My Adorama Mavic 4 Pro Fly More Combo Post-Purchase Experiences

[Flying_Elephant]

Yep, I have had de-centered optics from DJI in several cases and while acceptable for some, it’s a no go for me. From what I am gathering in most early reports the optics are fairing well so far in the samples that are being delivered.

Check out the attached sceen shot of my DJI account status for my Mavic 4 Pro FMC. It states that I have a warranty. I live in the US, I bought the drone in the US, and DJI states that my drone has a warranty. Now I ask you, are you going to beleive a bunch of OPs like me who say Adorama said this or that someone posted something about their experience and is that information (hearsay and other information) more compelling and beleivable than DJI's record for my drone?

You can buy Adorama's Assurion insurance protection today for the Mavic 4 Pro. It's expensive at $500/yr, but if you require that peace of mind, and can't get a State Farm PAP for $100 a year that covers drones too, there are many alternatives to Care Refesh for insuring your drone, so you can use it before Hell freezes over. There will be no Care Refresh on it in the U.S. until the Mavic 4 Pro is also officially available for sale in the U.S by DJI, which may never happen before the defacto DJI ban at the end of December, barring passing a security audit before then, which no one wants to perform.

Most importantly, you still have a DJI 1 Year Limited Warranty from date of purchase, which is the complete equivalent of Care Refresh for anything that is determined to be a warranty issue. Further, DJI USA will still handle all repair assessments for non warranty issues like crashes, and bill you their reasonable estimate for the repair costs, and after paid, still send you a brand new refurb sourced from DJI Canada, completely at their

You can buy Adorama's Assurion insurance protection today for the Mavic 4 Pro. It's expensive at $500/yr, but if you require that peace of mind, and can't get a State Farm PAP for $100 a year that covers drones too, there are many alternatives to Care Refesh for insuring your drone, so you can use it before Hell freezes over. There will be no Care Refresh on it in the U.S. until the Mavic 4 Pro is also officially available for sale in the U.S by DJI, which may never happen before the defacto DJI ban at the end of December, barring passing a security audit before then, which no one wants to perform.

Most importantly, you still have a DJI 1 Year Limited Warranty from date of purchase, which is the complete equivalent of Care Refresh for anything that is determined to be a warranty issue. Further, DJI USA will still handle all repair assessments for non warranty issues like crashes, and bill you their reasonable estimate for the repair costs, and after paid, still send you a brand new refurb sourced from DJI Canada, completely at their expense!

I was considering Adorama's coverage but in readingbthe fine print it did not cover self inflicted damage or fly-aways. I confirmed this with Adorama by calling and inquiring and they did say, thier coverage does not cover crashes or fly-aways.

As for for other, non-DJI coverage through insurance companies I am going to do that homework on Friday when I am off work and I'll report back with a post on my findings.

If nothing comes out of it, I am still thinking when my CC arrives today, in the next month or two I'll just not open it and wait for DJI to offer Care Refresh and like I said, I'll fly my Air 3S and Avata 2 in the meantime.

Last thought. I REALLY appreciate you and others on the board offering your comments and advice. Thanks to you all!

 

[KS-6]

I was considering Adorama's coverage but in readingbthe fine print it did not cover self inflicted damage or fly-aways. I confirmed this with Adorama by calling and inquiring and they did say, thier coverage does not cover crashes or fly-aways.

As for for other, non-DJI coverage through insurance companies I am going to do that homework on Friday when I am off work and I'll report back with a post on my findings.

If nothing comes out of it, I am still thinking when my CC arrives today, in the next month or two I'll just not open it and wait for DJI to offer Care Refresh and like I said, I'll fly my Air 3S and Avata 2 in the meantime.

Last thought. I REALLY appreciate you and others on the board offering your comments and advice. Thanks to you all!

But what if you have a bunk bird, IE bad camera, something is amiss? If you let it sit and not Q/C test it, there goes your return window.

