My experience with Versa 3 and Customer Service

[Laleli]

Two days ago, I swam for the first time with my Versa 3, and it immediately stopped working. While searching for a solution, I found out that this is a common problem with this model. I contacted customer support, they gave me steps to clean and try to get the Versa working again, but nothing worked. Since my watch is not under warranty, as I bought it three years ago, they offered a 35% discount on a new device. However, when I went to the website to purchase the replacement, they force you to choose a more expensive model because the Versa 3 is no longer available.

I am extremely disappointed and angry with Fitbit's unfair practices. A product that is supposed to be water-resistant up to 50 meters broke after the first 10 minutes swim, and now I'm forced to upgrade to a pricier model. This is a disgraceful way to treat customers who bought a defective product. I'm completely livid at their disloyal practices. You should be ashamed.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Tripper2]

I'm on help site for same reason, 1st time swimming with 5 year old versa 2....that i really don't want to replace with an "upgrade"

Mine started working again for a while after I attached it to the charger, but now just shows logo pattern at times.

[MarreFitbit]

Hi there, @Laleli. Welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums. Thanks for bringing this to my attention and for the troubleshooting steps you've tried. I'm sorry to hear that your Versa 3 is still unresponsive. We‘re taking your comments and sentiments in regards to our products and services into consideration.

Thanks for your question about why we offered a discount towards a new Fitbit product instead of a replacement of your existing Fitbit product. Our limited warranty provides repair or replacement of products that have a defect while still in the warranty period. Your device is out of the warranty period, and therefore is not eligible for repair or replacement, but we want to offer you a discount to thank you for your loyalty to Fitbit. For more information about our warranty, see fitbit.com/legal/returns-and-warranty.

Our products are indeed designed and made to last (this goes for each product component) however, there is not an infallible way to ensure that no issues will be present in the long run. Because of this, our Warranty Policy  is set into providing as much coverage as we can.

Even though I truly appreciate you took the time to come here and express your feelings towards your experience with your Versa 3 and also want to find a resolution to your issue, my best advice is to keep the conversation with our Support Team. Since you've exhausted all troubleshooting steps, I'd like to share with you that there are no different steps here on the forums that we can provide other than what our team has already provided to you. Note for this kind of inquiries/cases/process, there's not so much we here in the forums can do for you as this is something that our team handles based on our policies. Thanks in advance! 

@Tripper2 Welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums. I'm sorry to hear that you too are experiencing this issue with your Fitbit device. I will do my best to help you! 

If your device got wet, it’s important to take it off and dry it well before putting it back on. On the other hand, if your device has come into contact with any liquid other than fresh water, you should clean it with fresh water and a soap-free cleanser and dry it with a lint free-cloth.

If you've done the above but to no avail, may I know if your Fitbit device vibrated during the restart process? If it didn't, I'd recommend trying the steps below:

• Clean the charging contacts on the back of your device and the pins on your charging cable using the instructions in How do I clean my Fitbit device?
• If the error "insufficient power source" appears on your device's screen, remove other devices plugged in to your power source, or plug your device in to another source.
• Try a different USB port or a UL-certified wall charger.
• Check the alignment and try reconnecting your device to the charging cable. For more information, see How do I charge my Fitbit device?
• Restart your Fitbit device. 

[Visekemi]

Mine failed a few weeks ago after 3.5 years. I am really disapointed because I was expecting that it will last longer for that price. I am happy to pay another $$ for a smart watch!

[Visekemi]

I misstyped...I wanted to say that I am NOT happy to pay another $$ for a new

[Laleli]

I contacted customer support, and they offered a 35% discount on a new device. However, Fitbit is pushing customers to buy a newer model, which I do not want. I'm left without options because my current model is unavailable in the Google Store, and I don't want an upgrade.

I don't expect Fitbit to cover a warranty after 3 years. My complaint is that the Versa 3 has a known issue (whether new or after 3 years of use, as a quick Google search will show), and it's misleading to sell it as water-resistant when it isn't. When this problem occurs, loyal customers are forced into an upgrade, which is unreasonable.