My experience with Sense and Customer Service

[riley4006]

I purchased a fitbit in 2021 broke in less than a year, fitbit sent me a new watch and here we are 1 year and 1 month in and the same problem is occuring. So my fitbit Sense with the original and one replacement lasted me 2y and 1 month. Customer support had only 35% off to offer me on a new product. I spent $200+ on this product.

Moderator Edit: Clarified Subject 

[MarreFitbit]

Hi there, @riley4006. Welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums. Thanks for the details provided in your post about the issue with your Sense. We‘re taking into consideration your comments and sentiments with regards to our products and services. @Guy_ Thanks for the information shared. 

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. Since your device was out of the warranty period, and therefore was not eligible for repair or replacement, we wanted 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 or please feel free to contact our team back so they can clarify any doubt. 

[SunsetRunner]

I had an Ionic, which was recalled due to burn risk. I then spent about $200 on a Sense as a replacement. Right after the one year warranty period expired, the device's screen detached, and it would no longer hold a charge. This was after only light use.

As it's out of warranty it can't be replaced. I have Sony products that have lasted decades without needing any repairs... A one year warranty for devices that are inherently defective (rather than failing due to damage by the user), is just wrong, and there's no way I can rationalize spending a further $120-$200 on a new one given the low reliability of these products.

[Randy2576]

I thought I did enough research on the Fitbit products, but I should have come here first.  My wife bought me a Fitbit Sense two days ago.  The first night I just put it on the charger.  The next day till now, I was and am troubleshooting the watch.  It's all up to date, synced with my Iphone 8Plus and all notifications are turned on, on both devices.  Two major problems right off the bat.

One, although Alexa responds to questions, I cannot have Alexa dial a number for me.  When I try, this pops up: "Calling with Alexa is not supported on this device.  You can use the Alexa App instead."  Tech support told me that with my Iphone 8Plus running IOS 16.6 and everything set up properly, I should be able to have the watch dial a number.  I spent over an hour with support, checking and double checking everything needed to make this happen.  In the end, support could not rectify the issue and told me it would be moved up to higher tech support.  Unfortunately, they also told me that they would contact me IF they get any news on the issue.  I'm not sure how they would troubleshoot the issue if they don't talk to me and walk me through steps???

Second big issue is the fact that although a simple tap on the sleeping screen should wake up the watch, it doesn't.  Most of the time it takes repeated tapping 10 or 15 times till it responds.  Sometimes it doesn't respond and I have to push the left button on the watch to get it to wake.  Again, tech support ran through the scripted responses and came up empty here again.  Flicking the wrist works most of the time, but I'm not going to the gym flicking my wrist every time I want to check my pulse. 

Checking the issues online, I found that I am not alone.  These are known issues with apparently no solution.  I don't think I will hold my breath waiting for tech support to get in touch with me.  Simple requests go unnoticed and unanswered in these Fitbit forums.  Example:  A thread was started in 2020, commenting on the absence of an audible alarm on the Sense.  The watch has a speaker, as Alexa responds to voice input, but alarms, such as the timer function, just vibrate?   Three years later and the watch still has no audible alarm???  10 pages of audible alarm requests, a feature which just about every other watch has, goes by the way side. 

Don't get me wrong, the gal at tech support was friendly and patient, but the product feels like a Beta release not ready for prime time.  Don't even get me started with built in obsolescence???  Several posts commenting about the watches failing weeks or even days after the one year warranty period is over.  This is the world we live in today and we are all worse off for it - all that is except for the corporations and shareholders unloading these gems on us.

Boy, I didn't want to go this way, but it's the truth.

This Fitbit is going back because it's not fit to be worn on my wrist.  Also, with the track record evident in the research about Fitbit, I will not be buying another Fitbit product in the future.  Draw your own conclusions as to why Google owns Fitbit.

[bshirn10]

Mine failed after 1 year / 1 month. AFTER some testing/attempted hard reset per fitbit they told me my watch was no good and they could not do anything under warranty. I decided to order a new charging cable and it brought my watch back to life despite what I was told by fitbit.

