Fitbit having issues after One Year

[aeisenbe255]

I have no idea who reads this and can only hope that the Fitbit people do.

I received my Fitbit as a gift one year ago in March. I never got it wet and used it every day for working out. Honestly, I got it as part of my continued need to monitor my food and workout, due to a recovery from depression.

The Fitbit for me was like a coach, a trainer, a therapist, and a support service for me all in one. I had many competitions weekly with friends on it and it encouraged me to live healthier, which, in turn, brought me out of my depression as part of my support. Even my therapist agreed that it was a great device.

But...it was not cheap and I am loathe to buy another if they only last about a year for the price. I know you offer a one year warrenty, but I think that is too short for the failure that the device gave me after only one year of use.

I am saddened by this issue and need to consider getting a device. I loved my Fitbit and it really did help me. But now I may look at all the other devices and see if they have a better lifespan. I hope you will consider looking into what goes wrong with them after such a short amount of time. I can tell you that I took very good care of mine (no water use, no overcharging, no smashing into something.

V/r,

Alan E.

Moderator Edit: Clarified Subject.

[klusher]

My Fitbit Flex has died after 6 months!  I'm very saddend by this and feel it should last longer then 6 months to a year for the price you pay for them.  I have contacted customer service to see how they can rectify this problem for us as I'm sure we are not the only ones frustrated with this issue.

[kathy61]

I also got a fit bit thru my work... used it all the time and  after just over a year it has died... also my charger cracked where the fit bit unit plugs into it...  these sure are not made very well for the cost that my employer paid for them... and the bands don't last either they crack and break... all the  people that I  have talked to in my  company have had the same problems... most have just quit using them because of all the problems.... 

[aeisenbe255]

I seem to have discovered that the Fitbit charge is the isssue. The wires
are poorly done inside. Now, If I twist the charger about three times and
get something to hold it like that, I can charge the Fitbit. It seems
ridiculous. I'm about ready to check the other ones.

Alan

[VivisFitbit]

Thank you for reporting this guys! @kathy61 and @klusher!  If you already tried all the troubleshoot and your Flex trackers are still not working, I recommend contacting Support, please provide all the details of your issues and they'll be happy to give you a hand on this. 

@aeisenbe255 Please check inbox for more details about your case. 

[Bream]

I share your pain. I had a fitbit one that worked great but I finally lost it out shopping one day. I figured the flex was a good choice for a replacement. Charging of the flex was never easy. I always had to press the flex into the charging cable to get it to start charging, but it usually worked. Today it stopped working. I don't want to waste money on crap that only lasts for a year. There's no excuse for that.

[VivisFitbit]

Thank you for joining us @Bream!  I highly recommend contacting support and let them know your tracker is loose in charging cable. They'll let you know the steps you need to take.  

Hope to see you again! 

[KellyandPeanut]

Mine died after 1.5 years and I didnt wear in water. I was just going to buy the HR & probably never will!

[Mcore]

It's great to have yo here in the Community @KellyandPeanut. I'm sorry to hear about your tracker.  Were you able to follow @VivisFitbit's recommendation to contact customer support? I'm sure they will take care of you.  Get in touch with them at http://contact.fitbit.com or by calling (877) 623-4997 between the hours of 4am-8pm PST Mon-Fri and 6am-5pm PST on weekends.

Any other questions or comments, let me know.

[Marykay0419]

Don't bother buying the charge it's not accurate when compared to the Flex I give you more steps can you take and all you have to do is open the car door to get the barometric pressure to change and it'll save going up and down some steps it also gives you more calories burned then you actually burn when you compare them to my Flex I wear my Flex free year I've gone back to my flex it's a lot more reliable and a lot more accurate I lost 42 pounds on it in a little less than a year I lost nothing on the charge and I had an allergic reaction to the charge and have a nice big red spot on my arm that doesn't seem to be wanting to go away and my husband has scars from his reaction to the charge HR so stick with the flex and find out why its not working this is my second year with a flex and I'm very happy with it hope this helps

[Mcore]

Thank you for joining this thread @Marykay0419 and for your feedback in regard the Fitbit Charge. I'm happy to hear that you love using your Flex and that you prefer this device and that it has helped you achieve your goals, congratulations!  

Keep up the good work, continue enjoying the Flex and feel free to post back if you have any other questions or comments. I'll be happy to help you out!

[Finest1]

I have had my fitbit for 21 months. During that time I have replaced the band 5 times because of the poor design. Pulling the battery in and out of the band to charge causes the band to crack and need replacement. My charger hasn't worked correctly for months. I must use a clip to hold the battery in place to charge it. Last week the tracker drained its entire charge in one hour. When I contacted customer support I was told that since my tracker was out of the 365 day warranty that they would only given me a 25% off coupon for a new one. This product has so many design flaws-- bands / charger/ tracker that I am not sure why anyone would buy one- and I wouldn't recommend the product. One only has to look at all of the comments repeating the same stories and conclude that the data does not speak well of the product. I am going to bite the bullet and purchase an apple watch-- lots more fitness information and a well designed product produced by an excellent company.

[Mcore]

Welcome to the Forums @Finest1. Thank you very much for your comments and feedback in regard the warranty policy and the tracker's quality. I'll make sure to escalate your post so they can take this into consideration when experiencing this type of issues with a Fitbit tracker. 

If you have any other comments or questions, feel free to post again.

[Reavesmc]

Likewise... FitBit surge... Died at 11 months. The button just fell out. I assumed it was something I bumped into. But after talking to other users, I'm convinced FitBit has shoddy craftsmanship. I'm very hesitant dropping $200 on another one. I ABSOLUTELY Love the app! But the hardware falls short.

[Greenvillefit]

Yeah, the same thing happened to me.  I had a fitbit flex that I used for about 2 weeks and then put it back in the box.  I now signed up for a company fitness challenge about a year and three months later, but the device will not sync to anything.  I called for support and was told that because the fitbit is >1-year old the company will not help me, and their only solution was a 25% off code to buy another product from them. It is unfortunate and disappointing that such a highly touted company like this is unwilling to stand behind their product, and that their solution is to offer a discount on another product that may/may not work.  

[Mcore]

Welcome to the community @Reavesmc @Greenvillefit. I'm sorry to hear you experienced the same. Thank you for your comments in regard this situation, I'll make sure to forward your comments to our team members so this can be taken into consideration. I would like to also share Fitbit's Warranty Policy in case you have any other questions about it.

Any other questions, feel free to post back.

[Julia_G]

@Greenvillefit , maybe we can help get your Flex syncing!  Please detail the issues you are having and whether you are using computer or phone (and which phone).

[sandimelb]

I did contact Fitbit and, like everyone else, after 1.5 years, it's dead....it's out of warranty...BUT we can offer you 25% off our news ones....GREAT product support...not. Fed up.

[Marykay0419]

How much will a new fit bit tracker cost? My trckrt won't cost? I have
tried all the tips and nothing helps. I need a new tracker.

[Fitness4fun]

I am glad I was able to finally find this feed. I knew I could not be the only one having issues with my tracker. I have the Flex HR. I bought it less than 1 year ago and I have had it replaced 4 times. Considered the price I paid for the device I am very upset. I am ready to move on to a better company that has a device that actually can handle workouts and daily wear and tear. I have contacted Fitbit again however like always I will be waiting on a response. It is a shame that I wasted a lot of money on something that does not even work.