My watch developed a small white spot along the edge about a year ago—though I can’t pinpoint exactly when—and the issue has gradually worsened. The spots have expanded and now cover roughly 20% of the screen’s perimeter, as visible in the photo. I reached out to Garmin’s customer support, but since the watch is out of warranty and no longer in production, their only solution was for me to send it back and purchase a replacement Garmin 965 or 970 at a discounted rate. The problem is that my 955 still works perfectly fine, and I can find the 965 or 970 online in Germany for similar or even lower prices, especially with Black Friday approaching, which might bring additional discounts.
I’m genuinely disappointed with their offer. Three years ago, I replaced my Forerunner 945 because the down button stopped working, and I received a similar proposal at the time: send in the faulty watch and buy a new model at a reduced price. In the end, I found the Forerunner 955 online for much less than Garmin’s offer and kept the 945 as a backup.
I’ve been using Garmin devices extensively—I own a Garmin Edge, an HRM Pro Plus, and several watches dating back to 2014. But at this point, I’m seriously considering switching to another brand, like Coros or Amazfit, which cost about half as much. At least then, if something breaks, replacing the watch wouldn’t feel like such a significant expense.
Garmin's last response on why they don't repair this:
The damage is a screen delamination. Overall Garmin does not repair or replace individual components.
The majority of Garmin's workshops are in Taiwan, and it would be very costly, both economically and environmentally, to send devices back individually. That's why we exchange devices rather than repair them. This enables us to provide a faster, more cost-effective service that delivers the best results for our customers. However as mentioned this is not possible as your product is discontinued.