I purchased a new Mavic Zoom from the DJI Store recently that was having issues right out of the box. IMU was not calibrating. Reloaded software a few times and kept trying the calibration process. The IMU calibration error eventually was cleared. On the first flight it became clear something was not working properly. Drone was circling and flying all over the place on RTH, nowhere near where it took off. My friend was there, who has had a Mavic Pro for some time, said this was not functioning properly. We re-read the manual to ensure we were following all the correct procedures for RTH, we were. On the final flight, this thing strafed about 10 feet to the right, hit a tree branch, and fell about 8 feet into tall grass. The IMU calibration error was back, and there was no clearing this time. Called DJI tech support and they said the only thing that can be done to clear IMU error was send to repair center. A new case was opened and I provided all the details of what occurred to that point. I checked over the drone very closely, even took pictures, there was no physical damage to the drone at all, only the IMU error.  

  

  

A week or so later I received an error report on my case with pictures indicating damage to body and that the both the drone and remote controller software were out of date and the bill to repair is $129. A few problems with this: 1) I did not send my remote in so how can they show remote software was out of date? 2) I know for a fact the drone software was up to date since I became an expert loading it trying to correct the IMU error initially, and 3) I had pictures of drone which proved no body damage existed. I called the Tech Support line and tried to explain to them I received this information, and I can guarantee that the error report I received was not on my drone. Of course, this fell on deaf ears so I asked to be transferred to a supervisor. After a 15 minute hold, they came back and said no one is available and someone would call me within 48 hours. Two days pass, no call. I call them again, go through the entire story with someone else that didn't care, so they said they would have someone from the service center (I assume in Texas) call me to discuss. Another two days pass, nothing. Call them again, this time the person was literally laughing when I told them the last person said they would have someone at the service center call me back. The quote was "no one from there is ever going to call you back" and went on to further say something to the effect of, "we don't make errors like that, I'm sure this your drone, you need to pay to get the drone repaired". So now I'm at the point where I'm saying, a drone is a drone right, they guarantee repairs, self talked myself into paying the $129 to get my drone back. I only had about 20 minutes fly time on drone before I sent it back. By the way, still no back from anyone, supervisor or repair center.

  

  

A little over a week passes and my repaired drone shows up. I unpack it, look at the serial number, IT'S A DIFFERENT DRONE!!! I call Tech Support immediately and they investigated what could have happened. There were two drone serial numbers assigned to me in their database. He doesn't know why, nor can he answer my question as to where my original drone went. I get the "this is a problem" comment. He doesn't have answers but assures me it will be corrected. I'm thinking their going to get to bottom of what got messed up so bad on losing my drone but he was more interested in getting the database issue corrected than solving the real problem. I also clearly asked he document the fact that I am not satisfied with getting some refurbished unit when I just spent $1400 on a NEW drone that did not work correctly out of the box. Again, I asked supervisor call.

  

  

A few days later I received a call from a number in Shenzhen, China. It didn't even ring once, flashed the number and they hung up! I get an email about 30 minutes later saying "sorry I missed you... if you have any further questions please contact us". At least they had logged the fact the called my number, right!?

  

  

Up to this point, I was pretty reluctant to even power up that second drone because I wanted to get this resolved. I did not want some refurb'ed drone that was in service for years, pulled out of box in Texas, repaired (at my expense!), only to have something else break a month down the road because it wore out. But, once again, I'm telling myself this may not be worth all the trouble so I'll try the refurbished drone. I powered it up, and the cooling fan was making a very loud noise, like it was hitting something inside. If you picked up the drone and moved it around it changed pitch. So back to Tech Support, opened a new case and sent it the repair center. Again, I ask for someone in authority that can correct this mess to call me.

  

  

A week or so goes by and I get an error report on the second drone in an email indicating THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE GIMBAL! Not the fan, the gimbal. So this thing was sent to me with a gimbal problem, AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $166 TO REPAIR IT!!!!! They didn't mention anything about the fan problem. I call Tech Support again, tell them again I do not want this drone, send me a new one. They said they will request but they have no control over that. Well who does?!?!?!?! I've been asking for 6 weeks to talk to someone that can review this idiocracy I've been dealing with and correct the situation!

  

  

I finally received a call from a supervisor yesterday. Gave them the entire background and detail. Basically it fell on deaf ears. He seemed disinterested in the details and was more interested spewing policy and procedure and what they are obligated to do. He said he look into and put the request for a new drone but he had no control over this either.

