Fitbit Advantage yes or no?
Replies
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Maxematics wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Having had a charge for a while I would advise you to spend your money on a Garmin or an Apple Watch. Fitbit products have major design flaws (for example the charge band cracks and it eventually won't charge properly which is why they discontinued it). It looks like the 2 has other issues, which usually conveniently show up after a year (which is out of warranty so they don't have to replace it)
They actually agreed to replace mine, but only because I told them I knew the amount of BBB complaints they had against them and that they knowingly sold faulty products. Before I said that they just wanted to give me a 25% discount on a new one.
Anyway, I would advise you to choose wisely. Those things are only designed to last for their warranty. If you do buy one, buy it from Costco. They will refund it after any amount of time if it breaks.
@Heartisalonelyhunter what issues does the charge 2 have? I fiff and faff about upgrading to the charge 2 from my Alta, but i just cant justify buying a HR monitor as my only exercise is walking, so it would probably be a waste of money.
You can google them. I didn't realize until mine went crazy how much of a widespread issue this is. I don't think they're at the same level as the Charge (because the 2 is new, plus at least you can replace the band) but it seems a lot of them already have the same issues (won't charge, won't sync with your phone, flashes on and off etc)
Every time I have a sync issue it's solved by unpairing and re-pairing the device.
Exactly what search term should I be using? Because a simple search using the word "issues" turned up a problem that was fixed with a patch.
The last time mine was acting weird, it turned out I didn't have the latest firmware update installed. Installing it fixed it right up.
Lucky for you.
Most of them are on fitbits own help forums actually. Or on the BBB site (who do not endorse them due to the volume of complaints)
But I'm not going to start linking them here. I was talking about the charge/charge 2. Maybe things are better with other models but personally I wouldn't risk it.
I have had no issues with my Charge 2. When I had issues with my Charge HR, whether the band broke, it bricked, etc. they replaced it free of charge. I went through two Charge HRs in a year but because I'm very active I wasn't surprised. When it crapped out again in the fall, I was offered a refurbished one or 25% off a Charge 2 since I was past my warranty so I upgraded. In my experience, they have pretty good customer service.
Like I said, read the feedback on the BBB. They all break, active or not. That's why they took them off the market. If you're happy now with your 2 then carry on, but I wish I had seen the feedback on the company and their products before I bought because I would have bought something different. And as I said, if you still want to buy one buy it from Costco who will always give you a refund.0 -
Customer service good. Charge/Surge have had reliability issues. Charge 2 / Blaze I am not aware whether they do or not. Charge 2 is not the Charge.4
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Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Maxematics wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Having had a charge for a while I would advise you to spend your money on a Garmin or an Apple Watch. Fitbit products have major design flaws (for example the charge band cracks and it eventually won't charge properly which is why they discontinued it). It looks like the 2 has other issues, which usually conveniently show up after a year (which is out of warranty so they don't have to replace it)
They actually agreed to replace mine, but only because I told them I knew the amount of BBB complaints they had against them and that they knowingly sold faulty products. Before I said that they just wanted to give me a 25% discount on a new one.
Anyway, I would advise you to choose wisely. Those things are only designed to last for their warranty. If you do buy one, buy it from Costco. They will refund it after any amount of time if it breaks.
@Heartisalonelyhunter what issues does the charge 2 have? I fiff and faff about upgrading to the charge 2 from my Alta, but i just cant justify buying a HR monitor as my only exercise is walking, so it would probably be a waste of money.
You can google them. I didn't realize until mine went crazy how much of a widespread issue this is. I don't think they're at the same level as the Charge (because the 2 is new, plus at least you can replace the band) but it seems a lot of them already have the same issues (won't charge, won't sync with your phone, flashes on and off etc)
Every time I have a sync issue it's solved by unpairing and re-pairing the device.
Exactly what search term should I be using? Because a simple search using the word "issues" turned up a problem that was fixed with a patch.
The last time mine was acting weird, it turned out I didn't have the latest firmware update installed. Installing it fixed it right up.
Lucky for you.
Most of them are on fitbits own help forums actually. Or on the BBB site (who do not endorse them due to the volume of complaints)
But I'm not going to start linking them here. I was talking about the charge/charge 2. Maybe things are better with other models but personally I wouldn't risk it.
I have had no issues with my Charge 2. When I had issues with my Charge HR, whether the band broke, it bricked, etc. they replaced it free of charge. I went through two Charge HRs in a year but because I'm very active I wasn't surprised. When it crapped out again in the fall, I was offered a refurbished one or 25% off a Charge 2 since I was past my warranty so I upgraded. In my experience, they have pretty good customer service.
