Brand new Mavic - Strange noise! Dont want to exchange for refurbished unit

[Yoshimitsu]

Hi All, first post in the "Help" section for me... maybe the 1st of many as I've just started flying (link to my 1st video clip at the bottom).

So I received my new Mavic from DJI 3 weeks ago. I did my first flights, about 1hr in total with no problems at all except small issues caused by my ignorance/inexperience which had no consequence. When I was ready to pack it away I noticed that, when I moved the Mavic unit around, there was something inside it tumbling around. Something very small, my guess it's a very small screw, rivet or something of that kind. You flip the unit around and you hear it falling through the unit hitting internal components until you feel it hitting the bottom end. Sounds like something as big as a grain of rice at most.

So this is my dilemma: I've read on this great forum about other pilots recently returning their unit for warranty purposes and getting one back (after several weeks) which is definitely refurbished and in some cases showed signs of wear and tear. I just dropped €1400 on this baby and dont want to get somebody else's used/refurbished unit. On the other hand, this little screw (or whatever it is) could be a ticking time bomb and at some point - due to vibration, shock or what have you - some part comes undone and the thing drops out of the sky.
Another option could be opening it up and checking what it is myself. This would likely void warranty right?

What would you do?

Short clip of my first flights here: First flight and video... Tuscany
Feedback welcome.

 

[Johnny21]

 

[Former Member]

Did you pay with Paypal?

I would not fly it again. It doesn't matter whether that loose part is metallic or plastic. That loose part could get stuck in your fan and cause the Mavic to overheat, melt down and crash. If it's metallic and conducts electricity, it could find it's way on to the circuit board and short something out.

If you send it back to DJI, you will wait upwards of a month to get a replacement, and you might get a new unit, based on some of the latest reports of warranty and Refresh claims, but with DJI it's a crapshoot.

 

[Former Member]

BTW, no matter what you do, dont tear it down at this point. Even if you find the part, it might end up being an essential part that needs replacing anyway. You might end up breaking something else, and then you would be really in trouble.

 

[Yoshimitsu]

Did you pay with Paypal?.

Hi TD, thanks for your reply. I did pay for it with Paypal. Not sure if that gives me any extra guarantees though... am I wrong?
I havent flown it since my first day... not so much for the noise but because of weather/work impediments. Was going to fly it this weekend... as you said the option of sending it back to DJI is really unattractive at this point. Most likely I would receive back a refurbished drone and it'd take 3-4 weeks.
Unfortunately I dont have the original packaging as I had it shipped to Italy and left it there. Otherwise maybe I could return it for a full refund and just buy a new one?

 

[Former Member]

Yes you would need original packaging to ask for a refund, plus you are outside DJI's (completely insufficient) 14 day return policy.

Your options include filing a Paypal claim and return the drone as "not as described." Paypal might require you to deal with DJI first, which means waiting a month and maybe getting a refurb back, but maybe DJI will ask you to return the drone and give you a refund, might take a few weeks to a month. Another other option would be to get a repair shop to open it up and see what's broken. Might not cost that much and would certainly take less time.

And then the last resort would be just send it in to DJI. It should be a free repair.

 

[Yoshimitsu]

Yes you would need original packaging to ask for a refund, plus you are outside DJI's (completely insufficient) 14 day return policy.

Your options include filing a Paypal claim and return the drone as "not as described." Paypal might require you to deal with DJI first, which means waiting a month and maybe getting a refurb back, but maybe DJI will ask you to return the drone and give you a refund, might take a few weeks to a month. Another other option would be to get a repair shop to open it up and see what's broken. Might not cost that much and would certainly take less time.

And then the last resort would be just send it in to DJI. It should be a free repair.

Thanks for suggestions. I'll try contacting DJI first to see what they say then I'll decide.
Getting the Mavic opened up by an approved repair shop wouldnt void warranty right?

 

[Former Member]

Thanks for suggestions. I'll try contacting DJI first to see what they say then I'll decide.
Getting the Mavic opened up by an approved repair shop wouldnt void warranty right?

Right