Nike+ Fuelband may be discontinued already, but if you own one you are entitled to receive a $25 Nike gift card or a $15 check. This is not a promotional campaign or simple goodwill on the part of the company. It is part of the payment that Nike and Apple agreed to dole out after both settled a class action suit that alleged both companies made false claims as the fitness tracker device was proven to be inaccurate. Nike and Apple denied the claims but agreed to settle the case "to avoid the expense, inconvenience and distraction of continued litigation," according to court documents posted in the Nike website.
In the class action suit, the plaintiffs alleged that the Fuelband is not capable of correctly tracking steps, calories and NikeFuel points, reported The Verge. The lawsuit argued that the product was sold despite knowledge of the flaw in the biometrics measurements. Nike will pay $2.4 million in total to those who bought the Fuelband from January 2012 to June 2015. Apple will reportedly pay nothing, according to Venture Beat. Owners of Fuelband can receive payment for each device purchased within that period. The "gift" can be claimed through this link and they will only be honored until January 4, 2016.
The consumer victory in the class action suit is a breakthrough development in the fitness device industry as more and more manufacturers enter the market. There are currently no standards or universal benchmark that determines accuracy. One need only use different fitness devices at the same time to find out that they yield different biometrics results.
"Trackers often claim to present data like calorie burn' based on several sensor readings and an algorithm. But they overreach. The reading of an accelerometer can't possibly gather enough data about the user's body and activity to claim to measure weight loss or blood pressure, or to make statements about the quality of sleep," according to Venture Beat.
The settlement could now put pressure on manufacturers to produce better devices or refrain from making false claims with their products.
