Just want to give a brief overview of my experience with DJI repair service Europe. I will be updating this post if anything ever happens on DJI's end.
My DJI Inpsire got tangeled in some branches which caused it to then fall from about 2 and a half meters (10 feet) damaging the gimbal and bending the frame.
As of now im am totaly dissapointed in DJI's service...  after all, it is a 3,000 euro product!! I even wrote on the RMA that it was my fault and that I didnt have a problem
being invoiced for the repairs, hopping that this would make the turnaround time more managable.

Ticket#: 69876

23.05.15   Crashed my Inspire
26.05.15   Emailed support.europe@dji.com asking for a RMA
27.05.15   Called DJI support europe to ask why I had not yet recieved a RMA
27.05.15   Recieved RMA
27.05.15   Mailed my Inspire 1 to DJI Schondra 97795 Germany
29.05.15   Package arrives at DJI (I only know this because I tracked the package)

08.06.15   Its now been 10 days and im still waiting on the confermation email that my package has arrived!!

16.06.15   (Update) At this point I have still not heard a word from DJI.
29.06.15   (Update) I recieved an email from UPS informing me that my Inspire was on the way to me (never recieved a single Email). I called DJI and they said that my Inspire had been repaired
under warrenty. Great news!! I have to complement DJI Europe for the honest assesment of my to-be-repaired aircraft, I didnt send it in as a warrenty claim because I wanted to
have my bird back sooner rather then later, needless to say DJI inspected the aircraft and repaired it under warrenty. Thats what I call respectable honesty, my hat goes off to you DJI Europe.

**The problem now is that I expirenced a near fly away event on Sunday 05.06.15. As alway I calibrated the compus and waited for it to find GPS. I had 14 satellites and all was clear for take off, I soon got the feeling that the aircraft was drifting even thought I was showing full GPS and everything was green in the app. Then my Inspire inexplicably started traveling sideways at a high rate of speed, my app was showing me full GPS the whole time (no atti mode). Luckely it was still responding to my remote control and I was able to bring it back even though it was still trying to fly in one direction the whole time! A less experienced pilote would have almost certainly have had a flyaway event. I dont know what to think, I have had 18 flights with my Inspire 1 and had 2 unexplainable drifting/flyaway events. With my original DJI Phantom 1 I had probably over 60 flights without one single problem! As much as I would like to love my Inspire I just have lost all confidence in it, Im truly scared to fly it and dont ever know what to expect. If this or something similar happens again I will be sending my Inspire back, it will be interesting to see if DJI would offer a full refund. Ill keep you all posted, has something like this happened to you guys?

I have the same problem, damage was my fault - phoned Germany and received an RMA . They received my Inspire on the 7th May (notified by UPS) and I didn't hear anything from DJI. In the end I sent an email asking what was going on (three weeks later) and coincidence or not I get an email back with a quote for repair. Unfortunately you can only pay by bank transfer (at least from the UK)  so I had to go down to my bank and arrange that. (3rd June)
On the invoice it said repair would be complete within one or two days as soon as payment received.

Still waiting.
It would be nice if they kept you informed as to the progress. Or AT LEAST they received it ok.

Hey Peter, mind sharing with us what kind of repairs you had done and how much you were quoted for repair? Hope you get your bird back soon and get back up in the air!

Hi George,

I see you're relatively new to this forum.  There are lots of members here who can sing along in harmony with you.  What you're describing appears to be a problem worldwide and is traceable to a business decision that DJI made NOT to allow local dealers to make repairs and NOT to offer regionalized repair centers.

Instead, the company decided to create huge centralized repair facilities.  Here in the USA, for instance, the only authorized repair facility is in Los Angeles, California, which is on the Pacific coast.  If you're in, for instance, the Greater New York City area on the opposite side of the nation, your Inspire must travel 2,500 miles to reach that repair center, which is taking in repairs from the entire USA (population roughly 320 million).

