So What Does DJI Do About Lost Drones?

Robbyg · Jan 20, 2017

After reading another lost drone post I am wondering what does DJI do in terms of helping the community get back our drones instead of them becoming hot sellers on eBay?

DJI has the serial number of every drone and the registration info for activation.
I assume if someone finds a drone they will have to pair it with another controller.
Does DJI Blacklist drones that are reported as stolen or missing by the original owner to prevent it from being activated again?

Like the rest of you I can also see what is coming in the next few months. The Mavic is going to go from being known only by people in the drone and tech world to being on the news and becoming very well known by the public. As this happens sales will increase, Mavics become more popular and possibly the Mavic becomes the new poster child for the look of a modern consumer drone.

At that point just like the original iPhone it will become a hot item that is not only going to be accidentally lost, but people will target them for theft.

Are we going to have to wait for 7 years like we did with Apple or will DJI implement security measures now that will make lost or stolen drones have very little financial value.

Rob

DroningOn · Jan 20, 2017

I don't think I want DJI handing out my contact information to anyone. If I lose my Mavic due to a fly away or get stolen, it's on me and my responsibility. They're not responsible for getting it back to me. That's what insurances is for.

MavicMo · Jan 20, 2017

Just my .02...

Its a nearly impossible task. Firstly, I believe lost drones due to manufacturer error are probably in the single digits percentage wise. Lost drones due to user error are the user's fault. I wouldn't hold DJI responsible for user error lost drones.

Then this would also mean that DJI kept track of every drone they've ever sold. This would require a huge database and an army of people to update the data. This would mean every buyer of a Mavic would have to register and show some type of proof it was legitimately purchased. Then ownership would have to be tracked. So if the original owner sells his drone to another person, the seller would have to "un-register" the drone and the new owner would have to register the drone. And because who knows if the new owner stole or found it, that would mean there would have to be some type of proof of ownership transfer...

It just gets too big to be feasible...

AF8 · Jan 20, 2017

I'm sure that there's an evolving opportunity that DJI might pick up on this but it's a bit of a double edged sword as others say. Most users would want to have autonomy to use their devices (perhaps once registered) as there are a number of stories recently around connected houses where a manufacturer has gone out of business and the devices stopped working once the central servers where turned off!

Probably worth just putting a mobile number on the device with an offer of some kind of reward and rely on human nature as in most cases the drone will be within a few miles of it's owner when found. Community spirit ;-)

LakeTravis · Jan 20, 2017

Robbyg said:
After reading another lost drone post I am wondering what does DJI do in terms of helping the community get back our drones instead of them becoming hot sellers on eBay?

DJI has the serial number of every drone and the registration info for activation.
I assume if someone finds a drone they will have to pair it with another controller.
Does DJI Blacklist drones that are reported as stolen or missing by the original owner to prevent it from being activated again?

Like the rest of you I can also see what is coming in the next few months. The Mavic is going to go from being known only by people in the drone and tech world to being on the news and becoming very well known by the public. As this happens sales will increase, Mavics become more popular and possibly the Mavic becomes the new poster child for the look of a modern consumer drone.

At that point just like the original iPhone it will become a hot item that is not only going to be accidentally lost, but people will target them for theft.

Are we going to have to wait for 7 years like we did with Apple or will DJI implement security measures now that will make lost or stolen drones have very little financial value.

Rob

This is only "related" to your question, but here's a link to another pretty heartwarming post here where a user on here from GB lost his Mavic while on vacation in AZ. Other users got together online to figure out where it was (pretty precisely) and one actually rescued it and it is back in the owner's hands. Kudos to all involved with that. It's a lengthy read, but well worth it, if only to restore your faith in humanity in these trying times!!

I lost my Mavic and need help finding out what happened - FOUND BY STARZ!

AF8 · Jan 20, 2017

LakeTravis said:
This is only "related" to your question, but here's a link to another pretty heartwarming post here where a user on here from GB lost his Mavic while on vacation in AZ. Other users got together online to figure out where it was (pretty precisely) and one actually rescued it and it is back in the owner's hands. Kudos to all involved with that. It's a lengthy read, but well worth it, if only to restore your faith in humanity in these trying times!!

I lost my Mavic and need help finding out what happened - FOUND BY STARZ!

