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

[Hanuman]

I have ordered a drone from a website and it should be on its way. The description said the drone might be attached to a previous account. I am getting the drone and the RC controller both. So I am assuming that the drone will be bound to the controller that comes with it - and as such I should have no problem flying the drone. Now the comment about the drone being attached to a previous account - I assume the DJI FLY app in the controller is connected to previous owner's account? Here are my questions:

1. If I don't care about getting a DJI care refresh for this drone, is this an issue for me?
2. I also have a mavic 3. Can I use the controller that comes with the mini 3 pro (as it has a built-in screen) to control the mavic 3? Note that controller is possibly attached to another account. But mavic 3 I am the original owner and I can unbind it from my account on my phone.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I would cancel the order, if the drone is bound there is a better than fair chance it is, for you, a paper weight. ONLY the binding account can unbind it.
Do a google for "bound drone".

 

[tokertm]

A bound drone being sold by someone that can't unbind it before sale is in my mind one that's been robbed and resold. Personally I would stay well away

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Now that I have got that out of the way.
In your mind you need to differentiate between the connection between the drone and the controller that is used for control purposes and the "binding" that is associated with FLYaway insurance. They are completely separate things.

With the flyaway insurance the drone is bound to the DJI account that established the binding and the controller is bound to the drone (again, the controller-drone binding is a completely different thing from the control connection), I refer to the control connection as linking or pairingDO.
The flyaway insurance binding will ground the drone if not flown using the original binding account and may prevent the controller being used with any other drone.

If the drone arrives with a DJI RC controller and that controller is logged into the binding account
DO NOT LOG OUT OF THAT ACCOUNT,
DO undo the bindings
and ensure they are undone, still DO NOT LOG OUT OF THAT ACCOUNT .

At a guess you have an RC-N1 or RC231 for the mavic 3, taking that to be correct I would, once you have undone the binding using the DJI RC, pair/link/connect the RC-N1/RC231 and your presumed phone/app to the Mini 3 and see if you get any warning messages and if you can fly the mini 3.
If you get no warning and can fly the mini 3 with the second controller and app I think it would be safe to log out of the original account/app on the DJI RC and login using your own details.

If the DJI RC is already logged out of the original account and flyaway insurance binding is in place then you are 'out of luck'.

 

[Cafguy]

Never buy a drone from someone you cannot contact in some way. I have purchased drones on eBay and I will not complete the sale without contacting the seller Even if its D.J.I. new york ( CAMRISE ). An honest seller will not sell you a drone and say oh by the way it may be bound to someone else's account (Redflag)

 

[Hanuman]

Now that I have got that out of the way.
In your mind you need to differentiate between the connection between the drone and the controller that is used for control purposes and the "binding" that is associated with FLYaway insurance. They are completely separate things.

With the flyaway insurance the drone is bound to the DJI account that established the binding and the controller is bound to the drone (again, the controller-drone binding is a completely different thing from the control connection), I refer to the control connection as linking or pairingDO.
The flyaway insurance binding will ground the drone if not flown using the original binding account and may prevent the controller being used with any other drone.

If the drone arrives with a DJI RC controller and that controller is logged into the binding account
DO NOT LOG OUT OF THAT ACCOUNT,
DO undo the bindings
and ensure they are undone, still DO NOT LOG OUT OF THAT ACCOUNT .

At a guess you have an RC-N1 or RC231 for the mavic 3, taking that to be correct I would, once you have undone the binding using the DJI RC, pair/link/connect the RC-N1/RC231 and your presumed phone/app to the Mini 3 and see if you get any warning messages and if you can fly the mini 3.
If you get no warning and can fly the mini 3 with the second controller and app I think it would be safe to log out of the original account/app on the DJI RC and login using your own details.

If the DJI RC is already logged out of the original account and flyaway insurance binding is in place then you are ***&&&^^

Thanks! This is super helpful. I am going to keep the order for now. I bought it using Amazon pay - if needed I can return it. One of the attraction for this purchase was the DJI smart remote controller that comes with it. So the plan is going to be to use the controller that came with it to fly the drone that comes in. Over time if I want to play around with binding/unbinding at various levels, the steps you suggested are super helpful. Will follow that sequence for sure. Yes, I have googled about binding/unbinding and aware of the possible issues - hence the post. Was looking for a response like yours. The deal was too good to pass on. So I am going to let the shipment come in.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Over time if I want to play around with binding/unbinding at various levels

If the DJI RC arrives logged into the binding account and with the drone bound to that account AND the controller bound to that drone, then I would suggest that YOU MUST, using that login, unbind both the controller and the drone. If you log out of the binding account then you will probably not be able to log back in ( this happened to someone ( from memory on the DJI forum) and they were most 'vocal' in blaming DJI for their (the poster's) mistake). If you have not unbound the equipment before you log out, you may end up with paper weights.