Considering that Inspires are being sold through consumer channels, there have to be an enormous number of at-fault accidents since flying a UAS is new to so many.  The facilities appear to be so overrun that they physically cannot check the damaged birds in for service in a reasonable amount of time.  And that's before you add in warranty claims for untold numbers of people who have had issues that are legitimate product defects.

DJI tells us that at least in the USA, they are about to dramatically increase the size of the repair facility, which they have to do before they can add additional staff (currently there's noplace to put them).  From DJI's perspective, this is the answer.

For those of us who look at the Inspire as a professional device that is now part of our livelihood, it is not a GOOD answer.  It still means there will be bottlenecks.  It still means shipping a total of 5,000 miles with the delays and costs that implies.  It still means we cannot walk into a repair facility and have a conversation with the person who repaired our aircraft; we cannot bring it back to THAT PERSON, look them in the eye, say "this or that still isn't working right and HERE'S HOW - let's take it out and start it or fly it and look at the app together and I'll SHOW YOU the problem."  None of that is possible with a huge monolithic approach to service.  The risk created by the monolithic approach is one that has also played out here: the bird that goes in for six weeks and comes out not fully repaired, and has to go in for ANOTHER six weeks.  It's inevitable when the repairer cannot ever be eye to eye with the product owner.

I don't think anyone who drives a car would think it was a good idea to have to ship the car back to the manufacturer if it needed service.  Ever bring your car in because it was making an unusual noise, get it back with "no trouble found" and then go back and take the mechanic around the block in it and have him say "Oh, THAT" - and then fix it?  I have.  More than once in 40 years of driving.  Why anyone thinks it's a good idea to have to take the centralized repair approach with these aircraft is completely beyond me.  But it's DJI's business decision to make, and unless or until they get enough customer feedback telling them it doesn't work, we're likely to be stuck with it.

george.solis Posted at 2015-6-9 00:16
Hey Peter, mind sharing with us what kind of repairs you had done and how much you were quoted for r ...

I had backed the I1 into a branch - low level, my fault - looking at the monitor!
Split one of the arms, dji quoted 190 euros (153GBP) which also included a new camera ribbon cable.
So by the time I get it back (with postage to Germany) it'll come to around 200GBP.
Not as much as I thought it'd be.

Yes Pete, the worst decision they could have ever made. Sooo frustrating.

OMG!!!! 10 days !!! get real

PeteGould Posted at 2015-6-9 01:26
Hi George,

I see you're relatively new to this forum.  There are lots of members here who can sing  ...

This is very well written and true.  DJI doesn't get it.  My unit failed three days after I got it.  Now,  I have to wait for shipping. Wait until it's evaluated.   Wait on shipping again!  There is no local number for online sales and there's a nine hour difference for customer service via email!  And there has been no reply via email.    They are waking up as I go to bed.  F this.   

PeteGould Posted at 2015-6-9 01:26
Hi George,

I see you're relatively new to this forum.  There are lots of members here who can sing  ...

Buy a Honda car, are you going to the manufacturer to get repaired..no. DJI is channel and you can't compare a 35K car to a $2800 toy.

Nothing personal, but, you add fuel to persons complaints and whining, if there they are serious about taking a stand and complaining, go straight to the source/government/anyone - other than a forum where some of us look for actual advice

flydronefly Posted at 2015-6-10 11:02
you can't compare a 35K car to a $2800 toy.