It was a bit like watching a 'soap' but with a happy ending

waverider969 · Jan 20, 2017

now I understand why I and others are buying extra GPS trackers to put on their device. Not the end all of end alls but some extra security.

Robbyg · Jan 20, 2017

This sounds like the whole Apple iPhone we cannot do it stuff repeating itself again. Funny how Apple was suddenly able to fix the problem when enough people complained. Go to eBay and you will see a hundreds of IPhone 6's being sold with locked icloud accounts most for under $90 and no one is even bidding because the phone is a brick

Am I missing something

In order to activate a Mavic you first have to input it's serial number into DJI database under your account. So correct me if I am wrong but DJI already has every serial number linked to every owners name.

They already have full control, you cannot fly unless they authorize it. All I am saying is that if an owner reports a drone as stolen or lost and has their valid account info then DJI Via your registration email account can confirm who you say you are and then Blacklist that serial number from being activated with a different controller.

I don't know if DJI locks the controller serial number to the drone but it seems simple enough to do that in a new update and thereby offer the protection plan. Am I missing something why this would not work?

LakeTravis · Jan 20, 2017

Robbyg said:
This sounds like the whole Apple iPhone we cannot do it stuff repeating itself again. Funny how Apple was suddenly able to fix the problem when enough people complained. Go to eBay and you will see a hundreds of IPhone 6's being sold with locked icloud accounts most for under $90 and no one is even bidding because the phone is a brick

Am I missing something
In order to activate a Mavic you first have to input it's serial number into DJI database under your account. So correct me if I am wrong but DJI already has every serial number linked to every owners name.

They already have full control, you cannot fly unless they authorize it. All I am saying is that if an owner reports a drone as stolen or lost and has their valid account info then DJI Via your registration email account can confirm who you say you are and then Blacklist that serial number from being activated with a different controller.

I don't know if DJI locks the controller serial number to the drone but it seems simple enough to do that in a new update and thereby offer the protection plan. Am I missing something why this would not work?

I don't disagree with you, and don't think I've seen anyone else who does. It seems like it would be something easy for DJI to implement, assuming they haven't already. I'd send them an e-mail and query them to see what they think.

Starz · Jan 20, 2017

Robbyg said:
After reading another lost drone post I am wondering what does DJI do in terms of helping the community get back our drones instead of them becoming hot sellers on eBay?

DJI has the serial number of every drone and the registration info for activation.
I assume if someone finds a drone they will have to pair it with another controller.
Does DJI Blacklist drones that are reported as stolen or missing by the original owner to prevent it from being activated again?

Like the rest of you I can also see what is coming in the next few months. The Mavic is going to go from being known only by people in the drone and tech world to being on the news and becoming very well known by the public. As this happens sales will increase, Mavics become more popular and possibly the Mavic becomes the new poster child for the look of a modern consumer drone.

At that point just like the original iPhone it will become a hot item that is not only going to be accidentally lost, but people will target them for theft.

Are we going to have to wait for 7 years like we did with Apple or will DJI implement security measures now that will make lost or stolen drones have very little financial value.

Rob

My concern on Pablo's mp was that it should be found by someone that would return it to it's owner. That was why I went as quickly as I could. I was very lucky to find it as fast as I did. I do think your thinking about some way to keep the dishonest from making it theirs is on the right track, but may very hard to get done.

Robbyg · Jan 20, 2017

Starz said:
My concern on Pablo's mp was that it should be found by someone that would return it to it's owner. That was why I went as quickly as I could. I was very lucky to find it as fast as I did. I do think your thinking about some way to keep the dishonest from making it theirs is on the right track, but may very hard to get done.

I read about what you did for Pablo, that was outstanding! Unfortunately the reality is that half of the people on this planet would find a drone and just take it home and try to sell it. This will only get worst as the Mavic gets more popular. If DJI can make a recovered Mavics resale value worthless then it will mean a $100 reward sticker on a Mavic will actually work and Mavic owners world wide would benefit.

