I lost my Fitbit today. This was bound to happen and I’m surprised I managed to hold on to it as long as I did. So one minute I was getting off the tram and the next I didn’t have it anymore.
Some findings:
The fitbit as a hardware device is very well designed. It works, it’s polite and you don’t have to do anything really. It’s quite easy to get into a habit with it. The website has some glitches and takes a whiles to fully propagate updates here and there, but I have the feeling that’s improving. Everybody I show one wants to get one.
On a negative bent: the entire premise of the devise is offensively US-centric. Everybody here in the Netherlands is somewhat peeved that it does not ‘do’ biking. This is of course understandable when a device has the cultural assumption in it that you take your car to a mall, you plod through said mall and then get back into your car. For genuine global appeal these devices need to be more adaptable still.
Finally: my fitbit was already showing some tears in the plastic and it’s far too easy to lose. I’m too wrapped up in my day to day activities to ‘take care’ of yet another device. It’s all I can do to keep my iPhone in one piece as it is. Also it being so easy to lose or break, needing to get another one at $99 is too convenient a profit strategy. I think I’ll pass.
I got a Fitbit recently and then bought one for my brother. His went missing within 12 hours of when he started using it. I agree that the device is too easy to lose and having to buy another one at $100 (when we still have all other components) is too high a price.
Try contacting Fitbit customer service. Apparently there are good chances that you get a free or at least discounted replacement (see https://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/577902-i-lost-my-fitbit-1-week-after-i-bought-it and http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/570882-lost-my-fitbit). I lost mine today, too, but thankfully found it after a 20 minutes search in the supermarket with only a few scratches, still working. Now I will always keep it secured with a lanyard.