My experience with Sense and Customer Service

[TimMarks]

This device cost me the better part of 225 a year and some change ago. The wife and myself both got one, as well as versions for the kids. They have been nothing but glitchy head aches. To be fair,  the models I owned before weren't any better.   We hoped Google merger would solve this issue but it made it worse. Mine has completely stopped working and my wife says hers doesn't feel like it tracks correctly anymore.  Customer service gave me the most simple troubleshooting steps to use, which didn't work,  then told me warranty would email me.  They did,  to offer me the famously offensive "hey, I know we sold you an overpriced device that died for NO REASON,  but here's a thirty percent off cupon for your next overpriced device that will die just outside of the warranty window... " and I just assume they call us idiots on the other side of the screen when we accept It. I'm done hoping they fix themselves.. imma find out who makes something like this but better and go with them.  Suggestions? 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[MarreFitbit]

Hello there, @TimMarks. Thanks for stopping by in the Fitbit Community Forums and sharing the details about the issue with your Sense. We‘re taking your comments and sentiments in regards to our products and services into consideration. 

Even though I truly appreciate that you've taken the time to come here and share your experience, please note for this kind of inquiries/cases/process, there's no so much we here in the forums can do for you as this is something that our Support Team handles based on our policies. Nevertheless, please feel free to reach out to them again if you need further assistance or clarification regarding the outcome of your case. 

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. 

We really hope your issue gets sorted out. 

[TimMarks]

This is another example of saying words that mean nothing.  I know that this does nothing.. I know that talking to your customer service did nothing.  I know that your warranty does nothing.  I know that your update damaged your overpriced product and I know that I'll never bother with your company again, because I'd rather not waste my money and have circular conversations with NPC's. You didn't even bother reading what I wrote or your know all of this already,  hence why I assume yall are NPC's. 

[nikkibird]

My Sense started doing a boot loop Thursday morning, talked to customer service today, who "escalated" my ticket -so I got the wonderful discount toward a new purchase.  March 2022 until Thursday, so my Sense, purchased with the Ionic recall 50% discount - making it $180 - is now just worthless.

See ya FitBit - as an almost 10 year follower, I need a product that will last 4+ years like my FitBit One - not smartwatches that become paperweights after 18 months, so I get offered a discount on a higher priced item.  

[TimMarks]

That sucks man.  I'm with you,  I was there from the beginning and loved it. Honestly,  looking at the Amazfit gtr 4 for the replacement.   Amazon is soulless by they at least know how to do business.  When the supposed unbreakable glass on my fitbit sense broke, fitbit said it wasn't convered under warranty but Amazon decided too replace it anyways.  

[nikkibird]

I am pretty loyal to android & love my Google pixel phones. Got a WearOS/TicWatch between the Ionic & Sense - I'll be going back to it.  Unfortunately, the boot-loop started when I was out of town & forgot to bring my charger or a backup watch.  Good luck with finding a replacement.
The spouse & kid went with Garmin earlier this year when they decided to start wearing watches and are super happy.

[TimMarks]

I suppose there are no wrong answers but one in this situation. 

[GracieJune]

I guess you could say as a customer, I too have tasted a lemon and the experience has soured me.

My Sense is bricked too. It went from 6 days of battery life for 2 years to 2 days a couple months ago, back to six days after deleting a couple of unused apps. Then two weeks ago, battery life mysteriously dropped to one hour. Fitbits response...buy a new one for 35% off. Nope.

My premium subscription will cancel on the 22nd and I will be done...especially after seeing so many posts with so many people having the exact same issue and fitbit lame trouble shooting advice (turn it on and off...yup that's it) and offering a lame 35% off. I mean seriously. I've paid what $300 MOL in premium fees over the last several years and would have kept on doing it happy as a clam with a working device. I have read that Google is phasing out the Sense and another similar model (that had bricking issues with the last software ipdate too). and why would I go spend money on a new device when ive read newer devices are having the same issue. Add the crappy app update to the mix on top of the software issues and why would I go spend money on a new device only to worry it will brick too? (On top of having ro replace all my additional bands and protective face covers that are now wasted.) 

I am considering a Garmin due to battery life and tons of the same features with no subscription needed to get them. I thought about a Samsung, since I have a Samsung phone, but I don't want to have to charge every day or two and from what ive read batter life is not great. My husband has a Garmin and loves it and I swear he charges like every couple weeks. 

Do better Fitbit. Do better Google. 

[Retprof]

The watch was purchased from a Staples in Ontario in early July, 2022 for the full list price of $430 Canadian or $320 US. Although I was concerned about a single, possibly false positive for atrial fibrillation (a later, 48hr Halter monitor test was totallynegative) I still found it useful as a pedometer and waterproof watch. It seems to measure and record pulse accurately. My wife bought two more on a sale a month later. The sleep tracking device on my watch was troublesome, and nothing that was tried would get it to work properly. For this reason Fitbit supposedly replaced the watch under warranty , but I wonder if they really did. I was given no new serial number. The strap caused a rash occasionally, but worse still it worked loose every couple of weeks, and the watch fell off my hand three times, the last time on a plane that had just arrived at Heathrow Airport in May this year. A week later it had not been recovered, and, because it was out of warranty,  Fitbit reluctantly agreed to offer me money toward a new purchase. However, the watch found its way to Aegean Airlines Lost and Found, and a friend recovered it. It still fell off my hand from time to time, and it would not measure sleep accurately. I replaced the strap with a metal one. It did not solve the problem of the poor fit, but I no longer get a rash. However, battery life got shorter and shorter, and three days ago the watch stopped charging. I rang Fitbit Customer Service, and got the usual runaround, where they read out scripts from their manual - why not clean the charging area with RUBBING ALCOHOL? Eventually, we were told that the problem had been referred to an expert, and that we would receive instructions forthwith by e-mail as to what to do (e.g. presumably mailing the watch in for repair). I checked that they had the correct e-mail address. They did, but no instructions ever came. My advice would be to avoid any consumer products sold by Google. The quality is poor, the guarantee is inadequate, and their customer service is poor. Look at their online ratings. I wish we had done so before purchasing.