DJI Poor Customer Support

[AKQuads]

This is to elaborate on a post that was made back in May that I am in a certain way going through.

DJI Poor Customer Support SCAM Warning!!

I bought a Mavic Air 1 drone, and have only used it twice. Probably for no more than 15 minutes in total. I went to use it a few months ago, and the batteries were not charging, so after going backwards and forwards with DJI where i THOUGHT they were going to look at the batteries, then replace...

mavicpilots.com

I bought a Mavic Platinum a couple months ago directly from the DJI site in China on April 13, 2020. I was so excited. Waited 2 months almost to get it here due to Covid. So I get it and go through the unboxing, setup and when to get going there were issues with just how it acted. I didn't understand exactly due to being a newbie. I wasn't aware that the aircraft was already on the chopping block, as they were still selling it.

Well turns out my phone was the issue. It is a phone that's been around for some time now, a Samsung Galaxy s10+. There were issues where I wouldn't have complete control at times and then it seem to lose satellite communication abruptly or not recogize at all. Contacted DJI Tech and they said they that they hadn't gotten a firmware update as of yet for the Platinum. I am a patient kind of guy and waited, and waited. Contacted again and they said they were working on it. I supposed it was due to Covid and not having full staff. I waited. I was looking at the Air 2 and saw that the Samsung S10+ was included in the Air 2 firmware. I have maybe 10 minutes on this aircraft.

I contacted DJI Support again and they said they aren't going to be offering any firmware updates in the near future for the Platinum. I can buy another phone and it would work they said. This really pissed me off. That they would be selling this aircraft, $2002.00 with accessories BTW, and gaffing me as far as updating their product especially since I just bought it from them. They knew they weren't going to be making any updates any time soon. Yet they still sold the product.

I asked if I could exchange for the Air 2 and send back the Platinum. Or I even offered to send mine back and pay the difference for the Mavic Pro 2. They said, "Oh you can go through the exchange program." Of course I could, but they pretty much told me tough luck sucker.

I think I will be buying US now.

 

[sar104]

I'm confused. So you bought a MPP to use with a phone that is not listed as supported. What is your complaint about DJI, specifically - that they won't replace it with a newer model?

 

[AKQuads]

I'm confused. So you bought a MPP to use with a phone that is not listed as supported. What is your complaint about DJI, specifically - that they won't replace it with a newer model?

It could be as much my fault in that as a newbie I didn't think I had to see if my 1 year old phone was compatible with the Platinum. My upset is that I was waiting as tech was working on the firmware update. And then all of a sudden they told me they don't have any date in updating the firmware for my phone. So I asked if I could trade up the craft with the Air 2 or pay difference on the Mav Pro. I would have to go through the exchange program. I felt that Customer Service didn't want to take the time to fix my problem. It's is a brand new craft with less than 15 minutes on it. I'm afraid to fly it as there could be an accident flying it. So now I need to buy an new phone or tablet to fly it safely. In my mind, they should have removed the item for sale or defaulted to the Mav Air 2 when one was purchasing that outdated product.

 

[raven swe]

quote,,, And then all of a sudden they told me they don't have any date in updating the firmware for my phone,,,,,so you think DJI should update your phone, sorry to be the bringer of bad news but that's up to who ever made your phone or installed the operating system, or are you talking about updating the go4 app to support your phone, I cant quite make out what your on about

 

[SkyeHigh]

It could be as much my fault in that as a newbie I didn't think I had to see if my 1 year old phone was compatible with the Platinum. My upset is that I was waiting as tech was working on the firmware update. And then all of a sudden they told me they don't have any date in updating the firmware for my phone. So I asked if I could trade up the craft with the Air 2 or pay difference on the Mav Pro. I would have to go through the exchange program. I felt that Customer Service didn't want to take the time to fix my problem. It's is a brand new craft with less than 15 minutes on it. I'm afraid to fly it as there could be an accident flying it. So now I need to buy an new phone or tablet to fly it safely. In my mind, they should have removed the item for sale or defaulted to the Mav Air 2 when one was purchasing that outdated product.

