Voluntary Safety Recall of Fitbit Ionic Smartwatches

[FitbitCommunity]

Fitbit, in conjunction with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced a voluntary recall of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches, which the company introduced in 2017 and stopped producing in 2020. The battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard.

The health and safety of Fitbit users is our highest priority. We are taking this action out of an abundance of caution for our users. We will offer a refund to Fitbit Ionic customers.

This voluntary recall is specific to Fitbit Ionic devices. It does not impact any other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.

If you have an impacted Fitbit Ionic device, please stop using it and visit our webpage where you’ll find:

• Answers to common questions
• Information on how to receive a refund 
• Access to a special discount on select Fitbit devices, bands, and services, if available in your region, for a limited time.

[TomDuke]

@dvpatel - The Sense with 40% discount was $180, I bought two of them (one as a backup) and received them last week.  I've been wearing the Sense since then and it's very similar in function to the Ionic. The design is not as masculine as the Ionic and has a narrower band in my opinion and there are no physical buttons.  Setting it up was easy with my Pixel 6 phone and notifications work perfectly.  So far I'm satisfied.  Now I am just waiting to see how long the refund takes that I've returned my Ionics.  

[VMMage]

Still no email from the support team, but I did just get the UPS notification of an incoming shipment from Sedgwick, it says that it will arrive on Wednesday.  Two days from Indy to Bingo sounds about right, but if it takes until Thursday, that's OK too.  So at least the important part of the call got done.

[VMMage]

The 40% discount is off the list price, not the sale prices on the Versa and Charge.  So my Charge was $108, 40% off $180, the Versa will be 40% off $230, or $138 -- so it's still a savings off the sale price.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi all, I'm in a bit of trouble here.

I accidently deleted the APP to click on to go and get other apps for my Ionic watch on the iPhone and need to get this back, how do I do this.

I open my Fitbit account, click on my picture, go to the Ionic connected and select that, the next screen opens with Gallery, Media, Wallet, How to use and Accesseries,    but the one with the 4 small APPs icon is not there. 

I want to add more apps to my Iphone screen like free apps but I need the main access APP to go any further.

Any clues how to go about fixing this?

--------------

[LLFUNWalking]

It's been very frustrating getting any kind of "help" from FITBIT's customer support regarding the RETURN KIT.  I've been told by FITBIT's customer service support via 800 number, that I need to drop my FITBIT Ionic off at the United Postal Service and they'll know what to do and take care of it.  I had to tell him without a shipping label, they'll have NO idea why I'm dropping off this recall IONIC FITBIT.  My other 2 encounters, I was told that I should expect an email for the shipping label, and my recent encounter with FITBIT chat support, I was told I might be told to DISPOSE my FITBIT IONIC and I'll get the refund.  I told that representative, he shouldn't be providing that inaccurate information to consumers.  

My reference email clearly states: "We’ll send your return kit with instructions within the next 5 business days." And provided a reference number..

1. I've completed the online IONIC  intake form.

2. Gotten my reference number

3. I'm just trying to check status of this "RETURN KIT" and see where it is, because I still have not gotten it.  It's been over 2 weeks. 

4. If FITBIT provided a reference number, shouldn't they have access to track the status?

[vitoboy]

Hi all

I can see we are suffering from different systems for discounts and refunds for different countries here..

Maybe useful to post your location with your comments.. might help someone.

Uk for me... anyone in the uk actually got into the discount store and got the replacement watch of their choice yet.?.

Cheers

Vito

[gtazy]

I've been waiting a week today here in the UK. Chatted many times over the week and told the same thing. "Keep an eye on your inbox"

I've almost given up. I may get a Samsung watch 4 instead. Fed up with it

I just have to take my phone on runs now

[LilMissShaz]

Hi

I got into the store and had sense delivered 6 days later. I accessed the store on Saturday 5/3. 

[Scottsaiyan]

Why do you have to take your phone on runs the ionic still works ? Just won't sync your data ...I'm still taking my dysyced watch  still tell me what I've done for the day  to check I'm not falling behind 

[SB1865]

Same. Australia website does not have the black in stock. I have ordered the Gold with the lunar white band. Will be purchasing a separate black band. 

Also on backorder until the end of March.