  

  

So the summary as of today is spent $1800 (drone plus other accessories) on a new drone that did not work out of the box. I flew it for 20 minutes trying to get it work correctly, but they said the crash was my fault even though it was in RTF following all the proper requirements (and besides, the crash was insignificant, it fell about 8 feet into soft grass that was about 6 inches long) and did not "cause" the IMU error. They can't locate my original drone, I think they lost it or sent it to someone else with the same name (oh yea, they had the wrong email address associated with my original ticket).  The second drone is piece of junk and their trying to get me to pay $166 (in addition to the $129 I already paid on the first repair). I don't want the second drone but not sure what will happen now. What is the next blunder? I've gone 5 weeks without a drone and having the worst, most frustrating, stressful, customer experience I've ever had in my life!!! And I've been around awhile.

  

  The reason I'm writing this is twofold: 1) DJI, if you're monitoring/reading these posts - the one channel you have supplied to me on post sale issues is BROKE! What I have gone through the past several weeks is not right. I am asking that someone in your organization make this right. Feel free to contact me, there are even more details on my experience that I did not share in an open post. and 2) for all you consumers, DJI has a corner on the market for now, understandably. Nice features, good product, when it works right. Once you need to deal with support, good luck! Take pictures and keep a log like I did, but probably won't help.                                    

Hi there, we are sorry to read and to know about the issue you've encountered with your DJI Mavic 2 Zoom and your active case. On our end, we'll have this concern and feedback forwarded to our designated team for further assistance, thank you for your patience.

I appreciate you read and are sorry about the situation, however, much like the conversations I've been having with the Tech support group over the past several weeks it tells me nothing about what ACTION is going to be taken to resolve the issue. Who is the "designated team" that will be engaged to resolve? Are they going to have the authority to intervene and correct this mess?  When will I hear from them?

Someone needs to engage as soon as possible to stop the shipment of that refurbished drone. I do not want it! I'm sure it is going to show up with the same fan issue I sent it in for.   

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 6-9 05:54
I appreciate you read and are sorry about the situation, however, much like the conversations I've been having with the Tech support group over the past several weeks it tells me nothing about what ACTION is going to be taken to resolve the issue. Who is the "designated team" that will be engaged to resolve? Are they going to have the authority to intervene and correct this mess?  When will I hear from them?

Someone needs to engage as soon as possible to stop the shipment of that refurbished drone. I do not want it! I'm sure it is going to show up with the same fan issue I sent it in for.

I am deeply sorry for your case and we hope your case will be solved soon. Our manager had sent you an email and will be contacting you soon during working hours.

So the saga continues. They now have a third drone they want to send me. I spoke with the manager and in the conversation it was stated the drone being sent to me (the third) has "never been activated". I asked if this meant it was NEW and she said yes. She also offered $25 coupon for my "troubles" and when I laughed, she offered $50. Really!?!?!? 5 weeks of dealing with the worst customer service ever and $50  worth of merchandise can fix that? Whatever. I asked she send what discussed in writing (not that I don't have any reason not to trust what is being said to me up to tis point...) so I had record that a NEW drone was being sent. Here is what I received:

"Good day! I hope you are doing fine today.
Sorry for the confusion, the replacement drone is good as new, which means the drone was not activated and not used. As for the accessories, we will provide a coupon code for that in order for you to purchase it under the DJI store.  Please confirm if only propeller guards($16) and low noise propellers ($11) you want to purchase, the total will be $27.
If you are all set with the accessories we will generate the code that will be valid for  30days.
Looking forward to your reply.
Thank you for choosing DJI Products.
Best Regards,"

And my response:
"I thought we had this straightened out but evidently not. I thought 1) you reviewed the entire case and determined I should receive a NEW drone (not a refurbished drone) based on the fact the drone I ordered from your site was defective out of the box, and 2) that you had the authority to ensure I did receive a NEW drone. So basically the only thing you did was double talk me and approved $50 coupon hoping I would go away. I would like this matter to be escalated to the next level in your organization. I will keep requesting escalation until I speak to someone that does more than repeat your policies, say anything to get me off the phone, and has the authority to do the right thing, which is send me a new drone! Your company has already proven that “refurbished” is NOT as good as new, given the fact the one you sent me had two problems, a fan issue which is why I sent it back, and a gimble issue which your tech team identified when they did their inspection.   

As for the accessories, I pulled those prices right from your site. Are they not correct?

Please let me know specifically what action(s) you take to correct this situation.

Thank You!"

