Charge 3 - life-span

[ardmara]

I got my Charge 3 in August 2019 - less than 3 years ago. Over the last few months the screen has been fading so it's almost impossible to read even indoors - I have to ask other people what the time is. About 2 weeks ago it stopped giving me the full record of my sleep, and instead gives a summary and think that on average I've been sleeping between 2 and 3 hours a night - before this it thought I slept about 7 hours on average. I've re-set it and there's no difference. This is not an acceptable life-span for an item of this price. What are other people's experiences? do Fitbit trade-in or re-cycle, or do we just dump this into landfill and buy a something else? 

Moderator edit: subject for clarity/word choice? 

[MamaBear0213]

My first fitbit watch had issues. Got it replaced. Lasted about 2 years...gave up and got a new one. Now this one is probably going on about 2 years and is failing. I agree...not a good lifespan for the cost. 

Moderator edit: word choice

[Kabaggett1]

This week my fitbit stopped giving me the sleep details and now it is constantly changing screens. I am not able to swipe to a different screen. This is the second fitbit I have had that stopped working properly after 2-2 1/2 years of use. Guess it is time to try something new.

[wworld]

I now am on my third Charge 3, two replacements. The last one was Nov 2020. I am now going through the process of getting a replacement or hopefully just get a new model, this is not a good product. 

[WilsonFitbit]

For all of you who are new to the Fitbit community, welcome. 

Thank you very much for your comments and for your feedback. Take into consideration that inconveniences may occur due to normal wear, but please note that any feedback posted in the forums is always welcome as it helps to improve our products, services and overall environment.

At this time, for those who haven't contacted our Support Team for further assistance, I recommend reaching out to them through chat or over the phone, but phone wait times have been longer than normal, so I recommend initiating a chat.

On a side note, please note that replacement devices are provided for products that are within the warranty period. If your original Charge 3 is no longer under warranty a discount could be an available option but some conditions and requirements should be met. For more information about our warranty policy, I recommend visiting the following link: https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/legal/returns-and-warranty

See you around. 

[Warrior2]

I bought one for someone less than 3 years ago and it just died a few days ago.  It's pretty disgusting considering how much it cost.  He ended up buying a versa, but I don't have much hope that it will last either.  

I agree!! My watch is acting funny now. It's interesting that FB no longer sells the Charge 3 and all of a sudden my watch and others' stops working.

what would you consider 'normal wear'? Just curious....

Moderator Edit: Merged posts

[Fitnitquit]

I got my charge 3 one year ago.  The screen started getting hard to see and then went blank.  I tried to reset it and contacted customer support. The answer -  buy a new one.  I have been a customer for years but a product that lasts one year is a waste of money and not a quality product.  No more fitbits for me.  

[AbCx]

I'm having exactly the same issue which conveniently started about a month after the warranty ended. I contacted support and was told over the phone they would send me a replacement watch then they emailed me a 35% off voucher saying that because it is just over 2 years old there is nothing they can do. Call me suspicious but there are an awful lot of people reporting this same issue in the last few months.  The whole thing has left me grumpy and looking elsewhere as this is my 2nd that has broken just after the warranty ended.

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @Fitnitquit, @AbCx. Welcome to the community forums. @Warrior2 Thank you for your reply. 

I'm very sorry for any inconvenience and thank you very much for your comments and please note that any feedback posted in the forums is always welcome as it helps to improve our products, services and overall environment.

Please note that replacement devices are provided for products that are within the warranty period. If your original Charge 3 is no longer under warranty a discount could be an available option but some conditions and requirements should be met. For more information about our warranty policy, I recommend visiting the following link: https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/legal/returns-and-warranty. 

@Warrior2 I'd like to let you know that normal wear and tear generally refers to the expected deterioration of a unit caused by everyday use. Please note that your comments are very important and thank you so much for taking the time to provide your feedback. 

See you around. 

[ardmara]

And... it has now stopped buzzing me when I reach my target steps.... Sigh.

Moderator edit: word choice

[betteyap]

Same problem. No help to resolve this.

