Has anyone else had a terrible experience with the Withings Body Scan?
I bought a Withings Body Scan expecting a premium health device, and at this point both the scale and the customer service have been ridiculous.
The scale regularly gives me weight readings that vary by over half a pound within minutes under identical conditions. Body fat has varied by nearly a full percentage point back-to-back, while body composition and heart measurements frequently fail or come back “inconclusive.”
For a $500+ device marketed around accurate, comprehensive health data, that’s pretty concerning.
I contacted Withings, which began the troubleshooting circus. I was told to check positioning, foot moisture, settings, the cable stopper, whether I touched the handle or my phone, whether the scale moved, wait between measurements, perform multiple tests without the handle, then multiple tests with it, and document exact times and results. I did all of it. After reviewing those tests and their diagnostic data, Withings told me in writing that the scale had a “hardware issue and must be replaced.”
Great. Send me a replacement.
Except a few days later, the same representative suddenly told me they were “unable to detect a hardware defect” and therefore couldn’t replace it. Apparently the scale wasn’t the only thing producing inconsistent results.
They also started processing a refund instead of the exchange I requested. Since I purchased it using FSA funds from a previous employer, that could leave me unable to reuse hundreds of dollars of those funds. Now they’re “checking with finance” to see whether they can stop the refund they initiated.
So I’ve spent $500+ on a “premium” scale, gotten unreliable measurements, completed an absurd troubleshooting gauntlet, had Withings confirm the hardware was defective, and then watched them reverse their own conclusion when I asked them to actually replace it. If I have to step on a $500 scale repeatedly to figure out what I weigh and cross my fingers that its headline features actually work, what exactly am I paying $500 for?
Has anyone else experienced this with the Body Scan or dealt with Withings support contradicting their own diagnosis like this?