Fitbit Reselling Scam on Ebay - Candid Caroline - Opinions of a Neurodivergent WAHM

Ayayay… I came across this scam on Ebay and it’s become an obsession of mine. You can help me shut it down!

Fitbit is a popular activity tracker. Unfortunately, they don’t last forever. The last time my Charge 5 died, it was out of warranty, and I had just purchased a new band for it, so I turned to Ebay to find just the pebble. (I tried Fitbit.com first but they did not sell just the replacement pebbles.)

Anyway, I found several sellers selling just the pebbles and did not think anything of it. I ordered one. A week or so later, after no tracking information being provided, I received my package – direct from Fitbit! I double checked my order and it was from a foreign account.

The package was exactly the same as how my husband received a warranty replacement a year or so ago for his Charge 5. After speaking with a Fitbit rep, it was confirmed that the pebble I received was the result of a warranty claim. A claim I did not place.

I went back to my order and of course – no returns. But I was pissed… this person was selling something they did not have and then essentially stealing it from someone else in order to fulfill the order. So I opened a case and was able to get a full refund. I intended to send it back to Fitbit, but they didn’t want it back, so in the end, I ended up with a free Fitbit replacement pebble. Yes, I feel a tiny bit guilty, but I HAD to say something.

As of now, the account that I purchased from has not yet added any more or sold anything further. That account was https://www.ebay.com/usr/warseatee

Unfortunately, as glad as I am that I stopped that one seller – or at least one seller on one account – there are countless others doing the same thing.

The Fitbit.com rep with whom I spoke didn’t seem too concerned with this practice. They were, however, just a customer service rep. I am not sure he fully even understood what I was trying to explain. Surely, SOMEONE within the Fitbit company would want to put an end to this practice.

If you know me, you know once I start obsessing about something, no matter how trivial, it wears me down until I do something. It’s one of my most hated character traits – whether it’s obsessing over something like this, or some meaningless comment someone made to me 20 years ago… I just cannot let it go!

So, here is my call to action.

If you are a Fitbit user and could use a new pebble… find one of these fraudulent sellers on Ebay… buy from them… and then, when you get the package direct from Fitbit, file a claim to get your money back.

I find that creating an internet crimes complaint and stating you are sending the device back to Fitbit at the address from which it was sent, will help strengthen your case and ensure Ebay sides in your favor and gets the refund.

That being said, I am not Ebay. I cannot guarantee you will receive a refund while getting to keep the device. So I wouldn’t do this unless you will be needing the device in the near future and can afford the $50ish cost, assuming you do not end up getting a refund.

IC3 forms can be submitted here: Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3) | Home Page

Some links to a few pebble devices that I believe are being sold the same way as mine:

These links, as well as hundreds of others were active as of 5/28/2023. If you are in the market and willing to spend the $$ with a possibility of getting it refunded… here is your chance to shut down some unscrupulous Ebay sellers.

Coming from an Ebay seller – this is NOT the way to do it. This is making a buck on someone else’s dime and only hurting people who will eventually need to file legitimate warranty claims with Fitbit. And of course, actions like this only drive up the cost of goods for honest consumers. I find it disgusting.

That’s my rant. My call to action.

Thanks for reading… if you order one, comment and let me know how it goes and if they got shut down after your report.

Come back for more from Candid Caroline.