Airpod firmware 6.8.8
Why did firmware update 6.8.8 make my 1st gen airpods unusable?
Ask Apple what to do in this situation.
Refer to this document for ways to contact Apple --> Choose your country or region - Official Apple Support
Select your country (also look for "other" regions), then a product. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.
or:
Contact Apple for support and service by telephone --> Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support