Whoop introduced two new fitness wearables earlier this week, and to go with it, a trio of subscription plans under the One, Peak, and Life labels. The launch, however, left many long-term fans of the screen-less wearable with a bitter taste as the company reneged on a remarkable promise of free upgrades.
Whoop made the commitment in a blog post published late last year, but has since deleted it. “Instead of purchasing new hardware every time an updated model is produced, WHOOP members receive the next-generation device for free after having been a member for six months or more,” the company said back then.
What is happening?
Following the launch of its latest wearable devices, the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG, subscribers were asked to pay an “upgrade fee.” The backlash has been pretty vocal across social media platforms and forums like Reddit. But it seems Whoop is not going to fully honor its original commitment.
A Whoop spokesperson told Bloomberg that “like any company, we from time to time update our commercial policies.” In the meantime, Whoop quietly updated its support page on May 9, clarifying the free upgrade situation and the requirements tied to it.
In order to upgrade from Whoop 4.0 to Whoop 5.0 or the MG version, there are only two options on the table. Pay an upgrade fee ($49 for Whoop 5.0 and $79 for Whoop MG) or extend the current membership by 12 months, with plans starting at $199 per user annually.
What relief is available?
The only relief available to long-term subscribers is that if they have more than 12 months remaining on their subscription, they will get the free upgrade. The fresh offer only applies to the mid-tier Peak subscription, and not the One or Life package.
The situation has been somewhat confusing so far. A few users are reporting that when they reached out to Whoop support with evidence of the brand’s prior commitment, they were extended the free upgrade. Some are claiming that they are got an AI-generated response from Whoop support.
A few users wrote that they have been denied the free upgrade and asked to pay the aforementioned fee. Some are even floating the idea of filing consumer reports citing misleading marketing claims by Whoop. It would be interesting to see if Whoop is taken to court, but so far, it seems the company could get in legal hot water if the situation escalates.