DJI REPAIR SCAM

[mavicrag]

Just got mine back after 5 freaking weeks....real sorry service. New unit with propellers. Bad weather now....can't wait to fly!

 

[duelingglove]

Just got mine back after 5 freaking weeks....real sorry service. New unit with propellers. Bad weather now....can't wait to fly!

Yea, mines took over a month and they lost my information on the repair smh ‍. Got it back and I'm being more careful. Will get the Statefarm policy for $60 a year


Sent from [emoji211]

 

[tpop24]

Hey all, FYI I actually spoke with the manager at the Carson facility, and he says that when you receive a mavic back from repair with a new serial, it's actually brand new, not refurbished. It's not in retail packing because they receive them from the factory in a box with a whole bunch of them tightly packed, but it is new.

The MP I received as a refreshed was used. It was dirty, the gimbal would not initiate and it had another pilot's name and flight records.

Sent from my SM-G920V using MavicPilots mobile app

 

[Zelius92]

All I know is that their customer service in the Carson repair facility is pretty bad. it's been 5 business days since they started repairs on my Mavic and no progress. They said that they're waiting for a part which I completely understand, but it be nice if they could actually tell me when that part is arriving. Everything the customer rep is telling me over the phone, I already know from the site.

They should just write on the website "DON'T BOTHER CALLING, WE'LL TELL YOU THE SAME THING"

Is there another number I can call?

 

[Kestrel]

If I think about it I cannot remember a single case were a person sent back a Mavic and got back their original Mavic!

People on Youtube and the forums always say that the serial number is different, they had to Re-Pair the controller with the returned Mavic and any identifying marks they made on the unit are gone. The only conclusion is that they really do not repair them at all and it actually makes sense from DJI's perspective.

DJI is not the first company that I have seen do this, I have also came across several Japanese companies that do the same thing. In a business world it makes sense because they send your old drone back to China and strip off all the parts, inspect them and then throw the physically good circuit boards back on the production line, If the board has an electrical defect it will be rejected when it's placed in the assembly line testing jig. I would imagine that all the cheap plastic parts are just dumped and the camera and gimbal are probably sent to a separate department for analysis and repair if possible.

This all makes good sense from a DJI perspective because it allows them to offer fast service and they lesson their chances that an improperly trained person missed a problem also it allows them to use cheap Chinese technical labor throughout the whole process. The only thing the foriegn service centers do is probably inspect the Mavic for the slightest mark or damage and tick off a box for that item so that the bill can be calculated. Then box up your drone and add it to a pallet going back to China. They then grab a new drone off the shelf and balance the in/out flow of units.

From a consumer standpoint this sucks because a slightly battered yet almost working drone may end up costing you a bundle as in the OP's case.

For DJI it's like running a casino, the odds are always in their favor, but I suspect someone can beat the house if they send in a drone with lots of mileage but in perfect physical condition except for a minor defect like a broken motor prop holding plate. In this scenario the system may work in your favor as they may just send you a brand new drone for $30 plus shipping. Any other kind of case and your SOL as they are going to check off as many damaged area boxes as they can.

Rob

That's where care refresh comes in. Right before your drone is about to lose the care refresh plan... Oops I hit a tree.. Get a newer one for 79 dollars.

 

[MavicGurl]

FWIW, I had a similar problem but my time (I felt) was worth more than the money. My Phantom 4 motors would not shut off after a smooth landing. Aircraft eventually tipped over and very minor damage. So I sent it to DJI for repair of the 1/4" small crack in top shell, near battery. I got a repair estimate of 179 which included 2 HOUSR of LABOR !!!!! And replacing shell and landing sear. Landing gear was perfect. What is going on here. Emails back and further resulted in incomprehensible automatic-type replies.

I was very pissed. This is definitely a SCAM and I Will write DJI senior CEO when I find some time. Just telling you-all so you know what to expect. YES, my State Farm Insurance would have paid for it but I'm not gonna file a claim until (G_D FORBID!!!!) It is destroyed, stolen or lost.

Im down for a class action lawsuit [emoji23]

 

[malume]

I have a similar experience like you. Mine is minor damage with a the gimbal rainbow belt disconnect and they told me it can't be fixed and sent me a new one. However, it charged me 2 hrs in labor plus the gimbal camera parts ending up $ 309 in total.
I don't know how to negotiate with the service people because i thought it is kind of waster of time spending hours waiting for the next available line. I doubt they have a repair shop in LA but just a replacement storage. we probably need to fight against the service department to ensure better in future.

