Sense broken charging cable

[ravinot]

Hi Community, has anyone experienced an issue with the charging cable pins recessing into their holes? I was given a Sense as a gift a couple of months ago and noticed the other day that it had stopped charging. When I inspected the cable, I can see that one of the pins has crawled back into the hole.

Is there any way to perform a DIY fix? I have seen cables on the market that you can purchase, but I don't want to go down that route yet as the watch is pretty new. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[ravinot]

For what it is worth, here is the after market charger cable replacement I purchased: https://mobilemob.com.au/collections/fitbit-chargers-cables/products/fitbit-versa-3-sense-charger-ca.... I've been using it the same way as my FitBit cable since my original post, and have had no signs of a similar issue occurring.

The design of the pins on the after market charger have used metal on the base to hold the contact of the pin above the plastic, so I can't really see it recessing like the FitBit cable unless you whacked it with a hammer (I'm not willing to try that experiment though lol). Such a minor design difference, but so effective.

In my opinion, FitBit replacing faulty cables is only going to solve the issue temporarily as I believe it may be an underlying design flaw in the charger cable.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone.

I'm sorry for the tone used in my previous posts and thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We want our Fitbit Community to be a place where users can come to share their feedback and stories in a positive and conducive manner, so please keep in mind the Community Guidelines when posting. Your opinions are always welcome.

I understand where you're coming from about having these difficulties with your Sense charging cable. This isn't the experience that we want you to have and your comments will be passed along so our team can keep improving our products, services, and overall Fitbit environment. If you've not done so, please get in touch with our Support team via chat or phone so they can evaluate your options, and bring you back on track. Click here to get connected with them, and make sure to keep an open communication with them.

See you around.

[Philcat]

I fail to see the positive in having 3 charging leads fail in the same manner? Perhaps you can enlighten me? I note you removed my honest account of the problem. I presume you don’t want anything but positive feedback? Make a product that can be charged for at least 12 months with the original charge lead and you might get that. Thanks.

[StanleyS]

In reply to LizzyFitbit and her suggestion about contacting support:

I did pursue the chat support option. I was told I would be receiving an email outlining my next steps. Specifically, my chat ended with the support agent saying "our team will be sending you an email regarding further instructions and the warranty outcome. Please check into that in a few minutes."

It's been several days and the only email I have received from Fitbit was a marketing email promoting 20% off accessories. I suppose Fitbit was sure to make sure I got the promotional email since they figured I'm in the market for a new charging cable. 

[Philcat]

Hi StanleyS - This is a very positive way to increase Fitbit profits and highly conducive to sales of extra charging leads - built in obsolescence, perhaps? It is easy to see how LizzyFitbit will see this as positive. Hey, I can too, all very positive for profits and if word gets out, such that numbers of units sold declines, just increase the price per unit in a positive way? Yes indeed, all very positive!

[VincentWh]

Lizzy, I think the issue is that loyal customers are frustrated that they have to rely on each other and 3rd party vendors in order to solve this issue. Getting another 1st party charging cable to replace the one that is faulty only after contacting customer support and hopefully getting resolution is not an adequate answer to this.

I can only speak for myself, but I know that I don't WANT to return my wife's watch. I don't want her to go through that inconvenience, and she likes using fitbits. I got her the top of the line watch so that she wouldn't have to deal with these kinds of manufacturing flaws/issues. But here I am on the Fitbit community forums only to find that exact same issue repeated again and again.

I want to share positive experiences, and with Fitbit's help I would love for this community engagement to end as a positive experience, but as of right now you are seeing the frustrations of users that only want the ability to charge/use their new device, and quite frankly I am sure that nobody here wants/needs an apology from you for your tone or is requesting empathy from you. What we want is for Fitbit acknowledge that there is a flaw, and then fix it.

[VincentWh]

I also just stumbled upon another 8 page thread documenting and describing this same issue, going from today and back 9months. It appears this is a common and widespread issue and every individual with the issue is being directed to customer service without anyone from fitbit ever confirming their experience.

it would honestly be the best and most reassuring thing to just get a simple “hello user, im sorry to hear youre having issues with your device, thats not the kind of experience we want our users to have. There was a batch of chargers from one of our contractors that has had a high failure rate, and its possible you might have received one of those units. Rest assured we will mail you a new charger immediately if it seems thats the case, as we understand being able to charge your watch ultimately leads to a better customer experience”

Great, now i can sleep at night. I really dont even care to question the explanation, just any amount of acknowledgment that there is an issue and it is or will be resolved is enough for me. They have developed at least 30 rechargeable devices over the last decade, i have to assume this problem has been researched and addressed internally

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone.

I understand your point of view about going through this situation with your Sense charging cable and I'm sorry for this inconvenience. Every feedback shared in the forums never goes unnoticed as it help us to work and improve our products, and yours won't be the exception. In regards to your watches, as mentioned before, contact our Support team so they can look into your details and provide you with assistance. You can get connected with them via chat or phone by clicking here, and please follow up with your email case should you have any further questions.

@StanleyS Thanks for letting me know about your interaction with our Support team. Given this situation, I've forwarded your post so they can review your case details and get back to you with further instructions. Due to recent events affecting our operations there might be a delay in their reply; however, they'll work on your case and get in touch with you via email soon.

See you around.

