Help Fixing A Blacklisted Air 3

[Starz]

I picked up an Air2s that was listed with the DJI folks as stolen. They will not do anything to help anyone with a stolen unit. I didn’t care simply because I just wanted the parts. I did swap the main board and that does solve the up in the air issue.
Whatever main board you attempt to acquire from a crashed unit could very well be bound to someone else’s account that may not be traceable through the seller.

 

[Sir Cloake]

SORRY bout that lol the same applies tho Its not gonna save you much to fix it, just sell that one for parts and get a refurb. If The one you got was on "the list" did they ask you to return it?

That might be my best solution at this point... Dont think ill get anything for it alone, might be best to sell it all together.

 

[Sir Cloake]

WHO at DJI told you a 1581 Error meant it was on the replaced list??
1581 is an RID Error !!!!!

The minions at DJI said it was stolen. Both the E-Mail/service team and the forum minions. They checked using the serial number. The error is what made me E-Mail them in the first place. Then the rabbit hole...

 

[Sir Cloake]

I picked up an Air2s that was listed with the DJI folks as stolen. They will not do anything to help anyone with a stolen unit. I didn’t care simply because I just wanted the parts. I did swap the main board and that does solve the up in the air issue.
Whatever main board you attempt to acquire from a crashed unit could very well be bound to someone else’s account that may not be traceable through the seller.

Yup... lesson learned... no shady deals or too good to be true deals... Building my own from now on.

 

[Felix le Chat]

About a week ago I bought a Air 3 Fly more kit on eBay and it was sold as a for repair final sale. I bought it but to my surprise nothing needed to be fixed except for there was a error coming up on the screen 1581, so naturally I contacted DJI support.

To my surprise I come to discover that this error means the drone has been blacklisted from connecting ever again. Reason for said blacklist was due to theft.

I tried to get a return, but since it was sold with no returns since its for repair that's not happening. Police are not an option as it is from outside the country, so I'm stuck with a $1000 paper weight. Hardware is bran new, but wont activate.

So I asked them what can be done and I get absolutely nothing out of them. Even though I have proof of a receipt of a legal purchase, even though I offered to pay an activation fee if need be, even though I asked if something can be repaired or replaced, they were willing to do absolutely nothing for me. They will give me absolutely no information and will not help. Its been a back and forth for about a week between e-mails and the DJI Forum's goons just to get the same answer...

Its not that they cant help, its that they wont help.

I just want to clarify that it's not that they couldn't do anything, it's that they were not willing to do anything. Such fantastic business practices as a company, refusing to help legal third-party owners. They're completely happy with you throwing away money. I'd love to blast DJI's media pages but they are too smart to let bad business advertisement happen.

My question to anyone here who has dealt with this before whether they have found a drone or had the same issue, what can be done?

I'm technical enough to be able to open the system and service it, do you think a motherboard /main board change can fix this? Because I'm assuming the serial number is what's banned and I don't know which piece of the hardware is the serialized portion.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Wes

Bought in good faith? Yes, but that doesn't alter the fact that this was a very expensive piece of someone else's property that was nicked and flogged on. It's sad that you've ended up ripped off when you should be enjoying the use of the object you bought.

But, to put it in perspective: if this drone had originally been in your car/home and some scumbag broke in and whipped it - would you feel aggrieved if DJI turned it into a paperweight as soon as it was reported stolen? Or would you feel at least some degree of satisfaction that no-one else could profit from your loss?

 

[TonyPHX]

Yep, you never want to be in possession of stolen property.

 

[Sir Cloake]

Bought in good faith? Yes, but that doesn't alter the fact that this was a very expensive piece of someone else's property that was nicked and flogged on. It's sad that you've ended up ripped off when you should be enjoying the use of the object you bought.

But, to put it in perspective: if this drone had originally been in your car/home and some scumbag broke in and whipped it - would you feel aggrieved if DJI turned it into a paperweight as soon as it was reported stolen? Or would you feel at least some degree of satisfaction that no-one else could profit from your loss?

%100 no argument there. If they would tell me whos it was Id reach out and see what could be done, but odds are they have a new one already as a result of the theft.

Should still be a way to make it so these paperweights are not adding E-waste landfills. That's not a solution either.

 

[mavic3usa]

The truth of the matter is this drone was likely stolen from a retailer or someone similar who could report it to DJI as stolen before it could be activated. There really is no way for an individual to report a drone stolen before he has a chance to activate it (or put his name on it using his DJI account). Does DJI just take stolen reports from anyone who calls? If I get your S/N can I just call it in stolen without giving a name and does an unactivated drone has a "name" on it? Does DJI need a police report or will they just take the word of anyone who calls? If I sell my drone to someone and have buyers remorse, can I just call it in as stolen? What role does the "sales receipt" play?

