Ionic not responding

[midacool]

My Ionic has basically died. It won't turn on or charge at all.  I've tried every combination of holding down the buttons for however many seconds to reboot it and it just stays blacked out and dead.

Yes, the contacts on the back are clean and not obstructed from getting a charge via the charging cord.

It's just a very expensive bracelet at this point.  If I can't get this thing restarted, I'm never buying another fitbit product again and telling everyone I know to stay clear of this junk.

Any last chance suggestions for me?

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity 

[Mnicemaiden]

I dug out a Garmin I had before my Fitbit. It works and won't let me down.

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[Tribe2019]

Mine is also
JUNK

[CBR_Steve]

Mine is dead too. Died yesterday with about 50% charge.  Went back to where I bought it from and they wouldn't do anything for me.  Guess I'll also have to call Fitbit.

[vrms]

BOOM!  The same with me.  One day my Ionic was working, the next day it got buggy, today it's as dead as a doornail.  It's not taking a charge. I've used different charging cords and different power outlets.  I get a sense that there's a system issue. Was there a firmware update that crashed the unit? 

[CBR_Steve]

Not sure but I contact Fitbit support and they are sending me a replacement even though it’s out of warranty...

Sent from my iPhone

[Teresa644]

Lucky you

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[vrms]

     I called customer support this morning.  The rep shared that it appeared that the battery malfunctioned.  At first, they offered me 40% off of a new Ionic.  I argued that this is an issue with the product, not the users, and regardless of being out of warranty, there seemed to be a group of people having similar problems simultaneously.  After a few minutes, and speaking with a Supervisor, the rep offered me a free unit (minus the wrist band and charger.)  

     I am an early investor in Fitbit (and yes, my stock has gone down, a lot.)  I enjoy the Ionic better than similar Apple or Samsung products.  However, I fear that there is a quality control issue with them.  Notwithstanding that these watches get a helluva beating, I am curious about their longevity.  For now, I continue to be a supporter of the company. 

[Tribe2019]

I called them....
they could care less. ..
Spoke with 2 of their associates. ..a joke...

[Teresa644]

Yes, I love Fitbit. Have had one since they first came out. I really hope they look into these issues we are having but probably will just come out with a different model and discontinue the Ionic.

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[Teresa644]

At first they told me 40% discount then when they finally sent the code, it was only 25%. I am lucky mine started working again. I still have my old Charge 2 that I used. Was missing all the features though

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[Tribe2019]

I was a supervisor for Honda for 25 years. ..
If our products worked like the watch. ..well...we would not be in
business. ..

[Papashaw]

I’m thinking the same thing. Too many have had this problem. Maybe if Fitbit hears from enough of us, they will do something to remedy this problem.


Sent from my iPhone

[RicardoFitbit]

Hello everybody! I'm here to provide assistance with your Ionic devices. Welcome to our Community Forums @midacool @Mnicemaiden @ktiemeier @KJI @jimmyb37 @VeTo @CBR_Steve @vrms. Also, it's nice to see you again participating in our forums @Nicma03 @Papashaw @Teresa644 @Tribe2019, my apologies for the delayed reply. 

To everyone who's experiencing this situation, I'd like to recommend some troubleshooting steps to resolve this behavior. That said, I recommend to first check the steps from our help article: Why isn't my battery charging on my Fitbit device? and then try the last step which is a restart. If after trying these steps your Ionic device is still unresponsive, please follow the next steps to perform a factory reset procedure:

1. On the device, hold all three buttons for about 10 to 12 seconds.
2. When the Fitbit logo disappears, quickly release the bottom right button, continuing to hold down the left and top right buttons (releasing the bottom right button as soon as the logo disappears is time sensitive).
3. When the device vibrates, release all buttons.
4. Wait for approximately 1-2 minutes while the device clears all data. Eventually, the Fitbit logo appears and the device boots and displays Fitbit.com/setup.
5. When the device successfully resets, please use the normal out of the box process of updating the firmware. You can check: How do I update my Fitbit device? for more details.
6. Take in consideration that a factory reset deletes any stored data, which includes all data that hasn't synced to your Fitbit account and your applications, alarms, etc.