Moderator edit: format

[gcmcnay]

I rarely get a full year of service before the battery fails or the tracker just goes dark.  Fitbit has been helpful with replacements and discounts, but it just seem odd that they are not more durable. Charge 3 HR

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @gcmcnay. Welcome to the community forums. @ardmara, @betteyap It's great to see you around. 

@ardmara I'm sorry for any inconvenience. Please make sure that sleep or DND mode aren't activated on your Charge 3. If this is the case, then take into consideration that the following will be disabled: 

• Notifications don't cause the tracker to vibrate or the screen to turn on.
• The screen's brightness is set to dim.
• Turning your wrist won't cause the tracker’s screen to turn on.

If that isn't the case, I recommend contacting our Support Team for further assistance. Note that you can contact them through chat or over the phone, but phone wait times have been longer than normal, so I recommend initiating a chat. Click here to get connected. 

@betteyap I was able to see that you have reached out to our Support Team but it seems that your chat got disconnected while they were providing you information and assistance. At this time, if you still need further assistance, I recommend contacting them back through chat or over the phone, but as mentioned above, phone wait times have been longer than normal, so I recommend initiating a chat. 

@gcmcnay I also appreciate your comments and I'm sorry for the experience. Please note that any feedback posted in the forums is always welcome as it helps to improve our products, services and overall environment. 

If your Charge 3 experiences battery short life, I'd like to let you know that there are some tips that could help on how to manage this situation. If the display turns off by itself, you can also find additional steps here. 

If the inconveniences persist, please contact Customer Support for additional help. 

Hope this helps. 

[gcmcnay]

Thanks for your support. The Charge 3 HR battery will simply no longer hold a charge. The only time the display works - for a few seconds - is immediately after plugging it in. First a smile, then a 1% charge graphic, then it goes dark.

The same thing happened to the last model I had. Before that, the battery was performing well. There was not a slow decline in battery performance.

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[WilsonFitbit]

@gcmcnay Thank you so much for your reply.

I also appreciate the additional details. At this moment, I believe there aren't any other tips besides these ones from this link and the ones you've followed that could help with this situation. So, since I’ve reached the limits of what I can do for you here on the public community forums, the best way to get help for this inconvenience is to chat with us online or give us a call. 

As mentioned above, phone wait times have been longer than normal, so I recommend initiating a chat. Click here to get connected. 

See you around. 

[lhorio]

I think I got my Fitbit Charge3 Nov'2018, so I guess it has lasted longer than the comments I see here.  The screen started fading 1 year-6 months ago to the point that I could only see in the dark; and this last week, it started  not tracking my sleep.  And yesterday, I have no screen at all.  I had also bought one for my mom and her's is behaving the same.  I will probably switch to another brand with longer lifespan.

[lhorio]

correction, have had since Dec'2019

[fituno]

same experience for the display. for no apparent reason, at the 1.5 year mark, the screen goes horrifically dark. unable to use the screen profile to show more details on the screen. have to switch to the “most” bold fonts with only the time detail (or similar) to use in dim environments. 

to set the fitbit screen for use, is impossible outdoors. the tracker is rather passive use for data collection than active use to set activities on the go. can’t even use to see time outdoors!!! 

after 2 years, the charge 3 is just an expensive outdoor (usable only in very dim environment for screen display) tracker!! 

on the hind side, this reduces function setting activities on the tracker and therefore increases the better life! after 2.5years, the charge 3 is still functioning as a good tracker (swim tennis, jog, walk, run etc.) with gps tether! battery still lasts at least 5~6 days!! just went through 5 bands, after market. like need to allocate additional 40% of the charge 3 cost for bands!!! probably will see if charge 6 will ever come out and that has better durability and reliability, Otherwise, this is likely the first and last fitbit… competitor does better in this area. 

don’t need super community with super app or subscription when the core product does not have the necessary quality of durability, reliability, longevity…

[fituno]

they also ought to change the charging port on the fitbit.

the charging “hole” bites into the skin and is very painful in the morning if used for sleep tracking… have stopped using this good feature. competitor do not have this “hole”. should make all fitbit comfortable to wear all day, everyday and every night. this is a major “nay” for many and will switch to the competition that has a better wear experience despite having to charge the wearable more often. 

this alone is worth the switch. (wear comfortable clothes and accessories for formal, casual and sports wear.)