I am about to lose my everloving mind with Dexcom. I have been a faithful user for over 6 years but over the past year or so I’ve had repeated issues with sensors and now a transmitter, and customer service is not super easy to get in touch with.
My insurance company shipped my newest G6 transmitter to me in November 2019. I started using it on 1/3. On 3/23 I got the transmitter expiring alert (20 days left or so, I believe). Two days later, today (3/25), I got a new alert I hadn’t seen before - low transmitter alert (said something like battery critically low). An hour after that, I didn’t have any more readings (lasted 4 hours, until I took it off). I assumed it was a transmitter issue because the sensor was acting normally until then and I had that weird battery low alert, then no data.
I called Dexcom to let them know my transmitter died too early (before the 90 days). The rep had me power cycle my phone - because I had a signal loss error, she thought it was the sensor, but that didn’t solve it (probably because the transmitter was dead). Eventually she insisted that because the transmitter was in the last 10 days of the 90 day cycle, I should have expected to need to replace it. Even though I explained that I always get a notice when it will be my last session with each transmitter and I didn’t this time, she didn’t care because it was almost 90 days. BUT IT DIDN’T MAKE IT TO 90 DAYS. So now I’m over a week short.
Just frustrated that this rep did not understand that the transmitter is supposed to last 90 days. She was also concerned that it had been shipped to me in November - why should that matter?! They have an expiration date of a year from when they are manufactured. Shouldn’t they have replaced it?? Am I wrong? I am just so aggravated.
I think they can get in trouble for not backing that up. Both of these links are active and under the “www.dexcom.com” URL umbrella. Making such a statement and not backing it up puts them in a bad spot legally.
You can probably find more specific ones for G6 though. Maybe should read through this first before calling them:
For additional information, please refer to either the Warranty card that was included in the shipment box or the user’s guide.
The reason the rep was looking at your ship date is that, regardless of what the box says, you now have 5 months to start the transmitter from your ship date.
But you were way within that duration. Pls post again tomorrow and tell us Dexcom is shipping you a new transmitter Or giving you a credit.
Thanks you, I’m so glad to know I’m not wrong! I will call again. (Well, I did leave a comment on their Facebook page and maybe I’ll wait for a generic response there, ha…)
and @Eric:
Thank you both for the suggestion to try again. Got a response to my facebook post, sent a message to their social media email address, and 2 reps called me back (one while I was on the phone with the other). Didn’t ask too many questions and said a new transmitter is on the way! Very happy with that resolution.
I send my G5 transmitters to a battery replacement service, online. They charge only $60 to replace a G4 or G5 transmitter battery. When the transmitter is returned to me, I start using it. It is already active when it arrives. The service also replaces the G6 batteries, but only the ones in the early transmitters soon after the G6 was first available.
I appreciate your link, but it doesn’t help me. For privacy reasons I won’t visit facebook with javascripts enabled. If you could post an email or web address for the replacement provider, or at least the name so I could try to search for a contact, I would be much obliged.
Are you aware dexcom will stop shipping G4/G5 sensors end of this year? So at some point you will need switch to G6. So try to time your last battery replacement with when you may run out of sensors.
Dexcom made the G6 transmitters smarter, and replacing G6 batteries is only useful on older transmitters (80, 81xxxx).
The newer G6 transmitters retain number of days used, and prevent that counter from update (reset).
@MM2, several friends sent G5 sensors to me when they were switching to the G6. I have enough of them to last about six months. The older ones issued more than a year ago work very well.
I also received the G6 kit, and used it for one month. I can let the G6 sensors accumulate while using the old G5 sensors.
@bkh, here is the email for the contact for G5 battery replacements. I may be wrong, but I think that the only people served are members of her Facebook group.
we have had a handful of transmitters replaced over the years for early failure, never had an issue getting replacement as long as battery not past expired date which is on box. I would call and speak to another rep and see if they will replace. they guarantee 90 days.
Or giving you a credit.