Intel-owned Basis is voluntarily recalling all Peak fitness smartwatches after some users reported getting burned because of overheating issues.
Exhausting all options in fixing the problem via software, the company had no choice but to go through with the decision, promising a full refund for customers everywhere.
"We had hoped to update the software on your watch to address the problem. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we aren't able to develop such a solution without completely compromising the user experience. As a result, we are asking that you return your Basis Peak watch and authorized accessories for a full refund at your earliest convenience," Basis says, noting that the users' safety is its priority above all else.
The issue was confirmed to first turn up back in June, where wearers started reporting in that the fitness trackers caused "discomfort, blistering or burns." As expected, the company advised everyone to stop wearing them temporarily at the time until it could provide a solution, sending out a firmware update in the later part of the month. However, as evidenced by the recent announcement, it couldn't solve the matter at hand.
As mentioned earlier, Basis will pay customers back in full, and to make sure that everyone participates for the sake of safety, it'll turn off cloud services for the smartwatch before the next year starts. Users will only have until Dec. 31 to access their data and download them to keep their progress. Long story short, Peak smartwatches won't function anymore beyond that date, as syncing will no longer work.
For the record, official accessories purchased from authorized retailers will also be completely refunded, including charging cradles and straps.
Basis aims to return the payments for each watch sent back within 10 days when it receives one.
To get a full refund for the Peak smartwatch, owners worldwide can head on over to the company's support website and create a ticket.
For the Basis Titanium, users will get $344 in total — $299 from the product, $30 from the tax and $15 from the shipping. On the other hand, for the Basis Peak, they will get $234 — $199 from the product, $20 from the tax and $15 from the shipping. This is for the customers in the United States. European and Canadian users can see the breakdown of refunds at the official website linked above.
Are you one of the Basis-branded smartwatch owners? If so, drop by our comments section below to let us know what you think of this safety recall.
