You need to look at the 10th digit of the serial to see if that unit was sent back previously for repair.
If it's a R, it's a refurb
If it's a R, it's a refurb
Mavic Pro serial number comparison
- Thread starter nismoz
- Start date
Should hope so! Best Buy don't sell refurbished drones. Heck, even if my original drone weren't defective, they wouldn't sell it as they don't sell open-box drones (liability, I'm sure).
Even better, my new drone has perfect edge-to-edge sharpness in videos. I was bummed the left side was a little out of focus compared to the right on the original drone. Win!
My THIRD Mavic Pro arrived today. This is to replace a BRAND NEW, but defective Mavic Pro that I purchased in December 2017. The two previous aircraft were both defective, with the same problems. DJI told me they repaired the last Mavic Pro I returned, but then sent me back a totally different aircraft!
The replacement that arrived today has serial number 08QDE4NxxRxxAS.
Note the "R" in the 10th position? There has been much discussion about whether or not an "R" in the 10th position in the serial number means "Refurbished", or not. Some people believe an "-R" at the end of the serial number means it's a refurbished unit, and an "R" in any other position in the serial number is just a random coincidence.
I can confirm this is a refurbished aircraft. How?
I've been very clear with DJI -- I told them I would not accept a refurbished aircraft in exchange for my BRAND NEW, but defective purchase.
I am very tired of being jerked around by DJI. I've told them that DJI needs to clarify the serial number "confusion". Telling customers that refurbished serial numbers end in "-R" and that all other versions of serial numbers, including those with an "R" in the 10th position, are New aircraft, is a lie.
After more than a month in the general discussion forum on the DJI Forums, and 3 pages of posts and responses from DJI and forum contributors, DJI decided to move the thread to the Service forum... effectively hiding it from everyone who was watching it or contributing to it. The forum search feature doesn't work there either, so, well done DJI!
If you're interested, here's the link to the main thread on the DJI Forum.
The replacement that arrived today has serial number 08QDE4NxxRxxAS.
Note the "R" in the 10th position? There has been much discussion about whether or not an "R" in the 10th position in the serial number means "Refurbished", or not. Some people believe an "-R" at the end of the serial number means it's a refurbished unit, and an "R" in any other position in the serial number is just a random coincidence.
I can confirm this is a refurbished aircraft. How?
- It has flight logs, on the aircraft itself, going back to 5th June 2017, then a bunch in November 2017, and more in January 2018.
- There was no packing tape on the gimbal, the back of the aircraft, or anywhere else on the aircraft.
- The SD card I sent back to DJI with the defective aircraft, was taped to the nose of this replacement.
- The firmware was version 01.04.000, which didn't exist in April 2017 when this Mavic was manufactured!
- DJI has not denied that it's a refurbished aircraft, instead, they've repeated their policy that they can exchange aircraft with refurbished units.
- This replacement Mavic Pro was sent back to me in THE BOX FROM THE MAVIC PRO I SENT BACK TO THEM, the box has the previous aircraft's serial number on it!
I've been very clear with DJI -- I told them I would not accept a refurbished aircraft in exchange for my BRAND NEW, but defective purchase.
I am very tired of being jerked around by DJI. I've told them that DJI needs to clarify the serial number "confusion". Telling customers that refurbished serial numbers end in "-R" and that all other versions of serial numbers, including those with an "R" in the 10th position, are New aircraft, is a lie.
After more than a month in the general discussion forum on the DJI Forums, and 3 pages of posts and responses from DJI and forum contributors, DJI decided to move the thread to the Service forum... effectively hiding it from everyone who was watching it or contributing to it. The forum search feature doesn't work there either, so, well done DJI!
If you're interested, here's the link to the main thread on the DJI Forum.
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AerialsRus
Well-Known Member
I also bought my Mavic in December from Costco. Had many problems with Calibration, Forward Sensors, DJI Assistant 2, and etc. DJI authorized a return for the drone to repair. I made a previous post on this forum regarding forward sensors and Assistant 2. Just got back Mavic yesterday., upon un boxing I found the serial # did not match.
