Sense - What checks do refurbished products get?

[Iain_L]

Having received my latest warranty replacement Sense today, and finding that this one simply doesn't power on, I am forced to wonder whether Fitbit do any kind of checks on the "refurbished" products they send out as warranty replacements.

My initial Sense worked nicely for 6 weeks, then following an attempted hard reset after it stopped opening the exercise app, it got stuck in a reboot loop. Fitbit were very good, and immediately sent me a replacement; sadly, the replacement would not accept updates to the firmware, and kept losing both the bluetooth and wifi connections.

Again a replacement was shipped, but this time only after Fitbit received the capsule back first. It arrived today. Great I thought, and plugged it into the charger. Dead as a dodo, no sign of life at all, even after 3 hours. Charger checked, cable checked, USB socket checked. Once again a replacement product has failed upon arrival and has to be returned before Fitbit will post out a new watch.

This is not premium service, and if this next one fails I will definitely be looking for my money back. By the time I get a replacement, my watches will have spent more time in transit that on my wrist.

Please sort this quality out Fitbit.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[deiG]

The replacements are refurbished ones? How do you know?

[Odyssey13]

Hi @Iain_L  I've asked a moderator to stop by to address this with you. They know more about such things.

@deiG they often send a refurbished Fitbit pebble when there are no current devices to send to the person. read more here - click

[Guy_]

Hi @Iain_L  - if you look in the forums you will see many similar problems.

It is a good question what Fitbit do with the faulty ones that are returned before being sent out as "refurbished".

May be they just initiate a factory reset and send them out, as I too have received several faulty replacements that didn't work.

[Sometimes a factory reset just fails and the watch becomes unusable but it's already ready for sending out]

If they actually open and repair them, it may explain why there are incidents where water gets in or the faces just fall off, across the range of watches, or the seals may just be inherently bad on some watches.

As you say it is a question of poor quality control for both manufacture and replacements, which unfortunately leads to the customer dissatisfaction seen in the forums. But as millions are sold, some may be faulty, but this is not expected from refurbished ones.

See also Improve return or replacement policy to be faster (w/code to exchange at any shop) 

[Iain_L]

Thanks Guy_,

I’ve been to your voucher suggestion, think it would help. Obviously be better if the product was more reliable, particularly given the price point it’s pitched at.

Iain

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone. @Odyssey13 Thanks for the heads up!

Thanks for sharing your insights about this situation. Let me explain that depending on the available inventory, you might receive a factory-certified refurbished product as a replacement as stated in our Warranty Policy. However, please know these products are tested and determined to work like new, with minimal wear and tear.

@Iain_L I understand your concern and I'm sorry you've had this inconvenience. Your feedback is truly appreciated and it won't go unnoticed as it'll helps us to evaluate our procedures, as well as improve both our products and services. Because this isn't the type of experience that we want you to have, my best advice is to get in touch with our Support team so they can investigate your watch's behavior and see what can be done to bring you back on track. They're available via chat and phone, just click here to get connected with them.

See you around.

[Iain_L]

Thanks very much for your reply Lizzy.

Obviously to have received 2 faulty replacements for a 6 week old Sense I had been in touch as you suggested with your Support team. Unfortunately this whole experience has been marred further by the fact that that the Support team this time failed to communicate at all with me once they were in receipt of my full name and address in order for them to process the return label, which never arrived. That meant another visit to Live Chat 4 days later, and another apologetic operative who did this time get a return label processed.

I must admit that even though a refurbished product ‘with minimal wear and tear’ may be sent out in complete accord with your T&Cs, Fitbit’s quality control process does seem to be lacking in this respect. Right now, although hoping my next Sense works for more than 6 weeks, I do sadly wonder if I shouldn't have been loyal to the brand, and should have taken my first Sense straight back to the shop I brought it from and got my money back. It’s a shame, because it does have the potential to be a great product.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @Iain_L.

You're welcome, thanks to you for taking the time to review my response. I apologize for the experience that you've had with the Sense, and your interaction with our Support team. The feedback shared by our members is always provided to our team so they can improve our services, and prevent this situation from happening again. Yours won't be the exception and rest assured it'll be passed along.

Because you have a case created, I've forwarded your comments so our Support team can take them into consideration. They've access to all your information, so please keep an open communication with them.

See you around.