If you are in a financial position where you can drop $3K or more on something you consider a toy, you are not within the demographic interested in this conversation.  For many of the people involved, $3K is a significant investment.  For many of us, we took a risk by putting that much money into this product.  Many of us have clients and commitments; many of us must meet expectations.  When we call a client and say "I can't do that shoot tomorrow because my aircraft went in for repair - no, I can't tell you when I can reschedule because they won't tell me how long it will take - likely a minimum of 6-8 weeks" - we LOSE that client.  For many of us that is a problem.  If it is not a problem for you, I completely understand.  But do not make the mistake of assuming everyone else is in the same position you are.

you add fuel to persons complaints and whining

Possibly so.  The manufacturer's employees read this forum.  They provide the best opportunity the average owner will ever have for feedback directly to the manufacturer.  This is not a regulatory issue for the most part; it's a free market economics issue.  So complaining to the government isn't appropriate.  Inspire owners also cannot go to "the source," which is a manufacturer headquartered in China that has insulated itself completely from customer feedback.  Manufacturers need to hear back from their customer bases so they know what they're doing right and what they're doing wrong, and in this case, this forum is likely to be the best available venue for that.  If you're completely happy with every aspect of the Inspire - if none of the potential malfunction issues or repair times bother you - if you're delighted with the video bitrate and compression - if you don't care about Ground Station or equivalent functionality - that's wonderful.  But people who have issues with these and other things are going to share their views as well.

As with a number of others on here - I "almost" love the Inspire.  If the video bitrate was not so low that compression artifacts prevent the video's acceptance by a majority of people I'd like to be supplying to, I'd be a lot happier.  If I didn't keep hearing horror stories about the repair cycle I'd be happier still.  And I did count on DJI's statement that Ground Station would include the Inspire shortly after release (I preordered in November based in part on that assertion).  With that said, my Inspire has not malfunctioned and continues to operate correctly, and that is certainly a good thing.

flydronefly Posted at 2015-6-10 11:02
Buy a Honda car, are you going to the manufacturer to get repaired..no. DJI is channel and you can ...

Note that this forum is owned and managed by the manufacturer, and they actively monitor and participate in it. It is totally appropriate to share complaints and concerns here. Call it whining if you want. But it is important that people be able to share their experiences, good and bad, here.

Hi George,

a whole 10 days!!! I hate to see what you will be saying when it gets to 3 months!

Mine took off on me on Martch 10th. Finally returned on May 28th, do the math George, you have a world of pain ahead of you I am afraid.

YES, this would be considered an unacceptable timeline for a return process for any company in the modern world but not for DJI. It is what it is and there is nothing we can do about it George, you just have to quietly accept it I am afraid.

Good luck.

PeteGould Posted at 2015-6-9 01:26
Hi George,

I see you're relatively new to this forum.  There are lots of members here who can sing  ...

Stunning reply....but, to your last sentence....just HOW does one go about giving DJI feedback?

flydronefly Posted at 2015-6-10 11:02
Buy a Honda car, are you going to the manufacturer to get repaired..no. DJI is channel and you can ...

Mate, there is no 'going to the company'!  That's the problem.  This forum is probably the closest thing the community has to air their issues.  I totally disagree with your comments.

GrahamJ Posted at 2015-6-10 19:53
Stunning reply....but, to your last sentence....just HOW does one go about giving DJI feedback?

DJI employees frequent this and several other forums.  DJI also knows that comments here and in those other forums are publicly visible to potential future customers, the trade press, and DJI's competitors.  This actually puts more pressure on the company than a feedback page where they and only they see the comments.

One area where DJI deserves credit is in not censoring legitimate critical comments as other companies sometimes do.  Given that this is an English-language forum I'm not sure if that decision originates at their headquarters or elsewhere, but it is a wise move (censorship of legitimate critism would be huge buzz on the independent forums).

I read the issues my fellow I1 enthusiasts endure..........all I'm thinking is WTF am I going to do from Perth Australia, when I need to get my bird repaired!  Holy moly!

PeteGould Posted at 2015-6-10 20:16
DJI employees frequent this and several other forums.  DJI also knows that comments here and in th ...

Totally with you on this.  ...reason I asked is that I sometimes wonder if the right levels within DJI actually reads, and assimilates the forum information.  I.e. We as a community, have raised issues so many times, asking for a bit if feedback or insight so many times, and it largely goes unanswered.  So, while I agree to your points, I do wonder why we don't see more direct Comms from the mothership.

