So I finally, begrudgingly, decided I'd accept DJI's offer to buy a full new system at a discounted price.  Autumn was/is slipping by fast, and I'd already been out of the air for multiple weeks.  I ponied up the payment, as asked, then started a brand new round of waiting.

No word whatsoever on when they'd ship me the drone.  Silence.  Crickets in the background.

I started calling.  As usual, front line support people were good to work with, but ultimately they couldn't tell me anything more than to confirm that the order was "being processed".  

I now find out that it's at least two weeks between making a payment and getting a tracking number.  Even then, nobody could tell me what kind of shipment speed to expect.  Based on everything else I've seen, I'm betting it will be a 7-10 day shipment method.

So here's an open suggestion to DJI.  Going forward, how about after an agreement has been reached with the customer, give them the option of buying directly from Amazon or Best Buy (or whoever) and then reimbursing the delta after prooof of puchase has been given?  That would allow the consumer to at least get back in the air in the same season that their drone went off-line.  

Bluevista, I'm sorry for your experience... I know how you want to fly, this is the addiction of all of us here. We really appreciate your suggestions and  working on improvements of our service.

Hi, Bluevista,  may I know your order number so that I can check and give you update? We do have many orders and are moving aggressively to arrange shipment according to payment sequence.

DJI Store Posted at 2015-11-5 14:51
Hi, Bluevista,  may I know your order number so that I can check and give you update? We do have man ...

I'm problem ticket number 208847.

https://djitechnologyllc.freshdesk.com/support/tickets/208847

DJI-Tim Posted at 2015-11-5 14:38
Bluevista, I'm sorry for your experience... I know how you want to fly, this is the addiction of all ...

I'll assume you're sincere about being receptive to suggestions.  My impression is that all the front-line people are honest, hard working people, and are putting forth best effort.  That comes through loud and clear.  The problem is the infuriating gridlock that appears to come from upstream in your process.  

So, some suggestions...

• Remove bottlenecks.  Specifically... get Derek some help.  My understanding is that he is the SINGLE guy in charge of decisions for the entire North American Continent... the US, Mexico, and Canada.  That is unbelievable.
• Give Derek and his peers more opportunity to make decisions on their own.  Too often, the replies are "I don't have the authority" or "I'm not allowed to say" or "that decision has to come from Hong Kong".
• Provide timelines and stick to them.  Notes like "it's in process" just piss the customer off.  Will I hear back later today?  Next Tuesday?  Some time around Christmas?  If the honest answer is "we have no idea when we'll get around to this", then you've got even bigger problems to be addressed.
• Please, for the love of god, mix up the music we have to listen to while on hold.  Each call in is about a 20-30 wait time, and that 25 second music loop is doing little to calm people's nerves.
  

Time Warner held the mantle of being one of the most hated companies in America, largely because of their terrible disregard for their customers.  If you read the many forums and blogs (as I suspect you do), you can see DJI is on the same PR track.  I gave up Time Warner for home cable about a year ago, and was later called and asked why I left.  I told them that I'd have chewed off my right arm to get away from them.  Despite the technical advantage the Phantoms have, your customers are quickly coming to the same level of hatred and disgust.

I personally know of 3 people that watched my drone go down in the lake, and have been now watching what I've had to go through to prove my case and get a solution from DJI.  In just the past few weeks, they've each bought high end drones, and none have been from DJI.  They are in the air, with comparable machines, for less money while I've been asked to shell out EVEN MORE money and still have to wait weeks for my replacement.

Nobody wants to have "Time Warner Customer Support" on their resume.  Please save yourself a similar problem by convincing your management to turn this ship around while you still can.  

Bluevista Posted at 2015-11-6 00:27
I'm problem ticket number 208847.

https://djitechnologyllc.freshdesk.com/support/tickets/208847

Bluevista, it seems that your email was sent to our technical support team,but not onlinesales@dji.com. Do you mind forwarding the email? or can you advise your DJI order number here? Thanks.

