No warranty with unauthorized retailer

[Djy176]

I bought a Fitbit in march of this year.  The band broke after wearing for a few months. Contacted Fitbit for a replacement- after going through all of the details, I was informed that I purchased the unit through an unauthorized retailer (Groupon) and the warranty was void.  I get it - you don't want retailers discounting your product.  I suggest that you quit selling them to Groupon rather than taking it out on the customer.  This was a brand new product in original sealed packaging.  You either stand by the product or not.  I was cheerfully informed that I could buy a $29.95 replacement from Fitbit and they would warranty it.  

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[leanneN18]

I have just ran into this issue. I bought from groupon for the specific reason that it stated 24 months warranty. My strap has started to peel and I was told by fitbit that there was no warranty as groupon is an unauthorised seller. I have emailled groupon and there reply was to contact the manufacturer.

If they aren't authorized to sell the products then why are fitbit allowing them to sell them  and why are groupon stating 24 months warranty?! I am so worried I will have a fault with the actual unit now and no one will help.

[Rich_Laue]

I might b missing something @leanneN18 buying a product from Groupon because of their 2 year warranty. Why are they not honoring their warranty? 

[Fzavit]

I've been hit by this too and agree with the original poster that Fitbit should stand by their products.  They can confirm every bit of detail about their hardware and they did when I spoke to support.  This was a new sealed-in-box item and just shy of a year later, the step counter just doesn't stop - even when I'm not wearing it.  However since it was not purchased from authorized reseller, they would not honor the warranty.  Had I known this, I probably wouldn't have purchased it for $10 less than what they sell it for on Newegg!  Way to pass this off on to the consumer, Fitbit.  You should advertise this a little better.

[Fzavit]

I just told my brother about this since he just got one from Best Buy.  Looking at the authorized retailer list, Best Buy isn't on there.  But hey, Buy Buy Baby is.

[PandyPops]

This just happened to me and I couldn’t believe that I don’t have support because I didn’t bought my tracker in the right place...

well, the positive bit of all this heinous experience is that it won’t happen again as that charge 3 that last exactly 9 months was the last Fitbit I bought. Shame I can’t export my Fitbit data to another tracker brand like Samsung or xiaomi (basically my next tracker won’t come from another US company with such atrocious terms and conditions)

so, great move from them, first they killed pebble just because and now their customer experience is the worst under the sun... 

Never again

[Rich_Laue]

Fitbit did not kill the pebble, the pebble was so well accepted that they where unable to get enough money to keep the company afloat

[PandyPops]

Whatever you want, Fitbit killed it and ironically my pebble time steel has survived every single Fitbit tracker I’ve had as they all die past the warranty or as with my charge 3, 9.5 months after buying it...

[Rich_Laue]

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@Fzavit wrote:

 Looking at the authorized retailer list, Best Buy isn't on there.  But hey, Buy Buy Baby is.

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Best buy is an authorized retailer, Ebay which technically is not a store is not authorized. 

[franmav]

This just happened  to me afte only 7 mo ths of use my fitbit Vers $273.00 died. I purchased from gettington and also purchased the extended  warranty/service plan which doesn't start until "fitbits" one year warranty is over. Fitbit doesn't  cover because  of where I purchased my product. Upsetting  to see that companies don't stand by thier products. This is not my first fitbit but but will certainly  be my last!  Its ok to purchase fitbit and use fitbit app until product  no longer works then its an issue 

[cyndysocal]

Hi Matthew.  This Fitbit policy is confounding. My 5 month old FitBit Charge recently bit the dust. After significant attempts to resurrect it, the FitBit help line determined it to be a gonner. I bought it from Amazon who is listed as an authorized seller for warranty.  However in the fine print on my order it says the actual seller was Electronics Club. 
FitBit won't honor the warranty.  Amazon won't honor the warranty.  And Electronics club says Amazon has to make it right.  So after a month of trying I still have no replacement.  This has given me a negative impression of the company.  You seem to be saying that the FitBits we buy from Amazon are potentially knock-offs.  If you think that, why aren't you doing anything to resolve that instead of having consumers buy products that you won't support?

[LZeeW]

Hello @cyndysocal and welcome to the Community.  Matthew doesn't moderate the forums anymore, so I hope I can clarify things for you.  Amazon is a marketplace site.  Almost half of the items sold on Amazon are sold by third party sellers.  An item must be listed as "Shipped and Sold by Amazon" for warranty coverage.  This protects buyers from counterfeit goods.  When you bought yours from Electronics Club, it was essentially the same as you buying it from a brick and mortar Electronics Club Store.  Electronics Club is incorrect when it says that it's up to Amazon to make it right.  Unfortunately, this is the sad reality of e-commerce.

Did you buy an extended warranty when you bought your Fitbit?  If you did, then this is the place to seek warranty coverage.

[Rich_Laue]

Fitbit does have a store on Amazon that is managed by fitbit. 

The Charge came out in October of 2014 and retired in December of 2016 . If yours was a genuine fitbit, it would now be about 6+ years old. 

As @LZeeW stated, yes the Charge was a model that did get cloned 

[cyndysocal]

Hi @LZeeW 

I noticed one post saying the Charge 5 isn't made any more.  This isn't correct.  The Charge 5 that I purchased through Amazon this past year is currently for sale on the Fitbit website. Take a look https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/trackers/charge5. I registered my Charge 5 with FitBit when I purchased it.  Recently, when I spoke with Fitbit, they acknowledged it would have been under warranty had I purchased from them.  My point to the community is that it is misleading to list Amazon as an authorized dealer. When I bought it my goal was fastest delivery since my previous FitBit had stopped working and it was out of warranty. I know Amazon is a marketplace but in this case I did not notice that I was buying from someone other than Amazon.  Frankly, I figured if Amazon was listed by FitBit the warranty would be good.  My point is that it is misleading.  That's all.

[cyndysocal]

https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/trackers/charge5

Charge 5 is still for sale on Fitbit Website @Rich_Laue 

[Rich_Laue]

Yes the Charge 5 is the latest Charge. Version. Do you have a Charge 5 or as stated above, a Charge version 1? 

[cyndysocal]

@Rich_Laue @In my first post I said Charge and it looks like that was interpreted as charge version 1. It is a charge 5. I got it in November 2022. 

[Rich_Laue]

Your post also was not on the Charge 5 board. 

Maybe fitbit shows your Charge 5 as you being a second hand owner? 

I really don't know. Other than fitbit has an incomplete list of authorized sellers. 

[cyndysocal]

🙂 @Rich_Laue  I am new to this.  I did not know there was a charge 5 board. Take care!