Sense stopped working after less than a week

[Threemoons]

OK, so my ailing Ionic--which has given me issues from day 1--died one week after my warranty expired.  I tried to work something out with FitBit and they gave me a discount code.  Against my better judgement, instead of getting a Garmin, I thought I would give the Sense a go.  I even paid for expedited shipping.  When it arrived, I got prompted again to buy FitBit's extended warranty (more $$ than if I had bought the insurance on Amazon, but then I wouldn't get the discount).  Last night, after less than a week of use, I put it up to charge overnight.  When I woke up....I had a low battery notice on my phone.  It had totally bricked.  After less than a week.  

So we all know what happened next.  Tried chatting via text on my desktop, and when I explained to the CS rep that my watch had bricked, they literally thought that a brick had fallen on it and the watch was physically broken.  After much explaining that it was brand new, they insisted that I try charging it again, unplugging it, etc--I call it "customer service aerobics" because they feel compelled to totally ignore whatever whatever you just told them and make you plug, unplug, push, take it on, take it off, etc.  After finally confirming that it's well and truly dead and not pining for the fjords, I'm told that I have to pay to send it back.  

I try to explain that every other vendor out there--Apple, Verizon, Samsung, etc--will overnight you a new unit with a credit card hold, and include a return postage label to return the dead one.  Nope.  No dice.  I finally talk them into giving me a free mailing label (woo hoo) because, ya know, after I drop almost $300 net for a broken product I guess it's totally fair to ask a customer to have to lose money by skipping work, travelling to a UPS/FedEx, and then pay for the privilege of getting their defective $300 product replaced.

I asked yet again re giving a credit card number and just having a new unit overnighted to me, since I had paid for expedited shipping for the bad unit.  I was told to call Customer Service on the phone.

Well...the phone tree explicitly says that if you are disconnected, they will call you back.  After a hold, I got a rep...and promptly got disconnected while on hold for a manager.  No callback.

I call back....and the new CS person sheepishly tells me that they cannot make outgoing calls.  They had no idea that the phone tree said otherwise.  I go on hold for a manager again.  This time, they say that the best that they can do is a free FedEx label (but Smartpost, so I can dump it in my building's mailbox and not have to take time out of my day/miss work to make it to FedEx by closing) and super duper pinky swear promise to send me a new one, expedited, as soon as they receive it.  I mention the whole "real businesses take a credit card number, overnight you a new one, and let you then send the broken unit back for free" pitch and once again, no dice. 

Prediction:  For reasons unknown it will either take a month to get there or get lost and I will have to open a PayPal ticket to get a full refund, and also then a credit card ticket for a refund on the extended warranty that I got strongarmed into.  Also, what about my free 6 month trial of Fitbit Premium?  I won't be using that for at least 2 weeks. 

So...FitBit, if you are listening....you have got to start doing overnight replacements for bad units under warranty, full stop.  Period.  This is disgraceful.  If I hadn't already sunk so much time and money into the process, I would say to heck with it, demand a full refund, and go with Garmin like I should have.  You have got to improve your customer service.  I see zero risk to the company if you do overnight replacements with a credit card hold, like every other real personal electronics company does.  I have been a FitBit customer since the Pebble Kickstarter, but it's terrible to see that you folks never really made it out of startup mode.  Learn to swim with the big boys or get out of the water.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and formatting

[Clove6060]

Let us know if you receive a refurbished as opposed to new watch. Some have stated they received a refurbished watch.  

[Clove6060]

What was the charge level when you started?

[Threemoons]

It was something like 76%.  A few hours later it was only up to 80%.  

[Clove6060]

That’s not good at all. Not sure how long the “slow charge” mode takes but that’s a “really slow charge” I wonder if a refurb gets a fresh battery or just a charge. Either way it should have been checked. I’d run it down some and then charge it again. See if it goes past 80 within a reasonable time. Good Luck!

[Threemoons]

OK, here's some good news...tentatively.  While I know my first FitBit bricked--it had charged up to 100% then died after 3 days...was concerned re this one not charging.  This time it turns out that for whatever reason the charging brick I was using didn't like the charging cable.  Switched up charging brick and it shot up to 100% from 71% in half an hour.  So, let's keep our fingers crossed that the issue is solved.  Let's see.  

Moderator Edit: Formatting

[DeniseCC64]

I’m on my third sense in a year. Same story as yours. Terrible customer service and return policy.  It takes over 3 weeks to send the watch back using the slowest FedEx service possible. And no one apologized for the delays or the poor lifetime of the watch. Sad fo someone who loves using a smartwatch 

[Threemoons]

I just got a new Pixel6 Pro phone and if Google comes out with its own smartwatch, I am jumping.  

[Odyssey13]

@Threemoons  Fitbit is owned by Google. How's the phone? I'm leaning towards it as my current Samsung phone is getting older. Samsung 8.

[Threemoons]

Interesting wrinkle; I keep seeing news that Google may roll out its own branded smartwatch.  The Pixel 6 Pro is by far the best smartphone I have ever used, period, hands down.