Seeking knowledge for buying used drones

[jambros3]

Greetings fellow Pilots,
I am looking to buy a back up Mini 2 and in general, would like some information on how and what to look out for.
1. How would the process go as to deleting previous owner and registering the drone into your name?
2. Is it rude to ask the previous owner to look at their DJI profile for flight records / hours used?
3. How much should a mini2 w/ Fly More package reasonably go for?

I may have overlooked more pertinent situations, please feel free to educate me on anything I may not have thought of.

I am aware that buying a new drone from DJI would alleviate all of these questions, but I am curious to hear from more experienced drone operators.
Thank you for your time,
Julian

 

[GFields]

My number one piece of advice would be to ensure the drone you plan to purchase is RID-compliant without adding a module.

Is it rude to ask the previous owner to look at their DJI profile for flight records / hours used?

Not at all. It's your money and you don't "have to buy theirs"

mini2 w/ Fly More

Search eBay or a Google search in general. They are $599 USD on Amazon

We have trusted vendors on the forum that you can buy from or get advice from. @msinger would be a good choice to seek advice from.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Currently the BIGGEST problem with 2nd hand FlyApp using drones and controllers is the risk of
a) the drone being bound to a previous owner's account and or
b) the controller being bound to a drone.
a) could ground the drone, b) could prevent another controller being used with the drone and or perhaps prevent the bound controller being used with another FlyApp using ? drone. *
You MUST ensure that any bindings have been undone.
NOTE these "bindings" are NOT the the linking/pairing that is used for control purposes.

ONLY the binding account can undo these bindings but these bindings can be undone remotely. The bindings simply have to be undone using a FlyApp logged into the binding account. Once the app has connected to the internet and the unbindings have been registered the new owner has free rein.

With regards to Qu2) to literally look at the App would, IMO, be pushing things a bit too far. But when, via ebay, I was buying, I asked for the total flight time, the total flown hours, the total milage and the charge count of each battery, most folks were content to give that information, if they complained they lost a bidder. I also said that if I won I would ask for the serial numbers and I asked if they would willing to supply them.
The latter works two ways, it tends to ensure the buyer gets the correct equipment but it also give the seller a record of what was sent, it's not unknown for dodgy buyers to 'return' a defective item in place of a working good.


3) check the prices for COMPLETED auctions on ebay

* there seems to be at least two levels of binding potency, the dangerous one is where the binding account bought Flyaway insurance and the bindings are in accordance with the T&C of that insurance, these can .... you.
The second and frankly seemingly pointless one relates to Joe Bloggs binding his drone to his account, the option to bind the controller to the drone is not available in this instance. I tried this form of binding with a mini 2, I have neither care refresh nor flyaway insurance and the binding did nothing as far as I could see. I was able to fly the drone using someone else's DJI account and any suitable controller.

 

[Bob in Savannah]

Search eBay or a Google search in general. They are $599 USD on Amazon

We have trusted vendors on the forum that you can buy from or get advice from. @msinger would be a good choice to seek advice from.

My first choice would be to buy from here providing its not a brand new member.
Second would be eBay where you have real world recourse in getting every dime back if theres a problem (or not).
I would only deal with Amazon if you intend to purchase thru your credit card and not your debit card since Amazon does NOT use PayPal.

And this is just for the purchase alone. NOT all the legwork you need to do to make sure its not bound to the owner and hopefully retrieving flight data and what not....

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Many people complain about eBay but I have had a few purchases go wrong and either the seller has always come through or ebay have stepped in.
I photograph every thing, including serial numbers, as I open the package and if I spot a problem I try to demonstrate it with photos and in writing. If it's a minor problem that does affect the usage and one you think you can repair negotiate for a reasonable partial refund, don't take the mickey and don't try to pull a 'fast one'.
Treat the seller as you hope a buyer would treat you if they found a problem with something they bought from you.
ALL communication must be via eBay messages.
Remember check the definitions of the condition category that an item is sold in, in the UK a "used" item must work as intended by the manufacturer.
It matters not what exclusions the seller put in their blurb, if push comes to shove ebay go by their condition category definition.

Amazon have a good reputation, and that's worth a lot, but they have been caught out by this drone binding thing or were initially, I do not know it they are now taking steps to check for bound returns.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Greetings fellow Pilots,
I am looking to buy a back up Mini 2 and in general, would like some information on how and what to look out for.
1. How would the process go as to deleting previous owner and registering the drone into your name?
2. Is it rude to ask the previous owner to look at their DJI profile for flight records / hours used?
3. How much should a mini2 w/ Fly More package reasonably go for?

Julian,
I feel a start with this is to post an ad in the classifieds > WANTED Mini 2.

Of course also search there to see if any Mini 2's are for sale. all models come up from time to time.
Here's an actual search link for Mini 2 in the classifieds, there is one recent thread February for a good package, seems to be unsold . . .