With regards to any binding that YOUR account/login can subsequently establish, "playing" might interesting but, if you don't have Flyaway insurance, I suspect that binding the drone to your account will have NO consequence and that you will not be able to bind the controller to the drone.
I tried that with a Mini 2. Though I was able to bind the drone to my account I was unable to bind the controller to the done. Disappointingly I was able to fly the drone using friends' logins and any applicable controller.
Since the binding had no effect I removed/undid it.

 

[Deleted member 162835]

Yeah lots of horror stories of people buying used drones bound to accounts here and the buyers left out lots of cash. I would be super hesitant buying a used drone at a fantastic deal especially if the description said something about being bound to another account. The seller could claim they posted an honest description of the goods and not be obligated to return any funds. I hope it works out for you and you end up with a solid bird that flys! The mini 3 Pro is a cool little drone.

 

[Hanuman]

If the DJI RC arrives logged into the binding account and with the drone bound to that account AND the controller bound to that drone, then I would suggest that YOU MUST, using that login, unbind both the controller and the drone. If you log out of the binding account then you will probably not be able to log back in ( this happened to someone ( from memory on the DJI forum) and they were most 'vocal' in blaming DJI for their (the poster's) mistake). If you have not unbound the equipment before you log out, you may end up with paper weights.

With regards to any binding that YOUR account/login can subsequently establish, "playing" might interesting but, if you don't have Flyaway insurance, I suspect that binding the drone to your account will have NO consequence and that you will not be able to bind the controller to the drone.
I tried that with a Mini 2. Though I was able to bind the drone to my account I was unable to bind the controller to the done. Disappointingly I was able to fly the drone using friends' logins and any applicable controller.
Since the binding had no effect I removed/undid it.

Thanks man! You have been super helpful. I for sure will keep you posted how my thing goes.

 

[Hanuman]

Yeah lots of horror stories of people buying used drones bound to accounts here and the buyers left out lots of cash. I would be super hesitant buying a used drone at a fantastic deal especially if the description said something about being bound to another account. The seller could claim they posted an honest description of the goods and not be obligated to return any funds. I hope it works out for you and you end up with a solid bird that flys! The mini 3 Pro is a cool little drone.

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.

 

[Cymruflyer]

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.

Possibly because the seller clearly states that this drone and controller are bound to someone else's account, that might be the info that the seller needed to state, to show that it may not be able to be flown, for those in the know about such things. And maybe that is why you might not be eligible to have your money refunded.

That might be the reason that the seller could argue that they clearly stated the drone was bound to someone's account. I've seen several drones on ebay, that stated that fact and were priced very attractively. Some even stated they were selling for parts only, probably due to that binding comment, which might mean they cannot be flown because of the binding.

I had wondered why they were mentioning that the drone was bound to another account and that it appeared to be in perfect working order, yet they were still marking it as "For Parts" in their descriptions. Thanks to Yorshire Pud, now I have a much better understanding.

 

[Deleted member 162835]

Possibly because the seller clearly states that this drone and controller are bound to someone else's account, that might be the info that the seller needed to state, to show that it may not be able to be flown, for those in the know about such things. And maybe that is why you might not be eligible to have your money refunded.

That might be the reason that the seller could argue that they clearly stated the drone was bound to someone's account. I've seen several drones on ebay, that stated that fact and were priced very attractively. Some even stated they were selling for parts only, probably due to that binding comment, which might mean they cannot be flown because of the binding.

I had wondered why they were mentioning that the drone was bound to another account and that it appeared to be in perfect working order, yet they were still marking it as "For Parts" in their descriptions. Thanks to Yorshire Pud, now I have a much better understanding.

Yeah this is what I was getting at. People put weasel words in their posts to sell product with issues and because they listed, in some cryptic way, there's an issue and the buyer took a chance and purchased it, so not their problem.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Possibly because the seller clearly states that this drone and controller are bound to someone else's account, that might be the info that the seller needed to state, to show that it may not be able to be flown, for those in the know about such things. And maybe that is why you might not be eligible to have your money refunded.

That might be the reason that the seller could argue that they clearly stated the drone was bound to someone's account. I've seen several drones on ebay, that stated that fact and were priced very attractively. Some even stated they were selling for parts only, probably due to that binding comment, which might mean they cannot be flown because of the binding.

I had wondered why they were mentioning that the drone was bound to another account and that it appeared to be in perfect working order, yet they were still marking it as "For Parts" in their descriptions. Thanks to Yorshire Pud, now I have a much better understanding.

