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.

[SunsetRunner]

You can say that again, I managed to get someone eventually who managed to tell me it’s all in the system and I’ve to keep checking my email and spam folder.

I have to admit I’m in the U.K. and the guy who answered was foreign (I thought french or Spanish) he managed to understand my Edinburgh accent even with a dry throat from wearing a mask for 8 hours a day for the last 2 years! Like you say it’s sheer madness!

[AitchM]

Yes unacceptable. I am not sure of any other avenues. They could be
appeasing us all for the 6 wk mark only for us to become more disgunted
with the company. 

Moderator edit: word choice

[SunriseRun498]

Did you manage to speak to a person to complain? They apparently have no
superiors

[TSA007]

Calling weekly to be told a different story every time is very........ frustrating

Having customer service rep not listen at all to what your question is only to push you back over to recall center AFTER you have explained that you have already called........ frustrating

How long does it really take to issue a refund once you receive product? 

Come on Fitbit, your customers are being played by your staff and recall (third party) center.....not a great look 

Moderator Edit: Formatting

[Nunupop]

This is now my issue they don’t seem to have a complaints dept or supervisors/managers

Sent from my iPhone

[L0tus]

I agree. I don’t know how many different vendors they have partnered with. A prepaid credit card would have worked for everyone I think. Cash to spend at Fitbit or anywhere we choose. Gets you your discounts if you choose to buy a new device without extra fees. I’m sure they could have negotiated a lower rate than what consumers pay and it would have been about the same cost as PayPal.

from my i to your eyes...

[AntJ]

My replacement order had to be cancelled due to computer issue and not registering all the items. As a consequence the discount code no longer works. I have contacted fitbit on the chat forum, by email and verbally, each time I'm told to leave it 3 days and code will reset. After two weeks discount code still dies not work!! I've waited on the fitbit phone line numerous times but no one answers even waiting for over one hour??? I don't know what to do and really have no option to look elsewhere for a new watch. Can anyone help or suggest what I can do please???? So frustrated in Fitbit cust service

[Charf1990]

Entering week 7 and still no refund or response from the escalation team. I've been nothing but polite but starting to get seriously peeved!! How hard is it to issue a refund?! Sort it out fitbit! This is a shambles 

[TSA007]

spoke to a person but they read out of a manual so got now where with ARAMIS 

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi everyone.

We really appreciate all your reports and feedback about this process. Your comments are important for us.

If you already a case open with our support team, please keep communication open with them since this is the best way to receive a response to your inquiry. We appreciate your patience as our team responds. Please note that a support case via email is the best way to reach resolution.

To learn more about the Ionic recall and how to get your refund, visit our webpage at help.fitbit.com/ionic.

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

[phinnc]

They do not respond and I do  pt have the time to hang o  the line for over an hour. They also told me that the only way I could log a complaint was on this community page yet nobody is listening to my complaint. Can you help? Fitbit have taken my money for a new watch, not revealed that the refund was not by cash and not actually given me any kind of refund in the given time. I waited for an hour today and then separately for half an hour and never got through. What do you suggest now?

[kpriyada]

Really, I already opened case 2-3 weeks back when there was no money in my
paypal account after getting email confirmation

And that link tool me to below, called paypal and they told that account was not verified so it went back, so call fitbit and ask them to send again

Raised Case, Chat/Twiter just copy paste template to call customer
care, and then you spend money on calling international call

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[Chell100]

I have received the same email and have also been spending the funds in my PayPal account. The email said I was sent an email to say funds were released and to accept the payment. I do not remember receiving this email. I only accessed my PayPal account by chance and found the refund had already been put in. 

[kpriyada]

I got for one device, for my sister-in-law they issued refund, got email
but paypal account was not validated so it went back, now struggling
with Fitbit to reissue fund without any success

[kpriyada]

It will be great if you can prvately messge me status on below 2 cases

- Refund to be reissued as it was returned by paypal, already soent USD 10 calling Fitbit International Number

- I have registered for Fitbit Ionic Recall - Step 1 Complete – Reference I have verified account but being asked to sync / link device again, I have lost charger so can't charge and link device anymore

I can give you hundreds of screenshot where I have been struggling with Fitbit Support over chat and Twitter

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[Robbie77]

Yesterday I got the mail from fitbit telling me it Will take 3-6 weeks for the refund to be paid out, the mail also contained a link to The discount shop..

Registred for refund , so it took 1month and 10 days to get the mail.. 😀

And maybe it Will take as long till I get the refund..

But I Will get the refund🥳🥳

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[hassaansherwani]

I am trying to verify my account for a Fitbit Ionic refund. It says no watch connected, So when I try to re-add my watch, it says not allowed because I tried to verify it before and I didn't get an email verifying so I tried again. What do I do next?

[TomDuke]

@BonnyJ - As far as I am aware (and I don't work for Fitbit) there is no way to manually set the time of your Ionic watch and that it maintains correct time by synching with the app on your phone.  Also, keep in mind that the purpose of this voluntary safety recall was to get users to stop using their Ionic to mitigate the potential risk of getting burned by an overheating battery.  It sounds like you are overseas and did not have to physically send back your Ionic but my understanding is that by registering for the recall you agreed to having it disabled and to responsibly dispose of the watch.  Good luck. 

[Chell100]

Hi, I have received the same email and have been happily spending my refund also. I can't remember getting an original email from PayPal to ask me to accept the funds. I have contacted Fitbit support via live chat this evening and they told me that my payment must have been accepted automatically so not to worry about it.

[OwnTooManyBits]

@TomDuke 

Have you received a verification email regarding your third Ionic? Also did you sync your brand new Ionic to your account before sending it to Sedgwick? I am asking these questions because I sent a new Ionic to Sedgwick without first syncing it to my account and have not received any information on the status. I received the verification and 10 business days email for refund on 2 Ionics I returned, but have not received any funds as of yet. I have a fourth Ionic that I was using until I received my refund, but I am frustrated with this whole fiasco and no communication on this board by any qualified knowlegdable individual from Fitbit.