DJI Mini 2 Fly more combo

Selling my Mini 2 fly more combo. I bought this from Best Buy a little less than two years ago, I flew it three times and then never had any time to use it more. $400.

mavicpilots.com

But it'd be pretty common for some pilots here to be sitting on a Mini 2 and having had an 'upgrade', aren't really flying their old drone as much as they could (if at all).
Many might think, a fellow forum member, why not let it go.

Dealing with members here for proper safe purchase would be many times safer for such a purchase.
Getting all info on battery cycles, flight records, etc, and unbinding correctly so you can register the drone in your name.

Good luck with your search for a safe purchase.

 

[Bob in Savannah]

Many people complain about eBay but I have had a few purchases go wrong and either the seller has always come through or ebay have stepped in.
I photograph every thing, including serial numbers, as I open the package and if I spot a problem I try to demonstrate it with photos and in writing. If it's a minor problem that does affect the usage and one you think you can repair negotiate for a reasonable partial refund, don't take the mickey and don't try to pull a 'fast one'.
Treat the seller as you hope a buyer would treat you if they found a problem with something they bought from you.
ALL communication must be via eBay messages.
Remember check the definitions of the condition category that an item is sold in, in the UK a "used" item must work as intended by the manufacturer.
It matters not what exclusions the seller put in their blurb, if push comes to shove ebay go by their condition category definition.

Amazon have a good reputation, and that's worth a lot, but they have been caught out by this drone binding thing or were initially, I do not know it they are now taking steps to check for bound returns.

Ebay is set up for the buyer. As a buyer you have the luxury of returning any item no matter what the seller says. Knowing this, as a seller, keeps you on your toes and you photograph EVERYTHING and hide nothing. This is how you operate. Find a high volume seller (75+ sales) with a 100% rating and youre golden. If you find 1000+ sellers with like a 98,5% rating, thats good too! But 50 sales and 98% rating is a NO-GO for me. The lower the sales demand a 100% rating but those multi-thousand sales guys you have to factor in mistakes and jerk buyers with ridiculous expectations.

I say this as a 600+ sales eBayer with a 100% rating since 2003.

 

[34 South]

would like some information on how and what

I bought 3 drones off eBay in 2022:
1. A DJI-refurbished Mini 2 Fly More Combo. These come with a 1 yr DJI warranty, plus a further 1 yr of eBay "refurbished" warranty. DJI refurbished products are typically great deals, so check them out.
2. An AIR2S FM Combo with about 15 mins of flight time, so practically brand new, even though the warranty had expired. The seller even threw in a hard case - all for $740!
3. A Mavic 3 FM Combo. About 30 mins flight time, and about 5 months old - so balance of warranty

So great deals can be had. Ask about flight time and when the drone was purchased. Also confirm with the seller that the drone has been "un bound" from his account. *** mentioned above, eBay does offer you a buyer guarantee in case the item does not arrive, or is defective. One other tip to consider is if the seller allows returns or not. Another safeguard if required . . . .

34S.

 

[Dale D]

Greetings fellow Pilots,
I am looking to buy a back up Mini 2 and in general, would like some information on how and what to look out for.
1. How would the process go as to deleting previous owner and registering the drone into your name?
2. Is it rude to ask the previous owner to look at their DJI profile for flight records / hours used?
3. How much should a mini2 w/ Fly More package reasonably go for?

I may have overlooked more pertinent situations, please feel free to educate me on anything I may not have thought of.

I am aware that buying a new drone from DJI would alleviate all of these questions, but I am curious to hear from more experienced drone operators.
Thank you for your time,
Julian

I have just read through all of the replies to this point and certainly agree with them. However, I would rather not get involved in all of the details of photography, binding disputes, dodgy listings, etc. and just either buy it new from a reputable seller (I prefer DJI or Amazon), or refurbished by DJI. If I could not afford a new one, I would not be willing to go through the hoops and the risks mentioned in these posts.

As far as eBay ratings of sellers, I have been a long time seller on e-bay but have nowheres near the volume requested by some of the writers on this thread. I am not a large company- I am an ordinary guy who buys stuff, then upgrades an item and sells the older item. My rating is for at least 20 years and 100%.These demands of requiring a seller with hundred of sales is not the norm for items I purchase on eBay.

Dale

 

[Jaime Zapata]

Saludos compañeros pilotos,
Estoy buscando comprar un Mini 2 de respaldo y, en general, me gustaría obtener información sobre cómo y qué buscar.
1. ¿Cómo iría el proceso para eliminar al propietario anterior y registrar el dron a su nombre?
2. ¿Es grosero pedirle al propietario anterior que mire su perfil DJI para ver los registros de vuelo / horas utilizadas?
3. ¿Cuánto debería costar razonablemente un paquete mini2 con Fly More?

Es posible que haya pasado por alto situaciones más pertinentes, por favor siéntase libre de educarme sobre cualquier cosa que no haya pensado.
Soy consciente de que comprar un nuevo dron de DJI aliviaría todas estas preguntas, pero tengo curiosidad por escuchar a operadores de drones más experimentados. Gracias por su tiempo Juliano .1 y dos se deben realizar , para configurar la nave , con el fin de realizar una compra segura.

 

[Dale D]

No hablo espagnol- Puede escribe in engoláis?

