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I lost my Fitbit at the airport in Toronto. I know there is no way I am ever getting it back. I would like the ability to brick a lost device so no one is incentivized to keep a lost or stolen Fitbit.
I agree. It would be great if a tracking device could be built into the Fitbit, since it's so small and can be lost very easily. I lost mine several times, found it each time by luck, but finally lost it and had to buy a new one. By the way, Fitbit support was great--they showed me how to link the new one with the old one's history, so I didn't lose all of the data. (I think KKB meant TRACK a lost device.)
No, I mean BRICK. As in, make the device as useful as a brick. The idea is the same as when a phone is lost or stolen: You remotely deactivate the device, essentially killing it. The person who finds or steals it can't use a factory data reset or other means to reuse the device themselves or sell it to someone else to use. That makes stealing a device not worth the time/effort and will hopefully encourage anyone who finds it to return it & perhaps get some kind of reward (something is better than nothing).
Tracking a device requires one to confront a complete a stranger & ask them if they found it or accuse them of stealing it. That is not only uncomfortable but could be dangerous. Bricking a device is safer.
I lost my Fitbit at the airport in Toronto. I know there is no way I am ever getting it back. I would like the ability to brick a lost device so no one is incentivized to keep a lost or stolen Fitbit.
Yeah but if you brick it then people might just throw it out. A "please call _____" or "please contact fitbit support" would be more useful. Also like someone said in another thread. you shouldn't be able to associate a device with a different account without the permission of the first account (or a deactivation or something)
I agree totally with SplitRaindrop! I left my Force on a plane a few days ago and I really want to mark it as "lost" so if someone else tries to connect it to their account they would be given instructions about how to return it to me.
Totally agree! There should be a way whereby a lost or stolen tracker can be disabled remotely so that no one else is able to use the lost or stolen tracker.
Thanks for your suggestion about "briking" a lost Fitbit! We'll be sure to pass this along to the team. If we have any news, we'll be sure to post here.
My Charge HR has been stolen last Sunday from the locker in my gym. It would be great if I could deactivate the device remotely, so that the person who stole it would have no use of it.
I think the challenge with implementing support for handling "stolen" or lost devices, is that is could be NO different from how a used device sale process appears. So someone could sell a device, then report it stolen - just to be a jerk. Given that most used items are sold anonymously, this is a significant concern.
So Fitbit would need to track the history of serial number usage. Or permit some type of handoff on their website so the "giving" user to acknowledge they are selling the device to a "recipient" user. Thus invalidating any attempt at claiming it was stolen. It could probably be done without revealing the 2 users involved.
And the idea of simply disabling all functionality for a "stolen" device, rather than "bricking it", is much wiser, so in case it was found again by the proper owner, they could reactiviate it.
Currently if someone else picks up your Charge HR and then links it to their account, the device becomes theirs and there is nothing to stop them from doing so. The device disappears from the original owners account as well as the heart rate data (I've found this out the hard way) unless you have another device that tracks heart rate.
I propose some simple security features be enabled to prevent a thief from using your fitbit, or at a minimum disable the use on Fitbit apps and accounts.
This can be a very simple method.
Fitbit is linked to the original account when purchased.
Fitbit cannot be linked to another account without the current owner first going in an unlinking the fitbit from their account.
You can even build in some slick transfer of ownership functions and even sharing functions.
Check out the Tile device and app for ideas on how Fitbit could implement something similar (this is a $25 device that is much simpler than Fitbit yet has a set such that no one can steal and then use the device as thier own)
I have had a fitbit charge hr for over a year now with no issues, but I don't like wearing a wrist tracker at work because I work with my hands and would like more accurate information. I just purchased a fitbit zip on Saturday and it was lost on Tuesday. I work in a hospital, so there are lots of patients and staff that could have ended up with it. I tried to sync with it for the rest of the day after noticing it was gone, but had no luck. This morning the tracker had disappeared from my dashboard so I couldnt try to locate it anymore. I called fitbit and they told me it was activated to another account. They can't/won't contact the "new" user on my behalf to see if I could get it back. They also said the fitbit couldnt be deactivated to prevent someone else from using it in these types of situations.
Fitbit needs to add a deactivate function to keep lost or stolen devices from being used or at least activated on accounts by other users. If it's lost or stolen you may not get it back, but at least the dishonest people who keep them wouldn't be able to use them.
I completely agree - these are my suggestions for Fitbit:
1. Do not allow a Fitbit that has been reported as lost to be paired to a new account
2. Notify a user who is trying to pair a known lost Fitbit that it has been lost and offer to provide a prepaid envelope to return it to Fitbit.
