My experience with Ionic

[JohnDCarlyle]

I purchased an Ionic in August of 2018, as a replacement for a previous FitBit that had died 1 month past warranty, which had replaced one that also was just beyond warrant.  Each time I purchased a newer more expensive model.  Because I liked each product when its working, but I think this is the end for me.  $400.00 for a 1 year disposable watch is just to much. I baby this unit, no showers, no swimming, no bangs or knocks, I am retired so walking is the hardest workout it gets.  The unit was at 90% charge and I had just woke up this morning and was watching television and the screen went black.  Tried all the button combinations, connected with the chat feature and had a nice chat with Nancy.  She confirmed  "I can see here that the Ionic last synced 42 minutes ago via your Android device with 90% battery".  But like my 2 previous fitbit watches the purchase date is outside of the 12 month window so the offer 25% off a replacement purchase from the Fitbit site.  Maybe there is another brand out there that has more longevity.  Since reading some of the posts it appears that there is a reason that the warranty is 1 year, and purchasing from a 3rd party with an extended warranty might be the way to go on my next unit no matter what Manufacturer I end up with.  So if there are people out there that have made a switch or have found a Fitbit that lasts let me know, as it appears I am going to have to shop for a new unit.  Unless I hear back from the Supervisor who was busy at the time we were chatting.

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity 

[RicardoFitbit]

Hi @JohnDCarlyle, welcome to the Community Forums.

I appreciate all the information and details that were shared in your post regarding your experience with your Fitbit Ionic, I totally understand how frustrating this situation can be for you and I apologize for that. I'd like to share with you that we are always striving to improve the Fitbit experience with our products and services, therefore, the feedback that was shared in your post is helpful for us to evaluate our procedures. 

Since you already contacted our Customer Support team regarding this situation, my best advice for you will be to contact them back if you have any additional questions about the outcome of your case, I'm sure that they will provide you more information to get you back on track. Also, for any warranty related inquiry, I recommend you to check our warranty policies here.

I'll be around if you need anything else.

[JohnDCarlyle]

Well thank you for your input.

As it turns out there is no flexibility in the Fitbit company, and
regardless of how many times you are 30-40 days beyond the warranty period
when the item fails the warranty is there for a reason. I guess its like a
car, it has a 3yr warranty, or "x" number of miles which ever comes first.
But if I purchased a car and it died 30 days after the warranty it would be
irritating, but i might purchase another of the brand because it could be a
lemon. But if this happened 3 consecutive times, I might wonder if it was
not a designed flaw to boost sales. 25% off a new replacement is enticing,
but after the 3rd time..... Its time for a change. The 25% discount is
nothing for the company, especially when they are cutting out the middle
man, or business that sells the product for Fitbit. The funny thing is
that you can often purchase a fitbit at a better price from a 3rd party
than you can from Fitbit, even factoring in the 25% discount. So I have
moved on to another Brand and hopefully I have a better experience than I
have had with Fitbit. If you want a watch that lasts for 1 year, then
Fitbit is the brand for you. Cheers!!

[RicardoFitbit]

Thanks for your reply @JohnDCarlyle. 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and personal experience with us and the inconvenience you experienced with your Ionic. As it turns out, I don't have access to the information that was provided by our Customer Support team regarding this situation, I know that they refer to our warranty policies when it comes to a warranty-related process, therefore, I recommend you to contact them back to receive further assistance or check options. 

Don't hesitate to ask me any additional questions you may have.

[JohnDCarlyle]

Sure is discouraging to say the least.  Are you in Canada?   

[JohnDCarlyle]

Yes customer Loyalty means nothing to Fitbit it seems. It is time to try another brand.

  Perhaps a garmin product? it can't be any worse right?  They come with a 1 year warranty as well and have been in the GPS business for years.  Fitbit appear to be disposable watches after a year anyway.  Cheers!

[JohnDCarlyle]

So this will be my second attempt at posting this.  The last was determined to be spam.  It is not spam and reflects the exact response from Fitbit (less my phone number and email).  If you don't want it shared then maybe there is a problem in the narrative in some way.  It is the exact conversation we had.  The supervisor got back to me and stated he supported this decision as well.  I fail to see why it was deleted.  I cannot be anymore factual.

So like I previously tried to determine.  If there is a person that can help me with a replacement watch at no cost to me, please let me know.

