Charge 3 band latch stuck pressed in

[hahamm]

My charge 3 belt was broken, and still within one year warranty. Therefore, I contacted support and get the replaced belt. However, when I tried to install new the belt, I found that one side of the fitbit is easy to take off from charge3, but the other side cannot take off, even I use my fingers, and also try a pen to push the button, but cannot take if off. The button just cannot press in. I even tried press the button and twisted the belt, still cannot take the belt off. 

Two days ago, I contacted the fitbit support with an image to explain. An agent called Alvin quickly responded me ( I appreciate it)  and asked for a video to prove myself. Then I sent a video to support. But I did not get any reply. This morning I reminded the support team again, but still no any response.  I believe that fitbit support just intentionally ignore me.  

Can anybody help me?  Thanks in advance! 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Wookydog20]

Had problems with wrist band connections for fitbit 2 and fitbit charge 3. A jeweler fixed the fitbit 2 and the charge 3 band will not come off after vinegar and alcohol treatment. Crazy that fitbit would cut corners with a poor wrist band attachment design. WIll not be buying another.

[jonhedtke]

I had a similar problem trying to get the long side of the band detached.  The short one came off with no problem but the button would not depress on long side.  I carefully cut off all of the band including the plastic housing inside the band being very careful not to cut into the plastic connection on the fitbit itself.   For some reason the side that worked fine was very clean on the inside but the one that did not work was full of dirt.  I cleaned it up hoping to get the button to work without success, I wish I had used alcohol. I was able to push the new band on and it seems like it will stay there.   Of course the button doesn't work but I will try the alcohol with the band on to see if I can get the button to work for the next time the band breaks.     

[Wookydog20]

Hi Jogger,

Glad you found a fix. I've been detaching both bands monthly and adding a
drop of silicone oil to the latches before reattaching the bands. This
seems to keep the latches/bands working and the silicone oil does not seem
to degrade the bands or the latches. Hope this helps.

Wookydog

[Ballplayer55]

So I had issues with the short side (buckle side) and I had dirt/grime in both, but the long side worked fine (cleaned it after I got it off). To get the other side off, I ended up mutilating the band, but the clasp is still intact. I used a safety pin to make a gap between the button and the band. I ended up peeling off the top layer of the band around the clasp part to make it easier to see, my band was breaking anyways, hence why it needed to come off. I put the unit under running hot water (as hot as your hands can stand) and used my nail to go around the edge while it was under the water. Dried it off, ended up using the safety pin as an initial wedge and used a sturdy pair of cuticle scissors to push down with more force. It was just enough to lower the latch and release the band.

Once the band was off, I took it back to the warm water and got it as clean as possible , and the key to get it back to normal was continuing to try to press the button while it was in the stream, so that the button was cleaned out underneath. Its now just as good as the other side, it still clasps fine, and I will now be more diligent with cleaning it more often.

[MarniJ]

Thank you, that solution worked for me! 

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello everyone. @MarniJ Welcome to the community forums! 

I'm glad to hear that the instructions in this thread helped. I'd like to invite you to visit our Discussions board where you can share your experiences, meet people and create new topics.

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