Fitness tracker Whoop faces unhappy customers over upgrade policy

Whoop has backed down, somewhat, from the controversial upgrade plans around its Whoop 5.0 fitness tracker. When the company first announced Whoop 5.0 this week, it said members who wanted the new device could either extend their subscriptions by 12 months or pay a one-time upgrade fee of $49 ($79 for the model with EKG sensors). This seemed inconsistent with Whoop’s overall value proposition, where it charges higher subscription prices (ranging $199 to $359 a year) while allowing customers to upgrade their hardware for free. More specifically, it seemed to contradict a statement on the company’s website promising users free hardware upgrades if they’ve been members for at least six months. After customers began complaining, the company responded with a Reddit post both announcing a more expansive upgrade policy and claiming to clarify its overall approach. Now, anyone with more than 12 months remaining on their subscription is eligible for a free upgrade to Whoop 5.0 (or a refund ... Read full article.