Stop the presses, hold the phone, drop what you're doing. SquareTrade.com just sold me a 3 Year Extended Warranty w/ Accidental Damage and Handling that covers my Phantom 2 Vision+ for ANY damage. I gave these people the 3rd degree and asked every question I could think of, and they said "it's covered". While it is in flight, check. Drops from the sky, check. Damage to the Transmitter, check. Everything is covered no matter what. Even "acts of nature." File a claim over the phone get a reimbursement check in the mail within 3 days.

I have not filed a claim with them, so I can not attest to the ease, or the headache, that may be involved. But I asked about the process and they assured me they have "never turned down a claim." She was looking at the DJI site as I spoke to her, she knows it's a quadcopter, she knows I'm flying it... it's covered.

$269.99 (+ tax in Florida) for .... wait for it..... 3 years! What? I said 3 years.

The catch: has ot have been purchased in the last 30 days. Receipt proof required. Well, I bough mine at the begining of August. I told them it came from China and took forever to get here. They made a "one time exception" and sold me the plan. I don't know how true the "one time" part is, but who cares.


Anyway, I really don't see the catch here. I think this is a solid buy and am happy I did it. Give it some thought, it may be our best bet for a safety plan.

Note: it does not cover flyaways or theft. You have to have the damaged unit and parts to process the claim. They will want photos, I assume. But the claim process is done over the phone anyway.

Good find, looks like a good deal! Just the peace of mind alone is worth it, not having to sweat bricks every time I take my $1500 investment in the air!

I went on their site to check it out, not surprised they don't have a specific option for "drones" so I went under "other" and just put in the price.
I was insta-quoted for $230 with accidental but I wanted run a few questions by before I commit.


Where'd you find these guys from? Did you just Google for insurance?
Wondering how long they've been in service..I'm cautious of fly by companies that take the money and run.
Did you message someone or ask these questions over the phone?
I'm interested since you hammered them with specific questions about our quads.


Thanks for taking the time to share with fellow flyers!

Thanks for the info Tony.  Did you have had other Phantoms in the past?

I got the idea from a Facebook Group user who bought the plan. I have not had a claim with them before, but I have heard of the company. They've been around for awhile and have lots of positive reviews, where I can find them.

They do not specifically list the P2V+. You have to call and tell them what you want covered. They will go to the DJI website and confirm what it is you are wanting covered. The plan is actually based on a price range ($1000-$1499) and is $269 (+tax) for 3 years, including ADH.

I have not owned a Phantom in the past. I fly that cool little JXD388 min-quad and have a range of RC helis and a plane. But no DJI Phantoms.

I figure pairing this with the getterback, my Phantom can sink into the ocean, and as long as the getterback works, I'll recover the trashed unit and process the claim for a new one. Not to mention the chance of prop wash, gimble ribbon cable, or any of the other concerns I have anytime I fly. Now I am a little more at ease.

I should also mention that there is no deductible on this plan. And they list a one day processing wait, followed by a check in the mail within 3 days.

Let me know if you think of anything else.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-20 01:22
I got the idea from a Facebook Group user who bought the plan. I have not had a claim with them befo ...

I just did a quote request under other electronics (only choice relevant) and got a quote back for $179.99 for 3years. This was based on a value of $1299 whis is basically the replacement cost of the whole kit (PV2+). It may be that we should call in for an official quote before proceeding.

Please read above. I own the plan. I called in. I spoke to them. The rate is $269 for the Phantom 2 Vision+. It is based on a Camera Protection Plan priced between $1,000 and $1,499 which is what they consider the phantom. This is "the official" plan. Let me know if you hear or learn otherwise.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-20 01:45
Please read above. I own the plan. I called in. I spoke to them. The rate is $269 for the Phantom 2  ...

Tony,
  Do you have their contact information?  

Thanks,
Michael

canula@verizon. Posted at 2014-10-20 04:40
Tony,
  Do you have their contact information?  

I'm on the phone with them now. They don't normally cover specific items like this but they will do me this "one time favor".

I'm grilling them with the questions. Every time I ask another question, he has to put me on hold. I'm basically asking "So if this were to crash into a tree or a lake by accident would the accidental warranty cover it?" I'm on hold again.