 

[mavic3usa]

I was considering Adorama's coverage but in readingbthe fine print it did not cover self inflicted damage or fly-aways. I confirmed this with Adorama by calling and inquiring and they did say, thier coverage does not cover crashes or fly-aways.

As for for other, non-DJI coverage through insurance companies I am going to do that homework on Friday when I am off work and I'll report back with a post on my findings.

If nothing comes out of it, I am still thinking when my CC arrives today, in the next month or two I'll just not open it and wait for DJI to offer Care Refresh and like I said, I'll fly my Air 3S and Avata 2 in the meantime.

Last thought. I REALLY appreciate you and others on the board offering your comments and advice. Thanks to you all!

Technically no one (including DJI Care) covers intentional damage (I believe you are calling it self-inflicted) as well as natural disaster, nuclear war, theft, etc....that's standard. However, if you attempt to fly the drone thru a small opening and you don't quite make it, I believe that is covered even though it could be called "self-inflicted."

You can read the full terms of Adorama coverage here but I personally don't recommend it because it is rather expensive and as you mentioned, it doesn't cover flyaway which Care will cover (that's DJI's forte because they have the tech to do it): Adorama Protect

But what if you have a bunk bird, IE bad camera, something is amiss? If you let it sit and not Q/C test it, there goes your return window.

I'm on my 5th DJI drone that I have held for close to at least a year before the box was opened. So far so good. First, my thinking is if there is a defect, it will be covered by warranty. No need to deal with the seller who probably won't take back and open box on already activated drone. Usually I get these drone from DJI.com so it's not an issue. Second, if you get DJI Care (or wait for it in the case of the M4P), any issues you encounter will be handled with Care and honestly, if it's a warranty issue DJI has been known to not trigger your Care. Still I have yet to open a new DJI drone and find an issue, could be lucky.

This works best if you have other drones to fly and you buy the new drone heavily discounted.

 

[Flying_Elephant]

But what if you have a bunk bird, IE bad camera, something is amiss? If you let it sit and not Q/C test it, there goes your return window.

My thinking is along the same lines as mavic3usa in that I would engage DJI with their warranty if when I open the box I discover a manufacturer defect or the like.

BTW, another good thing about not activating my CC warranty is the DJI warranty starts when you active your drone so if I don't open it and activate it, the warranty clock is not ticking.

 

[Flying_Elephant]

Technically no one (including DJI Care) covers intentional damage (I believe you are calling it self-inflicted) as well as natural disaster, nuclear war, theft, etc....that's standard. However, if you attempt to fly the drone thru a small opening and you don't quite make it, I believe that is covered even though it could be called "self-inflicted."

You can read the full terms of Adorama coverage here but I personally don't recommend it because it is rather expensive and as you mentioned, it doesn't cover flyaway which Care will cover (that's DJI's forte because they have the tech to do it): Adorama Protect


I'm on my 5th DJI drone that I have held for close to at least a year before the box was opened. So far so good. First, my thinking is if there is a defect, it will be covered by warranty. No need to deal with the seller who probably won't take back and open box on already activated drone. Usually I get these drone from DJI.com so it's not an issue. Second, if you get DJI Care (or wait for it in the case of the M4P), any issues you encounter will be handled with Care and honestly, if it's a warranty issue DJI has been known to not trigger your Care. Still I have yet to open a new DJI drone and find an issue, could be lucky.

This works best if you have other drones to fly and you buy the new drone heavily discounted.

UPS delivered my CC a few hours ago. Sweet!

 

[mavic3usa]

UPS delivered my CC a few hours ago. Sweet!

Congrats!

 

[xnavyguy]

Mine is arriving Thursday! Just signed the signature release.
June Teenth will be a drone day!

Mine was delivered about an hour or so ago.
Haven't even opened yet as I'm in the middle of upgrading one of my 3D printers. I want to get that finished before I start flying the new drone.

