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So you’ve purchased your brand new or refurbished Fitbit device, and you are happily playing around with it and getting to know all of the features. But have you put any thought into what the rules are should anything go wrong? Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about when you can make a Fitbit warranty claim and everything it covers.
How long is the Fitbit limited warranty cover?
Whenever you buy a Fitbit device, whether that’s the Fitbit Charge, Fitbit Versa, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Inspire, Fitbit Alta, Fitbit Sense, or any other Fitbit tracker, you will also receive a limited warranty cover.
For a new product, this warranty extends from the date of purchase up to one year. If you buy your Fitbit device in an EEA country, the warranty lasts for two years from the date of purchase.
If you buy a certified refurbished Fitbit from an authorized seller, you will still get the limited warranty but the warranty period is only 90 days from the date of purchase.
What does the Fitbit limited product warranty cover?
The limited product warranty guarantees that the new product or refurbished product will be free from defects that stem from the workmanship or the materials when the Fitbit is used normally.
What this means is that the warranty will only cover issues that were present when the Fitbit was sold to you.
What doesn’t the Fitbit limited product warranty cover?
The limited product warranty is, well, limited. There is an extended warranty which we will go into a little later on, but for now, let’s take a look at what you don’t be able to use the limited warranty for.
The first thing to realize is that it doesn’t cover software, only hardware. What this means is that if you are having any issues with the Fitbit app or any of the software installed on your Fitbit product, you won’t be able to claim for this under the limited warranty.
You will only be able to claim if you are the original purchaser and if you bought your Fitbit from an authorized seller. So if you got your smartwatch on eBay, even if it is within the year from the date of purchase (or two years if you’re in an EEA area) you won’t be able to claim.
You also can’t claim for non-Fitbit products. This might seem like an unusual clause in that it seems fairly obvious that you wouldn’t be able to claim for an Apple Watch, for example. But Fitbit has included it because there are products out there that are made specifically for Fitbit or in collaboration with Fitbit (and sometimes even with a Fitbit logo on them), but not by Fitbit themselves. If you have an issue with any of these products, you will need to deal with the people who manufactured them.
The warranty service also only applies to normal use of the Fitbit device. And this is where you might find yourself tripped up. You don’t be able to claim for problems that have been caused by:
- Using the Fitbit with any non-Fitbit products
- Any accidental damage
- Normal wear and tear of any sort
- Using the product outside of its intended purposes
You also won’t be able to use the limited warranty if the device has been altered or repaired by someone else. So before you take your Fitbit into a repair shop or get someone to have a look at it, you should think about whether the damage could potentially be covered by the limited warranty first.
How to claim the Fitbit limited product warranty
So your Fitbit isn’t working properly and you’re pretty sure that it’s due to a manufacturer defect, plus you’re within the warranty period. How do you go about making a warranty claim? The process is pretty simple and if you have any issues, Fitbit customer service will be able to guide you along the way.
The first thing you’re going to need to do is to obtain a return authorization number from Fitbit. If you are in the United States, you can use the online return tool here. If you are outside of the United States, you will need to speak to Fitbit customer support to get your authorization number. This number is Fitbit accepting that you are authorized to send your device in and it will give a number that can be associated with your Fitbit account.
Once you have the number, you will need to mail the Fitbit device to Fitbit. This needs to be either in its original packaging or in packaging that provides the same amount of protection as the original packaging would have. You may need to pay shipping and handling fees, depending on where you are located, as Fitbit generally won’t cover these.
Fitbit will look over your Fitbit device and decide whether the repair or replacement comes under their warranty policy, after which customer service will get in touch with you. If they do decide that the damage is covered, they will then take charge of the repair or replacement without you needing to do anything else.
What will Fitbit do to fix my device?
Under the warranty policy, if the defect in your Fitbit device is eligible, Fitbit will either repair it or send you a replacement. You won’t be able to get a cash refund.
Repairing the issue may not always be possible and, in this situation, spare parts may be used to replace the damaged part of your Fitbit. A lot of the time, these spare parts will be new but if a new part isn’t available in your area, Fitbit may use refurbished spare parts instead.
If a repair isn’t possible, Fitbit will replace your device with either a new or refurbished one. This replacement product will come under its own warranty, but this only lasts for either the remainder of your original warranty period or 30 days (whichever is longer). It is a good idea to thoroughly check that your replacement or repaired Fitbit is in good working order so that you can make sure you send it back within the warranty period if there are any problems.
Don’t forget to backup your data
Before you send your device off to Fitbit support, you need to remember to back up any data that you have on it. Your Fitbit will probably be wiped by the people fixing it, and Fitbit will not back anything up for you. If there is anything on there that you don’t want to lose, you will need to make sure that you have it all stored outside of the Fitbit device.
What about the Fitbit extended warranty?
If the limited warranty doesn’t seem extensive enough for you, you can pay for the Fitbit extended warranty under the Fitbit Protection Plan (FPP). This warranty service is provided by a third-party insurer, Square Trader. And it is broader in range than the limited warranty in a couple of different ways.
The benefits of this additional warranty policy include an extension of the warranty period from one year to two years. This gives you that little bit more breathing room.
Importantly, the extended warranty will also cover a wide range of accidental damage. When you compare this with the limited warranty, which covers no accidental damage at all, you can see why paying a little extra for extended coverage could be a great decision.
What accidental damage does the extended warranty cover?
The Fitbit Protection PLan covers accidental damage from handling, and this includes damage from liquids. It will also repair or replace the battery and internal damage from dust, overheating, and humidity. It will even cover operational damage that has resulted from a power surge (as long as you were using an appropriate surge protector at the time).
What are the conditions of the extended warranty?
The most pressing thing to remember is that you will need to purchase the extended warranty within 30 days of purchasing your Fitbit device. So this isn’t something that you can put off for too long. In the Fitbit app, you may get a prompt to order the extended warranty at some point within 30 days.
The extended warranty is only available in the United States and for products purchased in the Fitbit online store. So if you have purchased your Fitbit device elsewhere, you won’t be eligible.
To wrap up
Whether you have a new Fitbit or an authorized refurbished Fitbit, you will be covered by the Fitbit warranty for a year (or two years in EEA countries) after the date of purchase. Making your Fitbit warranty claim is pretty simple, but there are strict rules about the sort of defects that are and aren’t covered by the limited warranty.
In some cases, you may be able to get an extended warranty that will cover accidental damage as well as manufacturing defects. If you have any issues with the process of claiming the Fitbit warranty, their customer service team will be able to tell you what your next steps are.