Only three words spring to mind and all of them are ‘Research’.

The replacement/latest model for the Mavic Platinum has been on sale since 2018. You buy an older model even though a newer one is on sale and you expect DJI to do what with all the remaining Mavic Platinums?

Any commercial operation will continue to produce, though scale back, a lower featured model ‘if’ there is still demand for it and as demand falls, sell remaining stock at a reduced price.

 

[AKQuads]

quote,,, And then all of a sudden they told me they don't have any date in updating the firmware for my phone,,,,,so you think DJI should update your phone, sorry to be the bringer of bad news but that's up to who ever made your phone or installed the operating system, or are you talking about updating the go4 app to support your phone, I cant quite make out what your on about

update the firmware to accept my phone.

 

[old man mavic]

your whole post is very confusing,for a start the RC controls the drone not the phone ,unless you have it in WIFI mode that is ,if the phone you have is not compatable with the MPP or the GO4 app then that is not down to DJI

 

[sar104]

It could be as much my fault in that as a newbie I didn't think I had to see if my 1 year old phone was compatible with the Platinum. My upset is that I was waiting as tech was working on the firmware update. And then all of a sudden they told me they don't have any date in updating the firmware for my phone. So I asked if I could trade up the craft with the Air 2 or pay difference on the Mav Pro. I would have to go through the exchange program. I felt that Customer Service didn't want to take the time to fix my problem. It's is a brand new craft with less than 15 minutes on it. I'm afraid to fly it as there could be an accident flying it. So now I need to buy an new phone or tablet to fly it safely. In my mind, they should have removed the item for sale or defaulted to the Mav Air 2 when one was purchasing that outdated product.

I have no idea why anyone told you that there would be a firmware update for the MPP. That must have been a misunderstanding - there have been no firmware updates since September 2018, just after the release of the Mavic 2. The MPP is an old model and hasn't been sold by DJI for some time as far as I'm aware, so I'm also puzzled how you managed to buy one recently directly from DJI.

 

[old man mavic]

just had a look on the DJI site the MPP was there, but if you clicked on it a message came up saying it was no longer in production, and to look at later models in the line up ,looked at a couple of dealer sites as well and the MPP is no longer listed ,only refurbs at greatly reduced prices ,perhaps the OP has quoted the wrong model name

 

[PhantomFandom]

This is to elaborate on a post that was made back in May that I am in a certain way going through.

DJI Poor Customer Support SCAM Warning!!

I bought a Mavic Air 1 drone, and have only used it twice. Probably for no more than 15 minutes in total. I went to use it a few months ago, and the batteries were not charging, so after going backwards and forwards with DJI where i THOUGHT they were going to look at the batteries, then replace...

mavicpilots.com

I bought a Mavic Platinum a couple months ago directly from the DJI site in China on April 13, 2020. I was so excited. Waited 2 months almost to get it here due to Covid. So I get it and go through the unboxing, setup and when to get going there were issues with just how it acted. I didn't understand exactly due to being a newbie. I wasn't aware that the aircraft was already on the chopping block, as they were still selling it.

Well turns out my phone was the issue. It is a phone that's been around for some time now, a Samsung Galaxy s10+. There were issues where I wouldn't have complete control at times and then it seem to lose satellite communication abruptly or not recogize at all. Contacted DJI Tech and they said they that they hadn't gotten a firmware update as of yet for the Platinum. I am a patient kind of guy and waited, and waited. Contacted again and they said they were working on it. I supposed it was due to Covid and not having full staff. I waited. I was looking at the Air 2 and saw that the Samsung S10+ was included in the Air 2 firmware. I have maybe 10 minutes on this aircraft.

