A few days ago my Mini crashed after hitting a tall building on RTH (lost signal easily) and I was unable to find it (so DJI Care is  not valid). I can't describe my frustration when I switched on my NEW Mavic Mini, that I bought today. It says "Vision sensor error" and It can't fly. An unused new drone already malfunctioning. So, so disappointed with DJI. If I somehow get it fixed (warranty or whatsoever), I will sell it immediately and never, never buy DJI products again and will advise my friends against doing so!

That’s a pity, have you tried anything to try sorting it, you could go to dji assistant and factory reset .

I refreshed the firmware, but no success. I will claim the warranty tomorrow, but my confidence in this drone and the company is lost. I will definetely look at the reviews of the new Fimi X8 SE 2020, that is coming this year.

If you bought another new Mavic Mini, can't you return it?  You have at least 14 days https://europa.eu/youreurope/cit ... eturns/index_en.htm

Don't waste your time doing anything else if you can still return it.

I bought in the shop, not online. When you buy it from a physical store, the 14-day return rule is not valid. It depends on the good will of the store, but since I know the store - they will not return the money. Problem is I lost faith in the company and this particular model, so as soon I get a replacement (via DJI or store) I will sell the drone and the remaining accessories from the first drone (fly combo) to minimize the damages.

Dr. Alex Posted at 4-12 14:56
I bought in the shop, not online. When you buy it from a physical store, the 14-day return rule is not valid. It depends on the good will of the store, but since I know the store - they will not return the money. Problem is I lost faith in the company and this particular model, so as soon I get a replacement (via DJI or store) I will sell the drone and the remaining accessories from the first drone (fly combo) to minimize the damages.

I really hope that's not true.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/cit ... rights/index_en.htm

I just used this form and got this:

If goods you bought anywhere in the EU turn out to be faulty or do not look or work as advertised, the seller must repair or replace them free of charge or give you a price reduction or a full refund. You can usually only ask for a partial or full refund when it is not possible to repair or replace the goods.

Under EU consumer rules you always have the right to a 2-year minimum guarantee at no cost, regardless of whether you bought your goods in a shop, online or through distance selling, such as from a catalogue or by telephone. This 2-year guarantee is your minimum right, however national rules in your country may give you extra protection.

At minimum, I would demand a replacement from the stop.

Tomorrow I am going to the Tech chain, where I bought it and will ask for an exchange and see what will happen. Based on my experience they will take it -> send it to the official importer -> they will send it to DJI and If i am lucky after a month I will get it exchaned (or repaired). But who wants a repaired new drone?!? Wish me luck

Dr. Alex Posted at 4-12 14:42
I refreshed the firmware, but no success. I will claim the warranty tomorrow, but my confidence in this drone and the company is lost. I will definetely look at the reviews of the new Fimi X8 SE 2020, that is coming this year.

Why is that picture so dark ? Are you inside or undercover somewhere?

Hi Dr. Alex, we apologize for the unpleasant experience with Mavic Mini, it is recommended to reboot the drone several times, if the error persists, please connect to DJI Assistant 2 to refresh the firmware. If there is still no luck, the drone will need to be sent back for the service. Sorry again for the inconvenience caused. If you need any assistance during the after-sales service process, please keep me updated.

hallmark007 Posted at 4-12 16:29
Why is that picture so dark ? Are you inside or undercover somewhere?

hallmark007, i have just noticed - it is dark because the camera doesn't work either! So downward vision system and the camera on the gimble both don't work. I read several threads with the same problem and the users end up replacing the drone since it is HW issue!

Dr. Alex Posted at 4-12 20:56
hallmark007, i have just noticed - it is dark because the camera doesn't work either! So downward vision system and the camera on the gimble both don't work. I read several threads with the same problem and the users end up replacing the drone since it is HW issue!

If the camera and the sensor is not working, the store must give an immediate replacement. You must get them to test it in store and replace the same time it is an Out of box failure.

It is clear that the products are not checked before they are shipped from the factory.

I'm sure this unfortunate story will reach happy ending. You'll receive full refund and apologies for all the trouble ...

Sadly, the consequences of you not buying from DJI anymore may be catastrophic to this company. I'm sure the head office in Shenzhen is in total panic and havoc right now, knowing that Dr. Alex from Bulgaria is leaving the party. Is there anything we can do to convince you to stay with us ? ...

You are wrong to say so, DJI Mavic Pro products, Pro2 excellent drones, just Mavic Mini because of excessive greed turned out not very, and in addition, it has specially understated the functionality!

I see the irony. I don't care. I am a tech dude and after so many products I bought from everywhere, it is the first time something malfunctions right out of the box. You should be proactive when there are problems with a product or a company, especially when dealing with monopolists. And I am sure that many people planning to buy mini after reading threads like this and many other about fly aways, limited range in CE (which are becoming more and more prevalent) will think twice.