I ordered mine through Amazon and apparently they are partnered with their warranty service or something. Not going quite as smooth as Tony's call.
The number is 1-877-WARRANTY

Yeah, my rep's name was Marilyn (877-927-7268 ext 1711), she did some real quick research on DJI.com, put me on hold once, then came back and it was smooth sailing the rest of the phone call. Until I told her my receipt showed a purchase date of 8/7/14 and explained that it shipped from China and took forever to get here. Then she asked if I was planning on buying the plan tonight, and I said absolutely. She put me on hold, came back and said "We'll make an exception "this one time"... haha

But I made sure to ask if it covered it if it fell from the sky... fell into water... hit a tree... a wall.... and she kept laughing and saying "yes, yes. it's covered no matter what. As long as it does't fly away or get stolen."

So, try giving her a call, her extension. She was very nice and is now very familiar with the Phantom product and their plan that covers it.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-20 09:33
Yeah, my rep's name was Marilyn (877-927-7268 ext 1711), she did some real quick research on DJI.com ...

You're the man. I'll call her tomorrow.

Wow that's awesome, now I'll feel a hell of a lot better when I'm flying it since I'll have peace at mind. Im going to get the warranty tomorrow. Thanks a lot for the info tony.

Happy to help. If it weren't for people sharing ideas like this I would have never learned about it myself. Pass it along!

If only I had known about this last week before I broke my gimbal.   

Thanks for the info.  Definitely will be calling.  

Since yours is a "flying camera" and a P2 isn't, I wonder if the rate is different? I guess I'll have to call and ask!

Square Trade has been around for a number of years. I found it interesting that when I buy camera equip on B&H the Square Trade warranty is offered on most everything ... except the DJI quadcopter! I was going to buy it with the unit, but understood why it wasn't offered.

Thank you for letting us know.  

Can you verify her extension or give her last name?  When I call it doesn't recognize the ext as valid.

Wow!
If this is valid, and you're not getting played, it is like a free lunch!
I've flown RC for years, and crashed my share of new planes and equipment.
All with the realization that it was just money burned...
And I've never seen anything like this!

When the first one of you successfully gets a claim settled from something like crashing into a tree, be sure to tell us about it...

I just got off the phone with SquareTrade.com.  It appears the way you are getting this accidental coverage coverage is by underwriting it as a camera.  If your drone purchase does not qualify as a camera (ie. you added a camera after the purchase), it gets covered under MISC, and does not carry the accidental damage coverage.  For example, the Phantom 2 Vision and Vision + are camera systems, and include accidental coverage.  A drone purchased without a camera (even though you bought a camera and put it on the drone) is MISC/Electronics and does NOT cover accidental damage.  Be aware they will quote you a warranty and cover the drone purchase, but only for standard coverage, not accidental damage.  Buying a drone and adding a camera is actually two separate items purchased, so it requires two separate warranties.  I bought a drone and added a GoPro.  I was quoted a warranty for the GoPro and a warranty for the drone.  The GoPro is covered for accidental damage, the drone is not.

This may conflict with what some others have shared.  I am not contesting what others have been told.  I am only sharing what I was told.  I'm sure there is a lot of evaluation and judgement calls being made on different phone calls, by different people, so I would expect this is a product emerging for these people where you could call back with the exact same question, get a different person, and get a different answer.

If they'll give you accidental damage coverage as a camera, greab it while you can.  I'll bet it won't last once they get flooded with crash claims.  But, that will be awhile.  In the meantime, you might make out with this coverage.  Also, read the part about sending it in to their wharehouse for repair.  Also be sure you have a camera claim, not a gimbal problem, or another non-camera issue.  If the camera works, do you have a broken camera?  Gonna be interesting as claims for these start going in.

This is her info. But, again, you do not have to speak to her. They are all in the same office, from my understanding. And they are selling a ton of these P2V+ plans this week. It is the buzz right now.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-22 09:26
This is her info. But, again, you do not have to speak to her. They are all in the same office, from ...

well I just got it for $234.99 for 3 years. So in a way I hope I don't have to use it, but it's nice to know, just in case.


I did ask for a discount, and she gave me $35 off the total, and that is with ADH

Very nice. Man, wish I had thought of that! haha

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-22 11:38
Very nice. Man, wish I had thought of that! haha

Yours must have had a better understanding.  The person that I got ahold of barely spoke understandable english and didn't understand what I was saying.  That's why I asked for her info.  I figured she would already be aware of what they were and what was needed.

cditty Posted at 2014-10-23 01:41
Yours must have had a better understanding.  The person that I got ahold of barely spoke understan ...

