Ionic not syncing - feedback

[SteveCoatney]

I purchased an Ionic well over a year ago.   I had incredible problems synching it, within a month of owning it.  I went through the process with support and FAQs.  Multiple times.  Way too many.

I finally got support to agree that the device itself was bad, and they sent me a new one.   It worked really well for quite a few months, until now.

It recently started having problems synching.   Like … not synching, at all once again.   I walked through the usual process to deal with that, but there was more to it.   The battery started going dead in less than a day, and it started falling behind on the time.   Like, seriously behind, by over a day.  And then the heart monitor stopped working.

I finally decided to do a factory reset today, and now it is stuck in some strange mode where the Fitbit icon is stuck on the screen.  And that's it.

I tried to do a chat session with Fitbit support a while ago but couldn't get through to anyone.
I'm rather disgusted with the whole experience.  I've owned several other Fitbits over the years, and the prior problems (e.g. with Surge) were more an issue of the straps failing.

The problem with Ionic is far more critical, and I would say it seems to have died.  This was the replacement for my first failing Ionic, so it's pretty frustrating.   It's a $300 device.  One might think it would work a bit better and last a lot longer.

I will be contacting support tomorrow, but I am also going to look into other (non-Fitbit) products.

Moderator edit: Updated subject for clarity 

[SilviaFitbit]

It's great to see you around @SteveCoatney. I appreciate the time you took to share your experience with your Fitbit Ionic and our Support team. 

I'm sorry to hear that you've had this experience with your watch. Thanks for the troubleshooting tried in order to get it syncing. 

Our Fitbit team is always here to assist you and help you with any inconvenience you might face. If you would like I can create a case on your behalf with them and they can continue assisting you or I can continue helping you here. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[DonHargrove]

I'm having the exact same problem.  I had to do a factory reset and now the screen is displaying the Fitbit logo and not doing anything else.  And my phone (Galaxy Note 4) cannot detect it with Bluetooth.

[SilviaFitbit]

A warm welcome to the Community @DonHargrove. Thanks for the details mentioned and the factory reset you performed. 

When you performed a factory reset all the data stored in your watch will be deleted, this is why it's showing the Fitbit logo, you will now need to set it up and if you're having issues setting it up,  you can try the steps in this article: Why can't I set up my Fitbit device?

Let me know how it goes. I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[MCJ9619]

I also have the exact same problem. I’m on the second reset and it just glows with the lovely logo now. After trying everything, my best bet right now is hope it miraculously starts working and then the Bluetooth connects for more than 1 second or I wait until the battery dies in hopes it works afterwards. I’ve lost all my data due to this. 300 usd for one year’s use isn’t great. 

[SteveCoatney]

Interesting that Fitbit moderator changed my Subject from "Frustrated beyond belief …" to "Ionic not synching - feedback."

There was nothing wrong with my subject, and it was accurate.   There is something wrong with yours.   You overwrote mine with something inaccurate.   It is far more than a synching issue.

1) Not synching
2) Battery dies in less than 24 hours
3) Time/Date off by days

4) Heartrate monitor no longer works

5) And now won't do anything but display the Flopbit logo after a factory reset.

SylviaFitbit, your responses to myself and others are unhelpful.  There is no way to do a Setup in the condition it's in.  And I already have a case open, if you would care to look.  If you have anything actually helpful to offer, please let us know.

Otherwise:

Congratulations.  You've probably lost another customer.

[MCJ9619]

I thought mine might be working and within 12 hours back to these same problems. The worst is the clock because wearing a watch with the wrong time (and it changes, it’s not even a consistent difference) seems dumb. I’m done resetting everything and getting no results, something is very wrong with the ionic. 

[SteveCoatney · Accepted solution]

I just got off a chat session with Fitbit support.   After hearing the steps I've gone through, and the state it is currently in, she agreed that my Ionic is messed up and in need of replacement.

This is the second Ionic that has gone bad.  But since it is still under warranty, I will gladly accept the replacement for now.

[SteveCoatney]

Also, SylviaFitbit, I apologize for my cranky response the other day.   I know you are trying to be helpful.  I was just very frustrated with a second Ionic going bad.

To explain further the state that it's in:

It displays the fitbit logo, and only the logo, and it displays 24 hours a day.   The screen never goes blank.

If it was in normal setup mode, there would also be a message on the screen saying something like "Hi, please go to fitbit.com/setup to proceed."  And, it would not stay on the screen for very long.

I also tried running "Setup a new device" from both my phone and my tablet, and neither could locate the Ionic in the state it's in.

[SteveCoatney]

MCJ9619, I recommend talking to support.  I prefer chat sessions with them, vs phone.  Then I have a record of what was discussed, for future reference.

It sounds like you may need a replacement.  Depending on your circumstances, where you bought it, whether under warranty, ya da ya da, they may replace it.   They are replacing mine.

[SilviaFitbit]

Hey there @SteveCoatney and @MCJ9619. Thanks for participating in the forums. 

I appreciate the details mentioned. I'm glad to hear that you spoke with our Support team and you're receiving a replacement. @SteveCoatney. 

It's great to see you around @MCJ9619. I've shared your post with our Support team and they've mentioned you already have a case with them, please continue the communication through email, they will continue assisting you. Remember that our team always reviews each case individually and the option provided is based in the Fitbit Warranty. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[SneakyPete]

So what you're basically saying is, if we are out of warranty when this issue occurs we are out luck right? 

[Tillo]

I have had a very similar experience. I won't be recommending this brand to anyone!