My Sense Died

[LostGirlKC]

Hi -

My Sense is only a watch. A few months after the warranty expired, the green light on the back stopped working and it cannot track my sleep, breathing (when meditating), heartrate, and 2 days later the steps stopped tracking. I called customer service a few times and ended up doing a factory reboot. It started working for 2 hours and stopped again. I called CS again and their solution is to give me a 35% coupon for a new product. No thanks - I am going to Garmin or apple phone. At least I will know they last more than ONE YEAR.

Disappointed in the product and in the Fitbit company.

[XtieHere]

JMac - I never had issues until I updated to the Sense. I did this and my first one died, just 14 months after I bought it. Bought a new one, had to replace it at the store - after 3 months, as it wasn't holding a charge. 

Now, I am 7 months out, and FitBit CS is giving me a difficult time, as I have gone through troubleshooting with them 3 times in the last week, with no help. As soon as it reboots, it sits on the charger with no charging. Tried to exchange it tonight, since I am still under warranty. Need to prove my purchase - which is understandable, and I will get back with them. I too am considering making the jump - which is too bad, as I have used and Loved my Fit Bit Products for years. I was so excited when they came out with the sense. But alas, no luck. 

[Guy_]

@XtieHere  -  there is quite a common problem with charging [whilst the watch may be fine and may only have a flat battery] - check all the charging issues here How to check charge cable - Sense/Versa 3 won't charge, won't start or blank screen 

[LostGirlKC]

Hi!

Yes - I had all the problems with charging initially. One of the four pins on the charger itself slowly will not come out anymore, hence no charging. I bought 4 chargers and all died the same death.

Unfortunately, this death is different. The green light that tracks most things will not come back on. The watch thinks my hr is at 74 bpm whether I am sleeping or working out. It doesn't track any sleep at all. It doesn't track my steps (says 0 all day every day). With all the awesome smart watch functionality not working, the only thing that does work with the watch and the alarm. That is is. I am very disappointed.

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @LostGirlKC, have you tried restarting your "Sense" (Settings>swipe up>touch shut down & confirm) restart by holding the side button for about 5 seconds until the logo appears (or just hold the side button until the logo reappears). Sync your Fitbit app. The charging cable problem has been widely reported (you do not mention the timeframe in which you had 4 cables or where they came from - were they all "Fitbit" sourced?) I have the "Slow Charging" warning from time to time and find washing the "Sense" with warm soapy water (do not forget to make sure it is dry before attempting a charge) and gently wiggling the 4 pins with your finger resolves the problem. 

If you place the "Sense" face down on a surface the LED will stop flashing after a few seconds, the sensors need to receive a reflected pulse to continue the process. You may know that if you leave the device face up on a surface you may get "Rogue" HR rates.

I hope this is helpful.

Cheers

[KB9WNS]

Agreed 100% on using FitBit sourced chargers.  The knockoffs are bad.

[Guy_]

@KB9WNS  - the charge cable issue is more probably to do with the watch terminals, which are prone to collecting dirt if not cleaned regularly and can cause a bad or intermittent connection .

This can lead to poor or no charging, overheating with all sorts of damage.

Also due to the magnetic feature the cable can stick to all sorts of objects, including my desk! and combined with how it is attached to the watch it can easily get danaged. They are quite fragile.

My Chinese charge cable is more robust than the standard one and for $3 you can easily buy a few if necessary.

[Un_happy]

Same thing happened to me.   Exactly at 14 mos too.   Also got the 35% coupon which is disappointing to a person who has been an active and dedicated user.   I'm moving on to Apple as well - can't afford to risk another replacement in 14 mos.   

[btwasem · Accepted solution]

LostgirlKC you are not alone.  My Sense died 4 months out of warranty.  They wouldn't even try fixing it.  They now want to sale me another $300+ watch and give me a gracious 35% discount.  Gee thanks, but no thanks!  I no longer support Fitbit!  Too many more reliable options out there to waste my time and money on this crap!

[Tmccollum]

Sorry this has happened to you but the same thing is happened to me. I have had Fitbit products since 2015. My Fitbit Sense as you know has cost well over $300. Fitbit customer service offered me 35% off as well and I say no thanks to them. This is a company/ product issue. Fitbit should be more willing to acknowledge their software issues or product issues and replace product. I'm so upset..... Switching to Apple soon

[yogenpatel]

Me too i am going with Oura

[VivOmdal]

Mine just stopped working  2 days ago and it only 6 months old. It turned off on own when the battery level was 60% .I have tried all the troubleshooting tips but still non- responsive.  So disappointed  because I just paid 1 year premium  subscription 

[btwasem]

Submit for replacement ASAP, it's still under warranty.

Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device
Get Outlook for Android<>

[Guy_]

Hi @VivOmdal - a few things to check. Did you try to restart it ? How do I restart my Fitbit device? 

Did it get wet at some point?

Is it charging?

Or getting hot while charging? if so stop immediately.

If the battery has gone flat, it may only need charging and if the charge cable is faulty it won't work. It may also need cleaning - see instructions in How to check charge cable - Sense/Versa 3 won't charge, won't start or blank screen 

You can chat via the Fitbit App, click profile photo, Help & Support, Contact Customer Support to get a replacement cable under warranty if necessary..

If the watch is faulty the quickest way to resolve it is to take it to the shop for a new replacement, hopefully over the counter.

[LostGirlKC]

Hi! It isn't about charging, unfortunately. The red and green lights on the back of it just stopped working. Therefore, it would keep time, but that is it. No steps, no heartbeat, no sleep tracking, etc. So bummed.

[LostGirlKC]

Yup -

Restarted it, updated software, over and over and over. Red and green lights on the back do not work. Thus, it is just a watch - keeps the time. But no steps, no sleep coverage, no real tracking. Sad and disappointed.

[LostGirlKC]

Such a bummer! I love it until it stopped working. Sorry this happened to you too.

[LostGirlKC]

Hi Viv -Note that I think your Sense is probably still under warranty. Call 877-623-4997. I think it is good for a year and if you are under warranty, they are quite helpful. If you are not under warranty - they are not. And the problem that most people are having is our sense goes just out of warranty and then it dies. I wish you luck!

[CraigHansen]

The fitbit branded ones consistently FAIL. What's really strange is how third-party charger cables, which have obvious different physical construction, appear to fail the same way as the original. The same pin fails in both cases.

[VivOmdal]

I talked to them yesterday  and had 2 options 50% discount when i buy a new fitbit  or replacement. I decided to go with replacement. Thank you !