GrahamJ Posted at 2015-6-10 21:10
Totally with you on this.  ...reason I asked is that I sometimes wonder if the right levels within ...

IMO it's cultural.  The Chinese communicate based on their interpretation of a need-to-know basis.  The founder was interviewed by Fortune Magazine and said he needs to be completely separated from the customer base or he can't innovate.  These are serious hurdles for a company to overcome when doing business outside of China, and the fact is that they ultimately may fail.  All we can do is keep encouraging customers who have issues to speak out so the company know it is not just a vocal few.

PeteGould Posted at 2015-6-10 21:46
IMO it's cultural.  The Chinese communicate based on their interpretation of a need-to-know basis. ...

Yea, great point.

I suppose that in this case competition will really be the motivator for improving customer relations. Until there is a viable competitor for these machines people will continue to purchase from DJI no matter what the experience. Every time I'm ready to place my order I read this forum and the urge passes.

flydronefly Posted at 2015-6-10 11:02
Buy a Honda car, are you going to the manufacturer to get repaired..no. DJI is channel and you can ...

flydronefly- Sorry buddy, it's obvious you haven't had to deal with or are not bothered by the lack of customer service concerning DJI. Honestly, I hope you don't experience it.

If indeed you, "...buy a Honda car..." as you put it, you can go to a LOCAL Honda repair facility to get your vehicle repaired. An average repair time is about 2 days. All the while, it's understood that your investment, whether a leisure driver or work vehicle, is in the hands of the mechanic. As Pete pointed out, if something is still wrong, you can go back to said LOCAL dealer, if needed.
You would also be able to point out important items and features that where not included with your vehicle only after your purchase, like, "Why is the feature I paid for, based on company advertising, now not available?" etc, etc. Many of made our purchase based on the advertised specs, abilities and with consideration of the service being offered. When said features where not present upon arrival, it put several of us in a situation where, not only did we just put out $4k to better our businesses, but we as small/large business owners, EMS, agricultural  professionals, etc- began seeing our projected profits and/or clients, go up in smoke like a bad LiPo.
No matter how you choose to answer from behind your monitor and keyboard, I would be willing to bet, you'd be all over it if you had been placed in the same situation. For apparent billionaire, plaboys like you, it's a toy. For me, it was to be a tool for improving my community, not a plaything for showing off to friends.

Keep in mind, upon initial offering of the I-1, DJI advertised various east and west coast facilities for fast turn around times. They claim it wasn't working out. Now, it's coming back, maybe...
The truth is, they were not prepared for the immediate issues that presented themselves with the I-1. They couldn't centralize the reported issues, properly diagnose the issues or produce the repair parts fast enough.
When the manufacturer offers 24/7 service for all Inspire customers, they should be able to back it up. At this juncture in time, they can not...

In several advertisement videos, it was mentioned, '...so easy to fly, anyone can do it...' While others toted, '...great for 1st time users...'
They used the old 'Joe Isuzu' tactic of, "Trust me..." I call it bait and switch, another infamously and 'culturally accepted' business practice. Been there, done that...won't do it again.

Granted, these are not 35K cars but, for most, it is still a considerable amount of money. So, when a person gets on the forum to talk about an issue, vent frustration or ask "WHY?" don't be so smug, try some compassion. Whining is considered an act without validation. This person has a valid and acknowledged (even by DJI) point. Frustration is more often fueled by "...stop whining..." and talking to a person in a third party manner, than it is cured by simply acknowledging you have heard what the person has said and, if possible, offer some insight, encouragement, etc. The experience of seeing a one of these units having an uncontrolled fly away, go down or smoke a motor- pilot error or not, is somewhat sickening. I

george.solis- My experience (as experienced in the US) showed that it took over two weeks to check in the unit, and 1.5 months to get any info on it's return. In between...radio silence. I'd venture to say that these facilities are all operating under the same current guidelines as the ones here in the states. That being the case, as as painful as it is, the only thing to do at this time, is to try to be patient. Mine patients was tested but, in the end, it is paying off and I won. Believe me when I say, I completely hear you, we all do.