There is an R in the 10 th position, so I am assuming it may be refurbished. I have not done anything to the mavic yet. In the box it had my FAA registration # on a slip of paper and directions on how to link remote controller.
Two questions: 1. Is having a refurbished drone necessarily a bad thing? If so, why?
2. I registered the original Mavic with FAA and wrote the registration # on the inside of battery compartment with indelible pen, which of course is no longer there. Since the FAA registration was for that specific drone and it's serial # - how does one go about re-registering with FAA? pay another fee or what?
There is an R in the 10 th position, so I am assuming it may be refurbished. I have not done anything to the mavic yet. In the box it had my FAA registration # on a slip of paper and directions on how to link remote controller.
Two questions: 1. Is having a refurbished drone necessarily a bad thing? If so, why?
2. I registered the original Mavic with FAA and wrote the registration # on the inside of battery compartment with indelible pen, which of course is no longer there. Since the FAA registration was for that specific drone and it's serial # - how does one go about re-registering with FAA? pay another fee or what?
Thats WHY my gimbal resetER mp if I would like to replace IT, IT should be in their Store so that I check visually and take a test ON their premises. And also For ME platinum and white mps are refurbished units 
Sent my crashed Mavic to DJI, then received a refurb and got really mad as my Mavic was almost new.
I have no historic on the Refurb: how long it has ben flying around, what happen to it and what was repaired...
Also, refurb price on DJI Website is discounted by 200$. I didn't like the fact that I had to pay for repair, then get a lower face value bird.
So far, it has been flying OK.
How many hours flight time does your refurbished aircraft have on it? 10? 100? 1,000? 10,000? The point is, you don't know.
I knew that my brand new drone had less than 20 hours flight time on it, and had never been crashed, never been wet, never dropped, never taken apart, never mistreated in any way. Can you say the same for your refurbished aircraft? Simple answer, no you cannot.
My new Mavic Pro was manufactured with all new parts. Your refurbished aircraft has parts taken from other crashed/returned/defective aircraft, or new parts. You just don't know.
Each part in a new Mavic Pro is supposed to work, without fail, for a minimum amount of time. Let's say Part X has a minimum life span of 500 hours. That part in my new Mavic Pro will (generally speaking) continue to work for 500 hours, or more. On your refurbished aircraft, that part could already be at 499 hours and while it passed quality inspection today, it could fail from over-use tomorrow. You won't know, until it fails and your aircraft falls out of the sky.
Why would I accept a refurbished aircraft, with all of these unknowns, in exchange for my brand new aircraft?
Yes, refurbished aircraft are covered by the same warranty as new aircraft, but only for the amount of time remaining on your original (new) aircraft. So, if your new (but defective) aircraft had only 6 months left on the warranty, then so does any refurbished replacement. Even though the aircraft is new to you, your warranty period is already reduced when you accept a refurbished unit. As all warranty claims can be denied, should your refurbished aircraft fail, fall out of the sky, and be lost forever due to a previous manufacturing problem related to the reason it was originally returned to DJI for repair, your warranty claim could be denied!
Did you register with the FAA as a hobbyist, or Part 107 pilot?
If you registered as a hobbyist, then please understand that you registered YOURSELF, not the aircraft. This means all you did was put your PILOT NUMBER on the aircraft you returned to DJI. The FAA has no idea what aircraft you own, or fly, unless you crash it and they find your pilot number attached to it!
If you registered as a Part 107 pilot, then each of your individual aircraft have to be registered with the FAA, and that's another matter entirely, for which I have no answer.
AerialsRus
Well-Known Member
I had several 0 hours my Mavic, I was only doing simulator and was getting ready to fly, then I started getting getting calibration errors and other errors.
When I registered with FAA I put in the serial # and Model # , when printed out Registration that info is on Registration certificate..
When I registered with FAA I put in the serial # and Model # , when printed out Registration that info is on Registration certificate..
To update you further on my saga...
