band won't attach to charge 2

[bells739]

Is anyone else having a problem with their charge 2 band not attaching to their device?  I can no longer wear it anymore as it won't stay clipped.  I contacted support and since it's been over a year they will not help to fix it or offer anything but sending me a 25% discount for a new one.  Does anyone know how a workound?  I was not offered any solutions.  To say I'm more than frustrated is an understatement.  I recently purchased a Blaze in February after my Surge battery wouldn't recharge.  I was told that they couldn't "fix" the Surge battery and would only offer me a 25% discount on a new one.  Within a month of owning the Blaze the screen cracked (even using screen protector).  I was offered another 25% discount as there is no way to "fix" the screen.  I'm not asking for a new device.  I just want to fix the devices I have.  How is it that they don't offer any way to fix the devices anymore?  I've been with fitbit since 2009 and have bought pretty much every new one out....but I'm tired.  I have never experienced this kind of customer service before.  It's almost as if they WANT us to just purchase new ones.  If I can't get the band to stay this time, I'm switching over to the Apple Watch.  I'm frustrated.

[JohnnyRow]

If the problem is with the band and not the tracker itself, you can buy a replacement band from the store here, or there are many replacements available from Amazon at reasonable prices.

[bells739]

Thank you! But the problem isn’t the actual bands. It’s the actual device. I have three bands and I’ve tried them all and one side won’t ‘snap’ in anymore. I almost regret purchasing the one you can switch bands as I didn’t even anticipate this would happen. It just seemed so cool to get different bands. My advice for anyone would be to just keep one band and don’t chance it. It’s just too much money to have a wasted product now I can’t wear.

[Croy65]

Check your fitbit where it attaches to the band. I couldn't get mine to attach either but my daughter took a little screwdriver an cleaned my fitbit where the band attaches. There were pieces of the old band lodged where the new band was supposed to snap in.

[AlvaroFitbit]

@bells739 @Croy65 Welcome! It's great to see you around. 

@bells739 sorry to hear about your bands not latching to the tracker. Besides the suggestions @Croy65 and @JohnnyRow have shared you can try pulling the metal tab on the band to the outside so it helps better secure the tracker.

Let me know how it goes!

[SunsetRunner]

I had the same problem and after testing a number of bands found that it was the watch base not the bands. Follow the advice of other repliers I cleaned the watch connection without any change. I then used a small set of tweezers, put the watch on its back and with the band attached pushed hard on the edge of my desk. At the same time I put pressure on the moveable metal "hinge" on the band attachment pushing it down, away from the watch...it then snapped into place. I was pleasantly surprised. Hope this helps some other frustrated owner. 

[Coloradan]

I just had exactly the same experience. The band's attachment end is poorly engineered, so the plastic fatigues and ultimately breaks, either at a little tab or in the underlying structure. The band must then be completely replaced (both sides). But where can I find a new band? Seeing no listing under Accessories for any Aria 2 straps, only for Aria 3 bands, I just called Customer Support to make sure the Aria 3 bands advertised will also fit Aria 2. They won't. In fact, Fitbit stopped selling Aria 2 bands when Aria 3 came out, and refers its customers to Amazon to buy replacement bands! None of this is revealed on the website.

I had the same experience with my previous Fitbit device; the band-end design flaw was different in detail but similar in effect. There too, Fitbit did not support its just-obsoleted product but would only offer me a 25% discount on a new one.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I told the agent I would no longer do business with Fitbit, both because its hardware engineering in this important detail was not improving as its software and sensor engineering have commendably done, and more importantly, because refusing to stand behind its products and give customers the respect and support they deserve, and offering only a new purchase option, signals a corporate ethic and culture that I do not wish to support. I asked the agent to convey this message to her superior. I doubt she will.

I hope other customers who share this view will make it known, and will also vote with their feet.

[SunsetRunner]

I was first given a fitbit charge 2 by my son when I started to have a-fib problems. It was very convenient for me to check my HR to determine if I was in a-fib. Also being in the heath field, kit was easy for me to check phone calls and texts without being rude to my patients. The first one stopped after about a year, so I purchased another. Then this thing with the band started after a few months and started to piss me off, I had planned to go to apple watch if I could not correct this problem. As I said I was surprised that I was able to do a work around and get the hardware to respond. If this one breaks in a short time again, I will go to apple. I received nothing but lip support from Fitbit support, they were no help at all. I empathize with you and your aggravation.

drbob

[bells739]

