my experience so far with S3F

petra.p

I am kind of really mad because at this moment I am sending 3rd watch to Suunto service centre for repair, actually for replacement because it is broken not by my mistake beyond repair…again.
I have to write this review, to let some steam out and maybe to help someone hesitant to buy this watch. I send the similar text to Suunto costumer support, they couldn’t have responded until now but really I don’t care.
S3F may be the cheapest of S line watches, but let’s be frank for the price of around 230€ (on sales you can buy them even cheaper, but that is not a point here) you have some expectations. Software is often a topic of discussion here at Suunto frum, but it is always taken for granted, on the other hand Suunto hardware is stated to be one of the highest quality.
Here I won’t be talking about software side of the watch, but hardware.
So lets begun.
Me and my partner bought S3F together on 23.11.2018.
Mine S3F was first to go…. on a first swim in June of 2019 water entered inside. It was in the warranty period so Suunto replaced it (07/2019).

My partner’s watch lasted until May of 2020, when dead pixels showed up on screen for no particular reason. It was in the warranty period so Suunto replaced it (06/2020). At the same time my partner’s watch was sent to the service center, I bought myself Garmin so I forwarded my old S3F (07/2019) to her, so she could use it. Even after she got new replaced S3F (06/2020) she continued using my old watch (07/2019).

That said, you could only imagine what shock to both of us was when on 5th of July 2020 we noticed dead pixels in my old S3F (07/2019) my partner was wearing. I guess I must consider myself lucky that the watch is still in the warranty period.

To summarize all that has been said:
At this moment 3 out of 4 S3F that were in our household broke down before they were used for 2 years, with 2 of them that broke down before they were used for at least 1 year. And I don’t know what will happen with S3F no. 4 (06/2020) because we just powered it on … but its future doesn’t seem too bright doesn’t it?
Go figure…

Brad_Olwin

@petra-p Suunto updated the S3F with the S3, which is made in Finland I believe and is better quality. Given the issues you have had I would ask if it is possible to send you an S3 for a replacement. I have not heard of the S3 having the issues that the S3F had.

petra.p

@Brad_Olwin
Well, the plan was to send this watch for replacement and to use last replaced S3F watch (06/2020). You must admit that this situation, when we constantly are sending watches for repair/replacement is insane and frustrating.
When we bought these watches we actually hoped that they will last for some time. Now we are in this situation, and I can’t even sell the surplus watch anymore, because at this moment that will be deceiving someone.
If you think that S3 (made in Finland) is better hardware than this, I will be fine with you asking for replacement of S3F with S3, especially if it will last for more than these units so far did.
So the plan was to take the watch next few days to the shop I purchased it, they usually forward it to the service centre. If there is something different I have to do please let me know.
Thank you for your engagement.

Brad_Olwin

@petra-p I don’t know but given what has happened it seems a reasonable request. I am in the US so I have to send away for repair or replacement but service has been very good. I would write a short note explaining how many replacements and ask nicely if it is possible to replace with an S3.

petra.p

aha I misunderstood you for a moment, but I guess I could do that, there is noting to lose

Kzznv

I also bought a S3F white/gold for my girlfriend back in December 2019. By February 2020, the watch metal bezel fell off while walking, not working out. We had to send it back to the services center and receive a new replacement. The S3F’s high failure rate reported not only here, but also was reported on Amazon.com.
If another hardware malfunction happens to my S3F, I will probably request for the S3 replacement instead of S3F. Just wish that they make the S3 line with the white/gold color instead of white pebble.

petra.p

Today, i sent watch to service center with request for replacement with S3… i will let you know what happened

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos

@petra-p according to EU law you can have up to 3 replacements and if the issue is not fixed you can ask money back etc. Push them please.

petra.p

So this is how the situation resolved…
I got a call from local service that works for suunto service center (ssc), telling me that ssc wont be replacing non functional s3f unit with another s3f unit, because they are not producing s3f anymore, but instead i will get a new s3…and that i need to say is that ok and to choose color
I guess nobody read my angry letter, but as long as they are sending me new S3 as i wanted, i am happy.
I will recive it in about 7 days

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos

@petra-p s3 is much better than s3f.

petra.p

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos
i hope so

and btw forgot to tell that Suunto customer support never got back on my email… but again… thing is resolved the way i am ok with it, so i don’t care anymore about that

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos

@petra-p I had broken 2 s3f. Never liked the build quality of it.

freeheeler

@dimitrios-kanellopoulos said in my experience so far with S3F:

@petra-p s3 is much better than s3f.

just ordered a second hand S3F for my son as he crashed on the pumptrack and smashed his Fitbit completely he got for birthday only half a year ago… boy was he sad! but since we’re a Suunto family I decided to quickly organise him an S3… let’s see how it works