3. Even go so far as to allow users who have lost a Fitbit to post a reward for it's return, all done annonymously
4. Program the Fitbit app and devices to work like the other bluetooh trackers on the market. Users could opt in to help other users if they lose their Fitbit. Imagine at the airport a notification pops up "A Lost Fitbit has been spotted near you" It would be a fun game to play - Find the Fitbit! If there were rewards it would motivate players and unite a community of Fitbit users. Instead we have a dark and almost criminal community that encourages people to essentiall steal a Fitbit.
This thread goes back to 2014 & I am posting 02/2017. I'm not getting the feeling that Fitbit is planning to incorporate what many of us in this thread feel are possible and important features. It's disturbing that Fitbit is aware of users activating found devices that the rightful owner has reported as lost and refuses to provide any safeguard or method for attempting to re-unite the owner with the device. Seems fundamentatlly wrong to me. Some have even reported in other threads that Fitbit customer service encouraged them to keep a device they found.
I would love to see a grass roots up-swell of complaints. Maybe it is possible to get Fitbit's attention. I agree with many of the suggestions in this thread about deactivating, "bricking", and tracking. Frankly I feel that Fitbit is actually helping to encourage theft. Current lack of support feels dishonest to me. They actually know who has the Fitbit we lost and refuse to notify them that the owner is looking for it.
Here are my suggestions to Fitbit.
1. Do not allow a Fitbit that has been reported as lost to be paired to a new account
2. Notify a user who is trying to pair a known lost Fitbit that it has been lost and offer to provide a prepaid envelope to return it to Fitbit.
3. Even go so far as to allow users who have lost a Fitbit to post a reward for it's return, all done annonymously
4. Program the Fitbit app and devices to work like the other bluetooh trackers on the market (such as the Tile device mentioned above). Users could opt in to help other users if they lose their Fitbit. Imagine at the airport a notification pops up "A Lost Fitbit has been spotted near you" It would be a fun game to play - Find the Fitbit! If there were rewards it would motivate players and unite a community of Fitbit users. Instead we have a dark and almost criminal community that encourages people to essentially steal a Fitbit.
I agree wholeheartedly. Fitbit is encouraging theft by producing and selling an item which is enticingly easy to steal and resell with zero risk of being caught.
It is becoming clear that there are many similar suggestions from an identifiable group of Fitbit owners who have lost their devices. In many cases, such as my own, Fitbit acknowledges that they know for certain who has the lost device but state that they cannot assist in it's recovery and cannnot even request it's voluntary return. These complaints and reasonable suggestions for policy & feature changes to alleviate this situation range over a period of years. Fitbit shows no intention of responding to these suggestions.
I'm wondering if any of you community memebers are attorneys who might weigh in on the concept that we are an identifiable class of owners who have sufffered damages due to Fitbit's lask of taking appropirate actions to protect our asset? Is there some legal action that could be taken?
I have listed links to a few of the many similar threads of many people who have lost their Fitbit and suggestions for a tracking feature are . Many come to find out that their identifiable device has been paired to a new account. Yet Fitbit will not impletment the obviously technically possible tracking and prevention of activating a known lost device. At least one user was encouraged by Fitbit Customer Support to simpy keep and use the device they found!
It is becoming clear that there are many similar suggestions from an identifiable group of Fitbit owners who have lost their devices. In many cases, such as my own, Fitbit acknowledges that they know for certain who now possesses the lost device but state that they cannot assist in recovery and cannot even request it's voluntary return. These complaints and reasonable suggestions for policy & feature changes to alleviate this situation range over a period of years. Fitbit shows no intention of responding to these suggestions.
I'm wondering if any of you community members are attorneys who might weigh in on the concept that we are an identifiable class of owners who have suffered damages due to Fitbit's lack of taking appropriate actions to protect our asset? Is there some legal action that could be taken?
I have listed links to a few of the many similar threads of many people who have lost their Fitbit and suggestions for a tracking feature are . Many come to find out that their identifiable device has been paired to a new account. Yet Fitbit will not implement the obviously technically possible tracking and prevention of activating a known lost device. At least one user was encouraged by Fitbit Customer Support to simply keep and use the device they found!
The below comment was in response to a user, FBVictim, who posted here. Now that post has been deleted and the user is no longer to be found on this forum. Hummmmm
I think it would be a great idea if Fitbit was able to shut down the fitbit for those fitbits that have been lost or stolen. My fitbit got stolen, at the time the battery was dead. I recently checked my fitbit account and noticed that the fitbit was charged and being used. I wish that fitbit could shut down my old fitbit as I think those who didnt pay for the device shouldnt be able to use it.