This is why I don't particularly care for DJI process because it might work for some but it is likely screwing over a bunch of honest individuals more than it benefits. Bricking a drone so it doesn't fly but all the parts are useful is not exactly a sound theft policy; thieves sell for parts too. And since the general public is uniformed...... I understand if someone broke into your store last night and took 2 dozen drones, call it in....DJI block them, please. But once a DJI drone is activate and it's a used drone, DJI should stay out of it. They don't know the rules and laws in every country in the world. If you leave your drone in the hotel room (your fault?) and you come back for it next week and it's gone, do you call it in as lost or stolen? In some countries, lost "personal property" can be (re)claimed after several years and shouldn't be blocked forever when callers claim their goods are stolen instead of lost. Does DJI know this? Does DJI have a way to flag a drone as stolen (after it has been activated) so buyers can beware? Their process has problems and while it's not perfect, they really shouldn't implement the "ultimate" solution (which is to look the other way and simply flag it forever and permanently brick it).

If you feel you have been injured and you have a claim against another party, don't forget the judicial process is usually available if you believe you have been treated unfairly.

 

[mavic3usa]

My opinion: places like eBay and FB marketplace and maybe even pawnshops are not usually bona fide merchants so this probably doesn't apply to the OP. But when honest consumers go to a local merchant and buy from them especially when they are drone specific sellers, they assume (and the law usually backs them) that the merchant has good title on the products. This economy cannot run probably if everywhere you go you have to assume you could be buying (and thus losing) stolen goods. If you buy something in good faith, you probably have a claim....somewhere, somehow. The laws vary in different places and even your credit card may have a different process.

Not everything reported stolen is actually stolen. Reporting something as stolen is not a super lock to control ownership on personal property, in fact, it's pretty weak. The day we allow someone to report something as stolen and then they now own it and totally control it is the day we lose everything. Everything doesn't get a title or a deed so possession is going to be 9/10 of the law for most personal property or else we don't have a lost/and/found. This would be exactly why you don't want to let anyone "inspect" your serial number, you have no idea if someone somewhere has reported it stolen. Until there is a uniform and viable process for reporting and verifying something as "stolen" and not lost or borrowed but now want it back or taken for use without asking or buyers remorse or any other non-criminal act, "stolen" is over-rated and we should handle it appropriately and not just drop a bomb on it. Is there even a penalty for a false stolen report? Hertz "stolen" car rentals come to mind.

Why do you think eBay cannot be held responsible for listing stolen good? Intent has a lot to do with it. I'm not happy with theft and I don't condone stealing anyone's property but if you want your property locked up, do it yourself and don't depend on someone else to keep it safe. I've said this in another thread, I can't think of but more than a couple other products out of millions that has a remote software lock installed on it which is controlled by someone else other than the owner who has the "key."

 

[Starz]

Yep, you never want to be in possession of stolen property.

Stolen is a generic term used by DJI in this instance. There are several reasons one of these kinds of units gets the tag. Lost in transit is one. Packaging that gets misplaced for some duration of time, then found and by then has been x’ed from the DJI system. Once this particular tag has been attached in their system, it’s done and now becomes a parts source or a shelf queen. They have other things to do besides spending time chasing issues that have already been written off the books.

 

[Sir Cloake]

At this point I'm just disappointed that they refuse to help in any way, not even provide a service or knowledge. I've had 2 mini's and this thing but now I've washed my hands of them. They just don't care and I'm not interested in company's like that.

Ill try and find a fixer drone to swap parts, or after a week ill just sell it at a loss. a week of them giving me the runaround and being told "we don't care" only got me a $50 voucher for a $1800 problem.

 

[GadgetGuy]

About a week ago I bought a Air 3 Fly more kit on eBay and it was sold as a for repair final sale. I bought it but to my surprise nothing needed to be fixed except for there was a error coming up on the screen 1581, so naturally I contacted DJI support.

To my surprise I come to discover that this error means the drone has been blacklisted from connecting ever again. Reason for said blacklist was due to theft.

I tried to get a return, but since it was sold with no returns since its for repair that's not happening. Police are not an option as it is from outside the country, so I'm stuck with a $1000 paper weight. Hardware is bran new, but wont activate.

So I asked them what can be done and I get absolutely nothing out of them. Even though I have proof of a receipt of a legal purchase, even though I offered to pay an activation fee if need be, even though I asked if something can be repaired or replaced, they were willing to do absolutely nothing for me. They will give me absolutely no information and will not help. Its been a back and forth for about a week between e-mails and the DJI Forum's goons just to get the same answer...

Its not that they cant help, its that they wont help.

I just want to clarify that it's not that they couldn't do anything, it's that they were not willing to do anything. Such fantastic business practices as a company, refusing to help legal third-party owners. They're completely happy with you throwing away money. I'd love to blast DJI's media pages but they are too smart to let bad business advertisement happen.

My question to anyone here who has dealt with this before whether they have found a drone or had the same issue, what can be done?

I'm technical enough to be able to open the system and service it, do you think a motherboard /main board change can fix this? Because I'm assuming the serial number is what's banned and I don't know which piece of the hardware is the serialized portion.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Wes

Something is rotten in Denmark. Based upon all your posts in this thread, I'm finding it very hard to believe that you paid $1800 or even $1000 for an Air3 Flymore combo, sold by the seller strictly for parts and repair. You got exactly what you paid for: parts for repair. Your attempt, after the fact, to make a purse out of a sow's ear doesn't warrant much sympathy, nor justify any disparagement of DJI. Assuming the drone is, in fact stolen, the three Air 3 batteries alone are still worth $500 and the charging hub is another $69, and you still have an uncrashed entire Air 3 and multiple sets of props and a bag to part out. You got what you paid for, whatever amount you ACTUALLY paid. You never told us what you actually paid for this , but you interchangeably refer to a $1000 paperweight and an $1800 problem, to generate sympathy.