It was a defective charging cable. I am now on my 4th cable. For some reason the watch causes the right lower charging pin to decend into the base and then will not charge the watch. 

Be very careful. FITBIT IS NOT HONEST.

[bshirn10]

I recieved the same ridiculous response.

The exact same charging cable issue is happening to many fitbit owners. They refuse to admit they have a defective product.

[bshirn10]

When your charger fails you will find that the lower right pin has decended into the base and will not charge your watch. I am on my 4th charger.

[Randy2576]

Interesting call to Fitbit today.  Told them that my brand new watch has issues and that I wanted to get a warranty exchange.  They asked me where the watch was purchased and then told me it would be better for me to get in touch with the store.  The store happens to be over an hour away since my wife bought it on a business trip at that location, the only location even remotely close to us.

I told her that it would be a hassle to go back to the store and that I simply wanted to get a warranty exchange.  She then said this could not be done since I wanted a different watch/model.  I had to tell her again that I did not want a different model, but the same model, just in proper working condition.  Then she asked me what had already been tried through tech support, to which I replied the usual reset techniques, etc.  I also reminded her, in case she forgot, that the tech support chat happened yesterday and that everything was recorded giving her all the information she was asking me again.

Next she told me that NO Fitbits can dial a phone number, none.  My response was that yesterday, tech support told me otherwise.  She remained steadfast and apologized that tech support gave me the wrong information.  Curiously, this gal was in the warranty department and she twice gave me the wrong direction on how to get to the quick settings menu? 

I wasn't going to argue with her about the call making, so I said there is still the issue about the need to repeatedly tap the watch to wake it.  To this she replied that it can take the watch 10 to 15 seconds to wake after a tap??????????????  Yes, folks, this was her response.  The frustration was building, but I remained calm.  I said that my watch, when it's on and just after the screen goes dark, will wake immediately if I touch the screen within a couple of seconds.  So the 10 to 15 seconds claim does not apply to my watch.  I further informed her that the issue arises if the watch is left in sleep mode for a slightly longer period of time.  If I touch it after a minute or so, it will not come back on with one touch.  I have to repeatedly tap it 10 or 15 times for it to come back, sometimes it will not even come on after that and I have to  press the button to wake it.

Finally I said that the watch is brand new, that I simply wanted a working watch, and would Fitbit honor their warranty?  To that she finally offered to start a claim and said that I would be contacted by email.  The conversation was this morning.  I still have no email.  Luckily, I did ask her to provide me with the claim number, which she did.  Up to this point, nothing having to do with Fitbit and the watch have given me any sign for encouragement.  Quite the contrary, I'm leaning even further to simply get a refund from the store and leave this experience in my rear view mirror. 

The old saying, if it's too good to be true...can also be said about feeling not right about a situation.  This just feels wrong right now.

[Scott337]

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@Randy2576 wrote:

Finally I said that the watch is brand new, that I simply wanted a working watch, and would Fitbit honor their warranty?  To that she finally offered to start a claim and said that I would be contacted by email.  The conversation was this morning.  I still have no email.  Luckily, I did ask her to provide me with the claim number, which she did.  Up to this point, nothing having to do with Fitbit and the watch have given me any sign for encouragement.  Quite the contrary, I'm leaning even further to simply get a refund from the store and leave this experience in my rear view mirror. 

The old saying, if it's too good to be true...can also be said about feeling not right about a situation.  This just feels wrong right now.

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I can use Google Assistant on my Sense to make calls thru my phone. My guess is that issue is something specific to Alexa and not the watch itself. As far as waking the screen, yes the Sense is less sensitive to wake taps than my Versa 2 was. It does not take 10 - 15 seconds, that is just plain wrong. But it is not as sensitive as older model FitBit devices, it's definitely more cumbersome to wake the screen on a Sense. If you do receive a replacement that will be the same, not going to change with a replacement watch. If the screen wake is a major issue for you go ahead and return it & get a refund and try a different brand. You should not have to be this frustrated with a smartwatch, there are plenty of other options available.