[EllieCopter]

Hi all, has anyone in the UK placed an order for a new watch only to find out from the despatch note that it's being sent from The Netherlands? I keep checking the tracking info but so far all I've found out after five days is that it's on its way to the parcel depot. 

As it is, with all the hassle I'm having trying to get confirmation of my refund (but Fitbit has already disabled my Ionic),  I'll be sending it straight back. I've been a customer of theirs for years but the recall has shown anything more than day-to-day issues and Fitbit/Google can't cope. I'm pretty much done with Fitbit now.  

[KamandaQuinn]

FYI I’m in Australia 

I registered fine first time and received an email saying my Fitbit ionic will stop working within 7 days. Was told just to discard safely and no need to return. 

day after it stopped working and I received the discount code via email. 
I used my code to access the store and purchased my Versa 3, Charge 5 and bands. 

my Fitbit order arrived by post the same week then the bands arrived the week after. 

just waiting on my refund which should come via email or post soon. 

I guess I’m one of the lucky ones as I’ve had no issues at all 

[EllieCopter]

Hi @vitoboy  yes, I did mange to get into the store but I had to contact Fitbit for my codes. I ordered a Charge 5 and apparently it's currently somewhere between The Netherlands and the UK parcel depot (I had no idea it was being sent from Europe). The free band arrived within a couple of days. As it stands, Fitbit has disabled my Ionic but I still haven't received my email confirmation for my refund (I have screenshot confirmation that i completed the registration and account verification successfully), or a new watch. I'm waiting to hear back from the Escalation Team  after they responded to me -  but not for my enquiry. Good luck and I hope you get access to the store very soon. The Twitter customer service team are very proactive,  it might be worth reaching out to them?

@VMMage yep, I was promised an email from Edwin and I'm still waiting..... it's also clear from using the chat service that no matter what you write or attach they won't read it properly 

Moderator Edit: Merged posts

[CRSTOP]

Yes my Sense has been dispatched from the Netherlands too. I think that is fairly normal (as I think my old ionic may have shipped from there too). Via GLS.

I ordered it on the 7th, and it was on backorder for quite a while. It finally handed over to GLS on the 11th and hasn't updated since leaving the parcel centre the same day. It's the 15th today there's not any updated tracking information as to indicate when it might arrive by. I assume it's still on the way but it's taking quite a while to arrive.

[MarreFitbit]

Hi everybody,

Thanks for your question about the Ionic recall.

We’re offering the discount off a range of products that offer similar features to Ionic, along with our latest improvements and new features. To learn more about the Ionic recall and how to get your refund, visit our webpage at help.fitbit.com/ionic, where you’ll find:

* Answers to common questions

* Information on how to receive a refund 

* Access to a special discount on select Fitbit devices, bands, and services, if available in your region, for a limited time.

Thank you for your continued support and being a member of the Fitbit family.

[shoulders]

I am in the UK and have got my code

• I want to order the Sense (Carbon / Graphite Stainless Steel) but when I go to the Ionic Upgrade Store (UK) this option is removed before my eyes.
• The Sense (Carbon / Graphite Stainless Steel) is available on the normal fitbit.com UK store for the full price.

Why is Fitbit removing this option which is the closest to the Ionic watch?

Moderator edit: format

[Drotocska]

Hei. I do not have PayPal, and can not fullfyll the recall. What should I do? 

[EllieCopter]

@MarreFitbit hi, thank you for your post. Is there anyway to contact the escalation team? I received a reply from them after reaching out on Twitter,  but they responded to a different problem,  not the one raised by me. However,  trying to an answer or update to the problem is nigh on impossible (I've since tried Chat but information doesn't get read and the standard response is they need to escalate it). It looks like a lot of people are having problems trying to get answers.  Any help would be very much appreciated. 

[Deoge]

I believe there is a choice to pick a pre paid master card

[TomDuke]

@LLFUNWalking - That's some crazy advice you received and I guarantee you that the USPS will have no idea what to do with your Ionic.

Sounds like you have done everything you need to at this point.  If you have UPS My Choice you can log into your account and see if you have any inbound packages coming from Indiana, that should be the return kit.  Sedgwick, the company Fitbit has outsourced the recall to is likely overwhelmed with demand and has fallen behind a bit. I don't know that Fitbit customer service has visibility on what Sedgwick is doing so it sounds like some of their reps are winging it.  Good luck.