 

[Flying_Elephant]

Mine was delivered about an hour or so ago.
Haven't even opened yet as I'm in the middle of upgrading one of my 3D printers. I want to get that finished before I start flying the new drone.

Congrates!

 

[GadgetGuy]

I wonder if we will all experience post partem depression after the delivery of our new babies? LOL!

Anyhow, we all managed just fine, before Care Refresh was even available, when Obstacle Avoidance didn't even exist! Why is everyone now so paranoid about flying a drone without Care Refresh? It's not free. It's expensive. Every time I paid for it, I never used it. Waste of money! The deductible often exceeds the repair cost! Fly Away coverage is very limited and the deductible is very high. Unless you also bound the drone to the same remote you were flying with at the time of loss, no coverage!

If you really screw up and crash, DJI has the most reasonable repair service in the world. They pay for shipping the drone to them, and back, if you choose not to pay the repair bill. After they provide a free estimate of the repair cost, once you pay the invoice, they send you a brand new drone! What's not to like?

If it determined to be a warranty repair, it's completely free for you.

 

[mavic3usa]

I wonder if we will all experience post partem depression after the delivery of our new babies? LOL!

Anyhow, we all managed just fine, before Care Refresh was even available, when Obstacle Avoidance didn't even exist! Why is everyone now so paranoid about flying a drone without Care Refresh? It's not free. It's expensive. Every time I paid for it, I never used it. Waste of money! The deductible often exceeds the repair cost! Fly Away coverage is very limited and the deductible is very high. Unless you also bound the drone to the same remote you were flying with at the time of loss, no coverage!

If you really screw up and crash, DJI has the most reasonable repair service in the world. They pay for shipping the drone to them, and back, if you choose not to pay the repair bill. After they provide a free estimate of the repair cost, once you pay the invoice, they send you a brand new drone! What's not to like?

If it determined to be a warranty repair, it's completely free for you.

For sure and even if you get Care, you still have the option to go the repair route. For me, the main purpose of Care is to give you piece of mind and confidence when flying (even if that's only in your head). Needed when you first start flying; less so as you become more experienced.

There is extreme shock you get when you crash and completely destroy your expensive drone. Some people put a price tag on that shock value and it helps to minimize it, if that makes sense. Honestly, to me it is worth about $100 to make it go away on the first day, it's a horrible feeling.

On a serious note, one of the benefits of Care is when you don't use it, DJI will extend your manufacturer's warranty by an additional year. In the US where we only get 1 year unlike the 2 year government handout in Europe, this could be valuable since DJI does have such lenient warranty claim repair evaluations. You can buy Care for two years and extend it for 1 year giving you 3 years of coverage which is a good investment compared to the other expensive "service plans" like Allstate or Adoramacare or if you *cannot* get St. Farm, for example.

The fact that you can use easy video verification pretty much anytime during the life of your drone means you can time it just right.

 

[PINEBARON]

Just go and fly your new drones and enjoy; you'll regret it when/if the MP5 comes out, get value for your money. If you lose or break it, claim it off DJI Care if you have it, else put it down as 'Staff Welfare' expense for a replacement, in your books

 

[Flying_Elephant]

All good counter points to just go fly and not sweat it so much. I guess the fact that the CC costs almost 5 grand naturally is going to give me pause because I tend to envision the worst case scenario, like my drone dies an falls into the canal infested with alligators next to my house! Lol! May I do need to lighten up.

 

[Starz]

Why is everyone now so paranoid about flying a drone without Care Refresh

Care Refresh. Another word for “placebo effect”.
There are tons of people out there that are willing to pay dearly for peace of mind.
Like paying the local fire department for fire protection at your house that your homeowner insurance policy covers if it burns to the ground !!

 

[bbuzzman]

New to the forum and happy to join. Just ordered my Mavic 4 Pro CC yesterday from Adorama and got a tracking number today. They still have them in stock, just wanted to give everyone a heads up. As far as the Care refresh goes, I will just have to be super careful!! I am going to fly it because I don't need a $5000 paperwait till they offer the warranty!!