Starz · Jan 20, 2017

I know of at least three phantoms in my town (two from the same guy) that were lost. Would love to see a spot somewhere to show those statistics.

integlikewhoa · Jan 20, 2017

Robbyg said:
I read about what you did for Pablo, that was outstanding! Unfortunately the reality is that half of the people on this planet would find a drone and just take it home and try to sell it. This will only get worst as the Mavic gets more popular. If DJI can make a recovered Mavics resale value worthless then it will mean a $100 reward sticker on a Mavic will actually work and Mavic owners world wide would benefit.

Unfortunately I agree with you. And I think there is a few categories of people. Not just those who would return and those who wouldn't. You also have a lazy class in the middle that might not have the intention to sale it or steal it but to lazy to actually track down the owner (assuming the info wasn't easy available to them).

maikm · Jan 20, 2017

I don't think you could expect anyone who barely knows what it is they found to even assume it would be possible to find out the owner, if it's not labeled on the device itself. A registration system sounds good in theory, but you would at least have to put written instructions on the drone itself about how to contact DJI to get it back to the owner. And that indirection would create some emotional distance between the finder and the owner.

However, I do think many if not most people would consider contacting the owner and giving it back, if the owner was immediately apparent from a label on the drone, because seeing a name and contact info makes it obvious that this thing belongs to someone. Of course the finder could feel different about it if he found it in his backyard where it crashed spying on his family...

CactusJackSlade · Jan 20, 2017

If the person who finds a lost bird is honest... you SHOULD already have your FAA number on it, and can be tracked back to you that way. Along with my FAA number I also include my phone number and "REWARD".

I personally suspect that a large percentage of new flyers do NOT register with the FAA and required... the Mavic being the new hot item for the newbies I bet that percentage on non-registrants is very high...

Robbyg · Jan 20, 2017

CactusJackSlade said:
If the person who finds a lost bird is honest... you SHOULD already have your FAA number on it, and can be tracked back to you that way. Along with my FAA number I also include my phone number and "REWARD".

I personally suspect that a large percentage of new flyers do NOT register with the FAA and required... the Mavic being the new hot item for the newbies I bet that percentage on non-registrants is very high...

Almost Nobody is going to call the FAA to locate the owner. Most people are not because they don't know if that is going to put them in trouble. Maybe the Drone was involved in some sort of illegal activity and then you have to spend a whole day at the police station trying to answer questions.

Robbyg · Jan 20, 2017

integlikewhoa said:
Unfortunately I agree with you. And I think there is a few categories of people. Not just those who would return and those who wouldn't. You also have a lazy class in the middle that might not have the intention to sale it or steal it but to lazy to actually track down the owner (assuming the info wasn't easy available to them).

Yes Sir I agree 100%. Most people just cannot bother. The number one reason they will give is that they don't want to meet up with a possibly shady character. What a cop out! Just arrange to meet outside a police station if your so worried.

Robbyg · Jan 20, 2017

maikm said:
I don't think you could expect anyone who barely knows what it is they found to even assume it would be possible to find out the owner, if it's not labeled on the device itself. A registration system sounds good in theory, but you would at least have to put written instructions on the drone itself about how to contact DJI to get it back to the owner. And that indirection would create some emotional distance between the finder and the owner.

However, I do think many if not most people would consider contacting the owner and giving it back, if the owner was immediately apparent from a label on the drone, because seeing a name and contact info makes it obvious that this thing belongs to someone. Of course the finder could feel different about it if he found it in his backyard where it crashed spying on his family...

The main thing is to make it impossible for whomever has it to sell it. If it has a label with $100 reward marked on it then even if the intent was to steal it they will slowly start to realize a $100 in the hand is worth more than nothing. Maybe the guys wife might be looking at and after a month decide to cash it in when the husband is not around. Who knows! I just know that if an eBay market starts up like there use to be for stolen iPhones we are going to see a lot of Mavics being lost for good as the public starts to know more about them.

My thinking is that the Mavic has only started to gain Stardom. I think a year from now it's going to be a very well known item.

samba geek · Jul 13, 2017

I found a Phantom 3 Standard 2 days ago, it crashed nearby my complex. It does not have the FAA license written on it. I engaged DJI to see if the owner registered for support and the first answer was that they could not help, tried again via Twitter and now they are taking a better look at the case. The lesson I learned here is to really register with FAA and label your drone, that would help a lot. Btw, any one have any recommendations on where people would post about lost drones?