Hey guys, follow-up. From the tech chain with name Technopolis, refused to exchange the faulty unit and sent it to the main importer for further assessment :/.  

Dr. Alex Posted at 4-13 00:18
Hey guys, follow-up. From the tech chain with name Technopolis, refused to exchange the faulty unit and sent it to the main importer for further assessment :/.

If you bought it with a credit card maybe you have Section 75 consumer protection

Dr. Alex, rest assured you will not be the only one who doesn't buy from dji EVER AGAIN !!
EVEN though I love my mini I don't like their customer service nor the way they're taken the p!&& out of their customers

If your last Mini hit something on RTH wasn't it your fault for not setting the RTH properly?
Then you found yourself in an unpleasant situation where you've been delivered a faulty unit... happens to the best of brands, and actually in the consumer world until now there hasn't really been much challenge to DJI.

Don't know much about your store policies but had you bought it online, you could have sent it back and asked full refund immediately as per EU regulations.
And anyway... when you call it quits with a brand for a faulty unit on delivery you're taking a gamble on sheer luck. I am certain you can end up with some other quadcopter brand that's not up to par w/ DJI and still be very satisfied with it...
I have another approach: perseverance. I may give up... but not that easily, and for very solid reasons.

Yeah, RTH failure was my fault. But for example DJI should be more flexible. For example if the user shows unquestionable evidence that the drone has crashed, fell into the sea etc, they should it cover with DJI Care. Now I remain with  the taste that I have been double f**ed - drone has evidently crashed  and the footage clearly shows it, but because the security dont let me in to check the building, I cant retrieve the drone and paid 40 euro for DJI Care that is not useful in the case. And then I buy another mavic that malfunctions out of the box and that made me maybe too affected.

Dr. Alex Posted at 4-13 00:18
Hey guys, follow-up. From the tech chain with name Technopolis, refused to exchange the faulty unit and sent it to the main importer for further assessment :/.

well that is the normal practice...they  need the assessment that there was no foul play.. once DJI concludes it is faulty they will change it for a new one... and then you can proceed and request your money back.

Never understood this attitude. If I mass produced a product I wouldn’t expect my yeald to be 100% perfection. Why would anyone rule out a product and brand “forever” because they received a faulty unit?

I didnt set my RTH height during my pre-flight so when it crashed into a big obstacle on RTH,  it’s DJI’s fault?  

I guess they want the old drone back also for scavenging parts ;)

Dr. Alex Posted at 4-13 12:03
Yeah, RTH failure was my fault. But for example DJI should be more flexible. For example if the user shows unquestionable evidence that the drone has crashed, fell into the sea etc, they should it cover with DJI Care. Now I remain with  the taste that I have been double f**ed - drone has evidently crashed  and the footage clearly shows it, but because the security dont let me in to check the building, I cant retrieve the drone and paid 40 euro for DJI Care that is not useful in the case. And then I buy another mavic that malfunctions out of the box and that made me maybe too affected.

Not djis fault they locked you out, I understand your frustration but hopefully you get sorted soon, incidentally I thing your retailer should have swapped your drone for new replacement.
Good luck.

sbonev Posted at 4-13 12:08
well that is the normal practice...they  need the assessment that there was no foul play.. once DJI concludes it is faulty they will change it for a new one... and then you can proceed and request your money back.

You didn't buy DJI Care or Care+?   Why!

I understand your frustration, but there's a lesson for us all here regarding RTH and configuring it correctly. Could you give us more information which app(s) you were using and the specific device according to the screenshot?

Hello Dr. Alex, have you tried contacting DJI customer service directly regarding the vision sensor issue? Perhaps they can direct you to their nearest service centre for a replacement/repair. Hope you get good news from DJI and may return to the skies again soon.

Hey, unfortenately, Technopolis refused to exchange the defective unit and sent it for inspection from the official importer. So no flying for me. DJI offered me 15% discount for the crashed drone (without controller and charger) so It is not a real discount .
So take home messages:
-Mavic mini is not a drone you can be confident flying, especially as a newbie because of the poor CE range, frequent signal interruptions, weak wind resistance. It is a decent drone but the price should be lower.

Anyway I am keeping an eye on the coming Fimi 2020 and other chinese drones.

Fimi 2020 will be as "s h i t t y" as Fimi 2018.
Bug firmware, no constant quality. RAW profile is still not fixed, Fly Away is also available and range is a problem for many.

And don't forget the Fimi horizon issue.

Dr. Alex Posted at 4-22 23:53
Hey, unfortenately, Technopolis refused to exchange the defective unit and sent it for inspection from the official importer. So no flying for me. DJI offered me 15% discount for the crashed drone (without controller and charger) so It is not a real discount .
So take home messages:
-Mavic mini is not a drone you can be confident flying, especially as a newbie because of the poor CE range, frequent signal interruptions, weak wind resistance. It is a decent drone but the price should be lower.

