Buying a used mini 3 pro - what should I be aware of about previous account?

[Yorkshire_Pud]

guess I have more to learn.

Not meant in any nasty way but, with regards to this binding, yes you do and it's best learnt before the horse bolts etc.
It would be a painful and expensive lesson to learn after you had bought a bound drone or controller paper-weight or doorstop.
I think that is the value of threads such as this, they warn people of the danger and forewarned is forearmed.

 

[Hanuman]

Just to complete this thread that I started couple of weeks ago, the USED mini 3 pro drone that came from this unfamiliar internet company turned out to be broken from the get go. Since I had paid through Amazon Pay (which guarantees customer satisfaction through their A-Z warranty program), the return was not that difficult. Shared couple of pictures of the broken drone with the customer service rep, and I was able to return the drone for a full refund.

A few days later I got a used DJI RC remote from Amazon, and a refurbished mini 3 pro from DJI. They both connected fine, and and DJI mini 3 pro is now successfully bound to and connected to my account. Ended up buying DJI care refresh too. So all good here. Didn't save much money. But I have a second pair of drone now to complement my Mavic 3!

 

[Dronecation]

I have bought and sold many (14) DJI drones in the past and never had a problem by just installing the proper app, Go, Go4, Fly, to my device and just go fly. I never unbound or bound a used drone to my account. I usually sell on Craigslist so I can demo at time of sale and request purchaser to install the correct app on their device beforehand for the flight trial. Never ever had a problem as warranty is already expired and no complaints from buyers. My purcheses were also problem free despite a change in ownership. Sold 2 more this year already and 2 more for sale, just saying.

Out of curiosity, why so many drone purchases and reselling. Unhappy with the products?

 

[Dronecation]

Just to complete this thread that I started couple of weeks ago, the USED mini 3 pro drone that came from this unfamiliar internet company turned out to be broken from the get go. Since I had paid through Amazon Pay (which guarantees customer satisfaction through their A-Z warranty program), the return was not that difficult. Shared couple of pictures of the broken drone with the customer service rep, and I was able to return the drone for a full refund.

A few days later I got a used DJI RC remote from Amazon, and a refurbished mini 3 pro from DJI. They both connected fine, and and DJI mini 3 pro is now successfully bound to and connected to my account. Ended up buying DJI care refresh too. So all good here. Didn't save much money. But I have a second pair of drone now to complement my Mavic 3!

Good to hear. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Pacodrone2024]

I'm so lost in this conversation!! LOL...I just got a mini 4 pro from amazon.ca- it has 5.44 hours, 26.4km and 194 flights...is this too much? it came paired with the RC2 and I see that is logged in to the previous owner- I guess I should remove his/her info and create my own ? I was able to fly it for a few minutes. Thanks

 

[Starz]

I'm so lost in this conversation!! LOL...I just got a mini 4 pro from amazon.ca- it has 5.44 hours, 26.4km and 194 flights...is this too much? it came paired with the RC2 and I see that is logged in to the previous owner- I guess I should remove his/her info and create my own ? I was able to fly it for a few minutes. Thanks

Your posted flight numbers equate to 194 flights that last 1.68041237113 minutes per flight. Seems a bit odd that this aircraft would be flown in that fashion.
5.44 hours of flight time for a DJI product is basically still new.
Per the information via this thread, I would be cautious regarding the previous owners information and where it goes.
Fly safe!

 

[Pacodrone2024]

hi there....well I looked at the flight history and I see that some flights lasted a few minutes and others secs so...
I thought it would be a matter of just creating a DJI account and then linking/binding the drone to my account (after logging out the previous owner)- I do need a DJI account to fly the drone correct? I'm not sure I understand your comment "I would be cautious regarding the previous owners information and where it goes"...I mean if I MUST have a DJI account to fly the drone I don't see a way around it...or is it better to buy a new drone and then be the first and only owner of the drone? I bought it from amazon because it still has a warranty and I can return it-otherwise I was considering buying it on marketplace for a few hundred less but a bit risky...it's an expensive drone honestly...thanks for you guidance

 

[Pacodrone2024]

Your posted flight numbers equate to 194 flights that last 1.68041237113 minutes per flight. Seems a bit odd that this aircraft would be flown in that fashion.
5.44 hours of flight time for a DJI product is basically still new.
Per the information via this thread, I would be cautious regarding the previous owners information and where it goes.
Fly safe!

is this the procedure as per DJI?

 

[Starz]

I'm not sure I understand your comment

Start at post number one and read all the posts. If your drone is currently bound to someone else’s account, that may present an issue.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Ha ha! I am ready to accept it being bound to another account. But if I am not able to fly the drone why do you think they are not obligated to return any funds? If they are selling me a drone with a remote controller, it better fly with that remote controller - with no limitations whatsoever. I don't care about DJI care program and fly away program for this drone - so if I am not able to attach it to my account, I can accept it. But if I can't fly the drone as any mini 3 pro is supposed to fly, I will make sure I get my money back. The seller should know what they are selling - it's a drone not a brick that they are selling.

I can't seem to spot one obvious point not already mentioned: DJI FLY and earlier GO4 control apps have a tendency to perform a sporadic auto-logout from the registered DJI account that as a new owner, you have to create and maintain connection with in order to get the drone to work. This logout seems to occur more frequently when the drone is powered up in a geographical location different to where it was last used, but it will inevitably happen regardless.

If you don't have the email address and login password of the original account used to register the drone to the owner on the first day it was taken out of the box and booted up, when this happens (and it is a "when" not an "if"): you're stuffed. If you can actually get it off the ground: you will be limited to a capped altitude of 90 feet and a total linear distance capped at no more than 150 feet between the controller and the drone.

The seller has told you the truth that the drone CAN get up in the air: just not how far, or how high - that's the 'get-out' clause. If you do insist on seeing it working before you pay for it: make sure the seller takes it up to 400' and at least 1,000' away from where it took off... Get them to show you the telemetry readout for VH and HD with you looking over their shoulder.

With eBay drones: Caveat Emptor.... Buyer Beware.

 

[WNYBill]

I am a total neophyte in NYS. If I buy a used MINI 3 or 4 and it has the RC controller all the information for bonding/un-bonding is already preloaded in the controller????? And without doing anything with DJI, I will be able to fly it, with no altitude or range limitations, right out of the box? However, it will send a signal with the previous owners info? So, I should get it un-bonded and re-bonded in my name.

Jeez, and I thought registering a handgun in NYS was difficult.

 

[Droning on and on...]

There are two different ways a drone is "tied" to the owner DJI account: Registration/activation on the account, and binding the controller to the account.

The latter is for flyaway coverage under Care Refresh. The former is what will ground you if the controller gets logged out, and you can't log back in to the account the drone is registered to.

When buying used, the seller has to unregister the drone in their account before you can register it in yours.

 

[WNYBill]

Thank you. That makes sense. Seller has to unbind and the rc controller has to be paired to drone and then buyer can register. Mostly the registry is for DJI customer care and insurance???

Thank you,

Bill

 

[Starz]

is for DJI customer care and insurance???

That wallet depletion is not the primary reason. Care refresh is not a requirement at all. It’s an option for folks that feel the need to have someone else be responsible for their inability to control the expensive hardware they are putting at risk by flying in a way they really shouldn’t.
Your DJI account is more along the lines of the title attached to your car.