Regarding "for parts " etc., my buying experience is limited to eBay UK.
There, items are sold in various condition categories and eBay UK stipulate rules governing those categories. Those rules overrule any 'blurb' a seller puts in their advert.
Relevant categories for this discussion are "Used" and "for parts or repair" or something like the latter.

If an item is sold in the "Used" category then basically it must work as the manufacturer intended, meaning a drone etc. should not be grounded. A bound drone or controller should fail that test, the wording of the text in the advert largely irrelevant, and "maybe bound" should not be a 'get out' clause for the seller.
I haven't tested this with a drone since binding did not exist when I Iast bought a drone but I have returned stuff that did not work and had been sold in the "used" category. I have also let the odd one go by when it didn't really affect my interest in the item.

If, however, the drone was sold in the "for parts or repair" category then binding and grounding would be, IMO, legitimate 'faults' in the equipment, just as broken shells, arms or gimbals would be and such faults would not be the basis for a "not as described" return, even more so if the advert said the drone etc. maybe/was bound.

The summary of the above is, it all hinges on the condition category that an item was sold in and a buyer would need to check the 'local' rules/definitions of the sale's hosting website.

 

[Cafguy]

I don't think you would get a refund from eBay if it was sold as parts or repaired was clearly stated in the description. I think they have started cracking down a little on these bricked drones as lately they seem to say Parts or repair in bold letters

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

If it's listed as repaired and in the "used" category it should be eligible for return, it must work (in the UK at least). I recollect there is also a "refurbished" category, if that is correct and it is listed in there then I think it must work but I would need to check that.
If it was listed in the "for spares or repair" then I do not think there are grounds for a return.....but this all dependent of the T&C of the website where the drone was sold.

 

[Capt KO]

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.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

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.

Why not borrow someone else's phone, instal FLy, create an entirely new DJI account and login to fly on that new phone using the details of the new account.
Then, if you currently have a drone with fly away insurance that is correctly bound, try to fly the drone using the new phone and login of the new account?
Then let us know you get on!

 

[Capt KO]

Why not borrow someone else's phone, instal FLy, create an entirely new DJI account and login to fly on that new phone using the details of the new account.
Then, if you currently have a drone with fly away insurance that is correctly bound, try to fly the drone using the new phone and login of the new account?
Then let us know you get on!

I bought an A2 with Refresh (that I didn’t use) but DJI confirmed I only needed the serial # to apply if needed. The seller provided the necessary documentation that Refresh was included at time of purchase. Since I didn’t try to use it, can’t say what would happen if I had tried. I imagine it was still bound to original owner. I only bind my DJI account, not my used drones. I’ve never owned a new DJI but many used ones.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Just to

I have bought and sold many (14) DJI drones in the past and never had a problem

As far as I know the "binding " that is the concern/worry of this thread is a relatively new thing and is only applicable to certain models of Fly app using drone, drones for which flyaway insurance HAS BEEN bought or perhaps can be bought.

As far as I know it is NOT applicable to Go or Go4 using drones.

It was not and is not applicable to the mavic mini, it did not exist when I got my Mini 2 but a useless level of binding is now available for my mini 2 but it prevents nothing. I suspect its uselessness is due to the fact that I have not bought care refresh and or flyaway insurance for that drone.

There IS a stronger form of binding that can ground the drone and or create problems with using an othe controllerwith the bound drone and perhaps prevent the bound controller being used with another drone.

Just to clarify your posititon, are you suggesting that the OP need not have worries that the drone and controller have been bound? If so how do you explain the numerous threads that amount to "My 2nd hand drone is bound to the original owner's account and I can not fly it using my login to the control app"?

 

[Capt KO]

Just to

As far as I know the "binding " that is the concern/worry of this thread is a relatively new thing and is only applicable to certain models of Fly app using drone, drones for which flyaway insurance HAS BEEN bought or perhaps can be bought.

As far as I know it is NOT applicable to Go or Go4 using drones.

It was not and is not applicable to the mavic mini, it did not exist when I got my Mini 2 but a useless level of binding is now available for my mini 2 but it prevents nothing. I suspect its uselessness is due to the fact that I have not bought care refresh and or flyaway insurance for that drone.

There IS a stronger form of binding that can ground the drone and or create problems with using an othe controllerwith the bound drone and perhaps prevent the bound controller being used with another drone.

Just to clarify your posititon, are you suggesting that the OP need not have worries that the drone and controller have been bound? If so how do you explain the numerous threads that amount to "My 2nd hand drone is bound to the original owner's account and I can not fly it using my login to the control app"?

I just have not confronted it personally. My only FLY app drone is a used A2 that had Refresh (unused) and had no problem flying it immediately upon purchase. Just used my previous DJI account. No binding or unbinding required. If that’s no longer the case with new models, guess I have more to learn.