A few years ago I got an amazing watch as a ten year gift from Redgate: a Garmin Forerunner 645. Since then, I’ve used this regularly to track my heart rate, log exercise, and wake me up every morning. I’ve gotten used to using this device to help me remain healthy and fit.
A few months ago, I got a dead area in the watch. A small circle of white appeared near the bottom, preventing me from reading part of the display. This looks like a bit of a burn through, and I wasn’t overly bothered at first. However, this grew into almost a 1-1.5cm circle, which is a decent size on a watch.
It’s been three years that I’ve owned this watch, and in researching some Garmin support online, a few people have noted the company has replaced some older devices for US$99. Finally, I contacted the company a couple weeks ago, and through a support chat, they immediately offered to give me an RMA and replace the watch. At no charge.
I was amazed, and while I did have to pay to ship and get some expedited shipping (my choice), the replacement cost me US$30 in total. I shipped my watch off and got a refurbished replacement a little over a week later.
In those two weeks, I constantly glanced at my wrist, seeing only a tan line. Having to find my phone to get the time was annoying. Not having my workouts tracked and being able to check my heart, or my level of activity, was something I noticed as missing in my life.
This wasn’t that long, but this one piece of technology, with all the data it just gathers for me, is something I missed. Glad to have it back, and looking forward to getting seeing my data flow again.