Like I said, read the feedback on the BBB. They all break, active or not. That's why they took them off the market. If you're happy now with your 2 then carry on, but I wish I had seen the feedback on the company and their products before I bought because I would have bought something different. And as I said, if you still want to buy one buy it from Costco who will always give you a refund.
I don't need to read the feedback on the BBB website because people flock to that site to complain about anything and everything. The site's true purpose is supposed to be to expose shady business practices and businesses who are completely dishonest and should be shut down, not businesses who send you a free replacement when they know their product has construction issues. This is exactly why Fitbit redesigned it and released the Charge 2. I guess some people expected one for free. I'm not unreasonable and was grateful for the 25% off after over a year of heavy usage with the Charge HR. I've had no issues with my Charge 2 thus far and will happily carry on. I respect that not everyone wants a Fitbit and that's fine but I wouldn't deter people from buying one. From what I hear, Garmin, Apple, etc. all have issues. That's the breaks with technology sometimes.6 -
Yup. Love mine. I only bought it recently but it helps keep me accountable with regards to my activity. I feel like I'm challenged to reach my own goals when I see them in writing and it pushes me to do so. I was also over estimating my calories burned before which wasn't helping me lose weight. Some say the Fitbit underestimates but I'd prefer that.. if rather work harder than not enough. Good luck with your decision!2
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Maxematics wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Maxematics wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Having had a charge for a while I would advise you to spend your money on a Garmin or an Apple Watch. Fitbit products have major design flaws (for example the charge band cracks and it eventually won't charge properly which is why they discontinued it). It looks like the 2 has other issues, which usually conveniently show up after a year (which is out of warranty so they don't have to replace it)
They actually agreed to replace mine, but only because I told them I knew the amount of BBB complaints they had against them and that they knowingly sold faulty products. Before I said that they just wanted to give me a 25% discount on a new one.
Anyway, I would advise you to choose wisely. Those things are only designed to last for their warranty. If you do buy one, buy it from Costco. They will refund it after any amount of time if it breaks.
@Heartisalonelyhunter what issues does the charge 2 have? I fiff and faff about upgrading to the charge 2 from my Alta, but i just cant justify buying a HR monitor as my only exercise is walking, so it would probably be a waste of money.
You can google them. I didn't realize until mine went crazy how much of a widespread issue this is. I don't think they're at the same level as the Charge (because the 2 is new, plus at least you can replace the band) but it seems a lot of them already have the same issues (won't charge, won't sync with your phone, flashes on and off etc)
Every time I have a sync issue it's solved by unpairing and re-pairing the device.
Exactly what search term should I be using? Because a simple search using the word "issues" turned up a problem that was fixed with a patch.
The last time mine was acting weird, it turned out I didn't have the latest firmware update installed. Installing it fixed it right up.
Lucky for you.
Most of them are on fitbits own help forums actually. Or on the BBB site (who do not endorse them due to the volume of complaints)
But I'm not going to start linking them here. I was talking about the charge/charge 2. Maybe things are better with other models but personally I wouldn't risk it.
I have had no issues with my Charge 2. When I had issues with my Charge HR, whether the band broke, it bricked, etc. they replaced it free of charge. I went through two Charge HRs in a year but because I'm very active I wasn't surprised. When it crapped out again in the fall, I was offered a refurbished one or 25% off a Charge 2 since I was past my warranty so I upgraded. In my experience, they have pretty good customer service.
Like I said, read the feedback on the BBB. They all break, active or not. That's why they took them off the market. If you're happy now with your 2 then carry on, but I wish I had seen the feedback on the company and their products before I bought because I would have bought something different. And as I said, if you still want to buy one buy it from Costco who will always give you a refund.
I don't need to read the feedback on the BBB website because people flock to that site to complain about anything and everything. The site's true purpose is supposed to be to expose shady business practices and businesses who are completely dishonest and should be shut down, not businesses who send you a free replacement when they know their product has construction issues. This is exactly why Fitbit redesigned it and released the Charge 2. I guess some people expected one for free. I'm not unreasonable and was grateful for the 25% off after over a year of heavy usage with the Charge HR. I've had no issues with my Charge 2 thus far and will happily carry on. I respect that not everyone wants a Fitbit and that's fine but I wouldn't deter people from buying one. From what I hear, Garmin, Apple, etc. all have issues. That's the breaks with technology sometimes.
