Whoop Backtracks on Upgrade Policy After Customer Outcry

Whoop, the fitness tracker company, has partially reversed its controversial upgrade policy for the Whoop 5.0 following significant customer backlash. The initial plan, which required users to either extend their subscriptions by 12 months or pay an upgrade fee, was met with criticism due to its inconsistency with Whoop’s established practice of offering free hardware upgrades to long-term subscribers.

The original announcement of Whoop 5.0 outlined that members wanting the new device would need to either extend their subscription by a year or pay a one-time fee of $49 (or $79 for the model equipped with EKG sensors). This approach conflicted with Whoop’s subscription model, which involves higher annual fees (ranging from $199 to $359) in exchange for complimentary hardware upgrades. Critics pointed out that the policy contradicted statements on the company’s website promising free upgrades to members of at least six months.

In response to the outcry, Whoop addressed the concerns through a Reddit post, announcing a revised upgrade policy and attempting to clarify their stance. The updated policy now allows members with over 12 months remaining on their subscription to receive a free upgrade to Whoop 5.0, with refunds offered to those who already paid the upgrade fee. Customers with less than 12 months remaining can extend their subscription to qualify for the free upgrade.

Whoop attributed these changes to customer feedback and cited the company’s transition from monthly or six-month subscription plans to exclusively offering 12- and 24-month subscriptions as a factor influencing the initial upgrade policy.

“We also want to acknowledge that a previous blog article incorrectly stated that anyone who had been a member for just 6 months would receive a free upgrade,” the company stated. “This was never our policy and should never have been posted.”

Reactions to the updated policy within the Whoop community have been mixed. While some, like a Reddit moderator, have praised the change as a “win for the community,” others remain skeptical. One user commented, “You don’t publish a policy by accident and keep it up for years. Removing it after backlash doesn’t erase the fact [that] it is real.”

Several users with 11 months remaining on their subscriptions also expressed disappointment at narrowly missing the cutoff for a free upgrade.