Purchasing used - checklist?

markyodo · Feb 17, 2017

An acquaintance of mine was able to get a fly more bundle in Nov. 2016 at a DJI launch party. From what I know he has only flown the drone 2 times and less than 25 minutes and he purchased the replacement insurance. I have offered to buy the Mavic from him but I want to check it out first, and I could use some guidance.

Has anything changed on Mavic since launch besides software?
What would your check list be if purchasing used?
Is the DJI insurance is transferable? If NO can you get DJI insurance for a used drone?
Is it difficult to transfer drone ownership?
What is an almost new Mavic worth?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

msinger · Feb 17, 2017

markyodo said:
Has anything changed on Mavic since launch besides software?

No.

markyodo said:
What would your check list be if purchasing used?

Visually inspect it for any damage and fly it to ensure it operates properly. The latter might be tough if you don't know how a Mavic is supposed to fly.

markyodo said:
Is the DJI insurance is transferable?

Yes.

markyodo said:
Is it difficult to transfer drone ownership?

No. Just create a DJI account after installing DJI GO 4 on your mobile device and connect everything per the instructions in the Quick Start Guide.

markyodo said:
What is an almost new Mavic worth?

See what used Mavics are currently going for on eBay.

markyodo · Feb 17, 2017

I have flown the Mavic before, but not out of automatic flight modes. I am assuming the software will know how many hours of flight time the drone has?

msinger · Feb 17, 2017

markyodo said:
I am assuming the software will know how many hours of flight time the drone has?

You can only see how many times the batteries were charged in the "Aircraft Battery" section of DJI GO.

You could also download the internal DAT flight logs and see how many times it was flown and the length of each flight. Since it was only flown for 25 minutes max, all of the flight logs should still be on the Mavic's internal memory card. You can use DatCon to view those logs.

HK! · Feb 17, 2017

It's fine, get it.
You can blame any/every issue you run into on the Last guy instead of the new Firmware update.

Former Member · Feb 17, 2017

markyodo said:
Is the DJI insurance is transferable? If NO can you get DJI insurance for a used drone?

If Im not mistaken, the DJI Refresh package is attached to the drone.

Got this from a DJI rep. You just need to get the agreement number from the seller:

"Refresh goes with the aircraft so don't be worried."

"Yes, you can sell the Mavic to another user and the refresh is attached to that particular Mavic (until you do an exchange using your care then it would transfer to the replacement)"

Even if you already have the DJI Refresh insurance, I would also recommend getting a drone loss insurance policy. I have DJI Refresh in addition to a State Farm drone insurance policy for $60 a year. DJI refresh is good if you have a substantial impact, and you have a retrievable drone to send in for repair. State farm has you covered if the drone flys away, or decides to explore the depths of the ocean. My State Farm deductible is $0 (zero).

msinger · Feb 17, 2017

The following is only mentioned on the DJI Care FAQ:

Assuming DJI Care Refresh follows the same set of rules, then it would be transferable to the new owner. It's not mentioned on the DJI Care Refresh FAQ though.

DJI Ken confirmed it's transferable in this thread in the DJI forum.

markyodo · Feb 17, 2017

Thunder-drones said:
Even if you already have the DJI Refresh insurance, I would also recommend getting a drone loss insurance policy. I have DJI Refresh in addition to a State Farm drone insurance policy for $60 a year. DJI refresh is good if you have a substantial impact, and you have a retrievable drone to send in for repair. State farm has you covered if the drone flys away, or decides to explore the depths of the ocean. My State Farm deductible is $0 (zero).

This is great advice and I have State Farm insurance.
Thanks!

Former Member · Feb 17, 2017

msinger said:
The following is only mentioned on the DJI Care FAQ:

View attachment 6528

Assuming DJI Care Refresh follows the same set of rules, then it would be transferable to the new owner. It's not mentioned on the DJI Care Refresh FAQ though.

DJI Ken confirmed it's transferable in this thread in the DJI forum.

I guess they omitted that clause in the Refresh page, but have it on the Care page.

I just confirmed a few minutes ago with DJI chat:

07:42
Hi I am buying a used Mavic that has DJI refresh, Can I use the Refresh if it crashes?
Kristell
Hi
Kristell
I understand your concern. Let me do my best to assist you properly today.
Kristell
Yes, you can use it for replacement

MavicMo · Feb 17, 2017

I'd suggest using Craigslist for you area as a guideline for prices in your area and what's reasonable and fair (for the most part). I've found used Mavic Pros going for 900 bucks in my area. I've only seen one package equivalent of the Fly More going for 1100 bucks..

Former Member · Feb 17, 2017

msinger I have been a member here for a few months and never took the opportunity to explore your website DJI Mavic Accessories & Tips - Mavic Help until just now. For those who havent seen it yet, it's an amazing amalgamation of everything you need to know and buy for the Mavic. It must have taken quite a while for you to assemble all the data, and continually update the webpage, so I just wanted to give you a big thumbs up for your effort!

Former Member · Feb 17, 2017

MavicMo said:
I'd suggest using Craigslist for you area as a guideline for prices in your area and what's reasonable and fair (for the most part). I've found used Mavic Pros going for 900 bucks in my area. I've only seen one package equivalent of the Fly More going for 1100 bucks..

I agree that Craigs is a good source for price guidelines. The hard part is finding a used one to compare the price to. I havent seen a single used one (except for one that I sold) pop up here in Atlanta since they were released. Used ones are sometimes still selling for way more than the new sticker price of $999 due to continued lack of supply.

OP can I ask how much he wants for it? If he's asking under the $1299 retail price, you're still getting a deal for a relatively new bird PLUS $99 worth of Refresh insurance plus no sales tax.

markyodo · Feb 17, 2017

Thunder-drones said:
OP can I ask how much he wants for it? If he's asking under the $1299 retail price, you're still getting a deal for a relatively new bird PLUS $99 worth of Refresh insurance plus no sales tax.

He is wanting $1250. This would include the remainder of the insurance (9 months). Basically his purchase price minus tax and insurance.
If the drone is in perfect condition this seemed fair, but buying used still concerns me.

Former Member · Feb 17, 2017

Ok so go get yourself a new one:

http://store.dji.com/product/mavic-pro?vid=19451#/addons?_k=9cwpor

It will cost you:

Drone FM Combo $1299
Foreign transaction fee on your credit card 2% $26
Refresh $99

Grand total = $1424 or around $200 more to buy a new one.

DJI says shipping 1 - 3 days which translates into anywhere from 2-5 weeks in Normal Human time.

So you will prob wait a month, when you finally get it you will need to upgrade the firmware without your friends help because you didnt buy his drone, hope the firmware upgrade doesnt fail, and then hope that the drone arrived undamaged from DJI.

Your call.