You know that they have 25% off on their website right? I'm not sure I would feel grateful for having a tracker break on me 3 times in a year then getting that 'special offer' to replace it. Apple and Garmin have nothing like the volume of issues.0 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Having had a charge for a while I would advise you to spend your money on a Garmin or an Apple Watch. Fitbit products have major design flaws (for example the charge band cracks and it eventually won't charge properly which is why they discontinued it). It looks like the 2 has other issues, which usually conveniently show up after a year (which is out of warranty so they don't have to replace it)
They actually agreed to replace mine, but only because I told them I knew the amount of BBB complaints they had against them and that they knowingly sold faulty products. Before I said that they just wanted to give me a 25% discount on a new one.
Anyway, I would advise you to choose wisely. Those things are only designed to last for their warranty. If you do buy one, buy it from Costco. They will refund it after any amount of time if it breaks.
@Heartisalonelyhunter what issues does the charge 2 have? I fiff and faff about upgrading to the charge 2 from my Alta, but i just cant justify buying a HR monitor as my only exercise is walking, so it would probably be a waste of money.
You can google them. I didn't realize until mine went crazy how much of a widespread issue this is. I don't think they're at the same level as the Charge (because the 2 is new, plus at least you can replace the band) but it seems a lot of them already have the same issues (won't charge, won't sync with your phone, flashes on and off etc)
I've had five different Fitbit models, including the Charge HR. No problems whatsoever with any of them.1 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Maxematics wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Maxematics wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Having had a charge for a while I would advise you to spend your money on a Garmin or an Apple Watch. Fitbit products have major design flaws (for example the charge band cracks and it eventually won't charge properly which is why they discontinued it). It looks like the 2 has other issues, which usually conveniently show up after a year (which is out of warranty so they don't have to replace it)
They actually agreed to replace mine, but only because I told them I knew the amount of BBB complaints they had against them and that they knowingly sold faulty products. Before I said that they just wanted to give me a 25% discount on a new one.
Anyway, I would advise you to choose wisely. Those things are only designed to last for their warranty. If you do buy one, buy it from Costco. They will refund it after any amount of time if it breaks.
@Heartisalonelyhunter what issues does the charge 2 have? I fiff and faff about upgrading to the charge 2 from my Alta, but i just cant justify buying a HR monitor as my only exercise is walking, so it would probably be a waste of money.
You can google them. I didn't realize until mine went crazy how much of a widespread issue this is. I don't think they're at the same level as the Charge (because the 2 is new, plus at least you can replace the band) but it seems a lot of them already have the same issues (won't charge, won't sync with your phone, flashes on and off etc)
Every time I have a sync issue it's solved by unpairing and re-pairing the device.
Exactly what search term should I be using? Because a simple search using the word "issues" turned up a problem that was fixed with a patch.
The last time mine was acting weird, it turned out I didn't have the latest firmware update installed. Installing it fixed it right up.
Lucky for you.
Most of them are on fitbits own help forums actually. Or on the BBB site (who do not endorse them due to the volume of complaints)
But I'm not going to start linking them here. I was talking about the charge/charge 2. Maybe things are better with other models but personally I wouldn't risk it.
I have had no issues with my Charge 2. When I had issues with my Charge HR, whether the band broke, it bricked, etc. they replaced it free of charge. I went through two Charge HRs in a year but because I'm very active I wasn't surprised. When it crapped out again in the fall, I was offered a refurbished one or 25% off a Charge 2 since I was past my warranty so I upgraded. In my experience, they have pretty good customer service.
Like I said, read the feedback on the BBB. They all break, active or not. That's why they took them off the market. If you're happy now with your 2 then carry on, but I wish I had seen the feedback on the company and their products before I bought because I would have bought something different. And as I said, if you still want to buy one buy it from Costco who will always give you a refund.
I don't need to read the feedback on the BBB website because people flock to that site to complain about anything and everything. The site's true purpose is supposed to be to expose shady business practices and businesses who are completely dishonest and should be shut down, not businesses who send you a free replacement when they know their product has construction issues. This is exactly why Fitbit redesigned it and released the Charge 2. I guess some people expected one for free. I'm not unreasonable and was grateful for the 25% off after over a year of heavy usage with the Charge HR. I've had no issues with my Charge 2 thus far and will happily carry on. I respect that not everyone wants a Fitbit and that's fine but I wouldn't deter people from buying one. From what I hear, Garmin, Apple, etc. all have issues. That's the breaks with technology sometimes.
You know that they have 25% off on their website right? I'm not sure I would feel grateful for having a tracker break on me 3 times in a year then getting that 'special offer' to replace it. Apple and Garmin have nothing like the volume of issues.
There's someone on my friend list who is constantly having to enter a manual exercise adjustment because her Garmin never gets it right.
I think, on the whole, there are more people happy with their Fitbits than there are those unhappy with them.
