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.

[Nathan1970]

Congrats then, I just received MC virtual Debit Card by today and activated it, hope I can use it on Amazon.

[SunsetRunner]

7 weeks and counting, my IONIC is STILL connecting. Fitbit couldn’t organise a jogging day out 🤬

[Hammeroo]

@steverog  Did you receive A$244 for your refund or is that just what you have left after going on a spending spree? Because I received A$394.23 refund into a Virtual Visa card. Was actually expecting a real plastic card in the mail until I started reading all the complaints on this community board. The complaints just keep coming don't they!

Anyway, I thought I'd try adding the virtual card to my PayPal account and make it my primary card in there. However, after making a call to PayPal, it appears that they can't actually allow me to transfer funds or pay family or friends from the virtual card. So that seems to be a waste of time. Fitbit were very generous to refund US$299 but there are a lot of limitations on what you can do with it. To quote a well known TV add, Not Happy Jan!

And it would appear that you are not overly thrilled either. ☹️

Moderator edit: format

[WarrenW65]

I registered for a refund and went through the verification process. Within an hour my ionic had dropped from my devices list ( I also have a surge ) but 6 weeks later I still haven’t had any contact either by email or in the form of a refund please can anyone help with this or direct me to somewhere I can. I don’t want to go through the process again as I ticked to say I wouldn’t sync the device so if I activate it now I’m concerned I will have broken the original agreement and there won’t be entitled to the refund ? 

[ShaunOR]

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@Hammeroo wrote:

@steverog Did you receive A$244 for your refund or is that just what you have left after going on a spending spree? Because I received A$394.23 refund into a Virtual Visa card. Was actually expecting a real plastic card in the mail until I started reading all the complaints on this community board. The complaints just keep coming don't they!

Anyway, I thought I'd try adding the virtual card to my PayPal account and make it my primary card in there. However, after making a call to PayPal, it appears that they can't actually allow me to transfer funds or pay family or friends from the virtual card. So that seems to be a waste of time. Fitbit were very generous to refund US$299 but there are a lot of limitations on what you can do with it. To quote a well known TV add, Not Happy Jan!

And it would appear that you are not overly thrilled either. ☹️

---

Many people on here, including me, have been able to transfer the funds from the virtual pre-paid Mastercard received via the Ionic refund into their bank accounts via PayPal using Friends and Family, so I believe that the PayPal agent has misinformed you.

Initially, I had problems adding the virtual pre-paid Mastercard into my PayPal account as the provider in the UK (B4BPayments) needed me to provide them with my correct mobile number to confirm that I was the owner of the card. Once this was done, I could then add my card within PayPal and then send it from one PayPal account to another as a Friend & Family transfer to rightly avoid any transaction fees. 

I know that in Australia you have a different virtual Mastercard provider and their process may be slightly different but I'd still expect that you can add the card within PayPal and transfer the funds like other people have done. I doubt that PayPal have a different policy in Australia that would not allow you to transfer the balance of the virtual Mastercard from one PayPal account to another as a Friend & Family transfer.

Keep at it!

[ShaunOR]

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@WarrenW65 wrote:

I registered for a refund and went through the verification process. Within an hour my ionic had dropped from my devices list ( I also have a surge ) but 6 weeks later I still haven’t had any contact either by email or in the form of a refund please can anyone help with this or direct me to somewhere I can. I don’t want to go through the process again as I ticked to say I wouldn’t sync the device so if I activate it now I’m concerned I will have broken the original agreement and there won’t be entitled to the refund ? 

---

If your Ionic was initially linked and listed as a device within your Fitbit app and then disappeared from your account shortly after you'd applied for the refund, then I'd safely say that your refund has been initiated and it's just a question of time as to how long your refund will take to come through at your end. I'm in the UK and it took around 6 weeks for me to receive my first refund.

Where are you based and what method did you request for the refund (e.g. via PayPal, pre-paid Mastercard, other)?

