Surge - Repair Broken Strap

[RdMn]

My Surge is almost two years old (purchased April 2015) and its strap has broken where it meets the case. (See pictures)

Basically, there are two tiny screws connecting a panel on the inside of the strap to the watch case. The strap broke at the two screw holes, but it did not entirely detach from the case.

I have re-attached it with superglue - let's see how it holds.

[WendyB]

Its out of warranty. But if you contact support they will give you a discount

Contact Support
http://help.fitbit.com/?cu=1

[Griswold]

And if you go to AliExpress they'll sell you a new strap, including the Torx Screwdriver you need to fit it for around $20 USD.

You can buy a whole load of new straps for the cost of a new FitBit, even with the 20% discount.

[Bel69]

Same happened to mine. I also superglued it.....twice. 

[YojanaFitbit]

Hey there @Bel69, @Griswold and @WendyB, thanks for your feedback and recommendations. Nice to see you around @RdMn! 

I've sent you a PM, please take a look it since I've sent you some details in regards of your issue.

Let me know if you have questions about it. 

[IndianFB]

I've had the same thing happen to two different trackers. I'm fed up at this point that fitbit knows it's an issue hasn't made the proper changes and their only answer out of warranty is a 25% off code. 

[jadon190]

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem and think that this must be a very common problem.  In my case super glue did not do the trick but I have taped it with black electrical tape.  It will not last much longer so will be forced to get another fitbit product just not a surge.  Bad design but good software.  Wish I could join their engineering team to help solve the problem.

[Griswold]

@jadon190 Why buy another FitBit when you can buy a replacement band for your Surge?

[jadon190]

Hi,

I contacted Fitbit customer service and they said there are no replacement bands available.  I did a web search and apparently some people have found replacements.  I do not want to continue to do replacement bands every 6-12 months.  The band attachment is very poorly designed and should be changed.  If I felt there were better choices out there I would buy them.  If you know of good quality and long lasting replacements please give me the information I would love to try them.  I can always sell the one I have coming.

Thanks for your question.

Joe

[Mikeleibo · Accepted solution]

There are replacements for sale at amazon and other places and youtube video's explaining how to do the repair. I'm debating changing to a different smart watch. My son's sits on a charge plate and has a much sexier face and seems to have the same functionality. The surge charging port is becoming unreliable. when that happens, i have to shop for a new one, the discount code is just okay. 

Moderator edit: Word Choice

[YojanaFitbit]

Thanks for sharing your thought and feedback @IndianFB, welcome to the Forums!  Hi there @jadon190, @Griswold and @Mikeleibo, it's truly appreciated! 

We appreciate your feedback for the Fitbit environment, customer service, platform and devices. This has not gone unnoticed and be sure that I will pass this along. Each case is taken in a different way depending on the scenario, but at the end we still need to check the Warranty Policies to help our users. While customer satisfaction remains our number one goal, the demands of running a global business require that we enforce our warranty consistently.   

For those that are considering do some changes on the Fitbit product, you might be interested in this information. There's a paragraph on the Fitbit warranty that says the following: 

"This warranty does not apply to a Product or part of the Product that has been altered or modified (e.g., to alter functionality or capability) by anyone who is not a representative of Fitbit or if the Product is inserted or installed in a casing not provided by Fitbit.". Consider getting your Warranty information from Customer Support first!

We test our Fitbit before releasing them to the market and we expect the highest quality in our products and services. The information you provide helps us to improve Fitbit products.  

I'll be around! 

[RdMn]

Got my replacement band today from Amazon. The package contains a URL for an instructional video. I watched the video, and I was able to replace the band in about 10 min. It snapped in place with a bit of pressure, and seems to fit perfectly. Not sure how long it will last, but it's worth a try. It's $12 fix without which I would not be able to continue using a $250 fitness tracker - so it's worth taking a chance.