 

[careless]

About a week ago I bought a Air 3 Fly more kit on eBay and it was sold as a for repair final sale. I bought it but to my surprise nothing needed to be fixed except for there was a error coming up on the screen 1581, so naturally I contacted DJI support.

To my surprise I come to discover that this error means the drone has been blacklisted from connecting ever again. Reason for said blacklist was due to theft.

I tried to get a return, but since it was sold with no returns since its for repair that's not happening. Police are not an option as it is from outside the country, so I'm stuck with a $1000 paper weight. Hardware is bran new, but wont activate.

So I asked them what can be done and I get absolutely nothing out of them. Even though I have proof of a receipt of a legal purchase, even though I offered to pay an activation fee if need be, even though I asked if something can be repaired or replaced, they were willing to do absolutely nothing for me. They will give me absolutely no information and will not help. Its been a back and forth for about a week between e-mails and the DJI Forum's goons just to get the same answer...

Its not that they cant help, its that they wont help.

I just want to clarify that it's not that they couldn't do anything, it's that they were not willing to do anything. Such fantastic business practices as a company, refusing to help legal third-party owners. They're completely happy with you throwing away money. I'd love to blast DJI's media pages but they are too smart to let bad business advertisement happen.

My question to anyone here who has dealt with this before whether they have found a drone or had the same issue, what can be done?

I'm technical enough to be able to open the system and service it, do you think a motherboard /main board change can fix this? Because I'm assuming the serial number is what's banned and I don't know which piece of the hardware is the serialized portion.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Wes

Find a crashed Air 3 and just transfer the parts

 

[Felix le Chat]

Something is rotten in Denmark. Based upon all your posts in this thread, I'm finding it very hard to believe that you paid $1800 or even $1000 for an Air3 Flymore combo, sold by the seller strictly for parts and repair. You got exactly what you paid for: parts for repair. Your attempt, after the fact, to make a purse out of a sow's ear doesn't warrant much sympathy, nor justify any disparagement of DJI. Assuming the drone is, in fact stolen, the three Air 3 batteries alone are still worth $500 and the charging hub is another $69, and you still have an uncrashed entire Air 3 and multiple sets of props and a bag to part out. You got what you paid for, whatever amount you ACTUALLY paid. You never told us what you actually paid for this , but you interchangeably refer to a $1000 paperweight and an $1800 problem, to generate sympathy.

I did notice that one of the previous questions about whether DJI had asked for the stolen drone to be returned was sidestepped and still remains unanswered.

Other suggestions about stripping it down and flogging the parts reminds me of a phenomenon peculiar to the UK... where we have a breed of scumbags called the "Corsa Cannibals" who will descend on a parked Vauxhall Corsa at night and silently strip it in-situ (more often than not right outside the owners home!) They then advertise the parts as legitimate salvage for sale or sell them to dealers who don't give a hoot where they came from.

In all good conscience, even being out-of-pocket, I couldn't sell on what I knew to be stolen goods (either parts or the whole thing) regardless of it actually being a criminal offense... but that's just me... which probably explains why I'll still be short of cash right up to the day I die.

 

[Cafguy]

Find a crashed Air 3 and just transfer the parts

That will cost the OP around 700 in "matching" fees, and multiple hours with a P.C. watching someone from across the world having remote access to it. Expensive and risky I.M.O..

 

[Starz]

DJI had asked for the stolen drone to be returned was sidestepped and still remains unanswered.

Per the Air2s that I acquired(knowing that it was a parts donor), DJI didn’t care what was done with it and wanted nothing to do with it. Again, it was written off their books other than the recorded serial number listed in their data base.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Per the Air2s that I acquired(knowing that it was a parts donor), DJI didn’t care what was done with it and wanted nothing to do with it. Again, it was written off their books other than the recorded serial number listed in their data base.

... I was referring to the question asked to the original poster...

 

[Starz]

... I was referring to the question asked to the original poster...

Sorry, my mistake. I do several per day as I get older!

 

[Felix le Chat]

Sorry, my mistake. I do several per day as I get older!

That makes two of us.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

All possible legal actions were taken, nothing can be done. Now I'm just looking to find a way to fix it or now sell it.

My issue with DJI is not that they could not help me, its they would not help me. They gave me no information to hel me fix it, no alternative to fix it, nothing. Sure they don't owe me anything, but they dont have any morals either... go china. sure it is a stolen item, just not by me.

Now im just trying to dig myself out of a $1800 hole.

Could not or would not, is not the issue as with ebay and as others have said, it is stolen property, so DJI offering to help in anyway would then be supporting the theft. And in doing so, would put them in a bad way. As mentioned above, it is stolen property. If you are caught with such stolen property by authorities, then you would be in a bad situation. Possession.