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.

[hauserted]

Hi @Minxy26 you say you “finally” received your Only 1 Visa gift card, how long did it take for the link to allow you to register the card? I’m still getting the message saying my card will arrive in 24 hours. When you registered your card was it by the link in the email from Sedgwick?

[Minxy26]

Hi @hauserted

I received the link probably 4 days ago. Each time I clicked on it it said to allow up to 24 hours. I opened the link this morning and just kept refreshing and then at some point (maybe a few hours) there was a gift card there. (The Sedgwick email).

However despite me registering for it the card does not work on the fitbit payment page.

I'm still waiting for a call back from Visa.

So I called the Fitbit recall phone number. The guy isn't particularly friendly or helpful and kept trying to make it out to be my problem that it isn't working or that I should try again in a few weeks. He told me to clear my browser history and try the payment again. That didn't work. So he said he needs to escalate it. Sent me an email and told me to contact these people instead.

It's a link for B4B prepaid cards and the online form wants you to select 1 of 3 options: that you are a B4B payments card holder, that you want to become a B4B partner or that you want a B4B prepaid card. The only phone number is for overseas.

So I have replied to his email stating this and asking how I'm supposed to proceed from here. 

[Minxy26]

Update:

I called the VDC line again and managed to actually get through to someone. She said my card is perfectly fine and it must be an issue with Fitbit.

Tried calling Fitbit again but couldn't get through. While on hold I ended up logging onto Paypal, adding the card to my wallet and then went back to the Fitbit checkout and changed my payment method to Paypal and used the gift card via there.

Such a frustrating process between Fitbit and Visa, so I'm very grateful for people sharing on here how to do it via Paypal instead. Thank you!

[Samie28]

Why are we being forced to use a gift card that has has a 1 star rating for reviews cos it doesn't work!! Just another way to keep the money which is why I'll never purchase a fitbit product again.

[hauserted]

@Minxy26  I have seen some people on here successfully use the gift card to buy Am@zon gift cards and then buy their Fitbit through Amazon. Not sure if this is an option but might be worth a try? Can I ask are you in Australia? As that’s where I’m located

[Samie28]

How can I use a card without knowing what name is on it to use at any checkout even Amazon. I have tried the card on a few different sites and it states it can not be verified. Yes I am in Australia.

[Minxy26]

@hauserted Yep I'm in Australia

@Samie28 see my post just a couple above - if you have a Paypal account just link the card in there and select Paypal as your payment method. Worked perfectly for me. Fitbit and VDC help centres were useless. 

[Samie28]

I don't have paypal

[bitfitgoogle]

I was charged for the complementary accessory band in the Ionic upgrade store. How do I get a refund?

[SleepyxEquus]

I sent mine back weeks ago, I see they received them and have received no email that they got them and no refund…

[PaulineD]

Hi @hauserted Its probably already been answered, but I was able to activate the only1visa within 24 hours of receiving the email.  What a shamble this has become, I still cant purchase from fitbit store. I've been onto live chat today, who put me onto the 1300 number.  the 1300 number has referred me to a 1800 number.  So dont worry, even if you activate your card, you cant use it anyway- hahaha

[SenthilV]

Hi, I have got the refund for Ionic and I have received Google Play egift cards. I would like change that with PayPal payment. What is the process ? Can someone Help with this?

[lavo2010]

Got my refund to my PayPal account 3 weeks after registering for a refund but when I try to use my discount code, it says it is expired, even though the Fitbit upgrade page says 90 days to use.  Oh well if they don't want our business...

[Benob]

Has anyone in UK used their B4B payments prepaid card for the refund yet? Wondering what the best way to use this is. Do the purchase need to equal exact amount on the card or can you transfer the cash to another bank account or pay a net amount on a larger payments with it?

[Darrencab]

I must be lucky. I got in contact with them. And they were quite helpful.
They gave me a different number for my e card.

[livinginanut]

Okay, it's been so long since I registered that I'm not sure if I did it right. 

So I registered and went through the process to disable my Ionic on March 4th. Got the "Fitbit Ionic Recall - Step 1 Complete – Reference ******" reply from globalintake-no-reply@sedgwick.com and all and the watch was disabled very quickly. Good.

So my question - do I need to do anything else?

I have received nothing else at all from anyone but I thought I had to wait for another email giving me a discount code? Or an email with a link for the discount registration or something?

I'm sitting here complaining for weeks and keep checking back. I think I saw some people say they had to set up their Ionic again and started it again but my Ionic refuses to link to the account again. Have missed a step? Have I forgotten to do something?

I'm in Ireland and also no sign of the PayPal refund but still not over the 6 wks. But if I got the discount path going then I could replace the watch even though the way this has been handled makes me think I should stay away from FitBit.

Thank you! 

[VMMage]

I set up my Ionic again on my account after a few days had passed since it was automatically removed, but I'm in the United States where we have to return the Ionic to receive the refund, so I'm thinking that it should not have been disabled.  I imagine that outside of the United States, the disable step might be permanent (unless overridden by Fitbit Support).  But that's just guessing on my part, someone "in the know" inside Fitbit would have to speak up to confirm/deny.

[MiaHanson]

I have recently purchased a new smart watch tracker with the refund money here are the steps:

1. Do the refund registration

2. Make sure you choose debit/credit for the option for the refund 

3. When you recieve the email from  fitbitionicrecall@sedwickbp.comit will say something like "your gift card is on its way please allow 24 hrs" but it will only be like that for about 24-48 hrs.

4. When the visa gift card is available go onto the ONLY 1 website and register your visa card

5. Once that has been registerd go onto the fitbit website and add your watch that you would like

6. Put in all your detailed such as your address, name e.c.t 

7. When it comes to the payment select Pay Pal then it will bring you to the paypal page dont log into your paypal account select credit/debit but while you are as a guest (not logged into an account)

8. You will need to put in your visa card details and then when that is done you just press Purchase and there you go you just ordered your watch 🙂

Moderator edit: all-caps

[Himu11]

@livinginanut This is exactly the point-to-point case which is happening with me too. I'm from India and still awaiting any confirmation/refund for the same.

[Darrencab]

I turned my off the first date from when they told me too. Nearly 4 weeks
later I got my refund. Now I have my new watch.