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Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

abc.net.au

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Re: Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

#21

Post by RNAlfons »

baz00 wrote: post #9
mg wrote: post #3

Any suggestions for a fitness tracker (steps, sleep) which can be used without an Android/iOS app? If it is possible to access the data from a Linux machine - that would be perfect.

Spent ages and wasted lots of money on trying to make this work. Buy an iPhone and an Apple Watch or go without was the conclusion. Everything else is absolute fucking garbage. Even the Garmin stuff is problematic. I had a Garmin watch crap out entirely while up a mountain. The Apple watch that replaced has taken a complete beating and works reliably every time and doesn't feel like I'm wearing a prison tag. Incident…

> Even the Garmin stuff is problematic. I had a Garmin watch crap out entirely while up a mountain.

I switched into the Garmin environment some years ago. Have my second watch now and spread it all over the family. Never had I one person having any kind of issues with it and we have both outdoor and everyday models.

Re: Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

#22

Post by chris_wot »

Fun fact: under Australian Consumer Law you cannot specify a set period of time for warranty purposes. The device must be fit for purpose and be of acceptable quality. That's it.

Obviously, if you buy a $10 toaster, the reasonable timeframe is shorter, but there is nowhere in the law where you can specify a particular time frame.

HP, Apple and a bunch of other companies have found this out the hard way. Basically, if you are a multinational, then do not screw with Australian consumers!

Re: Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

#23

Post by chris_wot »

dartos wrote: post #4
ceejayoz wrote: post #2

Australia has very strong consumer protection laws in this regard. It's lovely.

11M is just the cost of doing business. Fitbit makes 1.6 billion a year.

$11 million loss for 58 Fitbits. That's a brilliant way of doing business.

Re: Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

#25

Post by solardev »

ptsneves wrote: post #20

As usual US companies go to other countries with their legal and commercial way of work and without care trample the local law. To play FIFA or crash bandicoot in Poland I need to agree on a huge EULA in English before playing. Arbitration property rights etc. Are these people even for real? Crash and FIFA are games mostly played by children, and I admit adult me.

In the US, we like to train our children to blindly accept long legal texts without question. This makes them better workers and voters later on.

Re: Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

#26

Post by 9dev »

ptsneves wrote: post #20

As usual US companies go to other countries with their legal and commercial way of work and without care trample the local law. To play FIFA or crash bandicoot in Poland I need to agree on a huge EULA in English before playing. Arbitration property rights etc. Are these people even for real? Crash and FIFA are games mostly played by children, and I admit adult me.

That’s always seemed hilarious to me. In most of the EU, long and complicated EULAs are completely void, and yet the top brass lawyers at EA insist on including them?

Re: Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

#27

Post by cosmojg »

RNAlfons wrote: post #21
baz00 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spent ages and wasted lots of money on trying to make this work. Buy an iPhone and an Apple Watch or go without was the conclusion. Everything else is absolute fucking garbage. Even the Garmin stuff is problematic. I had a Garmin watch crap out entirely while up a mountain. The Apple watch that replaced has taken a complete beating and works reliably every time and doesn't feel like I'm wearing a prison tag. Incident…

> Even the Garmin stuff is problematic. I had a Garmin watch crap out entirely while up a mountain. I switched into the Garmin environment some years ago. Have my second watch now and spread it all over the family. Never had I one person having any kind of issues with it and we have both outdoor and everyday models.

Which model would you recommend for a desk jockey who either runs or lifts weights a few days a week and goes hiking and climbing on weekends?

Re: Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

#29

Post by sonicanatidae »

hnburnsy wrote: post #28

Where is the fine for a firmware update causing devices to essentially become unusable, and Google not offering replacements or a fix. https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-5/Display-and-battery...

That's right after the meaningful penalty, so never.

Re: Fitbit fined $11M for misleading consumers about their rights under consumer law

#30

Post by soco »

9dev wrote: post #26
ptsneves wrote: post #20

As usual US companies go to other countries with their legal and commercial way of work and without care trample the local law. To play FIFA or crash bandicoot in Poland I need to agree on a huge EULA in English before playing. Arbitration property rights etc. Are these people even for real? Crash and FIFA are games mostly played by children, and I admit adult me.

That’s always seemed hilarious to me. In most of the EU, long and complicated EULAs are completely void, and yet the top brass lawyers at EA insist on including them?

The simple reason is probably the central management just doesn't care. If it works it works, if not they can fire the regional leaders for "failing to implement the central orders" and try it again. And if there's a fine, it's just the cost of doing business.
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