Fell and damaged my Ionic

[Dlhill24]

Within 12 hours of purchasing a new Ionic, I fell going for a run. While the display was barely affected, my fall caused a slight separation between the screen and metal body of the Ionic. Presumably, this makes it no longer water proof, which is frustrating because I am an avid swimmer.

Upon contacting customer support, they quickly shoved the 1 year warranty in my face stating that accidentals aren’t covered. I wasn’t fishing for a new replacement, I just wanted some way to fix the issue so I can swim. I was willing to even pay a repair cost.

Fitbit offered me no solution. Instead, they told me I would have to buy another Ionic, and that they could give me a 25% discount...bringing the total cost to $225 dollars. This is just unacceptable that Fitbit doesn’t have a repair team for issue like this. Falling on a run is out of much control, it happens. Sure, I should be liable to pay to fix my Ionic. But $225 for a completely new one? This is ridiculous. 

I hope my complaint is is helpful to anyone considering purchasing a Fitbit product. You need to know that any accident that occur during your workout are going to cost you a lot of money, and Fitbit isn’t going to fix it. 

Ruined my weekend! 

Moderator edit: Clarified subject

[mitwess]

that's an issue with fitbit, they basically have no repair department. so even if you were willing to pay for a repair, they don't offer it. so, if a watch breaks all they can do is replace it. check if the credit card you bought it with has extra warranty replacement/coverage. but depending on the severity of the accident, you can't seriously expect companies to replace items caused by individual negligence. how hard was your fall? 

[mitwess]

and post a pic, curious to see the damage. 

[Dlhill24]

Not that hard of a fall! I was shocked. I was trail running in the state botanical gardens, and when I tripped I rolled into it a bit so I didn’t fall on my face. When I got up, there were a few scuff marks, and the screen had a gap between it and the metal. The gap is so small, you can barely see it. It wouldn’t bother me at all if it didn’t impact the waterproof capability. 

Thanks for for your concern. I definitely don’t expect a free replacement, but it’s so frustrating. I had it not even half a day! It seems like it was just waiting to break upon any impact!

[mitwess]

maybe it won't impact the waterproof-ness. i'm sure you could probably sell it with the disclaimer for what they are offering a new one for to you. in any case, seems like it's more a build quality issue in my opinion, so if it does ever break, i think they will replace it if you are patient/diligent with them. 

[wickedathletes]

you can always swim with it, and when it dies make a warranty claim since its not waterproof anymore... 😉

[Jorkal]

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@mitwess wrote:

maybe it won't impact the waterproof-ness. i'm sure you could probably sell it with the disclaimer for what they are offering a new one for to you. in any case, seems like it's more a build quality issue in my opinion, so if it does ever break, i think they will replace it if you are patient/diligent with them. 

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I think yre jumping to conclusions, why should this be a quality issue? Have you a eight sense so you know what really happened?

[Dlhill24]

Do we need eight senses to be surprised that a light fall on my trail run broke my fitbit in the first 12 hours of owning it? Mitwess isn't labeling it a quality issue, he is simply suggesting that its surprising the ionic did not withstand the fall. 

[mamapan]

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@wickedathletes wrote:

you can always swim with it, and when it dies make a warranty claim since its not waterproof anymore... 😉

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Naughty, naughty!

[Dlhill24]

Wouldnt they refuse to replace it if it is scuffed up and damaged? If it stopped working from water damage, I feel like they would blame it on the initial accidental damage and not fix it. 

[wickedathletes]

All how you present it 😂

[chewitt]

I must have dropped my Ionic.  I put it on and noticed a crack the length of the screen.  I have fine wrist watches less sensitive.   I assume from these post there is no way to fix it so I guess I will wear it with the crack.  Potential buyers of this $300 item need to know this thing is not "indestructible" by a long shot, especially for something intended to be used during athletics.

[shipo]

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@chewitt wrote:

I must have dropped my Ionic.  I put it on and noticed a crack the length of the screen.  I have fine wrist watches less sensitive.   I assume from these post there is no way to fix it so I guess I will wear it with the crack.  Potential buyers of this $300 item need to know this thing is not "indestructible" by a long shot, especially for something intended to be used during athletics.

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Hmmm, that might be a bit of a stretch; I rather doubt Fitbit designed the Ionic to be used for things like Hockey, Football (either American Football or European Football/Soccer), Lacrosse, Rugby..., you get the idea.

[SunsetRunner]

Must admit, thinking that the Ionic is a weak product because it doesn’t survive a fall is a bit far fetched. What of those who strap iPhones to their arms when they run? I very much doubt the phone would survive a fall without some damage. Is Apple to blame for shoddy design?

The Ionic is an electronic device with a glass screen. Treat it accordingly.

[bcalvanese]

This is why I paid a little extra for the BestBuy 2 year plan.

If I break it for any reason, I get it replaced right at the store. No questions asked.

[wickedathletes]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Must admit, thinking that the Ionic is a weak product because it doesn’t survive a fall is a bit far fetched. What of those who strap iPhones to their arms when they run? I very much doubt the phone would survive a fall without some damage. Is Apple to blame for shoddy design?

The Ionic is an electronic device with a glass screen. Treat it accordingly.

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I mean, mine didn’t break before I returned it but I must say it was a device I wouldn’t have much faith in with a drop... and comparing to a phone is just a poor analogy. A watch (a fitness watch especially) would and should have a higher standard of damage considering the device. I understand the risks involved if I took my Ionic to a Tough Mudder (it’s not a Suunto), but it’s an everyday device meant for everyday fitness. That should mean if I’m playing baseball, running, basketball, etc etc it should be able to handle it to an extent. You should not have to coddle a fitness watch. If I trip on a root on a jog, unless the impact is dead center with a rock it should be able to handle a fall.

[SunsetRunner]

Insurance?

[SunsetRunner]

@wickedathletes I guess you and I will have to disagree. It’s a precision electronic fitness device with a glass screen, not a rugged sports watch. Further, nowhere can I see in the specs anything suggesting shockproof as one of its features. I would consider a fall with impact to be detrimental to its functioning.

[chewitt]

I don’t play any sport like that. I wear the fitbit all day like a watch. Three to five days per week I wear it to the gym. I said I must have dropped it but frankly I don’t know how the glass broke. I am over 65 and retired and I am not involved with any sort of rough play. I have several watches that I used to wear the same way and never had a break. Does anyone know what material is in the “glass”? I may go back to wearing the Alta.

Sent from my iPhone

[shipo]

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@chewitt wrote:
Does anyone know what material is in the “glass”? I may go back to wearing the Alta.

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I'm pretty sure I read somewhere the Ionic uses Gorilla Glass.

FWIW, I bought a 7-pack of screen protectors for my Ionic the day I ordered it; glad I did, I've already deeply scarred my first protector film.  How?  Beats the heck out of me; that said, I live on a horse farm and do lots of work in the barn so it wouldn't surprise me that's where the damage occurred.  Given how the environment can be  hostile to wrist wear of any sort, I am considering adding this layer of protection to my Ionic as well:

• https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075VLZX9M/ref=pe_2537300_259558490_em_1p_0_im

Edit:

On second thought, I just ordered a "two-pack" of those protectors.