It appears this thread is being monitored by the DJI team, so I request escalation through this channel as well.


      

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 6-11 06:41
So the saga continues. They now have a third drone they want to send me. I spoke with the manager and in the conversation it was stated the drone being sent to me (the third) has "never been activated". I asked if this meant it was NEW and she said yes. She also offered $25 coupon for my "troubles" and when I laughed, she offered $50. Really!?!?!? 5 weeks of dealing with the worst customer service ever and $50  worth of merchandise can fix that? Whatever. I asked she send what discussed in writing (not that I don't have any reason not to trust what is being said to me up to tis point...) so I had record that a NEW drone was being sent. Here is what I received:

"Good day! I hope you are doing fine today.

Hi there, we noticed that your case has been escalated. We will have someone contact you about this issue within the working days. And we will also keep an eye on this case. Hope you can wait patiently.

So four days later I get this email:
"Good day! I hope you are doing fine today.
We know that you have been waiting for the update of your concern and we are sorry for the delay.
Please be informed that we cannot provide a brand new drone.  If there is any problem with the drone you received you can contact us., But rest assured the replacement drone is good as new, meaning it is in good condition it was not used or even activated and the performance is equivalent to a brand new drone."

Unbelievable......!!!

So I responded:
"The fact that you are stating “be informed that we cannot provide a brand new drone” is what I am escalating. I disagree with your statement and feel that a replacement drone is not acceptable given the fact the NEW drone I purchased was not functioning out of the box. I paid for a NEW drone so should receive a NEW drone, not a USED drone that has been refurbished. You certainly are not the highest escalation point in your organization, so please raise this to the next level so it can be addressed."

What is going to take to take speak to someone in DJI that can speak beyond the script? I will go into wait mode again to see when/who will respond.  

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 6-15 11:41
So four days later I get this email:
"Good day! I hope you are doing fine today.
We know that you have been waiting for the update of your concern and we are sorry for the delay.

We understand your concern and we've forwarded it to the management to follow up. If you have any inquiries, you can directly reply to the email and they will further help. And we will also pay close attention to this case.

I will continue to monitor/respond to the emails sent to me on this topic and will also continue to share the progress on this forum.
Thank You

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 6-16 06:58
I will continue to monitor/respond to the emails sent to me on this topic and will also continue to share the progress on this forum.
Thank You

We will also keep our eyes on your case. Sorry again for the inconvenience caused.

Yesterday I received a call from the support manger informing me my "request for a new a drone has granted".  I feel obligated to insert some sarcastic remark here like (OH THANK YOU!!!!  I"M NOT WORTHY!!!) but I won't. She asked I package up the entire contents of the original drone and return it and a new unopened drone kit would be sent as soon as they receive the other drone. I sent it yesterday so I would expect to received the new drone first part of next. I'm hoping this will conclude my long, painful, disappointing experience! I'm just hoping I get what is promised, a new, unopened, not refurbished, drone and components, which is what I paid for. We will see. Stay tuned for the next episode....  

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 6-22 12:36
Yesterday I received a call from the support manger informing me my "request for a new a drone has granted".  I feel obligated to insert some sarcastic remark here like (OH THANK YOU!!!!  I"M NOT WORTHY!!!) but I won't. She asked I package up the entire contents of the original drone and return it and a new unopened drone kit would be sent as soon as they receive the other drone. I sent it yesterday so I would expect to received the new drone first part of next. I'm hoping this will conclude my long, painful, disappointing experience! I'm just hoping I get what is promised, a new, unopened, not refurbished, drone and components, which is what I paid for. We will see. Stay tuned for the next episode....

We apologize for the unpleasant experience you encountered. We found that the unit you sent has not arrived yet. Once received, the corresponding team will deal with it. If there is any progress, we will also keep you updated through email. Hope you can wait patiently.

I received the "new" drone the other day. Although I was assured this would be a new, unopened drone kit, the box seal was broke and all the parts were not in their original packing. Strewn about the box, some in plastic bags, others just thrown in (props, power cords, etc.). The drone and remote appeared to be unused since the plastic protecting film were on both items, but that could have been added to refurbished equipment. Since the seal on the box was broke I am not certain this is actually new equipment. I have no way of confirming other than looking at flight hours on the drone but that could have been reset as well. I have upgraded the firmware and performed a brief test flight. All seems to be working fine, but the fact that the box was opened is troublesome. I can't figure out why it is so hard to get a replacement sent on faulty equipment out of the factory.