We get that you don't like them, but you've resorted to hyperbole to make your point, and that's not doing your position any favors. In your original post you claimed that the Charge 2 issues didn't creep up until after the year warranty was up and the product hasn't even been out a year.
The BBB site only has 600 some odd complaints registered against Fitbit and that's a drop in the bucket compared to how many have been sold. It also doesn't stand up to the claims that you're making.
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I was originally a Polar user but after getting a Charge HR last year, I absolutely swear by Fitbit. I busted it slinging beers at the Tim McGraw concert during HOF Week and not only did they replace it for free, but when I gave it to my daughter after getting the Charge 2 and it got zapped playing laser tag, they replaced it AGAIN. They've got the most amazing customer service! They stand by their products 100%! I just bought the Aria Scale which links with up to 9 Fitbit profiles. It tracks your sleep which we all know that sleep is important to weight-loss as well. There's just so much you can do with their products. My husband has the Surge and he loves it! I recommend something that tracks heart rate though.0
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Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Having had a charge for a while I would advise you to spend your money on a Garmin or an Apple Watch. Fitbit products have major design flaws (for example the charge band cracks and it eventually won't charge properly which is why they discontinued it). It looks like the 2 has other issues, which usually conveniently show up after a year (which is out of warranty so they don't have to replace it)
They actually agreed to replace mine, but only because I told them I knew the amount of BBB complaints they had against them and that they knowingly sold faulty products. Before I said that they just wanted to give me a 25% discount on a new one.
Anyway, I would advise you to choose wisely. Those things are only designed to last for their warranty. If you do buy one, buy it from Costco. They will refund it after any amount of time if it breaks.
@Heartisalonelyhunter what issues does the charge 2 have? I fiff and faff about upgrading to the charge 2 from my Alta, but i just cant justify buying a HR monitor as my only exercise is walking, so it would probably be a waste of money.
You can google them. I didn't realize until mine went crazy how much of a widespread issue this is. I don't think they're at the same level as the Charge (because the 2 is new, plus at least you can replace the band) but it seems a lot of them already have the same issues (won't charge, won't sync with your phone, flashes on and off etc)
Every time I have a sync issue it's solved by unpairing and re-pairing the device.
Exactly what search term should I be using? Because a simple search using the word "issues" turned up a problem that was fixed with a patch.
The last time mine was acting weird, it turned out I didn't have the latest firmware update installed. Installing it fixed it right up.
Lucky for you.
Most of them are on fitbits own help forums actually. Or on the BBB site (who do not endorse them due to the volume of complaints)
But I'm not going to start linking them here. I was talking about the charge/charge 2. Maybe things are better with other models but personally I wouldn't risk it.
I find it rather ridiculous that anyone would complain about them to the BBB. They've got the best customer service I've ever encountered. They stand by their products 100%.2 -
Christine_72 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Having had a charge for a while I would advise you to spend your money on a Garmin or an Apple Watch. Fitbit products have major design flaws (for example the charge band cracks and it eventually won't charge properly which is why they discontinued it). It looks like the 2 has other issues, which usually conveniently show up after a year (which is out of warranty so they don't have to replace it)
They actually agreed to replace mine, but only because I told them I knew the amount of BBB complaints they had against them and that they knowingly sold faulty products. Before I said that they just wanted to give me a 25% discount on a new one.
Anyway, I would advise you to choose wisely. Those things are only designed to last for their warranty. If you do buy one, buy it from Costco. They will refund it after any amount of time if it breaks.
@Heartisalonelyhunter what issues does the charge 2 have? I fiff and faff about upgrading to the charge 2 from my Alta, but i just cant justify buying a HR monitor as my only exercise is walking, so it would probably be a waste of money.
They just replaced my Charge HR for the second time (both user errors) and the second one was past the year warranty. I didn't have to get curt with them for them to offer up 30% off an upgrade or to have it replaced free of charge. If you actually read through complaints, half of them are issues that could've been rectified but the people didn't want to go through the steps. Fitbit will always try to take steps to fix what's broken through technical support and when that's not enough, they offer up 30% off or a free replacement. If you're not willing to go through the steps to try and fix it, then maybe that's why the people are getting the immediate answer that they want. There's always more to the story when it comes to complaints. Also, why is that people are so quick to listen to negative reviews that rave reviews?0 -
I have a Fitbit Charge 2 (just upgraded from my original charge about 2 months ago) and I also have a Garmin Forerunner 15. I wore both for a long time trying to see which was more accurate. I've found that the Garmin does better for tracking runs but overall I prefer the options on my Fitbit (especially sleep tracking as I've always struggled with sleep.) I actually upgraded to Fitbit Premium through their website and I like how it pushes me a little bit harder each day. I still wear my Garmin watch when I run (currently half marathon training) but for everyday I prefer and would recommend the Fitbit.0
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I love fitbit. I have the zip for about 3 years, and now I upgraded to the charge2. I also bought my daughter the blaze. All are very good and motivate me. I also don't feel like I got anything accomplished if I don't see it. And I agree with another poster I do not understand how anyone could complain about their customer service, they have the best customer service I've ever come upon.0
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I love fitbit. I have the zip for about 3 years, and now I upgraded to the charge2. I also bought my daughter the blaze. All are very good and motivate me. I also don't feel like I got anything accomplished if I don't see it. And I agree with another poster I do not understand how anyone could complain about their customer service, they have the best customer service I've ever come upon.
