WHAT TO DO ??? Retrieved my flew away mini2 and received a new one from dji (care refresh)

[bruce sato]

Hello,
I crashed my mini2 and wasn't able to rescue it (too risky). I had the care service and Dji considered it as a flyaway issue... I paid 205$ to get a new one to them. I received it yesterday. Incredible luck, a friend of mine told me today he's got the drone in hands as he successfuly rescued it. What's next ? Considering the old drone is now the ''property of DJI '' they said in their policy if the crashed drone is retrieved, it must be sent back to them.
If I do that, will they refund me 150$ (205$ flyaway issue replacement drone I paid LESS 50$ franchise we usually pay for a retrieved damaged drone sent back to dji/non flyaway) ???
Or it's better I keep the drone for parts ?


Thanks for your help /comments

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Tough one, if the old drone is somehow ‘hobbled’ if you say bought a second hand controller and had a spare drone ocage you could sell )to recoup replacement cost).
You paid an increased fee without the drone ‘body’, they’d refund this difference if you send the old drone in ?
The old drone is not damaged ?
A shame it’s happened so close, but if you still have the replacement unopened, could you possibly ask if you an return the replacement due to finding your intact drone ?

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

With the terms and conditions I think you are morally compelled to send it back.

Add to that the $150 refund and I would not hesitate, but I would confirm, in writing, whether or not DJI will reinstate the used flyaway allowance. I think you get only 1 allowance.

The old one will be hobbled, there is a recent thread either here or on the DJI forum of all places, concerning a different drone I think. The original owner's friend found the drone and was asking how to bypass the 'lock outs', the original owner had received the replacement and wasn't bothered with the original so the friend kept it etc. etc..

With regards to the drone's 'part's value', what state is the drone in with regards to any crash damage, where did it land and if it landed on land what weather has it been exposed to?
If it landed in salt water and was there for any length of time then it is highly likely that every board is destroyed, so too may be the ribbon cables. It is quite likely that the only useful components left will be the plastic parts.
If it landed in fresh water the corrosion process would probably be slower than in salt water. If it landed dry but got rained on then there is still a chance of corrosion and the uncertainty regarding the reliability of any salvaged electronics or motors.

 

[bruce sato]

Tough one, if the old drone is somehow ‘hobbled’ if you say bought a second hand controller and had a spare drone ocage you could sell )to recoup replacement cost).
You paid an increased fee without the drone ‘body’, they’d refund this difference if you send the old drone in ?
The old drone is not damaged ?
A shame it’s happened so close, but if you still have the replacement unopened, could you possibly ask if you an return the replacement due to finding your intact drone ?

body is intact. Got to test it to see if it still flies. thks

 

[bruce sato]

With the terms and conditions I think you are morally compelled to send it back.

Add to that the $150 refund and I would not hesitate, but I would confirm, in writing, whether or not DJI will reinstate the used flyaway allowance. I think you get only 1 allowance.

The old one will be hobbled, there is a recent thread either here or on the DJI forum of all places, concerning a different drone I think. The original owner's friend found the drone and was asking how to bypass the 'lock outs', the original owner had received the replacement and wasn't bothered with the original so the friend kept it etc. etc..

With regards to the drone's 'part's value', what state is the drone in with regards to any crash damage, where did it land and if it landed on land what weather has it been exposed to?
If it landed in salt water and was there for any length of time then it is highly likely that every board is destroyed, so too may be the ribbon cables. It is quite likely that the only useful components left will be the plastic parts.
If it landed in fresh water the corrosion process would probably be slower than in salt water. If it landed dry but got rained on then there is still a chance of corrosion and the uncertainty regarding the reliability of any salvaged electronics or motors.

Yeps I'm totally willing to send it back but from that, dji will be the winners having an almost new drone to use for sell or repair parts after charging me a flyaway issue instead of a damaged one (205$ vs 50$). And then, dji should be ''morally'' compelled to refund me the difference, isn't it ? The drone sit under the threes for 2 weeks. Sure thing I'll try to clean it and see inside to see the potential damages before to try a flight. Thks

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Did you understand the point about checking, in writing/type, whether or not DJI will reinstate the used flyaway allowance if you return the drone?

 

[Don Testme]

Did you understand the point about checking, in writing/type, whether or not DJI will reinstate the used flyaway allowance if you return the drone?

I agree he should open a thread of emails with DJI support and ask them precisely what their policy would be if the old drone was found after a Fly AWAY drone replacement was received and paid for under care refresh. If there is no care refresh refund to the level of a Returned CRASHED or Damaged Drone, I would not send it back. Definitely don't send it back if it still works normally. I don't believe you are under an obligation to return the drone.

 

[Sjassie]

Just test fly it, they are quite resilient those little buggers... hopefully dji didn't restrict the drone and you have a spare one then

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I don't believe you are under an obligation to return the drone.

I don't think that is correct.
Bear in mind that in the opening post Bruce Sato wrote,
"Considering the old drone is now the ''property of DJI '' they said in their policy if the crashed drone is retrieved, it must be sent back to them."

