Back in March, we covered Fitbit's recall of its overheating Ionic smartwatch for which the wearable brand was offering full $299 refunds and discounts if buying a replacement. Today brings the news of a new lawsuit that alleges that more than one Fitbit tracker or smartwatch is heating up and causing injuries, with fingers being pointed at the brand's Versa and Sense lineups.
According to a report by Ars Technica, the lawsuit basically covers every Fitbit device sold in the US and seeks damages from the brand which is now owned by Google. The lawsuit includes buyers from 11 US states, with the two main plaintiffs complaining that they have been burned by their Fitbit Versa 2 and Versa Light devices, but there are additional reports of injuries caused to users across Fitbit's lineup of wearables.
“At a minimum, the Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Versa, Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Versa Light, Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Alta HR, Fitbit Inspire, Fitbit Inspire HR, and Fitbit Blaze all have the same Defect.“
While Fitbit insists that some of the cases are caused rather by irritated skin rather than the device overheating and burning the customer's skin, the plaintiffs (and their lawyers) say that the injuries are caused by overheating wearables, possibly due to faulty a faulty charging system and battery.
While a verdict has yet to be determined on whose responsible and the resulting damages to be awarded, it's clear from the images posted on Fitbit's social media accounts by users of melting chargers and defective batteries that something is going on.
Having issued a recall back in March promising refunds and discounts, it seems that Google has been reluctant to follow through on its responsibility and is instead delaying payouts to customers who have contacted the online refund center.
