Why does the Charge 2 not come with a USB dongle?

[MeanDean]

why in the hell does this not come with a dongle ? how frustrating to buy this product and begin to set it up ...only to find ..oh wait .....there is no dongle.?   wtf are you thinking .....so now how do i set it up ...this is my first purchase ..and with stupid thinking on fitbits part they don't ship all the hardware to set the watch up...?... this is so stupid ...i almost threw this piece of crap in garbage .....i would have if it didnt cost me 200 bucks ....Not happy .......

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Julia_G]

The dongles are not available in stores anywhere -- only directly from Fitbit.  As I have said, only a very small fraction of Fitbit users need / use the dongle.  It used to be supplied with all Fitbits, but technology changes mean that most users simply throw them away and that is why they are no longer routinely supplied.

[PureEvil]

While I don't expect Fitbit to publish all this text on the small box for the tracker, a little bit of research:

They don't mention in the specs that you may get one by contacting support, but you can find that out here in the forums.

[Damabelle]

There are many people using or wanting to use these devices that are not very tech savvy (not me by the way, I am in tech support and often answer the calls for help from family friends, joe blow down the street etc), and having to call support and sometimes wait a few weeks for the dongle. To arrive is a real turn off for them, and often leads to them giving up on the device.  I would suggest fitbit ship a number of dongles separately...  eg 1 dongle per 20 fitbits shipped wholesale, so the retailer has a small supply on hand for those people who need one.  

I understand the arguments for saving the environment and waste, and the irony that disclosure statements on the packaging is least likely to be understood by people who are not tech savvy, do not own a lot of up to date technology, and therefore are most likely to need a dongle.

[Julia_G]

@Damabelle, that would be a good idea, except dongles have never been handled (separately) by retailers (they have only ever been available directly from Fitbit) and it is unlikely that they would want to take on responsibility for such a low value/ margin device.

I am afraid that the facts have always been that those unable to adopt technology upgrades suffer a little in the consumer market.  But that does not mean that a company should build in waste -- environmental and commercial -- indefinitely.  Fitbit does pretty well for now -- for the time being it will ship out the dongle to those who need it.  My guess is that these will become less and less available, however. 

Just a guess.

I actually know someone who has a computer that requires 3.5 inch floppy discs.  But I don't know anywhere mainstrea, where you can buy them...

[NixNox]

Omg....calm down!! Maturity is asking first. Then if you don't get a result, then you have the right to drop the F bomb. Good Lord..... people kill me. Hope you are happy with how stupid you made yourself look..... bahahaha

[PureEvil]

@Damabelle,

While I admire your passion and agree that Fitbit should have them in stock for shipping to whoever needs them (the reason why some folks were delayed), I don't necessarily agree with your solution...

First, the buyer needs to know if they need the dongle.  I can see instances of folks buying Fitbit for their grandkids and even if this was laid out with a big note on each item,  "You'll need either a compatible smartphone or a computer running the latest OS with Bluetooth LE support.  Otherwise, you'll need a dongle."  How many grandparents are going to able to answer that on their grandkids behalf?  I bet many (tech savvy) Fitbit users did not know if their computer had Bluetooth LE support before they got a Fitbit.

Second, part of the problem is having the retailers manage the inventory.  How do you get a retailers to allocate space for these items?  Where do you keep them?  How does the customer go about getting one from the retailer?  Many companies (like Trader Joe's) keep their operating costs down by keeping a modest list of items they need to manage.

Finally, keep in mind that Fitbit is sold by many retailers.  If you take your Fitbit Charge 2 to check out at Macy's, do you really expect the salesperson at the fragrance counter (because it was open) to know to ask, "Do you have a compatible smartphone?  If not, are you running the latest OS on your computer and do you have Bluetooth LE?  If not you'll need a USB dongle."  Does this mean that you're now pushing the burden of training all these salespeople to know about Fitbit on all the retailers?

What's next?  Do we expect all retailers of cigarettes to supply matches?  All retailers of beer to supply bottle openers?  All retailers of wine to supply corkscrews?

I think the practice of contacting Fitbit if you need a dongle is sensible, the most waste conscious, and most scalable.

[Rich_Laue]

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@NixNox wrote:

Omg....calm down!! Maturity is asking first. Then if you don't get a result, then you have the right to drop the F bomb. Good Lord..... people kill me. Hope you are happy with how stupid you made yourself look..... bahahaha

---

Maturity is knowing that in a family oriented community like Fitbit the f-word is never acceptable to drop, and it simply shows immaturity

[Albareth]

So Christmas 2017 and i open up my fitbit all excited.  I too cant connect...Why sell a product if it is unusable.....

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Albareth, perhaps you could be more explicit about what issues you are having trying to connect?  I am sure someone can help.

Please let us know if you are setting up using a phone... if so, which one?

If it is a computer it will also help to know which operating system and also what error messages you are seein or priblems you are having.

The more information you can give, the easier it will be to help you!

Merry Christmas!  Hopefully we will be able to get your new Fitbit up and running again soon!

[Albareth]

It’s for my pc and it wants a dongle I’m running windows 7

steve

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Albareth, in that case you will need to get intouch with Fotbit Customer Support on contact.fotbit.com to get a dongle.

[SunsetRunner]

Julia, your Fitbit support address has a typo which produces a "cannot find" message when clicked on.

[NixNox]

I figured out that you do not need a dongle.  It was something that was not needed anymore. thank you

[Julia_G]

Many apologies.  Try contact.fitbit.com

[Nicknack1]

We also just purchased as a Christmas gift for my son. No **ahem** Dongle not understanding why I need to purchase separately?

[Rich_Laue]

@Nicknack1 have you followed @Julia_G's advice above? 

Not knowing what type of system your using to setup the tracker leaves me clueless to help. 

[Sharebear123]

I am setting up Fitbit connect on computer but asking for dongle (which I do not have).  It all started because my fitbit shows battery with exclamation mark and only half charged. I cannot go further.  Help!

[NixNox]

Contact Fitbit support
Get Outlook for Android

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Sharebear123, you will not need a dongle to charge your Fitbit using a computer, but if you want to SYNC via your computer you will need a dongle unless your computer has built in Bluetooth and you are using the Windows 10 app (or an up to date Mac with BT).

Remember that in most cases a computer or laptop will not deliver charge unless the computer is awake, so even if you plug it into a computer for a very long time, if the computer has gone to sleep -- which most are set up to do after a few minutes of non activity -- your Fitbit will have only had a few minutes charge.

[hmast]

Absolutely riduculous they don’t come with dongles. And don’t say it on box.  I will never buy another tracker from this company again