 

[KS-6]

Mine arrives tomorrow…

This is an odd drone existence for sure this time around.

 

[Starz]

odd

Too many of these for me at this time. I’ll hang back until all of them get sorted out. Sold my Mavic 3 Pro several months ago in anticipation of the 4. Finally realized that I missed it.
Bought another one last week.

 

[GadgetGuy]

All good counter points to just go fly and not sweat it so much. I guess the fact that the CC costs almost 5 grand naturally is going to give me pause because I tend to envision the worst case scenario, like my drone dies an falls into the canal infested with alligators next to my house! Lol! May I do need to lighten up.

Keep in mind that the only thing you lose is the drone (and any footage not yet downloaded from it) for which you only paid $2700 out of the $5,000.

From the $5k, subtract the $400 of remaining 2 batteries, the $1400 RC Pro 2, the $160 240W charger, the $100 hub, and the $100 bag, plus tax, and $3300 of your $5000 investment is still intact, leaving a drone replacement cost of $2700, not $5,000.

The RC Pro 2 is also unavailable separately anywhere at present, so you still can immediately use that to fly your Air 3S and Mini 4 Pro until you can get another Mavic 4 Pro. The 64GB SSD version is also certainly cheaper than the 512GB version, if you don't really need ALL-I, or the extra SSD space and prefer to use swappable micro SD cards.

 

[Bella]

I ordered the CC from Adorama last Friday and they said they shipped on Monday and provided a UPS tracking number. But UPS says they're still waiting for the package. I chatted with Adorama, and they said it did indeed ship and that UPS is just slow with updating. I think after 3 days UPS would definitely have updated the tracking info. The chat rep asked if I wanted to cancel the order and I asked them how I could cancel if it had already shipped. They didn't answer that question and just said after a lengthy delay that they'll get back to me in a couple days. Kinda crappy service. I don't normally do business with them, is this typical of their practice?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Care Refresh. Another word for “placebo effect”.
There are tons of people out there that are willing to pay dearly for peace of mind.
Like paying the local fire department for fire protection at your house that your homeowner insurance policy covers if it burns to the ground !!

My point above is it isn't really the peace of mind that they believe it is. When you factor in the cost of the Care Refresh insurance that you have previously paid for but never used on other aircraft, and the deductible costs for each covered pilot error caused incident (anything not pilot error is already covered by the free 1 year warranty), it is clearly more expensive than paying for the cost of the vast majority of repairs from anything but a total loss. Otherwise, DJI wouldn’t sell it. It's a huge profit center for them. Unless you are flying daily and engaged in high risk flights, for the few times a year most actually fly, financially, it's not a good investment, even though the placebo effect makes them think it is. Self insurance for responsible pilots is far cheaper.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I ordered the CC from Adorama last Friday and they said they shipped on Monday and provided a UPS tracking number. But UPS says they're still waiting for the package. I chatted with Adorama, and they said it did indeed ship and that UPS is just slow with updating. I think after 3 days UPS would definitely have updated the tracking info. The chat rep asked if I wanted to cancel the order and I asked them how I could cancel if it had already shipped. They didn't answer that question and just said after a lengthy delay that they'll get back to me in a couple days. Kinda crappy service. I don't normally do business with them, is this typical of their practice?

Does sound like the Tennessee warehouse screwed up. Other than the terrible packaging on their shipments (the external shipping box on my CC that arrived today was barely taped together, and only 3 of the 20 inflatable cushioning bags inside were actually inflated, leaving the well packaged DJI box banging around inside, tearing against the poorly attached packaging tape barely holding the Adorama box together), Adorama is a very reputable merchant.

I would recommend calling them again tomorrow, and then asking them to cancel the original order, and simultaneously replace it with a new order, as long as they still show available stock to ship immediately tomorrow. Right now, they show that any CC pre-order will still ship out tomorrow.

https://www.adorama.com/djimavic4pcc.html