I was finally able to get ahold of someone.  Very helpful people.  Even saved me more money.   If you buy your drone from amazon, then you can get the SquareTrade from them.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product ... ;smid=A1B45FIBP2TU2

Looks like they are in the UK too!
http://www.squaretrade.co.uk/

Just FYI, I bought a 3 year plan for the P2 with H3-3D gimblal for $170

Hope I never use it, but it's good to know I have it!

OK, my interaction with Squaretrade so far has been pretty good. I wasn't able to get in touch with Marilyn (as suggested by Tony), her extension was no longer valid so I tried searching by last name - no luck.
I spoke to a random representative who was able to assist. I spoke to the claims department to get a feel for their support side of things.

The guy I spoke to was from Colorado and was very informative. He explained the process - call in to file a claim, send the item back and they usually refund the covered price within 24 hours.

Bought both plans:
3-Year Electronics Accident Protection Plan ($900-1000)  $142  Phantom 2 and HD-3D
3-Year Electronics Accident Protection Plan ($450-500)    $83    GoPro Hero 4

I feel like 2 year boulder has just been lifted from my neck

Cloud9 Posted at 2014-10-25 07:21
OK, my interaction with Squaretrade so far has been pretty good. I wasn't able to get in touch with  ...

Good to know. Strange that he said to send it back. Marilyn laughed and said "they wouldn't want that broken thing sent to them. They may have you take a picture or two showing the damage but that's all."

I trust the claims dept guy more than her, of course. Guess we'll have to see what happens when the first of us has to file a claim. I hope i'm not first! haha

Good thinking, asking for the claims department!

I saw this thread and also purchased a 3 year warranty for $269 for three years from Square Trade. This price matches up to their web page for coverage under "Camera"...other prices I expect relate to how the item is described.

My experience in getting their coverage:
Regardless of what the sales rep (or claims person) may say, there is a policy emailed to you with specific terms that determine the actual coverage in place. Lifting specifics from the policy in the "what is not covered" section, in addition to theft and loss you will find -negligent use (reckless or abusive conduct)   -fraudulently described or materially represented  -manufacturer has valid warranty but denies claim  -removed/altered serial numbers.  So, if you file a claim and say "I flew it into a tree", the door is open for them to say it was negligent use and deny the claim. On the other hand, after flying it into a tree, you filed the claim saying the Phantom had a mechanical failure during normal use that caused a crash making both the Phantom and the camera non-functional, that would hopefully be an honored claim. I'm expecting their first claims to be more readily honored followed by a stricter interpretation as claims dent their profit margin on this.
One additional note:the initial policy simply described the warrantied item as a "camera". I had concerns under the fraudulently described condition if I later thought I would have coverage for the Phantom itself. I emailed them a specific description of the two distinct electronic items (the flying device and the camera) and got them to confirm back in writing that they were both covered even though the item under warranty is still described as a "camera".
The company is established and well respected in their field so hopefully those of us taking out this coverage will find them to be open to honoring their coverage.

The one major concern about all of this I have is why B&H Photo sells the TradeSquare warranties on a lot of their photo equipment, but does not sell it on the Phantom camera packages.  I guess I should follow that statement up with "I have read" this about B&H Photo.  If it's true (can anyone confirm this?), why is that?  If it's a readily coverable item, why would they not offer the warranty on it?  Seems odd when they sell it on other camera equipment.

I got a different reply when I inquired than Cloud9 did.  My quad and gimbal was specifically excluded from accidental damage, yet also covered as MISC Electronics.  The Hero4 did get accidental damage coverage quoted.

chuck26287@att. Posted at 2014-10-27 11:17
The one major concern about all of this I have is why B&H Photo sells the TradeSquare warranties on  ...

Where did you purchase yours from? Our different experiences may be because mine came from Amazon - which included the gimbal.TradeSquare apparently is a trusted partner with Amazon so the policies may be a bit different.

I just had to upload my receipt purchase from Amazon to finish the process.

Cloud9 Posted at 2014-10-27 13:51
Where did you purchase yours from? Our different experiences may be because mine came from Amazon  ...

How did you upload your receipt?  I was told I needed to before I made a claim, but haven't been able to find out where to do that at.  

cditty Posted at 2014-10-27 22:58
How did you upload your receipt?  I was told I needed to before I made a claim, but haven't been a ...

Never mind.  I found it.  Thanks for the reminder though.  