Agreed.. my pink band seemed to take on some of the dye from my black winter coat and it started to look dingy after a few days. No fault of the companies at all in my opinion. They sent me a new black band for free without any questions. Very impressed!1 -
I don't mean to sound presumptuous however, today most smart phones have a fitbit app on them, so what is the difference between using ones phone verses a fitbit on your wrist?0
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quintessential1 wrote: »I don't mean to sound presumptuous however, today most smart phones have a fitbit app on them, so what is the difference between using ones phone verses a fitbit on your wrist?
The Fitbit app works in conjunction with the device. Installing it on your phone won't track your steps unless you also have a Fitbit.1 -
I have the Fitbit one and like it a lot. This is "technically" my second one, my first one quit syncing with my phone. I tried all the online help to get it working again, and nothing worked. Their customer service center is great. They sent me my current one, after realizing that none of the troubleshooting had worked. It was about a year and a half old when my original quit, and I'm about a year and a half with my current one.0
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quintessential1 wrote: »I don't mean to sound presumptuous however, today most smart phones have a fitbit app on them, so what is the difference between using ones phone verses a fitbit on your wrist?
If you mean that most smartphones have a pedometer built in (because the Fitbit app does not work unless you have a Fitbit device) - I think people prefer the wrist one because not everyone carries their phone in their hand when they walk or run. Your phone also doesn't track your heart rate or sleep cycles. It doesn't track active minutes or calories burned. That's why people choose fitness watches (be it Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, etc.)
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quintessential1 wrote: »I don't mean to sound presumptuous however, today most smart phones have a fitbit app on them, so what is the difference between using ones phone verses a fitbit on your wrist?
When I used Google Fit (free smart phone app), it only picked up half my daily steps. I get a lot of incidental steps and I don't live with my phone in my pocket (and to do so would be a huge pain in the butt to me).0 -
quintessential1 wrote: »I don't mean to sound presumptuous however, today most smart phones have a fitbit app on them, so what is the difference between using ones phone verses a fitbit on your wrist?
I have the opposite issue as @SusanMFindlay. I have Pacer downloaded on my phone (iPhone 6) and it regularly counts at least 5000 steps MORE than my Fitbit does.
Example: Monday (my last day at work) Fitbit counted 10,800 steps (I have a Blaze and the only time it was off my body that day was when I showered). Pacer picked up 17,500 steps between about 5:45 AM and 3 PM. That's a massive difference.1 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Having had a charge for a while I would advise you to spend your money on a Garmin or an Apple Watch. Fitbit products have major design flaws (for example the charge band cracks and it eventually won't charge properly which is why they discontinued it). It looks like the 2 has other issues, which usually conveniently show up after a year (which is out of warranty so they don't have to replace it)
They actually agreed to replace mine, but only because I told them I knew the amount of BBB complaints they had against them and that they knowingly sold faulty products. Before I said that they just wanted to give me a 25% discount on a new one.
Anyway, I would advise you to choose wisely. Those things are only designed to last for their warranty. If you do buy one, buy it from Costco. They will refund it after any amount of time if it breaks.
@Heartisalonelyhunter what issues does the charge 2 have? I fiff and faff about upgrading to the charge 2 from my Alta, but i just cant justify buying a HR monitor as my only exercise is walking, so it would probably be a waste of money.
You can google them. I didn't realize until mine went crazy how much of a widespread issue this is. I don't think they're at the same level as the Charge (because the 2 is new, plus at least you can replace the band) but it seems a lot of them already have the same issues (won't charge, won't sync with your phone, flashes on and off etc)
I've had five different Fitbit models, including the Charge HR. No problems whatsoever with any of them.
Same here! Including owning a Charge HR for two years! It was definitely heavily used. I never took it off except to shower and charge it! I loved that thing! I eventually upgraded to the blaze and love it too! Absolutely no issues ever with my Fitbit products.
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