At this point, I'm going to send the support manager an email expressing my disappointment once again, but I'm sure I will get her assurance once again this is in fact a new drone.
They wore me down, which I think may be part of the strategy here. Make it so frustrating and time consuming it's no longer worth pursuing an issue. Good customer support model!

Overall, the experience with the post sale support center has been poor. In the end I think they tried to do the right thing but even after all this there is still a question if this has been truly resolved. It appears there is huge disconnect between offshore "technical support" and the repair center in Grapevine TX. The call center folks are robots with scripts and policies in front of them and are either unable or unwilling to listen to the customer and then take the appropriate action. Just pumping calls through the system.

As for the repair center in Grapevine TX, whoever is responsible for the operations of that facility should be fired!! Through the course of this entire experience I sent back three drones. Every time I sent one back the problem they identified was not why the drone was back. It appears what they do is receive a drone, check it in, and throw it in a bin. Then when the repair team gets the ticket, they pull some random drone from the bin, go through their little trouble shooting routine, find some problem, and send the findings out with the bill to repair! To confirm this, each time I sent a drone in I took pictures and recorded the serial number. Every time I sent a drone the serial number was different on the drone they were repairing.     

Not to mention the fact one of the "refurbished, good as new" drones they sent back had a gimble problem. So much for quality control.     

TO BE CLEAR, AS I STATED IN MY EARLIER POST, I TRIED TO CONVICE THE SUPPORT GROUP THE REPAIR INFORMATION I RECEIVED ON THE FIRST DRONE I SENT WAS NOT MY DRONE. THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO ME AND CONTINUED TO ASSURE ME IT WAS MY DRONE, IT WAS NOT! IF THE GRAPEVINE REPAIR CENTER HAD THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND REPAIRED THE IMU ERROR ON THAT NEW DRONE, THIS ALL COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. ALL DRONES ARE NOT THE SAME. THESE ARE MECHANICAL DEVICES THAT WEAR OUT. I WOULD EXPECT YOU CAN PERFORM THE MOST BASIC INVENTORY MANGEMENT PRACTICES, BUT EVIDENTLY NOT. THIS ENTIRE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED AND CORRECTED. IF DJI TRULY CARES ABOUT THE LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT IT PROVIDES, AS I'VE BEEN TOLD OVER AND OVER, IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I AM CLEARLY NOT THE ONLY DISATISFIED CUSTOMER ON THIS SERVICE.

I will wait for a response from the support manager as to why I did not receive a new, unopened, drone kit, as promised in our conversations. I will also wait for a response on my overall feedback. I took the time to clearly articulate what happened throughout this entire process, and where it's clearly broke. If you truly care, let your customers know what you are doing to correct these issues.   

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 7-9 07:45
I received the "new" drone the other day. Although I was assured this would be a new, unopened drone kit, the box seal was broke and all the parts were not in their original packing. Strewn about the box, some in plastic bags, others just thrown in (props, power cords, etc.). The drone and remote appeared to be unused since the plastic protecting film were on both items, but that could have been added to refurnished equipment. Since the seal on the box was broke I am not certain this is actually new equipment. I have no way of confirming other than looking at flight hours on the drone but that could have been reset as well. I have upgraded the firmware and performed a brief test flight. All seems to be working fine, but the fact that the box was opened is troublesome. I can't figure out why it is so hard to get a replacement sent on faulty equipment out of the factory.

At this point, I'm going to send the support manager an email expressing my disappointment once again, but I'm sure I will get her assurance once again this is in fact a new drone.

Hi there, we are sorry for the unpleasant experience you encountered. We will forward your concerns to the corresponding team to follow up. And they will contact you within the working hours. Thanks for your understanding and patience in advance.

As expected, I received an email stating "the drone we provided is brand new. It’s not activated and it’s in good condition." The problem is, this is exactly the response I received on drone number 2 and it clearly was not. Had a gimble problem right from the crack staff at the service center in Grapevine. My response to her was "Please answer the question I posed to you, Why was I not sent a new unopened drone kit as you stated? How can I be assured this drone is a new, unrefurbished drone (other than you just telling me it is)?"

I keep getting responses but never answers to direct questions. Can SOMEONE provide answers?  

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 7-19 09:47
As expected, I received an email stating "the drone we provided is brand new. It’s not activated and it’s in good condition." The problem is, this is exactly the response I received on drone number 2 and it clearly was not. Had a gimble problem right from the crack staff at the service center in Grapevine. My response to her was "Please answer the question I posed to you, Why was I not sent a new unopened drone kit as you stated? How can I be assured this drone is a new, unrefurbished drone (other than you just telling me it is)?"

