I recently bought a £120 Fitbit Charge 2 at John Lewis but, having worn it for a day, I started feeling a pain on my skin under the strap. When I removed it, my skin was red and resembled a bad burn in feel and appearance.
On Fitbit’s advice I returned the product in its original packaging with the receipt. They then assured me that upon receiving the product they would provide a refund in full via wire transfer.
Having provided them with the necessary account details they then told me that their policy regarding refunds had changed and they would instead send me a “virtual MasterCard” loaded with the refund.
I wasn’t at all happy about this but was informed it was all they could offer. It comes with all kinds of restrictions such as only being able to use it online, and I can only spend up to the total amount loaded on to the card – in this case £120.
Their product caused me physical harm: the least I had asked for was a simple refund to my account. I have been trying to get my money back for three months and I’m getting nowhere. JB, London
Given your experience, you’d think that the company would be falling over itself to put matters right. I would have been straight back to John Lewis to demand a full refund. The Consumer Rights Act is clearly on your side – and it’s the retailer that you have the contract with. You have a 30-day no-quibble right to take products back if they are not fit for purpose and it’s up to the retailer to sort out problems with the manufacturer.
As you had sent it back to Fitbit, we asked Fitbit to pay you a proper refund. It has now agreed to pay the money straight into your bank account.
“We are committed to delivering a superior experience for our customers and will therefore be providing JB with a full refund,” said a spokeswoman. In reference to the burn, it said: “The experience reported is not typical for the tens of millions of users around the world who enjoy our products every day. We conduct extensive testing and consult with top industry experts to develop stringent standards so that users can safely wear and enjoy our products.”
We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number.
