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.

[Cocosun]

My device has been disabled. Why didn't you receive a reply email!  What should I do?

[hirtenstab]

Just waiting. You will get mail from fitbit. I have two Ionic and I've got the refund for one and the other one still in process. 

[VKanji]

I have received my refund on a virtual card (although PayPal was requested).  I have now followed all the steps to activate the payment card and selected the devices (maximum 5), that I have placed in my cart.  My total order is coming to £660.

The Iconic refund virtual card balance is £223.72, therefore I need to make payment of this amount and then pay the remaining £436.28 on an alternative card.  However, upon adding the virtual card details I am receiving an error message "Your payment did not go through.  Re-enter your payment details, try a new checkout method, or contact Customer Support for help"

I have been trying to place my order and resolve this all morning (the last 4 hours).  I have called the support number 3 times and have either been placed on hold to wait to speak to a support supervisor Yojanan,  been assured I will get a callback from her or told it is only a back-office team and no one can speak to me.  Either they are able to call me back or they can't?  I am unable to do anything at work as I need to complete the payment of the items in my basket (and I urgently wanted to place the order as one device is a present). 

During the last call I made, I was actually told that maybe I am trying to buy too many devices.  But hold on, Fitbit has refunded 1 device and allowed me to buy 5 devices, so surely they would have thought this through that their virtual refund card for 1 device certain will not be a sufficient amount for up to 5 devices and that a second payment option must be provided to pay the balance.

I am also extremely worried that having waited so long for my refund and been without a watch for so long (which should never have happened, but their whole process has just not been thought through), what if I am unable to use this refund money towards my purchase.  I need answers and the lack of support or urgency in dealing with such issues causes even more frustration and anxiety especially when we have waited so long to get to this stage.

I have asked for their complaints procedure and they have said that once they reply to me I can make my complaint.  What sort of useless complaints policy and procedure is this?

Please can anyone who has had any similar issues (or if someone from Fitbit can actually call me as assured), provide any guidance or comfort that I should be able to use my virtual refund card in part payment or how they managed to resolve the payment issue and used their virtual refund card in part payment (without having to use an alternative payment method for the entire balance).

Many thanks 

[Knickels]

How long did the process take, from start to receiving your refund?

[VKanji]

Hi Knickels,

It has taken 3 months.  please also keep an eye on junk mail as some of the emails they send tend to fall into junk mail.

[Knickels]

Thank you for your reply. That amount of time is ridiculous.

[Geeeoooorrrgge]

@VKanji - You’re mixing up two different parts of the recall incentive.

1. A pre-paid debit card with your refund on

2. A discount code to buy replacements

(1) can be spent anywhere

(2) you can pay with any payment method

The web page you use to buy the reduced price Fitbits has a normal e-commerce checkout which can only accept one debit/credit card as payment. The one payment method you choose to use, has to be able to cover the full value of the transaction.

If you’re buying more than one FitBit, you’d have to use a different payment method, like your own debit/credit card, and find something else to use the Pre-paid debit card on. I managed to make a payment towards an Amex credit card for the full value of the pre-paid card, so purchased the Fitbits using my Amex, then paid off part of the Amex using the pre-paid refund card

[Truballi]

Same thing is happening to me

[Waj-A]

Still no signs of a refund 11 weeks after having sent the device back. Customer service is least helpful! I was told my refund 'failed' on March 28! Ditto! I dont understand why I'm having to go through a third party when it was Fitbit I paid! Escalated the issue ever since but their reps dont have a clue whats going on.

Moderator Edit: Merged posts

[Jsukyn]

I was also told my refund failed on 28th March. It’s now 12 weeks, multiple
calls and promises of escalation, still no refund and no communication
whatsoever

[Waj-A]

That's odd isn't it! how does a refund 'fail' for multiple customers and they don't have an explanation? 

[SunsetRunner]

Yes very odd how multiple payments have failed. I was told a month  ago my payment had failed by the U.K. helpline but no explanation why or how or when it will be put right. It’s a shambles.

[FitbitUser1511]

for those who refund failed:

Did you receive an email the device had been processed and that you were receiving your refund in 10 days?  or did the call center just tell you that the watch had been processed, then there was a problem?

[i8ubfr]

Today is my day ten for refund to hit PayPal, we shall see

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

[Waj-A]

I received an email.

[SunsetRunner]

I was emailed confirming my claim and saying I would be refunded in 3 to 6 weeks, that was on the 3rd March!

[Waj-A]

I was told my refund would be processed in 10 business days.

[Preci]

Mine too, I was told my refund failed on 30th of March it was sent through PayPal and I have called couple of times and  they tell me it's being escalated I must wait for ten days which has became months.

[Mmayllewellyn2]

Don’t hold tour breath the whole process from start to finish - 3 months waiting here and run in circles from online chat to phone centre yo emails - all reading from the same script ! Which is noone gets anything or anywhere !

Moderator Edit: Word choice.

[hirtenstab]

From submit the recall apply to get the refund, about 2 month.

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