The band latch on my Charge 6 is broken (see photo). This is now the fourth time I've encountered a major Fitbit defect.
Here is my "repair cycle":
Charge 5 (First unit): During normal use, it suddenly "black screened" and died completely. Contacted support, went through the standard replacement process.
Charge 5 (Replacement #1): Not long after getting it, an official firmware update caused the touchscreen to become "completely unresponsive." Contacted support, got it replaced again.
Charge 5 (Replacement #2): This one was even more absurd. One day, the Suica card I had linked to the watch simply vanished.
Charge 5 (Replacement #2): Shortly after dealing with the Suica incident, this watch also died in the exact same "black screen" fashion.
Still Disappointed
After my Charge 5 completely died, I (foolishly) decided to give Google one more chance and got the new Charge 6. Now, even the basic band mechanism has failed.
I contacted customer support. They are still insisting on the "standard exchange"—I must send mine back first and endure a 2-3 week gap without a device.
I proposed I was willing to provide an "authorization hold" to request an "advanced exchange." This request was denied.
I'm just trying to minimize the inconvenience caused by their defective product. Why is that so difficult?
Conclusion:
From the C5's black screens and dead touchscreens to the C6's structural defects, all I see is a complete failure of Google's Quality Control (QC).
At this point, I can't tell if Google wants to "solve the problem" or just "solve the person" reporting it with their SOP.
If you are considering the Fitbit Charge series, please think twice.
#GoogleFitbit #FitbitCharge6 #NegativeReview #GoogleQC
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