Hello SunriseRun391. Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately other supportive comments on this thread have been removed. I'm not sure who removed them or why. Given that there are so many incidents reported over such a long time I have lost any hope that Fitbit agrees that there is an issue here to address. I'm not even sure that anyone at Fitbit understands the point being made. The only apparent choice for anyone who feels that Fitbit's lack of protection against theft or assisting with any hope of recovery for a lost device is to switch to another device that provides such policies.
I agree. We just have to vote with our feet. I will no longer be supporting Fitbit with my dollars. Fitbit was a good thing while it lasted, but with this kind of customer service and multiple competitors out there, it is just a matter of time . . . Thanks for supporting my cause.
After reading this threat (cursorily), here is something I just tried to post, but don't even know if it posted:
Hi,
So while walking today, I thought about the security of my Alta HR (and my Charge 2 which is arriving today). Obviously, the bands cost enough money to deserve some security from Fitbit. While I have the option to insure my bands, I am also thinking that if someone lost their band, there should be a way to recover it - somehow. Here is what I have in mind.
1. All bands should have a unique identifier. When I buy a band, this unique identifier can be associated with either my e-mail address or phone number when I register the device with fitbit.com
2. Should I lose my band due to any reason (much as it might be useless if the battery is down), anyone who has/finds it should be able to see the details of the owner on the band. These details can be the owner's phone number or e-mail address and should be added as items under "Tap to Display" (for Alta HR) or similar configurable menu for the other bands.
In such circumstances, an honest person can contact the owner of the band to collect it from them.
3. These contact details should be configurable by the band owner - allow the owner to edit them should they change.
4. In a case where a band is lost, the owner should be able to "lock" the device. So if a thief has the band (and even goes ahead to buy a charger for it), they should not be able to use it as long as it remains locked by the original owner.
5. Should an original owner willingly sell their band to someone else, they should be able to have an option to 'transfer' the band to the new owner by going to the "Transfer" option, entering the new owner's e-mail address and phone number, then "accepting" certain conditions, then submitting.
Of course I'm hoping every band has a unique identifier, like a serial number.
6. In situations where other third parties develop Apps that work with fitbit bands/trackers, these security procedures should be enforced via the APIs availed to them.
I hope I am not talking about something that has already been discussed and resolved. I am new to Fitbit bands so mea culpa.
DISCLAIMER: I give these ideas to Fitbit freely and willingly. Should they find them useful and implement them, I'll appreciate a token of appreciation in the form of a tracker (Charge 2 or Blaze will do :-)).
All very reasonable suggestions! All Fitbits actually do have a unique identifier. My girlfriend lost her Fitbit & when she reported it to Fitbit they informed her that her device had been paired with another user's email. They refused to take any other action to assist in recovery!
As an experiment I tried calling Fitbit customer service and announced that I had stolen a Fitbit. I asked the customer service agent if they could help me set it up on my account. The response was "Yes sir, I can help you with that"
Fitbit's policies are rather amazingly insensitive to assisting their customers with recovery of lost devices. Given the age of this thread and the many other similar comments in other threads, my guess is that Fitbit have no intention of making any changes to their policies.
The moderators who feign concern over reports of loss and make lame suggestions about walking around using a bluetooth locator app or "checking under your bed" all deflect attention from the core issue that the people who set Fitbit policy are not concerned with people who lose them. In fact, sadly, the lack of any features to assist in device recovery simply encourages more sales as people will purchase replacements. The policy they do have is to offer a a 25% discount (which they do for all kinds of reasons) to make people think that Fitbit has assisted them. In reality Fitbit simply sets their "list" price 25% higher than they need to so they can offer 25% discounts all the time and still sell the products at the profit margin they need.
My advice regarding protecting your investments in fitness tracking devices is not to buy Fitbit devices. Buy something from a competitor who does assist with helping find it if it is lost.
I find it remarkable that a fitbit can be marked as stolen or lost to prevent another user using it. My surge was stolen during a security check. So I went to the app and found I can't list this as stolen. I was stunned this was not a feature. Well to the new owner of my fitbit - enjoy a free fitbit.
Completely agree! Fitbit should add a feature where they can shut down stolen items. My charge 2 was stolen just last week while I was on vacation. The people stealing these items shouldn't be able to benefit from their theft while we, the original owners, get to deal with buying a replacement.
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