It seems as if you can only get a warranty through them if you bought it through a trusted client. I bought my from a small hobby shop store here in San Antonio called Hobbywireless and they are not partners with them

I thought that I had posted a link to the actual plan coverage you receive after purchase. I see I did not.
Here it is:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/f6p78f ... tom%20plan.pdf?dl=0

I think the fact that they are offering ADH speaks a lot to the point of the crash and coverage afterwards. Of course you can't openly admit to pilot error. So, mechanical malfunction leading to accidental damage while handling" is all you need. I am confident this will not be an issue. But, again, you never really know.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-30 22:47
I thought that I had posted a link to the actual plan coverage you receive after purchase. I see I d ...

I got the same three year coverage for $80 when I purchased my P2V+ on Amazon from Drone Pros.  I emailed the insurance company and got the same reply that as long as the bird was part of the camera package it was covered for crashes and other damage as long as not used for business.  The only thing not covered would be theft or mysterious loss (aka fly-away).  They would cut a check for the damage or replacement in 5 days.

I'm going to post my latest experience with trying to get coverage for my quadcopter from SquareTrade.com.  It's lengthy and in depth, but informative I think, and may be helpful to someone else.
First of all, I don't have a Phantom, I have a Turbo Ace Matrix.  It's substantially more expensive than a Phantom, so I was not sure whether a cost ceiling would be reached when trying to get this warranty coverage.  I have been following this thread because my father also recently got a quad, and his is a Phantom 2 Vision+, so it was still of interest to us, even if I couldn’t get coverage for my Matrix.  I also thought it could be if the unit has no camera, it doesn't get the ADH coverage offered.
My post above about being offered coverage for my drone without the ADH coverage was relative to the more expensive Matrix drone.  I had no way of knowing if a cost ceiling for ADH had been passed.  However, I was told the quote didn't include the ADH, but did offer standard coverage on the drone/gimbal.
As a sidenote… at this point, I read on another forum a post from someone who has a State Farm Personal Items Policy, and he stated he added his drone to that Personal Items Policy, and he then confirmed with his State Farm Agent that it would be covered if crashed during normal use.  This was great… I have computer equipment, pro camera gear, and the wife’s good jewelry covered on a State Farm Personal Item Policy already.  So, off to my agent’s office to get this drone added.  In the office, the agent confirms I can add it.  He tells the office girl to add it under MISC.  I confirm again with him that a normal use crash, or landing in our lake would all be covered.  He assures me it would.  My additional cost on the policy will be about $61.00 a year.
Fast forward to an hour later… the Agent has left for a trip (he was on his way out when I arrived), and the office girl has a question come up as she’s adding it in their system so coverage can start.  She calls the underwriter, and he stops her in her tracks.  Informs her they absolutely WILL NOT cover drones.  Liability is too high for them.  It is NOT to be added to the policy.  I included this to make sure anyone who gets an insurance agent to add a drone to some existing policy to confirm with the COMPANY, not just the agent, that it’s eligible for coverage.
So, I’m still looking for ADH coverage.  Then I saw Cloud9's post where they covered his P2 w/Gimbal separate from his GoPro camera.  So, I email a new inquiry to "salesinquiry@squaretrade.com", and explained I wanted the same ADH coverage for a drone & gimbal, but a more expensive one, that they had sold someone else recently.  I include a website link so she could see the model, and the next morning I have a reply giving me a quote for the Matrix quadcopter, at full line-item purchase price, for full coverage WITH the ADH coverage.  I have the name of the customer service rep who quoted it, as well as her extension.
As a reference, the quad sold for a total pre-tax invoice price of $4401.90.  My first quote was $379.00 for standard coverage only.  My email quote was $569.00 for full coverage w/ADH included.  My rep also said she was able to discount, on phone sales, up to $40.00, so she could sell it to me at $529.00 for 3 years.
I called her back last night, and I went through all the same confirmations about flying it, and it crashing during normal use, and got the same answers everyone else seems to be getting.  It’s covered.  Just fly-aways and theft aren’t covered  under the ADH coverage.  You must have the item to send in if required to do so.  I then bought the 3 year ADH coverage for my Matrix, at $529.00.
I also bought the same 3 year ADH plan for my GoPro HERO4 Black ($499.00 coverage), for $64.00 (after another $40.00 discount).
Then my father got on the line, and after she went to the website to verify the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+, he bought the 3 year ADH plan for his P2V+ ($1229.00 coverage), for $177.00 (after another $40.00 discount).
If interested, the Rep’s name was “Rome” (female).  Her extension is 1573.
To summarize, I would guess this is new territory for this company.  It seems the left hand doesn’t always know what the right hand is selling yet.  The quoted prices for the same items seem to vary somewhat, as well.  I made one call trying to reach Rome about the quote she sent me for my quad, and the initial rep that answered INSISTED they would not cover drones.  He claimed it was specifically part of his training.  So… if you get a quote working for what you want, stay with that informed person relative to your quote/purchase.  Also, if at first you can’t seem to get it covered, send a detailed email inquiry indicating you know they have sold it to someone else.  They will hand-verify whether it can be done, then will honor it once they verify it.
One last piece of opinionated advice… if you even remotely want this coverage, and you get the offer, take it while you can.  I’m not so sure I think drones are something they will continue to cover for long.  One has to think they will eventually start having a bunch of claims coming in, and then it will all get re-evaluated.
Sorry this was so long, but hopefully it helps someone.  It was expensive, but this does provide peace of mind flying these things.