 

[allen deckard]

Just curious but has anyone sent in a drone for repair that has one of the drone wraps on it?

Seems it would be kink of hard for them to completely replace the drone if had one of these.

Just a thought and curious.

 

[StuLBNY]

I sent my Mavic in after a crash the cracked the joint on one of the arms and bent the gimble. They emailed me a repair quote. After I paid it it went to repairs in progress.
Then one that said repairs completed, awaiting testing
One week later I got email with shipping and tracking.
After just shy of a month it shows up at my door in the box I sent it in.
To my surprise it was a brand new Mavic with new serial#. If it was a refurb I couldn't tell. The final validation it wasn't a refurb was I bought dji care with new serial number. I had asked about buying dji care when i called to setup repair on my broken Mavic. I was told I could not buy it on repaired or refurbished drones. Cost for new drone was about $300

 

[AlanTheBeast]

If I think about it I cannot remember a single case were a person sent back a Mavic and got back their original Mavic!

People on Youtube and the forums always say that the serial number is different, they had to Re-Pair the controller with the returned Mavic and any identifying marks they made on the unit are gone. The only conclusion is that they really do not repair them at all and it actually makes sense from DJI's perspective.

DJI is not the first company that I have seen do this, I have also came across several Japanese companies that do the same thing. In a business world it makes sense because they send your old drone back to China and strip off all the parts, inspect them and then throw the physically good circuit boards back on the production line, If the board has an electrical defect it will be rejected when it's placed in the assembly line testing jig. I would imagine that all the cheap plastic parts are just dumped and the camera and gimbal are probably sent to a separate department for analysis and repair if possible.

This all makes good sense from a DJI perspective because it allows them to offer fast service and they lesson their chances that an improperly trained person missed a problem also it allows them to use cheap Chinese technical labor throughout the whole process. The only thing the foriegn service centers do is probably inspect the Mavic for the slightest mark or damage and tick off a box for that item so that the bill can be calculated. Then box up your drone and add it to a pallet going back to China. They then grab a new drone off the shelf and balance the in/out flow of units.

From a consumer standpoint this sucks because a slightly battered yet almost working drone may end up costing you a bundle as in the OP's case.

For DJI it's like running a casino, the odds are always in their favor, but I suspect someone can beat the house if they send in a drone with lots of mileage but in perfect physical condition except for a minor defect like a broken motor prop holding plate. In this scenario the system may work in your favor as they may just send you a brand new drone for $30 plus shipping. Any other kind of case and your SOL as they are going to check off as many damaged area boxes as they can.

Rob

Pretty much agree. Especially about palleting back birds to China for spares disassembly. That would provide a firehose of parts for repairs in the "next phase" or to build Care Refresh "like new" birds.

I'm hoping against hope to get my original bird back. It worked wonderfully other than the camera not being up to par. Oh, and the skin.

 

[bradc972]

I sent mine in with a yellow skin on it for watercolor repair. Got a new drone back. Just send the new one in for gimbal repair, no skin on this one, will see what comes back.

 

[Etopsflight]

Guys

My Mavic was sent back for service on the last week of its warranty for a frequent compass calibration problem. Everything else was working fine when I sent it in. Never had any problems with it.

I got billed for a gimbal replacement and not a word about the compass problem! I protested but warranty and DJI Care Refresh would not cover the so-called damage to the gimbal. I told them to send the drone back and let me have a look as they would not go into details of the gimbal problem, only saying it required replacement.

Once the Mavic was back in my possession, powered her up and got a gimbal motor overload message. Never saw that before but didn't take me long to discover from the internet that it was a ribbon cable problem. Bought one online and it was with me after two weeks.

Followed YouTube videos on how to remove gimbal and replace cable. During the the process, found a connector that was loose but very suspect as there was not way that normal operation had dislodged the rubber glue which hold them in place. Prying away the other two connectors was not hard but they did have sufficient bonding qualities. Also, there was an "X" marked with black ink pen next the loose connector. I certainly didn't put it there and I don't think it's process during factory manufacture.

Anyway, I plugged the connector back in and tested the Mavic and the message was gone!

I mailed DJI support back and asked them for an explaination, waiting for their excuse. Should be a gem.

Etopsflight