I’ve got an old Forerunner 220 that of course is way out of warranty. Can I get a battery changed at a watch makers or does it have to go to Garmin? I looked on the support page& it wasUS$89 to get it done, might as well buy a new watch for that price. Just wondering if there was a cheaper option with it being out of warranty anyway
I looked into this, and was told the following. However, none of this information came from Garmin:
The Forerunner 220 was designed so the battery can't be changed. Basically, the case can't be opened. This was done to make a smaller watch, and preserve water resistance.
If you pay the $89 and send it to Garmin, they will send a replacement. You won't get the same watch back. (I hope they will recycle your old watch, tho.)
The Forerunner 220 is a discontinued model. Garmin can send a replacement only if they still have some unsold ones.
There are 3rd party services that will cut open the case, change the battery, and reseal the case. However, some users of these services have complained water resistance failed after this service.
