Warning: there are plenty of pictures to go with it
About two months ago, Fitbit started recalling its first true smartwatch, the Ionic, due to overheating batteries that caused 78 reported injuries in the U.S., including a handful of second and third-degree burns. But a new lawsuit alleges many more people have been hurt using other Fitbit trackers and smartwatches that suffer the same defect and are capable of causing skin burns.
The class action (via Ars Technica) seeks redress of damages supposedly caused by “all of the Products” the Google-owned company has sold in the United States. Lawyers are targeting buyers in 11 states that share similar consumer protection laws including California, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The two lead plaintiffs in this case are claiming to have been burned by their Fitbit Versa Light and Fitbit Versa 2, respectively. Additional evidence provided includes several online reports of burns from watches across the company’s Versa and Sense models.
Fitbit’s replies to some of these cases usually suggest they were caused by irritation or friction. Still, the suit insists they are due to overheating caused by a defective battery and charging system instead.
The report also notes that Fitbit’s Twitter support account is rife with pictures of melted chargers and failing batteries.
In our coverage of the Fitbit Ionic’s recall, we mentioned Google’s full refund policy via an online refund center. However, the suit suggests that the company has hardly handled the situation as promised. It claims that Google is suppressing refunds, citing instances of customers not getting their money after two months.
It’s not surprising to find defects across multiple product lines especially given that smartwatches and fitness trackers are physically compact and there’s not much room for variation on parts and build. Still, when the list includes 11 affected models, the least we can say is that it’s a lot.
From the filing:
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.
We’ve reached out to Google for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
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