Call Kurtis Investigates: Are Fitness Trackers Shocking Users?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Many of us wear them, but after people reported their fitness trackers were stunning them, Call Kurtis launched a study. It began with Chris Nelson a dad of two, a coworker at CBS13 here. He reported to us that he was shocked by his Fitbit. Nelson felt healthier when he used his new fitness tracker, keeping track of his steps and tracking his heartrate.

But after a month of wearing the Fitbit Charge 2, Nelson was set for a surprise. While picking right up his 3-year-old child Emily, he says the Fitbit Charge 2 shocked him, leading to him to drop his girl. Emily had not been hurt, but he says it left a painful lump on his wrist and his hand temporarily numb.

“It had been clearly a power shock,” he said. We began looking and found similar shock problems online from across the country. Mom Lauren Reiss, who lives outside Philadelphia, swears two different Fitbit models shocked her. “It raised my arm. It had been extreme,” she said. “When I appeared down at my arm, I noticed immediately it hurt.

She says one jolt left a lasting tag on her arm that matches up with where in fact the Fitbit would sit. We looked to find out if any complaints had been filed with the buyer Product Safety Commission. We investigated complaints submitted on the Fitbit online community web page. We reached out to other users who had been reporting a surprise sensation while wearing their device. “That is a danger that needs to be addressed,” said Reiss.

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Static expert Kelly Robinson, PE, Ph.D. ’t find out what’s really wrong. “I simply don’t think it’s static; I believe there is something else happening,” he said. Robinson says that static is a scapegoat when companies can’t find out what’s really wrong often. The reports were brought by us of shocks to consumer lawyer Stuart Talley.

Reiss does have a pacemaker and now wears her Fitbit farther from her heart, on her ankle joint, of her arm instead. Fitbit tells us the devices are made for the wrist. They encourage visitors to wear them to get the most accurate picture of their health properly. Fitbit sent Nelson, a new more advanced model and have not felt some other jolts.

He’s still leery of what he experienced. “People shouldn’t be getting stunned by their watch,” said Nelson. Appreciate enough time earlier. “The health and protection of Fitbit customers is our top priority, and we take all reviews of potential issues seriously. Fitbit products are made to prevent electrical contact with an individual, and we have strict quality control and design requirements to ensure product integrity.

In the limited situations where people reported what they thought was a surprise feeling, we conducted thorough investigations. In all full cases, the devices and batteries were found to be completely intact and practical, with no symptoms of overheating, voltage irregularities or breakdown of any kind – including Mr. Nelson’s case. Please keep me up to date on any new advancements in the story and when you intend to run.

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