If by any chance this information doesn't resolve this concern, I recommend to contact our Customer Support team to receive further assistance directly with them. Please note that if applicable, our Support team will move forward to determine the eligibility based on our warranty policies for a replacement device, please check our policies for a better understanding of their resolution for the ones who already contacted them regarding this situation. 

I'd like to share with you guys that Fitbit is always striving to improve our products and services, therefore, the feedback that was submitted is appreciated because this information help us to evaluate our procedures. 

Don't hesitate to contact me back if you have any additional questions. 

[Bsif]

The same exact thing happened to me. The refurbished unit that they sent me had a dent in it and the screen went black after three days.  I sent it back again; if Fitbit does not send me back a new unit I will switch to an Apple Watch.  It is insane to me that they do not stand behind a $300 watch and everyone keeps having the same problems. The Customer Service has been atrocious (I keep getting the same automated responses) and to say that I am disappointed would be an understatement.  They are ruining their reputation, I really hope they figure this out. 

[Papashaw]

The moderator sent out a good post but I went through all of that and still have a $300 wrist bauble. Very disappointing.

Sent from my iPhone

[Papashaw]

Ricardo, I appreciate your post regarding all the issues many of us have had with our Ionic Fitbits.  It appears that most of us have tried every conceivable method for getting our Ionics to work but to no avail.  I have tried all the cleaning, charging, restarting, resetting and all other techniques but have yet to see "any" life out of my Fitbit.  I am most concerned for the Fitbit company that so many of these newer Fitbits are less than stellar in their performance and endurance.  I have had mine less than 2 months and, while it worked very well when it was alive, since it died an untimely death it has not been resurrectable using any procedure.

I called Fitbit and spoke with a lady who told me basically that since I purchased it through eBay, Fitbit cannot do anything for me.  She said eBay is not a registered seller of Fitbit and so I am on my own.  Hate to hear such coming from a seemingly reputable company.  By the way, mine was brand new and still in its original box and wrapping.

I called eBay and they have told me they are contacting the seller for me and if I don't hear back from him within 3 days to reverse the credit card charges and then he will contact them and we can get this resolved.  I hope this works since Fitbit has done nothing to help me remedy this issue.

If all fails, I purchased insurance on my Fitbit and, as long as that company doesn't have any bizarre rules for fixing the problem, I can get a new one from them, as long as I can wait for it to happen.  I'm waiting now anyway......

I could say that I am disappointed in Fitbit but that would certainly not adequately cover my dismay.

Thanks again for your response.

[Tribe2019]

I have a nice idea. ..
Make a good product that
People pay 300.00 for...

Your customers ....PAY YOUR BILLS. ..

[Mnicemaiden]

Although it is much appreciated, the advice won't work on a Fitbit that has a black screen and nothing else. I did get resolution from Fitbit. They are sending me a replacement, but my Fitbit was less than a year old. I count on my Fitbit for a lot of things and it was disappointing that it stopped working.

I haven't had great luck with Fitbit.

Thanks,




Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Papashaw]

Glad you got resolution to your problem. I depend upon mine a lot too, and
the absence of it from my wrist is disturbing mostly because Fitbit fails
to do anything about it. Happy for you.

James R. Shaw

rascalpapa@gmail.com

[kdwells3]

How did you accomplish that? My wife called customer service, and because hers is out of warrant she got the same response as so many others... Buy at new one at 25% off. I cannot believe that there has not been a recall of this series.... How can they do this to people?! 

I bought my wife's as a Christmas gift Dec. 2017. Called them January 2018 and was told, "buy a new one". $300 device that I'd love to call a paperweight, but it's not even "fit" to be that. 

Appalling! 

My Gear S3 Frontier my wife bought me the same year is still going without EVER having an issue. I don't understand.