Fitbit’s Ionic smartwatch is in big trouble, company to issue full refunds to owners
The Ionic, one of Fitbit’s older smartwatches is now being recalled and customers offered full refunds over concerns that its battery could overheat and even burn. Fitbit Ionic was launched on the market back in 2017, so it’s quite surprising that the company chose to act after five years, even though production stopped in 2020.
Fitbit issued an official statement today admitting that the battering in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard. The company also announced it will offer a refund to all Fitbit Ionic customers and urged those who still own one to stop using it.
For information on how to receive a refund, customers are invited to visit Fitbit’s refund center. Apart from the $300 full refund, Ionic owners are also offered a 40% discount on select Fitbit devices, bands and services. The offer is only available for 90 days after registering for a refund. Speaking of which, after customers complete the registration process, it will take between 3 and 6 weeks to get the refund.
After a thorough investigation, we determined that in very limited instances, the battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard. Your safety is always our top priority, and we are taking this action out of an abundance of caution.
According to US Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) report, Fitbit sold around 1 million Ionic units in the United States, and about 700,000 units in the rest of the world. More importantly, Fitbit has received at least 115 reports in the United States and 59 reports internationally of the smartwatch's battery overheating with 78 reports of burn injuries in the United States including two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns (and 40 reports of burn injuries internationally).
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