Fitbit
Inc. is so smart. To sell their product they showed insurance
providers how to run a bait-and-switch scam using Fitbits. The
providers bought into it and now when you buy health or life
insurance Fitbit has a new customer.
Insurance
providers can now quote you a bait price based on the assumption
you will achieve "Gold" status by performing healthy
lifestyle tasks. Which include measuring your activity using a
Fitbit. If you don't reach Gold status the price is switched to a
higher one. That's the bait-and-switch of it.
The
future was so bright Fitbit Inc. went public. FIT opened at $30.40
on IPO day and soared to $51.90 in the first six weeks. Then,
through a series of big drops that it never recovered from, FIT
dwindled to yesterday's $14.09.
Average
points needed to reach Gold status are 7,000 a year. You can score
about 3,500 points by taking online courses and passing tests. That
leaves 3,500 points to be earned to qualify for the bait-and-switch
rate you were quoted. You can get 10 points for 10,000 Fitbit
steps in a day, about 5 miles.
With
365 days in a year all you need to do in order to get the
bait-and-switch price you were quoted is walk 5 miles a day, every
day, with a job and a commute that has you sitting on your ass for
eight plus hours. That's hard unless you're a runner putting in 8K
every day before work.
But
there is hope, at least for me. If you join Snap Fitness you get 10
points every time you swipe-in to workout. But Snap Fitness isn't
free, and that cost goes right on top of the bait-and-switch
insurance quote.
You
could get 10 Fitbit points for 8K on the treadmill and an
additional 10 if you do it swiped-in at Snap Fitness. 20 points
gets you down to every other day for a year to get your
bait-and-switch price.
Then
I added Life Insurance, with the same bait-and-switch quotes, and
now I have to satisfy two Fitbit and Snap fitness mistresses, two
different Gold status levels, two distinct sets of requirements,
too much bullshit. Now instead of swiping-in I have to sign in with
two separate iPhone apps every visit to Snap Fitness and stay 30
minutes while they time me.
Enough
already, I may not be Anonymous, but I have ways to fight back.
I
had 9,022 Fit bit steps at 11:00 PM. Putting my Fitbit in a
pair of socks and into the clothes dryer got me the extra 1,000 in
no time.
I
can park in front of my Snap Fitness, sign into my health and life
insurance apps, leave my phone in the car, and walk less than 100
feet to a restaurant, bar or vape shop. My apple watch will still
get my phone calls, texts, and email so I don't miss a beat. With
so many Snap Fitness locations you have lots of options. I can even
grocery shop.
Put your Fitbit on your kid or dog and send them
out to play in the yard. Cats do not score big points.
A
40 minute horseback ride gets you about 10,000 steps.
Golfing
with a cart gets you about 10,000 steps in 9 holes. More than
walking the same 9 holes which is about 4,500 for me.
Strap
your Fitbit to your windshield wiper driving to and from work for
some extra points.
Go
for a boat ride, and if your boat has a windshield wiper, you'll be
off the charts.
Don't
start nothing, won't be nothing, and I didn't start this.
Do
your laundry, get on your horse, drink a little, vape a little,
make your kids or dog play fetch, or not, that's your call, and
that's Cocktail Talk.
