The BBC has reported Jawbone, a fitness tracker firm, is facing liquidation.
Although the business has yet to make a comment about its present situation, customers have reported several months of silence.
Those who had experienced problems with their devices had struggled to get a response and the firm’s social media accounts have not been updated for some time.
Jawbone user Lisa Cope informed the BBC she had finally received a message from the company’s customer support service towards the end of last week.
“We sincerely apologise for the lack of communication – while you haven’t heard from us for a while, please know we haven’t forgotten about you,” the message read.
“Over the past few months we’ve been transitioning to a simpler care experience. Those changes took longer than expected, but we’re excited to share they’re now complete and we are now ready to address your request.”
Ian Fogg, an expert at IHS Markit, said that it wasn’t uncommon for early innovators to withdraw from the market as technology evolved – as had been the case with this particular type of device.
“The early fitness trackers were very simple devices, they had a sensor that tracked movement and step count, and then the companies inferred lots of other metrics – mileage, calorie count and so on from that one very simple sensor,” he said.
“What’s been happening recently is that a lot of investment is needed to add more sophisticated functionality. Devices have gained screens and smartphone integration.
“The newer products are marketed as fitness trackers but in many ways they are becoming much closer to a smartwatch.”
