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Believe it or not? DJI rep says they pay all tariffs.
- Thread starter MS Coast
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Johnmcl7
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Probably legit, especially when you consider the pricing changes DJI has made on its site this last week. I just ordered an Air 3S fly more kit the week the tariffs were announced. DJI promptly delivered the drone and one battery in the time quoted on the DJI store site, but the "accessory kit", which contains the remaining 2 batteries, intelligent charger, controller and the filters kept showing it had been shipped, but Fedex was showing it had yet to receive the package. Finally, this last Weds, a DJI customer service rep called me to let me know that DJI did NOT actually have any of those items in stock and had no idea when they would be available, so DJI was canceling that part of my order and would refund the difference. After work, I pulled up my order on the DJI site. Out of curiosity, I searched the store only to find that they actually had plenty of all the items in the accessory kit in stock, they were just much more expensive (the 3S batteries, which were 154.00 USD when I placed my order, are now 254.00 USD each). Fair enough I guess, but it annoys me that they sent out emails telling everyone they had the items in stock & for sale at "pre-tariff prices" only to turn around and try to force you to buy everything but the drone at after tariff pricing. I have money set aside for a Mavic 4 Pro creator's kit, but am seriously considering just waiting to see if any of the US manufacturer's will step up and actually compete. I would LOVE to buy all of the drones and accessories our company uses from an American manufacturer, if such an animal actually existed, but it does NOT make good business sense to pay two to three times the price of DJI equipment only to end up with drones and controllers that are five to 6 generations behind what DJI is offering. Realistically, we will most likely just end up buying the Matrice 3T or 4DT models, since there are plenty of those currently in stock with American DJI retailers and we can buy those for basically the same price we could pick up any of the blue list drones that are laughable from a performance standpoint when compared to even the Mavic 3 Pro. Just sucks because for my next personal drone, I do not have a budget anywhere close to 12-13k.
There is no DJI website that tells you if you buy the drone whether they also have the accessories in stock to ship you. It's not a mom/pop operation where someone can go in the back and grab the boxes. We don't know the DJI process of how/when and from where they ship but I can assure you, they are not withholding your accessories trying to get you to pay post-tariff pricing. DJI has since last year started split shipping long before tariffs so it's not a tactic. There's no need to do that, if DJI wants you to pay a particular price, they just mark it and move on. Ultimately the price is not that much different, you are free to buy the couple additional accessories from pretty much anywhere else and they are still available from several merchants at pre-tariff pricing. The built-in price difference in a kitted DJI is not so great you can't make a small effort and try to duplicate it yourself and come close especially if you forgo that ridiculous included case. If it's a newer drone, you actually might have a choice of different compatible accessories where you don't get a choice if you buy the kit. Unless DJI is charging you a higher amount for the ordinary drone only sku, I would give it a shot; otherwise, as you mentioned just tell them no-thanks and you'll seek another option. And in the meantime, send a thank you note to your government for creating issues where it doesn't have to be. Earlier DJI actually had worldwide shipments and supplies and servicing and timing down to a science and now it's becoming a slow trainwreck.
Despite the claims of the fellow who is responsible for the 145% tariff on Chinese imports, domestic US manufacturers will not, and cannot, sprout up and quickly offer alternatives to imported drones, appliances, electronics, and most other significant products we now import.
There are myriad reasons why those products aren't manufactured in the US. Even with significantly higher sale prices created by tariffs on imports, it's highly unlikely that US companies will enter the business. For one thing, what business would make the capital investment and spend the time developing products and building manufacturing facilities knowing that the tariffs could shrink or disappear any moment on a mere whim of the president?
For anyone who hasn't been inside a typical Chinese factory or realize even the most obscure of electronics is still "electronics" that cannot be reasonable done in America, check out this video (there are many on YT) if you want to get an idea of you think we can replicate this in America anytime soon:
This is very helpful and enlightening. Thank you for sharing your conversation with the DJI rep.
Actually, the DJI online store does show you shipping dates and locations they will ship from as soon as you place an order, and it has for several years now. I was not implying they singled me out are were trying to extort money from me or anything. I am sure it was a corporate policy and they had to make the decision to stop all orders at previous pricing at some point and I was just unlucky enough to order right during that timeframe.
Unless you happen to have a possible source, no US retailers actually sell the "accessory kit" for the air 3S. I have spoken with reps from several of the larger US DJI retailers and they have all said the same thing. They have finally started seeing availability on the "accessory kits" for the original Mavic, but the other bundles are strictly a DJI thing. You are correct, the last 4 DJI drones I have bough were also bought as fly more kits and generally I have received the "accessory kit" before the drone as the fly more kit items have shipped out of CA and then the drone has shipped from China.
Yes, I could buy the individual components from retailers (except right now everyone is showing them as backordered) but you are incorrect in your assertion that DJI does not tell you if items are in stock or not. Go to the DJI store and several of the items currently show as "not currently in stock" while everything that is in stock will just display an expected shipping date. This includes anytime you go to buy one of the drones with the fly more kit. Not my first time buying a DJI drone & I bought another air 3S specifically because 2 weeks ago, DJI sent out a mass email telling past customers that they currently had Air 3S fly more kits in stock with a paragraph stating that these would be the last kits available at pre-tariff prices. I would be thrilled, if you can send me a link that has Air 3S intelligent batteries currently available at pre-tariff prices. There are numerous places that have the Air 3 batteries in stock at pre-tariff pricing, but the Air 3 battery (as per DJI) does not function the same in the sequential charger as the updated Air 3S batteries do.
As to "my" government creating issues where it does not have to . . . . . I am not much on politics, but you might want to do a bit of digging into what the US' tariff situation with China and most other countries has been Not a huge fan of this new guy's personality, but he is absolutely correct in his statements that the US has been getting screwed on import tariffs while charging most countries peanuts on our export tariffs. Also, DJI's shipments into the US started being a train wreck well prior to the tariffs went into effect this month. Congress screwed that up with the help of Skydio's lobbyists by trying to ban Chinese drones well before anything with the tariffs was ever mentioned.
All I can say is it's not a real time system but yeah, I think you're caught up too much in "the accessory kit" thing. Anyway, too much to go into ATM so I'll leave this with you.....
You've been mislead on that.
To believe anything he's said about tariffs is a mistake.
Dave Pitman
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I understand you said you don't really follow politics. But it is important that folks pay attention.
Export tariffs are constitutionally illegal. That probably won't detour "this guy" from trying it though. He's not even sure he is supposed the follow the constitution despite the oath he took, twice.
Targeted use of tariffs has always been used and could certainly be used more to better the position of the US in the global economy. But this hap-hazard "emergency, national defense", changing day by day, nonsense is going to really hurt the US. Ask almost any business. Congress needs to pull their head out and do their job.
Export tariffs are constitutionally illegal. That probably won't detour "this guy" from trying it though. He's not even sure he is supposed the follow the constitution despite the oath he took, twice.
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