Own A Fitbit? It’s Been Recalled

This is going to suck for Fitbit. It’s issuing a voluntary recall of its Force wristband after some users reported issues with skin irritation. Here’s what The Consumerist had to say:

Since the first reports of contact dermatitis caused by Fitbit Force movement trackers surfaced on the company’s forums (and gained publicity when Consumerist broke the story last month) customers have asked that the company recall the trackers. Fitbit has been happy to refund customers who have skin problems and send their trackers back. Today, the company announced that they’re recalling all Force wristbands.

This recall is voluntary, not prompted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The company won’t state how many trackers they’ve sold or how many people have experienced rashes. A spreadsheet maintained by the vocal group of users on the Fitbit forums shows more than 500 documented cases of skin irritation resulting from Fitbit use. In a letter to customers, Fitbit CEO James Park states that 1.7% of customers who own the Force have reported “any” skin irritation related to the device.

This is not good if you’re trying make a reputation for yourself as the leader in this market. Now they have a new product coming out shortly, but you can fully expect Nike and Jawbone to take advantage of this misstep by Fitbit.

 

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