DJI replaced flyaway, but now mine may have been found?

[Capt KO]

Most areas around Destin are restricted air space. No onscreen warnings?

 

[Meta4]

Hm I'm pretty new around here so am probably wrong. I thought a new drone had to be linked to DJI before it could fly. I saw a video where a guy had purchased an Air2S before the official release date (I think the store sold it by mistake) and it wouldn't fly because DJI hadn't enabled it to fly yet. I could easily be very mistaken.

A brand-new, never flown DJI drone has to be activated (registered with DJI) to fly.
But after that, there's no need at all for any contact with DJI.

 

[skyscapist]

The last time my drone crashed and they replaced it for me, in the email it was stated in the last line that if I found my drone again, I was to send it back to DJI.

*extracted from my email*

“Remarks

After the data analysis, we found it was not pilot error caused your products flyaway and since your product is still within its warranty period we will be providing you with a free replacement. If you agree to this plan, your original aircraft (SN:XXXXXXXXXXXXXX) ownership will be changed to DJI. If you get the aircraft again, please send it back to DJI.”

 

[rawman001]

A brand-new, never flown DJI drone has to be activated (registered with DJI) to fly.
But after that, there's no need at all for any contact with DJI.

That clarifies it for me. Thank you!

 

[RobertBurr]

Or, if the old drone is found, send it to DJI.

 

[Howard70]

Contact dji, if they accepted your original claim was valid then they may take the view that its not worth returning the drone as its likely to happen again.

I'm with Oldhollowman:

I would wait until I had the drone the neighbors thought was mine in hand. If it was the one for which I accepted a replacement from DJI, I would contact DJI and ask what to do with the original. I'd do that simply because that's how I'd like to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot.

Howard

 

[tlyons]

I lost my drone in a FlyAway a few weeks ago in another state and could not find it. Last known location was over the water. DJI looked at my flight logs, agreed it was not my fault it lost contact, and is shipping me a replacement with battery. But now my freind who owns the condo I stay at says someone in his complex found a drone in the sand berm (not sure if its mine yet) because they left it in their unit and didn't text my freind a photo. They offered to ship it to me when they go back to their condo next month if it looks like mine.
My question is: If it is mine and I pay them to ship it back what should I do if it is easily repairable? Is this old one on some "DJI black list" now? Should I only use it for parts, even if it not in rough shape? Obviously this one wasn't in the sea water but it may have been rained on, depending on when they found it.

DJI had your back. The guy who found it had your back. Your friend had your back. Now do unto others.
Verify it really is yours and ask DJI what to do.

 

[Meta4]

There's lots of assumptions being made in this thread but nothing definite is known.
No-one knows if the found drone is the same one that was lost or has any idea of its condition.
If it's been in seawater, it's useless junk.
Has it been out in the weather long, does it have crash damage, is it just a cheap toy drone?

 

[jonequest]

Most areas around Destin are restricted air space. No onscreen warnings?

No, just the standard one that there may be aircraft in the area and you accept responsibility. I won't flybif it is a red zone. They have small planes and helicopter tours along the beach during the day. This was in the evening after they stopped flying.