Little more than a month after the company started giving refunds to customers suffering from rashes, Fitbit is now officially pulling Fitbit Forces off the market to address the issue. CEO James Park took to the company blog this week to apologize to consumers, saying the company takes the matter seriously and has learned enough to effectively take action.
"We have taken this matter very seriously."
According to Park, only 1.7 percent of Force customers have complained of rashes or skin irritation. All the same, he states medical experts underwent a thorough investigation into the problem. Test results now show that customers likely suffer from allergic contact dermatitis, brought about by either the surgical grade stainless steel in the wristbands or the adhesives used in their assembly.
Fitbit is now offering a full refund to customers, and has opened a call center for support. The company also issued an official release on the subject, promising that their next-generation tracker is on the way and they'll announce news on it soon.