I contacted DJI Support again and they said they aren't going to be offering any firmware updates in the near future for the Platinum. I can buy another phone and it would work they said. This really pissed me off. That they would be selling this aircraft, $2002.00 with accessories BTW, and gaffing me as far as updating their product especially since I just bought it from them. They knew they weren't going to be making any updates any time soon. Yet they still sold the product.

I asked if I could exchange for the Air 2 and send back the Platinum. Or I even offered to send mine back and pay the difference for the Mavic Pro 2. They said, "Oh you can go through the exchange program." Of course I could, but they pretty much told me tough luck sucker.

I think I will be buying US now.

OK since you are a "newbie" there are things that you certainly could not have known in advance, but a bit of research would have helped a great deal. The details of your post are confusing so i don't know what really happened.

You say you bought a MPP from the DJI website in China? The MPP was not being sold by DJI in April of this year unless perhaps you bought one of the refurbished units. Is that what happened? Where research would have helped is in knowing that this was an old model. Also research would have pointed you to the realization that buying direct from DJI is probably the worst thing to do. Buy form a local authorized shop and you get the ability to have it quickly, and return it for a refund if there are issues with it. You most likely would also get a better price.

As an aside, I had a MPP and it was a wonderful drone. Never had an issue with it at all. I used it with many mobile devices (phones and tablets) with various versions of Android, and it never had issues.

Research again would have directed you to the list of supported devices. This is another point of confusion though. The drone firmware has nothing to do with mobile device compatibility. What matters is the phone hardware, firmware and OS being able to run the DJI Go 4 app. If they don't work well together then either DJI needs to update the Go 4 app or the phone manufacturer (Samsung) or the OS manufacturer (Google) needs to provide an update. So I am really not sure what "firmware update" you were waiting for.

You mentioned issues like losing control or satellite reception. These issues have absolutely nothing to do with the mobile device. The drone is controlled by the remote controller and it functions whether or not the mobile device is working properly. In fact you can fly your drone with just the RC and not even have a phone connected to it. Likewise satellite/GPS reception has nothing to do with either the phone or the RC. That is strictly a function of the drone itself and the line of sight to satellites. So if these were issues you were experiencing then something else was to blame, and not the phone.

So yes DJI has many MANY faults when it comes to customer service, but in this case I really don't see where to point blame at DJI. You got a functioning product that either you have an incompatible phone for, and/or you need to do much more research on how these drones function.

 

[AKQuads]

Okay fine I'm sorry I mentioned anything.

 

[AKQuads]

just had a look on the DJI site the MPP was there, but if you clicked on it a message came up saying it was no longer in production, and to look at later models in the line up ,looked at a couple of dealer sites as well and the MPP is no longer listed ,only refurbs at greatly reduced prices ,perhaps the OP has quoted the wrong model name

I don't know. It was 2 1/2 months ago when I bought it. I don't recall seeing the discontinued. Then, It went straight to the Platinum page. The other day, your right, I looked at the page and it bypassed the Platinum and went straight to the Air 2.

Anyway, I wish I wouldn't have said anything. Thanks for you help.

 

[old man mavic]

there is no problem with you saying something ,its the way you say it that matters ,if you want to say negative things ,then you must be prepared to get reactions that you may not like from others on the forum, i am sorry your experience with your MPP has not been a happy one so far but i am sure if you can get another device that will work with the MPP then you will find out what a great drone it is

 

[AKQuads]

@old man mavic tell me, do you not see what I am saying that upset me with this whole experience?

 

[old man mavic]

@old man mavic tell me, do you not see what I am saying that upset me with this whole experience?

yes you were unhappy with DJI support because you feel that you were misinformed ,about the MPP but who told you that there was going to be new firmware coming out for the MPP, its the first anyone on the forum has heard of it i have not had any firmware updates for over 18 months ,it seems that there was a communication breakdown and thats where the misunderstanding ,came about

 

[sar104]

@old man mavic tell me, do you not see what I am saying that upset me with this whole experience?