[Philcat]

So, I would just like to share in a happy positive way, that 2 weeks after reaching out I still haven’t received a charging lead. I’ve had some emails & promises, but they won’t charge my device, mind you neither will the charging lead 😉😂🤣

[JillyRuxpin]

That’s exactly what just happened to mine 😩 Same pin and everything 

[Guy_]

@JillyRuxpin  Its a known issue with the cable.Did you get a replacement charger cable under warranty from where you bought it or by contacting Fitbit Support directly.

[JillyRuxpin]

They want me to return the entire watch and wait 5-10 days after they receive it for processing and then they will replace it. I’m so disappointed in their customer service on this issue. I can just get a better replacement cord from Amazon and have it working in two days instead of waiting a month for a full replacement.  It’s frustrating that a company of this magnitude, with a known device issue, can’t take care of a customer with a device that’s less than three months old. Since it’s a known problem, I’m sure the “new” watch would have just had the same issue as before. I’ll take my chances with the $12 replacement cords.

[Guy_]

@JillyRuxpin  Thanks for the update.

There is no need to return your new watch as you may only get a refurbished one in return which may be worse than your current one.

It is strange they are sending out replacement chargers under warranty to others.

Insist on a replacement charge cable, at least you will have a backup to the one you buy and that's what warranty is for.

[JillyRuxpin]

I sent a message to support to inquire why I had to send everything back when all I needed was a charger. The original message said to return everything that would have come in the original box, including watch, charger, band etc., but I don’t plan on doing that. I’d love for them to come through on this. We will see what they say. 

[Philcat]

Hello Jilly, I’m waiting for my fourth charge lead. My advice is to ask for a replacement every two weeks. If you receive them you might actually be able to enjoy a functional device & have a new charge lead in time to replace the one which will inevitably fail. Sadly Fitbit don’t wish to acknowledge there is any problem. I guess they don’t subscribe to “the customer is always right”, preferring to lambast us instead. Emails entitled DAMAGED CABLE tend to demonstrate this. I should like them to fix this, but they won’t even acknowledge the faulty lead, so it doesn’t look positive!

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @Philcat and welcome on board, @JillyRuxpin. @Guy_ Thanks for stopping by to help our members.

@Philcat I'm sorry for the delay in this replacement process and thanks for keeping me posted about this situation. This isn't the experience that we want you to have and while reviewing your details I noticed that our Support team sent you an email with more details a few days ago. In this case, I'd recommend replying back to their last email so they can provide you with updates about your case and your replacement.

@JillyRuxpin Thanks for letting me know about your Sense and your interaction with our Support team. I understand how you're feeling about this situation and while I don't have access to your case, I've forwarded your posts so they can review your details and provide you with further assistance. Please keep an open communication with them.

See you around.

[tsjohnson112]

Mine just did the same thing, same pin.  I have had it for just over 3 months.  Seems like a poor design.  This is my 3rd Fitbit, and 3rd to fail before 6 months.  Why do I bother to keep giving them another chance?  The only positive I can say is they have always had great warranty service, but that can only go so far when their products always fail.

[LizzyFitbit]

@tsjohnson112 Welcome on board.

@tsjohnson112 Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts about this situation. Please know our team values every feedback shared in the Community Forums as it helps us to work and improve our products, as well as our services. I'm sorry you're going through this experience and rest assured your comments won't go unnoticed. In regards to your Sense, please try getting in touch with our Support team so they provide you with further assistance about this matter. Click here to get connected with them via chat or phone.

See you around.

[StanleyS]

I finally got an email from Fitbit support on 7/26. It essentially said I need to contact my place of purchase (Costco, in my case). The most interesting part of the email was it was geared towards a issues with the watch band. Nowhere in the email did it reference/mention a charging cord. All I can say is it looks like an example of a "lazy" company responding with a "lazy" form e-mail. The options made no sense for a device that is part of someone's daily routine.

I went ahead and bought a replacement cable (3rd party) from Amazon. I'm sure if I ever have an issue with the watch itself it will be blamed on the use of a 3rd party charger. That's fine because Fitbit has demonstrated to me how they handle product issues. I'll continue to use my Sense until it breaks. I'm cancelling my premium subscription as I don't want to risk paying for a service on a device that is broken (should my Sense break). And I will be honest with anyone that asks how I like my Sense (good device, defective charging cable, and Fitbit didn't do the right thing to resolve the issue).

[StanleyS]

I thought I submitted an update on my case a bit ago, but it didn't seem to make it on to this thread.

Finally got an email from Fitbit support. One problem with the email was it was directed towards support for problems with the watch band. Really, the email looked like a "lazy" response (standard response) with no sensible option for moving forward. Since I bought my Sense from a retail outlet (Costco in my case), the option presented to me was to go back to Costco for repair/replacement. It (still) seems extremely wasteful to return the entire item to Costco due to a cheap, defective charging cable. I don't understand why fitbit doesn't handle this in a reasonable manner and just replace the charging cord (I previously submitted a picture showing the issue of the "stuck" charging pin).

I ended up purchasing a couple of replacement cables from Amazon. They are working fine. My 6 months of premium services (part of the Costco deal) expires in a couple of weeks. I will not be renewing that as I don't want to be stuck with a subscription tied to a product of suspect quality. I'll continue to use my Sense until it dies. When it does die, I'll probably replace it with something from another manufacturer. And along the way if anyone asks me how I like my Sense, I'll be sure to mention how Fitbit handled this issue.