My fourth Mavic Pro arrived today... confirmed by DJI as a refurbished aircraft, its serial number was "08QDDBA..R...1" (again confirming that an "R" in the 10th position means "Refurbished"). It was manufactured November 10th, 2016 (remember, it's replacing my original purchase, which was July 2017), so it has the old camera, old gimbal, and suffers from bit-bucketing. The box it came in has a serial number sticker on it. The serial number matches the serial number from the second replacement I sent back, it does not match the serial number of the aircraft inside the box!
A DJI supervisor called me this afternoon. He has a brand new, in a sealed box, DJI Mavic Pro. He, and his flying team, are testing it to make sure it flies in a straight line when commanded to do so, and does not rotate of its own volition during hover... something none of the 4 replacements were able to do. Assuming it works correctly, it will be shipped to me. I have replacement #4 in a box, with a UPS label, ready to go back to DJI.
My fourth Mavic Pro arrived today... confirmed by DJI as a refurbished aircraft, its serial number was "08QDDBA..R...1" (again confirming that an "R" in the 10th position means "Refurbished"). It was manufactured November 10th, 2016 (remember, it's replacing my original purchase, which was July 2017), so it has the old camera, old gimbal, and suffers from bit-bucketing. The box it came in has a serial number sticker on it. The serial number matches the serial number from the second replacement I sent back, it does not match the serial number of the aircraft inside the box!
A DJI supervisor called me this afternoon. He has a brand new, in a sealed box, DJI Mavic Pro. He, and his flying team, are testing it to make sure it flies in a straight line when commanded to do so, and does not rotate of its own volition during hover... something none of the 4 replacements were able to do. Assuming it works correctly, it will be shipped to me. I have replacement #4 in a box, with a UPS label, ready to go back to DJI.
i dont plan on putting my serial # when i register on FAA. am i suppose to for the mavic pro? or can i get away with it?
rangemaster728
Well-Known Member
Why wouldn’t you?? You have to put the registration number on the aircraft, and entering the s/n at time of registration is one more way to identify the bird.
i have a gimbal calibration failure issue and might have to send it to dji.
I dont know if they will send me a refurbished unit with a different serial #, if they do, wouldnt my previous faa registration be useless? or is it transferable?
rangemaster728
Well-Known Member
If you are registering under Part 336 all your drones will have the same registration number...and you only have to register once.
If you are Part 107 each aircraft has a unique number...and separate registration.
See Post #49 above in this thread...
Cybernaut
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You did the same thing I did. You registered under part 107 because that's what the initial descriptions on the FAA registration page instructed you to do. The wording is wonky and confusing. I suspect a lot of people make the wrong choice. If you are strictly a hobbyist, you should register under 336.That description says you need to be a member of a club, but that's not a true requirement.
I wend back to the site and registered again under section 336. Both registrations show up in my FAA account. I do plan to eventually pass the FAA Drone Pilot Certification exam. When I do that my drone is already registered under Part 107.
I don't know if it makes any difference, but I want to be covered in case I have to show a registration card.
rangemaster728
Well-Known Member
If you have to show a registration card PRIOR to getting your Part 107 certification as a Remote Pilot, show the 336 card, and fly under 336 recommendations....and label the bird with the 336 registration number.
Cybernaut
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I did change the registration number on the bird to the Section 336 number. I'll change it back to the Part 107 number when I pass the pilot's certification.
It appears that a lot of people make the same mistake with registration. The instructions on the FAA site are confusing.
Part 107: I need to register my small unmanned aircraft for recreational, commercial, government, or other purposed under Part 107.
Section 336: I need to register my small unmanned aircraft to fly with an aero-modeling club and following all the requirements of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft.
At the time I had no plans to join a club and I have not yet found one in my area. Furthermore, every article I have ever read said I needed to register my drone. Part 107 was the logical choice. The first time I heard that you only had to register the person (and not the drone) was after I joined this forum.
You actually need to click through the links on the FAA page to find out what part 107 and Section 336 mean.
On the issue of serial numbers, I recently purchased a refurbished Mavic Pro from djiofficialstore on eBay. The description said it would have an R at the end of the serial number, but mine did not. I suspect the serial numbers on the returns that test out properly are not changed, while the repaired units are. Thus far my Mavic Pro has been perfect.
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projockey
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