I can see why you are disappointed, but the only thing I see that DJI got wrong was giving you the impression that there might be an update to allow you to use your phone. And while that information was incorrect, it's not clear that it made any material difference to the situation other than the delay in finding out that you would need a different phone.

 

[AKQuads]

I can see why you are disappointed, but the only thing I see that DJI got wrong was giving you the impression that there might be an update to allow you to use your phone. And while that information was incorrect, it's not clear that it made any material difference to the situation other than the delay in finding out that you would need a different phone.

I understand. And I accept responsibility that maybe I should have assumed when a new aircraft was available I should have purchased that and not a different one. If I would have actually known that my phone wasn't applicable to the product I probably wouldn't have purchased it. New products come out all the time. But I wouldn't have assumed that they would end updates to it if it were still being sold. To me it's totally backwards. In oder to fly this new aircraft I need to buy an old media device. I just don't get that.

 

[AKQuads]

OK since you are a "newbie" there are things that you certainly could not have known in advance, but a bit of research would have helped a great deal. The details of your post are confusing so i don't know what really happened.

You say you bought a MPP from the DJI website in China? The MPP was not being sold by DJI in April of this year unless perhaps you bought one of the refurbished units. Is that what happened? I purchased this from DYI on April 13, 2020. It is not refurbished but a brand new Platinum. Where research would have helped is in knowing that this was an old model. Also research would have pointed you to the realization that buying direct from DJI is probably the worst thing to do. Buy form a local authorized shop and you get the ability to have it quickly, and return it for a refund if there are issues with it. You most likely would also get a better price. I will surely take that advice from now on.

As an aside, I had a MPP and it was a wonderful drone. Never had an issue with it at all. I used it with many mobile devices (phones and tablets) with various versions of Android, and it never had issues. I don't have a problem with the Platinum at all. I was just offering DJI options maybe I could do. Lesson learned.

Research again would have directed you to the list of supported devices. This is another point of confusion though. The drone firmware has nothing to do with mobile device compatibility. What matters is the phone hardware, firmware and OS being able to run the DJI Go 4 app. If they don't work well together then either DJI needs to update the Go 4 app or the phone manufacturer (Samsung) or the OS manufacturer (Google) needs to provide an update. So I am really not sure what "firmware update" you were waiting for. Correct it was a firmware update for the DJI Go 4 app.

You mentioned issues like losing control or satellite reception. These issues have absolutely nothing to do with the mobile device. The drone is controlled by the remote controller and it functions whether or not the mobile device is working properly. In fact you can fly your drone with just the RC and not even have a phone connected to it. Likewise satellite/GPS reception has nothing to do with either the phone or the RC. That is strictly a function of the drone itself and the line of sight to satellites. So if these were issues you were experiencing then something else was to blame, and not the phone. Correct, the firmware for the app controls functionality. I must have twisted my words around. Sorry

So yes DJI has many MANY faults when it comes to customer service, but in this case I really don't see where to point blame at DJI. You got a functioning product that either you have an incompatible phone for, and/or you need to do much more research on how these drones function. I understand that and stand corrected. But my point is having to purchase a outdated media device to operate my brand new aircraft. Again lessen learned and I won't purchase direct as you suggest.

 

[lannes]

A lot of people on the forum fly with a dedicated phone/tablet to get the best performance from the DJI Go4 app.

Why not get a cheaper compatible device with a larger screen to fly the MPP with.

I can recommend the 8in Ipad Mini 4, the bigger screen makes it much easier to see the app controls and the flight view

 

[AKQuads]

A lot of people on the forum fly with a dedicated phone/tablet to get the best performance from the DJI Go4 app.

Why not get a cheaper compatible device with a larger screen to fly the MPP with.

I can recommend the 8in Ipad Mini 4, the bigger screen makes it much easier to see the app controls and the flight view

I'll look into that. Thanks. I was wondering which would be the best choice.