Fitness gadget company Fitbit is being sued for inaccurate heart rate readings on two of their highly advertised devices, Charge HR and Surge.
- Fitbit is being sued under claims of false advertisement
- The Charge HR and Surge displayed inaccurate heart rate readings
- The company was sued before in 2014 for poor materials, and lost
- Fitbit’s shares dropped 18% already this week
It’s been a tough week for the company. They recently launched their Fitbit Blaze that did not draw the attention of customers, was sued for patent infringement, and their stock has drifted. The additional lawsuit is like kicking an opponent when it’s already down, 20% down more accurately. However, Fitbit is ready to fight and defend their product.
Customers from Colorado, Wisconsin, and California have slapped the company with a class-action lawsuit under the claims of inaccurate readings of their heart rate and false advertising. One of the plaintiffs stated that her Charge HR showed her she clocked 86 beats per minute, and yet her trainer with another device detected 160 beats per minute. The same was reported by other unsatisfied customers.
The accuser also complained that she was refused a refund when she attempted to return the flawed device.
Now, Fitbit is being sued under the claim that their devices do not measure every heart beat per minute as advertised. In fact, it appears to have been missing by a huge margin that is essentially unforgivable. That is, in the case if it’s true. The consumers are now seeking monetary compensation in the form of “economic injuries” due to the company’s misleading advertisement.
However, Fitbit is standing firmly by their PurePulse technology, stating that it’s working perfectly. In fact, their released statement claimed that it works better than most heart rate trackers in the gym. It has the distinct advantage of monitoring even when the user is not exercising. It works by using LED lights that keep a close eye on the blood flow, and then an algorithm measures the heart rate.
It’s a technology that can be found in multiple other devices, such as Apple Watch, but it appears only Fitbit is being sued on account of inaccuracy.
The company stated that their devices provide the best overall heart rate readings, but emphasize that they should not be mistaken as scientific or medical devices. At their core, their gadgets are casual lifestyle accessories that are fun and can be motivational. It’s a fact that users should be well aware of.
And yet, the reported margin of error is rather steep and worthy of concern. If the consumers win, it’s possible that investors might further lose faith in Fitbit.
Image source: cloudfront.net
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