PSA - Buyer beware when purchasing Fitbit products from so called authorized resellers

[Netviz]

     Just a PSA to make those not aware of this issue aware before making a purchase of a Fitbit product from any other site than from Fitbit.  Even those Fitbit states as an authorized reseller.

     Last November I wanted to replace both my wife and my Charge 4 watches with Charge 5 units.  They were out of stock on the Fitbit site and Fitbit suggested I buy them from one of their authorized resellers they list on this site.  I chose Amazon since I am a Prime member being careful to select a product with the seller listed as Amazon from the Fitbit store.  As is usually the case with Amazon, I received the device two days later but like most people, I did not thoroughly inspect the receipt which I found out later shows that Amazon used a third party supplier.  Yes, the devices I received were brand new in sealed Fitbit boxes but when I sent Fitbit the receipt from Amazon, they said the warranty is void because the device came from an authorized reseller.  Fitbit support had already confirmed with me that my unit needed to be replaced as it is one of the many units that suddenly died for no reason.  

Even though Amazon advertised that they were the seller, and still do, they are using a third party which allows Fitbit to void the warranty.  

Fitbit support will tell you to go to Amazon and Amazon will tell you to go to Fitbit for the warranty.

Yes, Amazon is mostly at fault here with their deceptive practice but when I called back into Fitbit support, an agent there told me out of frustration of how many people are calling in about this that Fitbit is aware of what Amazon is doing but still has Amazon listed as an authorized reseller.

What does that tell you?

Sorry to say but I'm going to have to go find a different tracker to use.  I always liked the product and the slim design of the Charge 5 but this is a shameful business practice!

[Zorn]

The only thing I disagree with is blaming Amazon here. They sold us a new product and made sure we got a reasonable price for it. Fitbit should have the sense to know that most people don't check who the seller is on Amazon as long as the item is new.

My Logitech headset also broke this morning that I bought on Amazon. Guess what they did? Replaced a model they didn't have in stock anymore with a MORE EXPENSIVE headset. That's the kind of customer service that keeps people coming back.

[Netviz]

Since I had first attempted to purchase the devices from Fitbit and they were the ones who directed me to Amazon as an authorized seller, I did check to make sure I was buying a device that was listed as being sold by Amazon because I know they have other options such as refurbished ones.  The product I bought specifically said Sold by Amazon.  I think I was blaming Amazon more than Fitbit because Amazon was blatantly deceptive about them being the seller of the product, except on the receipt which you don't see until after receiving the product, so like most people, I didn't look closely at the receipt to find out that the device came from another supplier.  I just "assumed"!  My bad on that one.  Would I have sent it back?  Probably not and would have assumed that Fitbit would still cover it under warranty since I did buy it from their stated reseller Amazon.

But now that I think about it more after reading your reply, you are correct.  It is Fitbit's policy of not honoring the warranty of a new product, especially knowing what Amazon is doing.  A Fitbit tech support agent told me directly that Fitbit knows that Amazon is using third party suppliers without notifying their customers.

This also smells of something intentional that some executives cooked up as a way to get out of honoring a warranty.  No way to prove that and it really doesn't matter.  To not honor these warranties  is shameful on both ends if you ask me and both will lose my business.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Netviz , as a Prime member of Amazon I am sure that you are aware that Amazon carefully distinguishes its products as either “sold by Amazon” or “fulfilled by Amazon” - basically the latter only means delivered by Amazon.  In all cases if it is merely fulfilled by Amazon it is the seller who is legally responsible for warranty issues, not Amazon.  In this case it is certainly not Fitbit’s fault, and I don’t really think it is even Amazon’s.  You can currently buy the Fitbit Charge 5 from Amazon, in which case it would be covered, either by Amazon’s own return policies, or by Fitbit’s warranty.

[Netviz]

Thanks Julia and yes, Amazon does distinguish between sold by and fulfilled by and the devices I bought definitely said Sold by Amazon.  I didn't find out about the third party reseller until I submitted the receipt to Fitbit. There is a lot I didn't post on the Fitbit forum that I did on Amazon's because I thought it was more relevant to the point I wanted to make to Amazon users which is to NOT trust who they advertise as the seller.

There was a lot of back and forth between Amazon, Fitbit and and the third party supplier Class Value customer support.  Amazon first said that they never have directly sold Fitbit products and clearly label who the seller is on the page.  I then went to a current Charge 5 being advertised which showed Sold by Amazon Shipped by Amazon which is exactly what the ones I bought said.  The Amazon tech support just stating they do not sell Fitbit products directly, even with the evidence of what they post.

Then Amazon told me the seller Class Value would honor the 1 year warranty which they did not.  They said they would only cover the 30 day return policy, not the 1 year Fitbit warranty.  Both Class Value and and Amazon's bottom line was that since it was new product, that Fitbit would cover the warranty...and here we are..lol

The Fitbit tech support later told me that as soon as they hear the product was purchased from Amazon, they want to see the receipt since it almost always shows a third party which voids the warranty even if the product is brand new.

I fault Amazon because they were deceptive is advertising a product as being "Sold by" Amazon then substituting when out of stock with a third party supplier knowing that will void any Fitbit warranty (again, a lot not posted on the original post as Fitbit support told me specifically that Amazon is aware that Fitbit's warranty is void if the product is shown to have not been sold by them).  Knowing that I as the consumer purposely selected a Fitbit product that is new and Sold by Amazon, if one was not available, the right thing to do would have been to advise me they are out of stock and offer me to buy it from one of their retailers, which I would have declined.  Instead they just shipped it and if I caught the fact that they switched it, I could send it back.

I fault Fitbit because they told me that they are aware of Amazon switching products without telling the consumer and they continue to allow it to happen.  It benefits Fitbit by selling new devices without having to honor the warranty on them.

I fault myself for not reading the receipt that came with the devices close enough.  I assumed I received what I ordered from Amazon.  Never again.  Bad business practices like this are shameful and neither company will see any of my business again.