I keep getting responses but never answers to direct questions. Can SOMEONE provide answers?

Sorry for any inconvenience caused to you. Could you please tell us is there any issue with the drone that makes you doubt the drone is not brand new? If you met any trouble with the drone, please don't hesitate to contact us, we will try our best to help.

I've flown this most recent drone you sent me for about an hour and so far there have been no issues, but that is not the point. I've already told you why I think it is not new 1) the box was open with parts just thrown in, not a sealed box from your factory, and 2) the support manager basically lied to me the last time when I asked if you sent me a new drone. it was not a new drone because it had several issues when I first turned it on.

I'm not sure why DJI has such hard time understanding this, but let me provide an analogy for you that is similar to what I've dealing with. Let's say you purchased a brand new 2021 car and the day you picked it up, you drove off but the first time you hit the brakes they failed and you ran into a curb causing minor damage. The car gets towed back to the dealership and after three weeks they send you a repair bill, not for the brakes, but the air conditioner! Reluctantly you pay the bill because you want your car. When you show up at the dealership it's a different, much older car that has thousands of miles on it but it has been "refurbished". So it's good as new, right? Would YOU accept this? I think not, so why should I? You would have paid for a new car so are expecting either a new replacement or the new car you purchased repaired. The facts are, which I really can't understand why DJI is not acknowledging, 1) the NEW drone I paid $1400 for was deflective out of the box, and 2) mechanical systems wear out. I do not want a drone that has been in service for who knows how long with parts that are ready to fail. In which case I would have to send back to you and I would get charged again!

Do you understand this analogy? Not sure I can explain any more simply.....     

What assurance can you provide to me the drone is NEW?

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 7-20 10:08
I've flown this most recent drone you sent me for about an hour and so far there have been no issues, but that is not the point. I've already told you why I think it is not new 1) the box was open with parts just thrown in, not a sealed box from your factory, and 2) the support manager basically lied to me the last time when I asked if you sent me a new drone. it was not a new drone because it had several issues when I first turned it on.

I'm not sure why DJI has such hard time understanding this, but let me provide an analogy for you that is similar to what I've dealing with. Let's say you purchased a brand new 2021 car and the day you picked it up, you drove off but the first time you hit the brakes they failed and you ran into a curb causing minor damage. The car gets towed back to the dealership and after three weeks they send you a repair bill, not for the brakes, but the air conditioner! Reluctantly you pay the bill because you want your car. When you show up at the dealership it's a different, much older car that has thousands of miles on it but it has been "refurbished". So it's good as new, right? Would YOU accept this? I think not, so why should I? You would have paid for a new car so are expecting either a new replacement or the new car you purchased repaired. The facts are, which I really can't understand why DJI is not acknowledging, 1) the NEW drone I paid $1400 for was deflective out of the box, and 2) mechanical systems wear out. I do not want a drone that has been in service for who knows how long with parts that are ready to fail. In which case I would have to send back to you and I would get charged again!

Hi there, we found that our corresponding team has replied to your email regarding your concern. Please kindly check it.

It has been a couple months of silence from DJI support so I'm making one final entry on this post. I am absolutely amazed at the complete lack of customer service, empathy, decency, and integrity of the people I've been dealing with. It's been like talking to robots that are only programmed to certain responses and cannot think beyond the script in front of them. Very disappointed. Although the drone that was most recently sent does not appear to have issues right now, I am still not convinced they provided a new drone to replace the factory defective unit.

Good luck to any sorry souls that need to deal with this group!   

fansd4cb6c0b Posted at 9-13 10:42
It has been a couple months of silence from DJI support so I'm making one final entry on this post. I am absolutely amazed at the complete lack of customer service, empathy, decency, and integrity of the people I've been dealing with. It's been like talking to robots that are only programmed to certain responses and cannot think beyond the script in front of them. Very disappointed. Although the drone that was most recently sent does not appear to have issues right now, I am still not convinced they provided a new drone to replace the factory defective unit.

Good luck to any sorry souls that need to deal with this group!

Hi there, I'm sorry to read about your unpleasant experience with our customer service. I've checked the record of your case, noticed that it had been escalated to our supervisor team, and verified that the unit you received is brand new, and you were advised to test the aircraft. After that, you didn't reply back to the email anymore.

Sorry for all the inconvenience caused, if there is anything else we can assist you with, please feel free to let us know. Thank you so much for your kind understanding.