[WarrenW65]

I’ve got to call customer services in UK. Hopefully they are a little more helpful. 😳

Sent from my iPhone

[WarrenW65]

Based in UK and requested PayPal refund

Sent from my iPhone

[ShaunOR]

@WarrenW65 wrote:
Based in UK and requested PayPal refund

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I'm in the UK too. I applied for the refund on the 4th or 5th of March and then got my refund on the 16th April, so it took about 6 weeks for me. However, I don't know how long it's taking them to process refunds now and whether or not there's a backlog as more and more people have started becoming aware of the recall and applying for their refunds. As your Ionic has been desynced, I'd say that you're somewhere in the queue to receive the refund... hopefully very soon. 

Good luck!

[WarrenW65]

Spoke with customer services and apparently my verification fell through the cracks as there were so many registering on 4th March. I should have received my refund to my PayPal acc and an offer of discount on a new device. This has now been escalated to Fitbit and I’ve been told it may take “a few days” to process but I will get it ??

Sent from my iPhone

[ShaunOR]

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@WarrenW65 wrote:
Spoke with customer services and apparently my verification fell through the cracks as there were so many registering on 4th March. I should have received my refund to my PayPal acc and an offer of discount on a new device. This has now been escalated to Fitbit and I’ve been told it may take “a few days” to process but I will get it ??

Sent from my iPhone

---

Sorry to hear that. My refund appeared out of the blue without any fanfare.

I didn't receive a discount email either. I had to go to the following link to get it sent to me...

https://myhelp.fitbit.com/s/devicediscount

I went ahead and got a Sense but wasn't impressed with it (poor battery life [< 3-days] and inaccurate HR monitoring) so got a full refund on that one.

Moderator edit: word choice

[jojobunny]

Hi Podenco (amazing dogs btw)

I am trying to sort this out at the moment. When I downloaded the B4B app it asks for my username and password but I haven’t been able to register yet. When I go to register it asks for the code on a card, but I don’t have this. Can you advise? 

Thanks!

Jo.

[Andykiz]

Who did you contact? I've tried so many times and just called again to be told mine has been 'approved by a human' but still waiting over 6 weeks on and they won't give me any time frame. I've tried live chat, twitter, email and Im getting nowhere. Absolutely appalling won't ever buy a fitbit again. 

[reisbm]

Hi Jojobunny.

I have the same problem.

[Hammeroo]

@ShaunOR  I got my Sense three days ago and it's running beautifully. It would be getting 5-6 days for sure from a single charge of 100%. That is by not using the 'always on' setting but just by lifting my wrist to check it. Is that where you are going wrong?

I also paid A$1.49 for a really nice watch face through the Fitbit paid apps. And have also set up the Sense to take 'on wrist phone calls' as well as notifications. So far I quite like the Sense. For the record, I am in Australia. Just my 2 Sense worth! 😊 

[Darren79]

Its been almost 7 weeks since i applied for a refund, contacted fitbit several times asking for an update, no updates at all except i was being told it was being escalated. Very poor customer service considering its a fault with one of their products

[jojobunny]

It’s not very clear is it?! 

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

Hi Reisbm,

I just figured it out. You enter the code which Fitbit sent you, this is the code for the card. Then you are able to register with a username and password 🙌🏼

Hope you have success!

Jo

[ShaunOR]

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@Hammeroo wrote:

@ShaunOR I got my Sense three days ago and it's running beautifully. It would be getting 5-6 days for sure from a single charge of 100%. That is by not using the 'always on' setting but just by lifting my wrist to check it. Is that where you are going wrong?

I also paid A$1.49 for a really nice watch face through the Fitbit paid apps. And have also set up the Sense to take 'on wrist phone calls' as well as notifications. So far I quite like the Sense. For the record, I am in Australia. Just my 2 Sense worth! 😊 

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I had the 'always on' setting turned off and had most settings made to avoid excess battery drain. I was looking at the screen a bit more often than usual because I was getting used to it at first but I had to charge it twice in the first week alone. 

[Podenco]

Hi Jo,

Yes it is not very clear. As you found out, it's the redemption code.

[GCgc]

Hi, 

Applied for fitbit ionic refund on 4th March. Got an email from PayPal on 30th March, stating my payment is on hold.

Set-up my account in the next couple of days and PayPal says its returned to sender.

How do I get Fitbit to resend the same?

Tried support, they led me to these dedicated phone lines which never work. Tried Twitter support, same outcome. Any email ID where I can reach out to support?