Moderator edit: Word choice 

[Rich_Laue]

May i ask what is the purpose of this post @JohnDCarlyle?

What am i suppose to be looking for? 

Is there something in it that we as fitbit users need to know with helping you out? 

[1980gmd]

Ours too, John! My husband tried and tried! 

[JohnDCarlyle]

Don't expect a Fitbit to last more than 1 year I guess.  I purchase many things with a one year warranty, but very few expire on or near the warranty.  Fitbit is very reliable for 365 days,  anything more is a bonus.  I am just sharing what I have discovered as a owner of several.  Does that answer your question?

[JohnDCarlyle]

Isn't it strange that do many have the same problems.  

[RicardoFitbit]

Hello again, thanks for your updates @JohnDCarlyle. Welcome aboard @1980gmd. 

@JohnDCarlyle As per previously mentioned, thanks for sharing your thoughts and personal experience with your Fitbit and the information that was provided by our Support team. Please refer to the information they provided to you and don't hesitate to ask them more details about the outcome of your case. As it turns out, I'm unable to check such information to move forward. For any warranty-related inquiry, please check our policies here. 

@1980gmd Thanks for joining into the conversation. Did you already tried some troubleshooting steps? Please expand on the difficulties you're currently experiencing with your device so I can better assist you. Looking forward to your reply.

@Rich_Laue It's always nice to see you participating, thanks for your clarification post.

I'll be around.

[JohnDCarlyle]

Thanks, you guys are great at responding with your messages they sound like
they come right out of a manual.

[Rich_Laue]

@JohnDCarlyle it is hard to give specific help when we are not given specific info. 

We really don't have an idea of what the issue really is, and don't know what type of device is used to sync. 

And yes most of the responses are from the User Manual that is availible for downloading, or from Fitbits online searchable, interactive, help guide. 

[JohnDCarlyle]

That is a great record. Unfortunately a lot of us have quite a different
story with fitbits. I have no such luck and kept upgrading each time to a
better unit thinking the more expensive watch would be better, in my case
that is not the case. The watch looks new was never abused and just
died. They worked great until the warranty expired then they just seem to
mysteriously stop working shortly after. If you had a Fitbit that lasted
years then you are indeed a lucky user. I wear mine 365 days a year,
except to charge it or when showering. So maybe I am just unlucky. But I
puchased one for my daughter last Christmas ( yup I'm a sucker) and hers
failed. Wife has had 3 and one failed. Most purchased on Amazon. 2 at
Sport Chek. 1 at Target. After this last one I have decided to try a new
brand. I guess time will tell if that was the right choice. With your
luck you should buy some lottery tickets. Cheers!

[JohnDCarlyle]

Well I texted with fitbit chat line and gave them specifics. Warranty was
1.5 months over the year. Offered a 25 percent discount. Asked to be
referred to a supervisor who confirmed the watch was out if warranty. Any
other details meant nothing. So I decided to share my experience with the
Fitbit community. So please check with your other members of Fitbit the
names are in the posts. Cheers

Moderator edit: Removed personal information

[WendyB]

How are you charging it?

See this thread for charging best practices. If you are not charging it correctly you could be damaging the battery

I have many devices and they are over 3 years old

[WendyB]

People are quick to blame fitbit Like you . But they dont read the manual or how to charge it correctly

So it is fitbits fault and of course not yours.

Read and learn how to use it in the correct way

 Its at the top of the page

[benedikt.ebli]

@JohnDCarlyle 

Before my Ionic I owned a Surge. It is still working till now (I use it as replacement option). But shortly after two years of age the touchscreen died  and did not respond anymore. But you can use it for runs only with buttons. I live in Europe an we have 2 years warranty. 

With Ionic I also had multiple problems (mainly water damage). But it was always handled gracefully via my retailer (amazon). The problems always occured in the warranty period.

[JohnDCarlyle]

Thanks for your concern

  I use the cord supplied and charged it on my dresser. As a charger since none supplied with the watch, I used Samsung cell phone.  Worked great for 13.5 months. It died with a 90% charge.  It had synced 40 mins prior to to shutting down with nearly a full charge. And it had just prior to that had a system upgrade.  I followed the manual and did updates, I have been through this before, and am diligent with its requirements.