chuck26287@att. Posted at 2014-11-4 02:33
I'm going to post my latest experience with trying to get coverage for my quadcopter from SquareTrad ...

Great post. Glad my experience could help. Feels good knowing you're flying insured, doesn't it?
I went through the same experience, spoke to 3 different reps, all of which wasn't sure what I was talking about.
I had them go to the site and they understood "drone". I made sure to reiterate what I was looking for in coverage and had them repeat (accidental crashes, malfunctions/mechanical errors etc).
I agree this is a new market for them and I'm almost sure once the claims start coming in the policy will change.
Get it while the gettins' good folks!

I checked out your Turbo Ace Matrix, impressive machine, reminds me a bit of the TBS Discovery..one video had 45 minute flights? How do you like it over the Phantom 2? I'm wondering what the advantages are..either way, a bit above my pay grade

Cloud9 Posted at 2014-11-4 07:02
Great post. Glad my experience could help. Feels good knowing you're flying insured, doesn't it?
I ...

Yeah, I had a lot of aprehension about the cost of the coverage, but after pulling the trigger on the warranty, an amazing weight was lifted.  It does feel good knowing it doesn't all just go up in smoke (or to the bottom of the lake).  I just hope we all get the claims service we've been promised when the need to use these plans comes around.

I had no RC flying experience.  I did get a good simulator and logged several hours practicing, starting to get some muscle-memory, but I really don't have any experience flying these.  I've only done three tied-down checkout flights, and three little off the pad to 6 feet and back down hops, plus a final hover session at about 6-7 feet for 3-4 minutes where I finally started to actually control the quad.  I'm a licensed pilot, and no joke... I wasn't as scared when I first soloed in a Cessna 150 as I was flying this thing.  I was terrified I'd do something stupid and destroy it.

I approached this kind of bass-ackwards... I was buying aerial photo/video equipment for a photo project (personal, not commercial), instead of a multi-rotor to learn to fly on.  I definitely overbought for my skill, but I love the Matrix from the aerial photo/video platform standpoint.  I love the Phantom as well.  I've had a great time with my dad as he's taken his first few flights.  Performance to cost ratio on the Phantom seems to be phenomenal.  I wish I could afford a Phantom right now to practice with.

But, now that I am not as aprehensive about flying this since it's covered, I expect I'll be getting quite a bit more flight time in the near future.  I was hoping to get a fall foilage aerial photo of a family owned campground/recreactional property this year.  But, I watched the leaves all fall while refusing to take the quad ANYWHERE near the lake or to altitude until I learn more about what I have.  Maybe next spring!

I have a weird experience and I hope I did it right. I just made the purchase via Amazon. Then I called SquareTrade to buy the warranty and the guy advised me to place the ADH warranty in the cart and check out through Amazon and they will automatically attach it to my DJI purchase somehow. Seems weird, but I did it. It only cost $122.30 for 3 year camera ADH.
Did anyone else do it this way? Seems a bit weird to me.

Here's what I bought: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002I05 ... 40_30332200_TE_item

I bought my Phantom directly from DJI.com. I bought the ADH and Warranty directly from SquareTrade via a phone call. Can;'t help you there. Hopefully somebody can!

On a separate note, how do you get email notifications on this forum when someone responds? They don't seem to be coming through in my email.