 

[Jaime Zapata]

Een

 

[Jaime Zapata]

Consulta los precios en DJI Store.

 

[GFields]

My first choice would be to buy from here providing its not a brand new member.
Second would be eBay where you have real world recourse in getting every dime back if theres a problem (or not).
I would only deal with Amazon if you intend to purchase thru your credit card and not your debit card since Amazon does NOT use PayPal.

And this is just for the purchase alone. NOT all the legwork you need to do to make sure its not bound to the owner and hopefully retrieving flight data and what not....

I agree and offered the OP a vendor to chat with. The OP was asking about prices is why I pointed him to eBay and a Google search.

 

[stevenws]

Currently the BIGGEST problem with 2nd hand FlyApp using drones and controllers is the risk of
a) the drone being bound to a previous owner's account and or
b) the controller being bound to a drone.
a) could ground the drone, b) could prevent another controller being used with the drone and or perhaps prevent the bound controller being used with another FlyApp using ? drone. *
You MUST ensure that any bindings have been undone.
NOTE these "bindings" are NOT the the linking/pairing that is used for control purposes.

ONLY the binding account can undo these bindings but these bindings can be undone remotely. The bindings simply have to be undone using a FlyApp logged into the binding account. Once the app has connected to the internet and the unbindings have been registered the new owner has free rein.

With regards to Qu2) to literally look at the App would, IMO, be pushing things a bit too far. But when, via ebay, I was buying, I asked for the total flight time, the total flown hours, the total milage and the charge count of each battery, most folks were content to give that information, if they complained they lost a bidder. I also said that if I won I would ask for the serial numbers and I asked if they would willing to supply them.
The latter works two ways, it tends to ensure the buyer gets the correct equipment but it also give the seller a record of what was sent, it's not unknown for dodgy buyers to 'return' a defective item in place of a working good.


3) check the prices for COMPLETED auctions on ebay

* there seems to be at least two levels of binding potency, the dangerous one is where the binding account bought Flyaway insurance and the bindings are in accordance with the T&C of that insurance, these can .... you.
The second and frankly seemingly pointless one relates to Joe Bloggs binding his drone to his account, the option to bind the controller to the drone is not available in this instance. I tried this form of binding with a mini 2, I have neither care refresh nor flyaway insurance and the binding did nothing as far as I could see. I was able to fly the drone using someone else's DJI account and any suitable controller.

Currently the BIGGEST problem with 2nd hand FlyApp using drones and controllers is the risk of
a) the drone being bound to a previous owner's account and or
b) the controller being bound to a drone.
a) could ground the drone, b) could prevent another controller being used with the drone and or perhaps prevent the bound controller being used with another FlyApp using ? drone. *
You MUST ensure that any bindings have been undone.
NOTE these "bindings" are NOT the the linking/pairing that is used for control purposes.

ONLY the binding account can undo these bindings but these bindings can be undone remotely. The bindings simply have to be undone using a FlyApp logged into the binding account. Once the app has connected to the internet and the unbindings have been registered the new owner has free rein.

With regards to Qu2) to literally look at the App would, IMO, be pushing things a bit too far. But when, via ebay, I was buying, I asked for the total flight time, the total flown hours, the total milage and the charge count of each battery, most folks were content to give that information, if they complained they lost a bidder. I also said that if I won I would ask for the serial numbers and I asked if they would willing to supply them.
The latter works two ways, it tends to ensure the buyer gets the correct equipment but it also give the seller a record of what was sent, it's not unknown for dodgy buyers to 'return' a defective item in place of a working good.


3) check the prices for COMPLETED auctions on ebay

* there seems to be at least two levels of binding potency, the dangerous one is where the binding account bought Flyaway insurance and the bindings are in accordance with the T&C of that insurance, these can .... you.
The second and frankly seemingly pointless one relates to Joe Bloggs binding his drone to his account, the option to bind the controller to the drone is not available in this instance. I tried this form of binding with a mini 2, I have neither care refresh nor flyaway insurance and the binding did nothing as far as I could see. I was able to fly the drone using someone else's DJI account and any suitable controller.

Is there a difference in the meanings of... Bounding, Pairing, Binding??

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I would not use the word "bounding" or "bounded" etc. in connection with a drone at all. Unless describing the way the drone was flying i.e. a dog might come bounding along.
Otherwise it just seems grammatically wrong to me but I will not gripe if it is from folks whose first language is, I think, NOT British English.
In connection with the insurance thing I would use
"bound" e.g. the drone was bound, or
"bind" e.g. you need to bind ......, or
"binding" e.g. I tried binding....

To me "pairing", "pair", "paired" ,"link", "linked", "linking" all relate to the connection between the drone and the controller that is established for the purposes of controlling the drone and passing data to and fro between the drone and the controller.

Unfortunately I think the definitions are not set in stone which is why I try to differentiate between them.

 

[shawgod]

I bought a Mavic Mini from Facebook Marketplace and didn't have any issues. The best thing is that they don't pay the seller until I am happy with the product. I had no issues so what so ever with seller or drone.