I am so over the customer support here at Fitbit.  For the first time since probably Fitbit started, I no longer wear one.  The support used to be to die for!  I loved it.  Any issue we had, we would get help.  The products would be fixed.  They would last forever.  I went through three in one year.  One after another.  No support whatsoever.  The worst part is that one that I had purchased for $250 got a tiny crack on it after the first month even with buying screen protector and a bumper.  That tiny scratch invalidated the original one year warranty which I had 11 months left.  I was NEVER told that any tiny scratch or anything on the device would invalidate the original one year warranty.  They want you to purchase a support contract.  That's fine if we are told clearly from the beginning.  Usually that is above the original warranty.  I had problem after problem with it that entire first year.  there was nothing they could do because of the scratch.    Now, I would be ok with it if there was a means to actually fix them, but there isn't!  You can't fix the screen.  There is no fixing them.  There isn't even an option to turn it in to fix.  They aren't fixable.  Who makes products that aren't fixable?  The only response from customer support is a minimal discount for something new.  And of course they keep coming out with new products making the old ones obsolete.  For each device you have to purchase separate bands, chargers.  NOTHING works together.  You end up spending so much money per device and they don't support them.  My last gripe is that when you have more than one product (which they encourage) they don't flow back and forth as far as steps.  Over and over I lost all my steps in challenges I was on because I switched to a different device that day.  To be honest, I forgot about this issue at all that you replied to.  I will NEVER again pay for a Fitbit.  And I had gotten probably 15 people (and that's conservative) to go on Fitbit for the challenges.  Now I tell everyone to not waste their money.  It's a joke.  I'm so disappointed as I loved this company for so long.  It helped me so much with my goals.  I wish they would stand behind their products.  I wish they made products that lasted.  I wished they cared again about making products that lasted instead of just having us get a "new" one.  It's unbelievable the attitude that they have to just "buy a new one."  well, I won't do that again.  Ever.

[MarcoGFitbit]

Hello @SunsetRunner thanks for joining the Fitbit Community, it's great to have you on board. It's nice to see you too @bells739 and @Coloradan I hope you're doing well. 

First of all, I would like to apologize for the delay in the response. Thank you for contacting us and providing feedback, we regret the inconvenience you've experienced. Your feedback is truly appreciated and invaluable to our team in finding ways to improve our product and I'll make sure to forward it to our team. 

Thanks for your participation in the Forums have a nice day.

[45Seis]

Thank you that worked perfectly.

[Bicha]

Well after reading everyone's posts I decided to just wash it.  I noticed there was a lot of grime where the bands attach and since it's water proof, i just used the faucet sprayer and washed it with water.  It worked wonderfully!  LOL.  My bands are able to attach again.  I was mentally preparing myself to return it to Sam's, since they have a good warranty policy, but glad I don't need to now.  🙂 

[polkalover1945]

Thank you to the person whose daughter found a piece of the old band stuck inside where it attaches.  That was my problem too.  I am so thankful because I would never have thought to look for that as it blended in with the metal.  I'm 74 and was getting very disgusted.  Thank you, Thank you.

[Eddiesgirl]

Hi everyone! After reading your post and having the same concerns with the bands, I sorta took your advice and cleaned the areas with a small amount of alcohol on a tissue, small tweezers and a Qtip. Let it sit for a while and changed to a new band. It was magnetic. The other bands(rubber) I had purchased on Groupon several months ago and they could have been the problem. I had only tried one sucessfully and purchased three. The second  one was  the problem. The magnetic one connected great. Thanks for all your suggestions/advice.

Happy Holidays,

Eddies Girl

[klambo94]

How did you get the old band out of the Fitbit? I am currently having that same issue and cannot for the life of me make any progress with getting it unstuck.

[Croy65]

My daughter cleaned out the opening. There were pieces of the old band that had broken off and was preventing the new band to fit right. Just open up a paper clip or something similar in size and clean it out. I couldn't see anything but when she started digging it cleaned it out. Hope this works for you😊Sent from my Bell Samsung device over Canada's largest network.

[PeterOBrien]

Thanks.  Washing the fitbit clip with hot water did the trick.  After the washing and air drying the new band clipped into place.  The Fitbit Charge 2 I have is back on my wrist and working properly.  

[syouhung]

Kudos to your daughter. I couldn't see anything there either and just assumed somehow the fitbit bottom wore down and just wouldn't connect to the band. I used a toothpick and fiddled with it for awhile and I don't know if its part of the old band or just accumulating gunk but it clicks back in and is as good as new. Frankly I had just ordered a Fitbit 4 because I thought why not upgrade but to be honest the Fitbit 2 was still serving me well. Fitbit really should be more helpful to people who report this problem and let them know it is a cleaning issue. I have alternative bands and I will make an effort to rotate among them to keep it clean. While I was excited to get the Fitbit 4, I really didn't find it had more what I needed yet and would rather wait for even a better version. 

[QP32]

I’ve same problem as my Fitbit will not accept my new wristband. This is second time this has happened. I’m done with this product. That’s a lot of money wasted.

WRONG, but thanks....

Moderator edit: merged reply

[Eddiesgirl]

Hi just in case you did get my previous message. I cleaned the posts of the watch with a Qtip and alcohol. let it dry completely. Then i purchased a mesh band not a rubber one again(it did not work). I got my replacement bands from Groupon and that may have been the problem. My mesh band I got from Amazon and it is still working fine.  Don't give up on your watch it is too much money to waste. All the best