Unwearable: Part 1
[Update] I cross-posted this post on the Fitbit forums here, but did not anticipate the discussions it would generate, particularly among other Charge HR owners.
Part 2: I’ve posted a follow up story to this post here.
I got a Fitbit Flex soon after its market release from a friend for half the going rate. He’d bought it for his wife, but she didn’t want it, so he offered it to me. At the time, I thought it was a cool device first and a health and wellness device second. In time, I grew to enjoy the challenge of staying in shape and tracking (occasionally) my food intake and water consumption.
In the last few months, I joined a project team whose members had similar goals for getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating well. As every traveling consultant will tell you, doing those three things on the road will require every shred of willpower you have. Thankfully, peer pressure works wonders, and I decided to take this opportunity to upgrade from my Fitbit Flex to a device with more advanced capabilities. I did some quick research and settled on the Charge HR. I figured it would be a welcome upgrade since it had:
- A display — this is a must-have since I wanted to be able see things like the time, steps taken, and other important information without having to reach for my phone, launching the Fitbit app, and waiting for the tracker to sync.
- A heart rate monitor — I know consumer-level trackers are not the most accurate, but I was looking for an additional capability that my Flex didn’t have.
- Basic notification capabilities — This was a bonus, as I figured having text and call notifications would come in handy. Now I could ignore people with the flick of my wrist! Feature request: incorporate a gesture that automatically sends a text saying, “Sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now, as you caught me during my workout!” to the person calling or texting.
- Was a Fitbit. Up to this point, I had associated Fitbit with good design and reliability. I been very satisfied with my Fitbit Flex, and had really enjoyed building a community of friends who mutually supported each other’s efforts. So Fitbit was the natural choice over Garmin, Polar, Apple, and the other market players.
Little did I know that I would end up buying — and returning — a total of 3 Charge HRs over three weeks (the first two being returned within days of one another).
Defect 1
I went to my local BestBuy, bought a Charge HR, got home, opened up the box, and attempted to attach the charging cable. One problem: it wouldn’t stay attached. Puzzled, I examined the cable, and found it was missing a left clasp which was supposed to hold the cable in place. This manufacturing defect was super annoying, but fine, I’d just return it.
I went back and replaced my Charge HR with a new one. Before I checked out at the return counter, I made sure the charging cable had both brackets and attached satisfactorily.
Defect 2
When I got home, I charged up the device before using it. That’s when I noticed it: a splotch beneath the display window. It may not look like a major deal, but come on: this is a new device and it shouldn’t have this kind of problem.
So I trekked back to Best Buy, fetched yet another Charge HR, and waited in the returns line. This time, I wasn’t taking any chances.
I checked the charge cable clasps, checked the display, verified the functionality of the button and each screen, and basically did as much as I could without drawing the ire of the returns clerk.
I got home, charged it up, and proceeded to use it on a business trip. I was pretty happy with its functionality — for a few days. That’s when I noticed the third unique defect in my history with the Fitbit Charge HR.
Defect 3
It seems like the Charge HR was aptly named, because I found that I had to keep charging and charging the Charge’s battery. My unit’s battery would not last beyond 1 day (even after turning off more battery-intensive features like the wrist gesture and constant sync). I even went so far as to ask random Charge-wearing people long their Charge HRs lasted, hoping there was some system setting I could turn off, some patch I missed, or some firmware update I could install to stop my Charge HR’s battery draining ways. In the end, it didn’t matter — my third Charge HR was defective. Again.
Just in case you weren’t keeping score, that makes Fitbit 0 for 3.
Customer Support — Up-selling a product, instead of resolving my situation
I ended up contacting support twice. The first time, I called on the second defect. After explaining the situation, customer support’s response was to:
- Offer to replace my FitBit Charge HR by sending me a new one. Why would I wait for one to arrive in the mail when I could simply return it to the store?
- The customer service rep then decided it would be a good idea to inform me that the Fitbit Blaze was coming out and then proceeded to read me the product features of a device that was $50 more than the two defective units I had already had the misfortune of using. I then asked to speak to a supervisor so I could provide him with feedback on my whole experience. I told him that my customer experience was not acceptable, and was exacerbated by a tone-deaf customer support representative.
- After the third defect, I used the chat support feature. I explained the problems I had had, and said I was really disappointed in Fitbit’s lack of quality. I even asked the CSR to please relay my experience to the Quality Control department, instead of simply closing my ticket and forgetting about it. He said he would. I guess I’ll have to trust him.
My experience was (unfortunately) not unique
Curious about how widespread the Fitbit Charge HR’s problems were, I did a quick search. I found that I wasn’t the only one experiencing problems with the longevity of Fitbit devices, particularly the Charge HR. I’ve read on Fitbit’s own forums about Charge HRs conking out, refusing to sync, charge, etc. after only months of use. Time and again, Fitbit users had to get their units replaced, until finally Fitbit stopped doing so- probably due to the product warranty wearing out, or user fatigue kicking in, saying “No more.”
Now, these are anecdotal reports and may only represent a fraction of the entire population of satisfied Fitbit users. However, with something as vital as personal wellness technology, the standard is being a workhorse, not a showhorse.
“Faithful are the wounds from a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” — Proverbs 27:6
I Guess This is Goodbye
I write this as a friend who wants Fitbit to get their act together, but not because I miss my Charge HR or my Flex. I credit Fitbit with helping me take a more positive direction in my life, and this is why I chose to chronicle my experience. What I really miss is the experience of challenging my friends to get their steps in and meet their health goals. I miss the playful jeers and cheers spurring all of us on to meet our new year resolutions together. I miss seeing quantifiable data that informs me of how this organic machine called my body is doing.
In the end, I gave up. As the saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” I gave Fitbit an unprecedented three chances — and they failed each time. In baseball, you get three strikes before you’re out. In the world of consumer electronics, you usually only get one chance to make a lasting impression.
As a wearables consumer, what I really need is not necessarily more features, but more reliability. I need a fitness companion that works as hard as I do. I want sturdily built hardware with well-designed software that can secure the health data I’ve entrusted it.
As consumers, it is our right to demand — and deserve — quality, especially with technology that is so personal. Unfortunately, Fitbit does not have a reliable enough record for me to recommend their devices. I do hope they take my experience — and that of my fellow Fitbitters — to heart and place more of an emphasis not only on hardware quality control, but making sure the customer support team is empowered and inspired to provide an excellent customer experience, instead of training them to be a surrogate sales force.
Until then, I’m still going to get enough sleep, exercise, and eat well — even without a Fitbit device on my wrist.
