge the watch to 100% again, but unfortunately it was empty again within a day. Without having tracked anything with GPS, which could explain the rapid discharge. In this state, the battery charge normally lasts me 4-5 days. When I try to charge it again, the watch now only vibrates ~2x/second, but the display remains black. I cannot detect any water inclusions on either the sensor or the display. Other restart attempts according to Fitbit instructions failed. Synchronisation no longer works either.
So I contacted the support team, who couldn't tell me what to do next. I had probably already tried everything. After my guarantee/warranty claim was checked, I was informed that my 16-month-old Fitbit 5 was no longer covered by the guarantee! Background: I had bought a Charge 4 at the end of July 2022, which broke irreparably in April 2023: The watch case broke in the area where the strap is attached. Before my watch could be repaired, both my girlfriend and my dad had the same problem at almost the same time. All after <1 year of use, as we bought the watches almost at the same time. Neither of us overused our watches with any extreme sports. Yoga, walking, swimming, strength training, cycling, ...
In any case, I was given a Charge 5 because the Charge 4 was no longer being sold. I would rather have spared myself the hassle and weeks of waiting for the repair/replacement and kept the Fitbit 4, which I had actively decided in favour of.
In fact, 25 months after buying my Fitbit 4, I already have 2 defective watches. The Fitbit 5 has only lasted 16 months and I still have no warranty on it. I was only offered a 35% discount on the purchase of a new Fitbit. But only via Google directly, i.e. at the RRP. No other goodwill whatsoever.
Why should I buy something from Fitbit again with such product ‘quality’?
Looking at the forum, it seems I'm not the only one who has had problems with their Charge 5 when used in water. Mind you, this is with a watch that is explicitly declared as waterproof!
It now remains to be seen how long my dad's and my girlfriend's watches will last before they suffer a similar water death!
Moderator Edit: Clarified subject
