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Whoop faces backlash after walking back free hardware upgrade promise
Users with over six months' membership were promised a free upgrade, but now they’re being charged for the new hardware.
Credit: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
- Whoop users say the company broke its promise of a free hardware upgrade after six months of membership.
- Archived text confirmed the offer, but the manufacturer has quietly changed its policy following the Whoop 5.0 launch.
- The backlash online has been swift, with Reddit users calling the move a betrayal.
A day after launching its new Whoop 5.0 fitness tracker, the company is facing a backlash from longtime customers. Many say they were promised free next-generation hardware, only to now be asked to pay more to upgrade.
As The Verge reports, Whoop previously stated that members who’d been subscribed for at least six months would automatically receive the next version of the device at no extra cost. That policy appears to have been quietly changed, with the company now requiring either a 12-month membership extension or a one-time fee to receive the latest hardware. The change has been met with frustration online, with some users accusing the brand of breaking its word.
