How long for warranty review?

[Michaeljf223]

I have had a problem with my Fitbit Charge 5.

I have used it since December last year with no problems- been tracking bike rides, runs, spin, swimming, all with no issue.

I went for a swim last week (wet mode on) and the device was dead after around 10 minutes. I put it in rice and let it completely dry. It now charges, but won't boot past the logo.

I contacted support around 7 days ago and am currently "having my account reviewed for warranty claim".

Is this normal? Any next steps recommended? 

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Michaeljf223 , you can check the terms of the warranty by clicking on “Returns and warranty” at the bottom of each page in the community forums.  The water resistance can wear out due to normal wear and tear on the device, faster if it is exposed to cosmetic creams or sunscreen or other factors.  So how positively Fitbit responds will depend partly on how long you have owned your Charge 5.  The warranty is 1 year in most jurisdictions, but it is 2 years in EEA countries (Europe) and I think also in Australia due to local legislation.

Apparently the help forums are a little busier than usual right now, so there may be some delay in receiving a further message, but if it does not come in the next few days, and you think your Fitbit should still be covered under warranty, I would recommend following up with them with another email.

One thing most users misunderstand - the “water lock” feature does NOT make it extra waterproof!  It simply prevents splashes on the screen acting like taps and activating or changing settings and features.

I hope this information helps!  Welcome to the forums.

[Michaeljf223]

Thanks for your reply.

I suspect that as it was dead after the swim, I may not get a replacement under warranty. 

I love my Fitbit trackers- had the Charge 2 through to the 5. 

I also wonder if the fact my last 3 devices were all warranty replacements, and none even lasted over a year, I might not be eligible for a warranty this time round...

Can anyone shed any light?

[Julia_G · Accepted solution]

@Michaeljf223 , the warranty is per device, so you would not be penalised by having previous replacements.  In keeping with many other warranty limitations, if you get a warranty replacement that replacement is usually only warranted for 3 months, not a further 12, so as long as this Fitbit you are currently using hasn’t been previously replaced, and you bought it from an authorised dealer, you should have the full warranty of 1 year in most jurisdictions, 2 years in a few.

The water resistance will be warranted for the full length of the time, as long as you did not use it otherwise than instructed - i.e not creating extra forces by jumping or diving into a pool.  Ordinary swimming in up to 5 metres of water should be covered.

But as I said above, you may need to nudge them, or be a little patient.

[DoxieGran]

You might want to check out Display and Battery Issues with Charge 5 on this community board. I don't think the swimming did this to your Charge 5. 

[Michaeljf223]

Just to update this- tried the chat agents again, got a reply email within an hour.

Turns out I had a refurbished Charge 5 (just in a bag, not full boxed). So, no longer under warranty....

35% off discount is better value than prices on Amazon right now, so I've gone and ordered a Versa 4 as an upgrade. Hope this works OK, and doesn't have any problems 

[BramBlenk]

I'm having issues with CS as well.  I started out with an Inspire, but it failed a couple of months after the warranty expired and Fitbit offered me a 35% discount on a replacement.  I chose to upgrade to the Charge 5 instead, and it failed within 10 months.  Fitbit replaced the device under warranty, but it also failed after only 11 months, and now customer service refuses to replace it, offering another 35% discount instead.  They claim that the warranty expired in July of 2022, which is the expiry date of the original Charge 5 device.  The replacement was shipped on July 31, 2022, so the one-year warranty on that should still be in effect.  After 2 chat sessions and a number of email exchanges with CS (in which I included the emails I received from them showing the date that they shipped the replacement device), all I got out of them was that the warranty is expired, and now they no longer respond at all.  What a crap company.  I have no idea why Google would want to associate themselves with them.

[BramBlenk]

@Julia_G  Thanks for that explanation. I now understand why CS refused to replace my Charge 5; it was a warranty replacement for a previous one.  Why would CS not provide that explanation?  All they said was that my warranty expired a year ago, and kept repeating that!  If they would have provided an explanation like yours, I would have understood, maybe I would not be happy, but at least I would know the rules they were operating under.  Instead, they have a very angry customer who will do anything to avoid using their products again.

[Michaeljf223]

I was in the same kind of position- my Charge 5 was a warranty replacement to my previous Charge 4 (which was actually a warranty replacement for a 4 itself).

It isn't really clear when the warranty on an issued replacement either starts, or runs until. It seems to make a difference if you receive a refurbished or new item too

[Julia_G]

Hi, @BramBlenk , I am sorry you had that experience with Customer Support.  They should have explained better.  The much shorter (usually 90 days) warranty on a replaced product is a very common policy (definitely not just Fitbit) that I learned myself the hard way.  I once replaced a TV under warranty.  The “new” one I got turned out to be faulty (pretty sure it must have been someone else’s return that they just repackaged without even looking at it) but since I don’t watch television much I didn’t actually even try to turn it on within the 3 months.  My loss.  Now I know whenever I need to return any electrical/ electronic device.