Issues with Screen Scratches?

[kristen27]

Just got my Charge 3 two nights ago, and already noticed some scratching across the middle of the screen. Nothing too major, but I'm surprised it happened so quickly, with vary careful use, in less than two days. I wasn't worrying about a screen protector because I thought the gorilla glass would prevent most of this. (Edited to add: customer service advised against a screen protector, saying "You can look for one though we do not recommend it as it may further damage the display." So... I guess there's no way to prevent this?)

Wondering if anyone else has this issue? From what I've see in other posts, it seems like people aren't experiencing this issue too often. I'm worried about getting a replacement through Amazon since I'm reading about much more serious issues in some other units, and otherwise, mine seems great so far.

Thanks for any input!

[SarahDawn25]

I also got my new fitbit charge 3 on Tuesday and it too is already showing some scratches. For a product that is bound to test the limits you would think they would make a better screen for daily activity/usage. 

[meanbean]

I've had mine less than a week and already have a pretty gnarly scratch right in the middle... it didn't even occur to me that I might need a screen protector and I didn't get the extended warranty because my experiences before haven't been worth it. Kinda sucks to have splurged and treated myself just to have it blemished so soon 😞 now it's too late for a screen protector and it'd be a waste to replace the screen just to scratch it again. 

[NellyG]

I dont have a Charge 3 but with my Ionic and Versa I use  screen protectors. They have not damaged the display at all. If you use a wet apply screen protector to a screen that is already scratched it will minimise the appearance of the scratch as well as protecting against more scratches. I use IQ Shields and have found them excellent. I think they are worth using and are not a big investment to try on the scratched screen

[SapphirARLo]

The scratches within 24 hours. I'm not happy. 

[Anusiak]

Hi, I received my charger 3, five days ago, and already gave a cretches on a screen 😞 I did not hit it. I work in the office. Wonder if I can have assistance with this problem ?

[Cynder464]

My charge 3 has scratches. I had my charge 2 for two years and never a scratch. 

[MissNA]

I recommend the ScreenKnight gel screen protectors (I got mine on eBay). They’re gel self healing ones and they’re wet applied so they’re really easy to apply, leaves much more time to align them better whilst they’re still damp. Really good coverage and they’re really protective, I had one on my Apple Watch too. I’ve got the Charge 3 now and I put the screen protector on the moment I took it out of the packaging - it won’t cause any damage to the screen at all! I’ve put loads of these on and taken them off and they do zero damage. I wouldn’t risk having an expensive device without a screen protector on it...so far it’s done a cracking job protecting mine!

[Elishka]

I’m in the same boat. I wore it less than a month and noticed a small scratch that is deep enough to feel when you run your fingernail over the screen. I was shocked that what was supposed to be a super durable gorilla glass screen could be so easily scratched by normal wear. I’ve had my charge 2 for 2 years and never received any scratches like that. And I did not abuse the watch at all. I’ve been very careful with it.  I reached out to customer service since it seemed odd to me that such a durable screen could be so easily scratched. I was pretty much told, thanks for your feedback on Fitbit devices. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. 

[SunsetRunner]

I also have scratches on my screen, even though I haven't done anything to cause it. Contacted customer service and they were absolutely no help. They told me they don't replace screens and that I would need to buy a new device. Interested in anyone's experiences getting this resolved!

[SapphirARLo]

I ended up just buying a screen cover

[SunsetRunner]

Totally. It’s necessary. It’s just odd that they advertise the durable Gorilla glass when lots of people are finding their device scratched so easily.

Sent from my iPhone

[EliYK]

I just received my brand new charge 3 special edition yesterday in the mail. Today, as I was walking back to my desk at work, I accidentally brushed up against my WOOD LAMINATE desk (very gently, it was not an impact) and I have many fine surface scratches on the right side of the glass. There is no possible way this is Gorilla Glass. From what I've been reading on this forum, i am pretty much SOL when it comes to a scratched screen. This is my first time ever owning a fitbit product, after months of deliberation on what fitness tracker brand to purchase. I may reach out to fitbit customer support, but I'm fairly certain what answer I will receive. If I get the answer I'm expecting and customer support is unhelpful, then needless to say, I wont be recommending this product to my fitness clients and coworkers. I was very excited for the Charge 3, but I guess I set my expectations a little too high.

[pjfarr]

Hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but—are you sure it's an actual scratch and not a "scuff"?

There were a few times when I thought I'd scratched the screen on my Charge 2 (plastic), but was able to erase it completely by some heavy rubbing with a microfiber cloth and just breathing on it (like the way you do when cleaning eyeglasses).

Just a thought...

[Drifloon]

Mine is scratched from brushing against a laminate cabinet door. Afterwards I checked to see if there was any grit on the door, but couldn't feel anything. I rubbed the scratched part with toothpaste and this made the scratch less visible but it is definitely still there and I can feel my nail catch when I slide a fingernail across the surface. For comparison, my Charge 2 never developed any scratches after a year, so I'm not sure what's going on with the Charge 3's.

[EliYK]

---

@pjfarr wrote:

Hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but—are you sure it's an actual scratch and not a "scuff"?

There were a few times when I thought I'd scratched the screen on my Charge 2 (plastic), but was able to erase it completely by some heavy rubbing with a microfiber cloth and just breathing on it (like the way you do when cleaning eyeglasses).

Just a thought...

---

Yes, these are definitely scratches. I thought they were scuffs at first but they would not buff out and I can them when I run my finger nail over them

[SunsetRunner]

Not stupid at all! I thought that might be the case too, but I tried the cloth and the toothpaste trick and the scratches are still there. Same as with the other poster, when I run my nail over it, it is quite deep. 

[pjfarr]

@SunsetRunner @EliYK

Ah, sorry to hear that. I don't know how they get away with advertising the screen as Gorilla glass. I would suggest you post your experience on their Facebook and Twitter pages and anywhere you can leave a review, to warn others. If it causes potential customers to hesitate, maybe then Fitbit may address this.

[Gabi020]

I have received the Fitbit charge 3 for Christmas, meaning that I have had it only for a week and have scratched it already. I was very disappointed in how easily it has scratched as I was expecting it to be one of the strongest watches due to its specialisation and descriptions. One of the reasons why I wanted a Fitbit instead of any other smartwatch was because I thought it would be more resistant to damages and would not have to worry about it as much. But I guess I was wrong 😞  

Has anyone got any recommendations on how I can repair it or what I should do about it? 

[PeggySueBee]

After 3 days, my Fitbit 3 screen is scratched pretty bad. Surprisingly, customer service sucked. They said that the warranty doesn't cover scratched screens, and the best they could do was 25% off buying a whole new fitbit.  How about fitbit makes a product that supports a healthy, active lifestyle that actually holds up during normal usage?!  My loyalty to fitbit is dwindling. 😞