Charge 4 just fell apart today

[SunsetRunner]

my Fitbit Charge 4 just fell apart today.  

the plastic that connects the unit to the band, just broke. 

of course it is not covered under warranty. 

this is clearly a poor design as there are plenty of others who have also experienced the same problem. 

just warning all Do not buy the charge.  I wouldn't even buy the new one if the connection is still plastic

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[Clothmadmummy]

Go to fitbit support, they should help you but bear in mind you cannot upgrade to the Charge 5 (they refused it to me) with the 50% off offer. So I'm stuck with another rubbish Charge 4 as the Sense is just too big for my child size wrist 😞

[Ruby821]

Same thing happened to me today!!😫. I had ordered a new band because I thought my band was broken because it kept coming off.  Of course as soon as I get the band the whole connector crumbled off in 2 pieces and tiny spring!!  Not happy.  

 

[Phil015]

Its a sad thing that you stick to your waranty policy as it's a law you can't break. It's your own policy, you should be able to ajust it when your product as clearly a major weakness

[DavideFitbit]

Hi everyone, thank you for all the information you've shared about the Charge 4 and for confirming that you've experienced the same inconvenience with the wristband. 

If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you get in touch with our Customer Support team so they can provide you with further instructions. 

Have a good day. 

[Leannek18]

They will replace it but you'll keep have the same issue 

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Contact support in Chat. They will send you a new one but that one will break too

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Heard great things about Whoop. I will be switching if my 4th replacement still breaks 

[gvco]

This exact thing happened to me today! 

[Hnorris30906]

Same thing happened to me...

[Axl66]

Same to me, that’s my second one gone I’m done with Fitbit 

[HowardG]

actually it is covered - I got a replacement - BUT after 4 months - the replacement just fell apart also - not even poor use.  I wore it every day and night and tightened as instructed to get better heart rates during workouts.  BUT not too tight as instructed.  The connector to the unit just its very sturdy and broke off.

Still deciding whether to stay with Fitbit, where I have been for years - perhaps buying a better snap in aftermarket band - or to switch.  This is the 3rd time on 2 different models that I've had trouble with the connectors.  Cheaply/poorly designed?

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Hi - there are aftermarket replacement bands to which the unit snaps in -- so there is no connector.  They are not expensive - but I have not tried one.

DOES ANYONE have experience with the aftermarket bands?

thanks

HG

[DavideFitbit]

Hi everyone, and welcome to the new users in the Community forums. 

I appreciate all the information you've shared about the inconvenience you been having with your Charge 4.

From the information you provided earlier, it seems that most users have already contacted the Support team for further assistance. If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you continue the communication with the Customer Support team so they can let you know how to proceed or what options are available for you. You can get in touch with them here. 

Thank you for taking the time to share all your feedback about this and your experience as well.

See you around.

[NAT101]

I had the exact same issue. Fitbit fell apart right where the band connects to the center piece. It is out of warranty so was offered some discount. However, this is clearly a design issue. It would be great if Fitbit accepted the design problem and offered replacement instead of hiding behind the warranty claim. I really loved the product but this is not how you treat a loyal customer. 

[DavideFitbit]

Welcome to the Community forums, @NAT101. 

Thank you for sharing your feedback about the Charge 4. 

In this case, since this is a warranty claim, I recommend that you continue the communication with the Customer Support team for further assistance. The best way to get help for this problem is to chat with us online or give us a call. Click here to get connected. 

Please know that all your comments are greatly appreciated and the team is working continuously to improve quality. 

Have a good day. 

[KSten2017]

Mine just did this today. Out of nowhere my watch fell off. I'm bummed. I love this watch. Had the charge 3 and after a little over a year it abruptly stopped working. Got the charge 4 and now this. I feel having to replace 2 watches within 3 years is a bit ridiculous.

[PYL1949]

The bit on my Charge 4 which the wrist band attaches to broke last week. I received it as a Christmas present from my daughters in 2020. The band itself has broken a couple of times, but I have superglued it back both times. However, superglue did not help with the break this time.

At the band attachment locations, the watch case has two small plastic stubs moulded on, to which a black plastic clip which holds the the band attaches.  The two plastic stubs broke at one of the band attachment points, and the black plastic clip fell apart, so I now am not able to wear my watch. The attachment points are clearly badly designed.  What can I do to continue wearing the watch?

[PepperFan]

I ran into the same issue this morning.  I was heading out the door on my way to work when the band popped off of my Charge 4.  I figured it just needed to be snapped back into place.  I was caught off guard when I was finding small plastic pieces on the floor.  I didn't realize the extent of the issue until I then removed the other half of the band to have the same thing happen.  I suddenly had a number of small plastic pieces that no longer snapped back into place and a band that would no longer attach to the device.  I wasn't a happy camper. As good as the device itself is, the plastic pieces that attach the device to the band are clearly a flawed design.  VERY disappointing and will result in unnecessary out of pocket expense. My Fitbit never leaves my wrist except when I take a shower or go swimming.  It appears the device is unrepairable but am interested in clarification as to what my options are (repair, replace, other).  

[stefan.p]

Same thing here; my Charge 4 just broke 13 months into its lifetime.

@tcrhuff85  - Is that superglue you used?

[HowardG]

It has happened to me twice - both times they replaced the unit for no charge.

Clearly a design flaw - I notice this model is better than the last.

Good luck.

HG

[PepperFan]

Who did you contact to get their attention and have them replace your
unit? Was it under warranty? Any advice or direction would really be
appreciated. I need to do something as soon as possible.

Thanks!

[HowardG]

Hi - take a look at my post a few messages up describing how I had the same problem with 2 consecutive units.  (12-27-21 post) - then the response from David at fitbit.  you ought to report it to the support team at Fitbit and they have been very responsive.  they might ask you to send a photo of the unit with the broken parts.  so take a pic before you toss them.

I love the fitbit line as well - and even have an aria scale which synchs wonderfully.  THUS far my present unit has been humming wonderfully.  it it happens again, I might check out the aftermarket band that I referred to above.

good luck.

[Crazygamer53]

Hi @PepperFan,. Contact Support, if your Charge 4 is under warranty they will offer you 50% off another device or a “refurbished”Charge 4 pebble, the warranty on the pebble will expire when your original Charge 4 warranty ends.  There is no repair or replacement parts offered by Fitbit for its devices. Amazon does sell third party replacement bands that solve the problem. The band encompasses the pebble, instead of attaching. The brand names for this particular design are Goeseth.Saufly, Supcase, Kakurookie, &  Nikki. They are not fashionable but they solve the problem. Below is a picture of what they look like. Good luck!