Actually I came from the toy drone (real cheap) segment, and the MM was my first serious drone which is so much easier to control than those toys that doesn't have altitude hold. I went into this hobby knowing I'll lose my drone someday (and that'll give me reason to upgrade ).

As I am from Malaysia (DJI does not even offer DJI Care/Refresh in my country), DJI parts are still more easily available vs FIMI and other drones, that is the reason why I've chosen DJI. Not too sure about where you are from, do check if you can get parts and replacements easily for whichever brand you might buy in the future.

Once again, hope you get your wings back soon, good luck.

That’s a pity, have you tried anything to try sorting it, you could go to dji assistant and factory reset .

Dr. Alex Posted at 4-22 23:53
Hey, unfortenately, Technopolis refused to exchange the defective unit and sent it for inspection from the official importer. So no flying for me. DJI offered me 15% discount for the crashed drone (without controller and charger) so It is not a real discount .
So take home messages:
-Mavic mini is not a drone you can be confident flying, especially as a newbie because of the poor CE range, frequent signal interruptions, weak wind resistance. It is a decent drone but the price should be lower.

I think the real 'take home messages' are:

1/ Learn how to properly use the RTH functions, and check the settings before every flight.

2/ Make sure to only buy from a reputable, DJI approved seller.

3/ If numbers 1 & 2 are not possible, man up and take responsibility when something goes wrong.

Good luck with the new drone, whatever brand you decide to get.

StubbornSwiss Posted at 4-23 01:28
I think the real 'take home messages' are:

!/ Learn how to properly use the RTH functions, and check the settings before every flight.

Well, I think the OP's frustration stems from losing the first drone and it not being covered by Care Refresh. But he has to understand, if Care Refresh covered lost drones, we would all fly recklessly and lose our drones, and Care Refresh would be very/too expensive. As far as his second drone, we used to have a store in our mall that wouldn't do exchanges, even on out-of-the-box defects, and they are not in business anymore. I would have sent the second drone to DJI myself rather than dealing with the store in his case.

Deucalion Posted at 4-23 02:25
Well, I think the OP's frustration stems from losing the first drone and it not being covered by Care Refresh. But he has to understand, if Care Refresh covered lost drones, we would all fly recklessly and lose our drones, and Care Refresh would be very/too expensive. As far as his second drone, we used to have a store in our mall that wouldn't do exchanges, even on out-of-the-box defects, and they are not in business anymore. I would have sent the second drone to DJI myself rather than dealing with the store in his case.

...but what's the difference in flying it wrecklessly against a tree and flying it wrecklessly over open water? One case is covered, the other not, Never understood that.
By the way, Care Refresh isn't cheap at all. For every replacement you have to pay a quite big part of the original price in addition.

Joe.Mavic.D.HH Posted at 4-23 23:15
...but what's the difference in flying it wrecklessly against a tree and flying it wrecklessly over open water? One case is covered, the other not, Never understood that.
By the way, Care Refresh isn't cheap at all. For every replacement you have to pay a quite big part of the original price in addition.

i assume all they want is to make sure you're not secretly recovering the drone and asking for a replacement anyway. They should find a better way though (like "disabling" that particular drone, bricking it basically as soon as it connects to a phone with an internet connection) as it indeed doesn't make sense to be able to fly the drone directly into a building and get it replaced while having a bird strike over water renders your insurance useless.....

Ice_2k Posted at 4-24 01:32
i assume all they want is to make sure you're not secretly recovering the drone and asking for a replacement anyway. They should find a better way though (like "disabling" that particular drone, bricking it basically as soon as it connects to a phone with an internet connection) as it indeed doesn't make sense to be able to fly the drone directly into a building and get it replaced while having a bird strike over water renders your insurance useless.....

...exactly!

Joe.Mavic.D.HH Posted at 4-23 23:15
...but what's the difference in flying it wrecklessly against a tree and flying it wrecklessly over open water? One case is covered, the other not, Never understood that.
By the way, Care Refresh isn't cheap at all. For every replacement you have to pay a quite big part of the original price in addition.

It is how insurance works. You set the terms of coverage (you have to at least return the drone) and that then determines how many claims there will be. You divide the cost of the replacements by the number of claims you expect and that becomes the premium. In this case, they broke that into a premium ($39) and a deductible ($40).

If you add lost drones to the terms of coverage then I suspect that the premium would be $200 at least. Not only have you added more claims (for lost drones) but people will most certainly take more risks. If they don't have to worry about losing the drone, they will fly them over rivers, impenetrable forests and around buildings without a care.

If you don't think $39 is cheap, then you certainly won't think $200 is cheap.