Overall complaint

[agood]

I don't have a question but this was the only place to put my concerns. So here it is. Been a Fitbit tracker user for 2 years now and up until about 2 hrs ago loved this product and was a Fitbit ambassador. Told everyone who would listen about how great this tracker was. Now I'm pissed and I hate this product and the terrible customer service. The select button which apparently is an issue with other surge users stopped working. It has been unresponsive for a while but since the touchscreen was working I ignored it. That was until I tried to track a free run and it would not let me pause or stop the run. It has not stopped counting and my 1 mile apparently takes me 1 hr and counting to complete. Again the select button does not work so I cannot restart it. I called the terrible customer service and he tells me to restart the tracker by holding the home button and the select button. Idiot are you listening? The button doesn't work, I tried that plenty of times. Like I said earlier I have used this tracker religiously for 2 years so the warranty expired. Customer service offered me 25% a new tracker when the tracker I have now malfunctioned all on it's on. So i have to pay for another one when this product was faulty all on its own. Thank you Fitbit for your awful products and terrible service. Would have been a user for life. Stop making junk frackers and reboot your customer service department.

[wmchapman]

I know you've tried to clean that button many times to get it to work, being a mechanical button sticky stuff can harden along its sides and make it impossible to push if large enough or it won't pop out (stays depressed) if a smaller blockage. I see similar issues with mobile "push to activate" buttons everyday. If you use your surge the way I do, sweat, skin and dirt do build up.

Have you tried a handsanitizer wipe or some other alcohol based to soften debris and free up the mechanism? Mine has never gotten so bad as to freeze up; but if it had, I would first sacrifice an old tooth brush and brush around the edges and in the slot with alcohol to try to force away any impurities that have accumulated over time. A quick spray after the cleaning with canned air or an earwax bulb to quick dry before exercising the button could help as well. 

I would be frustrated as well to lose a tool as powerful as my Surge after so many years of help, thanks for posting the reminder to keep up my daily regimen of keeping everything top notch.  Every time I shower I use the resulting damp towel to wipe down every part of my surge to prevent build ups.

When I first got my Surge a few years back I discovered latex was not a breathable substance and a magnet for salt - the regular wipe downs have kept it trouble free.

I'm sorry to hear of your experience @agood; but glad you shared, your tale reminds me to stay diligent and its reward.  With just one (much larger) button to keep up with you might give the Charge 2 a shot, it is certainly easier to keep clean.

[VF31AE3]

Hey agood. I feel your pain and I'm impressed. In the 17 months I've been a Fitbit user I've had four Surges. The first three were defective. The fourth is only a few weeks old and statistically will last about four months at which time its defects will begin to show. After I have gone thru all the warranty (they are very good at replacing under warranty) Surges, I am moving on to Garmin and or Tom Tom. So you are not alone. Take a deep breath and decide whether or not to stick with Fitbit or move on. Good Luck!!!