I also found this "If you obtain the aircraft again, please send it back to DJI." in https://terra-1-g.djicdn.com/851d20f7b9f64838a34cd02351370894/DJI Care Service Term/DJI Care Service Term 1102/Terms of Service of DJI Care Refresh.pdf

the above quotation is part of
"

• After a DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report is produced, the flyaway aircraft will be restricted from use. If the aircraft is found before paying the service fee, you can contact DJI to cancel the DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report, and then your product can be used normally again. If you have already paid the service fee, the ownership of your original product will be transferred to DJI as a certificate of the replacement service, and the DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report cannot be canceled. If you obtain the aircraft again, please send it back to DJI.

"

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

The old drone will be a doorstop anyway. I'm sure if they haven't done so already, it will be locked out from taking off.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Just test fly it, ....... and you have a spare one then

And possibly a prosecution for theft or fraud.

 

[Don Testme]

I don't think that is correct.
Bear in mind that in the opening post Bruce Sato wrote,
"Considering the old drone is now the ''property of DJI '' they said in their policy if the crashed drone is retrieved, it must be sent back to them."

I also found this "If you obtain the aircraft again, please send it back to DJI." in https://terra-1-g.djicdn.com/851d20f7b9f64838a34cd02351370894/DJI Care Service Term/DJI Care Service Term 1102/Terms of Service of DJI Care Refresh.pdf

the above quotation is part of
"

• After a DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report is produced, the flyaway aircraft will be restricted from use. If the aircraft is found before paying the service fee, you can contact DJI to cancel the DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report, and then your product can be used normally again. If you have already paid the service fee, the ownership of your original product will be transferred to DJI as a certificate of the replacement service, and the DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report cannot be canceled. If you obtain the aircraft again, please send it back to DJI.

"

Understood. I hope they give some kind of refund though.

 

[Dale D]

Hello,
I crashed my mini2 and wasn't able to rescue it (too risky). I had the care service and Dji considered it as a flyaway issue... I paid 205$ to get a new one to them. I received it yesterday. Incredible luck, a friend of mine told me today he's got the drone in hands as he successfuly rescued it. What's next ? Considering the old drone is now the ''property of DJI '' they said in their policy if the crashed drone is retrieved, it must be sent back to them.
If I do that, will they refund me 150$ (205$ flyaway issue replacement drone I paid LESS 50$ franchise we usually pay for a retrieved damaged drone sent back to dji/non flyaway) ???
Or it's better I keep the drone for parts ?


Thanks for your help /comments

I would simply CALL DJI! All of this other chatter is just conjecture. DJI will tell you what to do. (which is the right thing).

Dale

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I don't think that is correct.
Bear in mind that in the opening post Bruce Sato wrote,
"Considering the old drone is now the ''property of DJI '' they said in their policy if the crashed drone is retrieved, it must be sent back to them."

I also found this "If you obtain the aircraft again, please send it back to DJI." in https://terra-1-g.djicdn.com/851d20f7b9f64838a34cd02351370894/DJI Care Service Term/DJI Care Service Term 1102/Terms of Service of DJI Care Refresh.pdf

the above quotation is part of
"

• After a DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report is produced, the flyaway aircraft will be restricted from use. If the aircraft is found before paying the service fee, you can contact DJI to cancel the DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report, and then your product can be used normally again. If you have already paid the service fee, the ownership of your original product will be transferred to DJI as a certificate of the replacement service, and the DJI Care Flyaway Aircraft Report cannot be canceled. If you obtain the aircraft again, please send it back to DJI.

"

That's cut and dry then, but you need to establish :

Will DJI refund the extra flyaway cover payment, bringing it back to a regular care refresh transaction ?
Will DJI reinstate the flyaway part of your cover, and deduct just the regular care refresh claim ?

Good luck with that, and get it is an email or similar, with a name of the customer service person.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I would simply CALL DJI! All of this other chatter is just conjecture. DJI will tell you what to do. (which is the right thing).

Dale

@Dale D , sorry but I quoted the T&C from a DJI pdf, where is the conjecture in that?

 

[mobilehomer]

If you decide to keep it, you can't fly it. DJI has locked it. Yes, it does belong to DJI now.

 

[bruce sato]

If you decide to keep it, you can't fly it. DJI has locked it. Yes, it does belong to DJI now.

I'm afraid you're right despite I've just charged the battery, turned on the drone and... he perfectly works. Everything looks great, no damage.

 

[LoudThunder]

he perfectly works. Everything looks great, no damage.

The one thing you have to consider is did DJI put the serial number into a data base to be deactivated and no one has gotten around to "killing" it yet. The work order to disable it might be in someone In-Basket… Then, sometime in the future, it may just stop working…

 

[bruce sato]

The one thing you have to consider is did DJI put the serial number into a data base to be deactivated and no one has gotten around to "killing" it yet. The work order to disable it might be in someone In-Basket… Then, sometime in the future, it may just stop working…

I agree. The best thing to do now is just to call dji and ask for a credit for returning to them an almost new drone... hopping they will be fair

 

[bruce sato]

Well, I called dji and they don't want to refund me anything even if I return the ''lost and found'' drone. Now, I have two mini2 : the old and the brand new in box than dji sent to me (drone + battery without remote) as replacement of the flyaway issue/case. I don't know if I'll still be able to fly the two drones with the same remote though. It looks that I have to rebind the old one with my remote.