Just a quick note- make sure, when the unit returns to check ALL aspects of the repairs made, motor angels/vibrations, prop and airframe alignment, gimbal/camera functions, both remotes (if you have two) and take NOTHING for granted.

I wish you good luck and hope to see your videos posted soon, sir.

Humbly,
-S.N.

homedad Posted at 2015-6-11 19:47
I suppose that in this case competition will really be the motivator for improving customer relation ...

I would advise to not read the forum unless you are looking for answer to an issue you are having or advice - This forum scares ppl away from purchasing. The number of people that have no issues and love their machine far out weigh the ones with "issues"

Sky Ninja Posted at 2015-6-11 20:08
flydronefly- Sorry buddy, it's obvious you haven't had to deal with or are not bothered by the lack ...

Why would you start a business and project a profit from something you've never used? That's like getting a tattoo gun because you think you are a good artist, in a sense.

Have you thought about getting insurance?

flydronefly Posted at 2015-6-12 06:00
Why would you start a business and project a profit from something you've never used? That's like  ...

flydronefly- Obviously your overly inflated ego has caused blindness to the real world and you do not comprehend what you read. This is A-typical of personalities like yours.

No one said anything about 'starting a business'. However, I do believe I stated "...to better our businesses..." and referred to "...projected profits and/or clients..." with the implied fact that mechanical failure along side the non-existent, originally promised features were (yet another point of failure) not included in the product. Like any tool and/or machine in a company, projected profit comes with sense of usability and a resource to improve one's company or business capabilities, thus a profit and/or client base is normally projected. Without the promised features or capabilities, said tool becomes limited in use or completely useless, depending on it's intended use. As to planning prior to use, it is not always necessary to use the tool offered if, you are familiar with the concepts and have a background with the basics of the technology. It was a generalized statement and is a basic business practice. Mine was more a point from the side of bettering a community, instead of profit. I wouldn't expect you to understand that thought or concept.

As to insurance, I actually DO have insurance. Three million dollars worth, to be exact. It runs right at $1K a year and doesn't cover the cost of the unit if damaged, just what was or may have been damaged. As a professional, it's a required item and part of that 'business' thing mentioned earlier. The insurance was purchased 1 week before the unit arrived. Glad it was in place, especially when picking up the parts off a neighbors roof when the (now acknowledged) IMU failure occurred, causing that uncontrollable fly away 'issue".

See? I am not just a "Ninja", I'm a responsible pilot and think of those around me as well.

-S.N.

homedad Posted at 2015-6-11 19:47
I suppose that in this case competition will really be the motivator for improving customer relation ...

homedad- I humbly suggest keeping your funds until AFTER the "new" customer service and I-2 are in place and have been proven.

For now, let the urge pass like bad gas...

-S.N.

Sky Ninja Posted at 2015-6-12 09:15
flydronefly- Obviously your overly inflated ego has caused blindness to the real world and you do  ...

Here we go with a pissing match.

1st off, geek, go pound sand

2nd, by insurance, I'm not referring to liability but property insurance, wether it be homeowners or renters, whatever- you crash it, lose it, it's damaged... Make s claim, insured

Make sense?

flydronefly Posted at 2015-6-12 11:51
by insurance, I'm not referring to liability but property insurance, wether it be homeowners or renters, whatever- you crash it, lose it, it's damaged... Make s claim, insured

What insurance carrier do you use and what is their annual premium?  Everywhere I've looked you'd do better banking the premium in a contingency account unless you plan to crash your UAV more than annually (in which case you'd be canceled anyway).  Liability insurance?  Absolutely.  Collision and comprehensive on a UAS?  Haven't seen a legit policy yet.

flydronefly Posted at 2015-6-12 11:51
Here we go with a pissing match.

1st off, geek, go pound sand

No, my friend, this not a urinating contest between two persons instead, it's a rebuttal with sarcastic overtones and a hint of immature natured, finger pointing.{:2_35:}
You came here, to this persons thread with the intent of being a 'G.S.N.S.L.H.M.S.' to said person and instead, found yourself being backed into a corner by a few considerate intellectuals, who support george.solis in his position.
As to my being a "geek", I have no problem with that at all, been one all my life. (que the Original Star Wars theme) "Go pound sand," LOL! I haven't heard that since living in the mid-west. Good one!

Where your question of insurance is concerned, 'no'- it doesn't make sense. It does however, bring to light that you consider your I-1 as a 'toy' while I was "Inspired" to use it as a 'tool'. With that, came the need to offer a legal form of compensatory responsibility to a client, place of business, property owner, innocent by stander, etc. Thusly, being a responsible business owner/person and not wanting to lose all that I have worked for, do to a possible law suit, liability insurance was purchased. And before you say it, 'no'- there is no insurance company in the US willing to cover the replacement of the unit when it is damaged. If, in fact, you do have a legitimate 'homeowners or renters' policy that covers this type of issue, please, do tell.

In one of your whimsical postings, you stated you are on the forum to "...look for actual advice."  While another post stated, "I would advise to not read the forum unless you are looking for answer to an issue you are having or advice..."  Your statements essentially justify george.solis in his posting. He, in fact, is within the company's forum, is having an issue with their product/lack of customer service and is seeking answers or advise...
Make sense?

Here's some actual advise for you- The next time you want to challenge someone on their point of view, please, at least have a point and be educated on the subject matter you counter with. Hijacking this persons thread with such silliness is a derailing of his legitmate complaint.

If you really feel the need to challange and try to belittle someone, go over to that guys post, "A SWING...and A MISS!!!" I hear he'll discuss "points of view" and sling words with just about anyone.
(It's bait kid, don't take it...it's meant as a joke.)

Signed,
'Geek' aka,
-S.N.

I should sell mine just for the parts.  Wonder how that would work out.   :-)

Sky Ninja Posted at 2015-6-12 20:57
No, my friend, this not a urinating contest between two persons instead, it's a rebuttal with sarca ...

Well said.  I see he hasn't replied to my question about insurance either.

PeteGould Posted at 2015-6-13 06:54
Well said.  I see he hasn't replied to my question about insurance either.

To you as well sir! Now, where's that "high five" button?

Oh well, this will do.

-S.N.

Freakn Bullies Man!!

Hey flydronefly- If you don't like what you see on this forum....Stop Looking....Wait a minute.....droneflyers.com....is that you??

In one word:
Ridiculous

DJI=Determined to Justify Incompetents. What is sad is that people are still giving this company money even though they are looked down upon by the company that is taking your money.
Stop It!!     Only buy proven products.  Plenty of drones out there that work great.My p2-V3 is awesome.There are others as well.
The only thing more frustrating than knowing this companies philosophy that we the consumers do not even know what is good for us, is seeing smart people invest in an unproven product,there by confirming that very same philosophy.
Stop It!l

Sky Ninja Posted at 2015-6-12 09:22
homedad- I humbly suggest keeping your funds until AFTER the "new" customer service and I-2 are in  ...

I hear you. I'm very disappointed with the way they seem to be so dismissive of their own customers. I have a feeling that there is going to be a tidal wave of competition which is going to either change their attitude or destroy the company.

flydronefly Posted at 2015-6-12 05:55
I would advise to not read the forum unless you are looking for answer to an issue you are having  ...

Maybe but the one thing I am really waiting for is programmable waypoints. If it was marketed with that in mind I'd really like to see it.