Bluevista, we appreciate your suggestions, and really need to make some improvements.  DJI-store will be replying you on your ticket

Bluevista Posted at 2015-11-6 00:27
I'm problem ticket number 208847.

https://djitechnologyllc.freshdesk.com/support/tickets/208847

Bluevista, it seems that your email was sent to our technical support team,but not onlinesales@dji.com. Do you mind forwarding the email? or can you advise your DJI order number here? Thanks.

DJI Store Posted at 2015-11-6 11:04
Bluevista, it seems that your email was sent to our technical support team,but not . Do you mind f ...

I have no idea what you are talking about.

The money I paid via Paypal was per an offer made by support to sell me a replacement drone at a reduced price.  Which email are you referring to?  The one where DJI made the offer!?  The one where I received acknowledgement back from Paypal regarding the payment!?

The entire exchange is recorded in the notes for problem ticket #208847.  What else do you need to know?  PLEASE don't tell me I have to wait even more weeks for this to get straightened out, or that I've now been placed at the end of the line since I have to deal with a different department.

How can something this simple get so screwed up?

DJI Store Posted at 2015-11-6 11:04
Bluevista, it seems that your email was sent to our technical support team,but not . Do you mind f ...

I have no idea what you are talking about.

The money I paid via Paypal was per an offer made by support to sell me a replacement drone at a reduced price.  Which email are you referring to?  The one where DJI made the offer!?  The one where I received acknowledgement back from Paypal regarding the payment!?

The entire exchange is recorded in the notes for problem ticket #208847.  What else do you need to know?  PLEASE don't tell me I have to wait even more weeks for this to get straightened out, or that I've now been placed at the end of the line since I have to deal with a different department.

How can something this simple get so screwed up?

Let's review the sequence of the last couple of weeks...

• 10/23/15 (Fri) - DJI offers me chance to buy complete new system at reduced price. As it's their "final offer", I begrudgingly accept and ask for payment details.  No reply.  I call and speak with "Theresa", and she says everybody has gone home for the day, but I'll hear back on Monday.
• 10/26/15 (Mon) - Nothing.  I call and speak with "Jessica".  She said she'd email "Derek" to find out what's what.
• 10/27/15 (Tue) - Nothing.  Late in the day I call and speak to Jessica again.  Finally get a note about how to pay via Paypal.  I pay immediately.  Get robo-email saying unit had shipped, but it didn't mention a carrier or tracking number.  Clearly a mis-fire in the automated system.
• 10/28/15 (Wed) - I called and spoke with "Charles".  He acknowledge a screw-up on DJI's side, and said I'd hear back by COB that day.  (didn't happen)
• 10/29/15 (Thu) - I called and got "Jessica" again.  Asked about when I'll hear regarding shipping.  She said I should hear back by the coming Tuesday.
• 11/3/15 (Tue) - Nothing.  I called and got "Max".  He said he'd find out, and I'd hear back by the end of the day.
• 11/4/15 (Wed) - Nothing. I called and "Victor" said everything is "on track".  I should hear back by Friday with tracking information.
• 11/6/15 (Fri) - Nothing.  I call and "Stephanie" said both she and her supervisor agree I should have heard something by now(!).  Later told that it would ship "in the next few days".
  

Notice a pattern?

It seems like an absolute mystery as to how and when things ship from DJI.  Now the above messages from "DJI Store" hint that my exchanges have been lost or mis-routed.

WTF?

Seriously guys, WTF?

I think I've been more than patient.

Bluevista Posted at 2015-11-7 08:02
Let's review the sequence of the last couple of weeks...

10/23/15 (Fri) - DJI offers me chance t ...

I really apologize about this, Bluevista! I already let our colleagues to get in touch with you and help you asap

DJI-Tim Posted at 2015-11-9 15:10
I really apologize about this, Bluevista! I already let our colleagues to get in touch with you an ...

Tim,

I'm sorry for being a skeptic, but the past several weeks (and the exchange I documented above) have made me one.  It's Monday as I write this, so let's see what DJI's definition of ASAP means.  I look forward to hearing back from somebody (anybody) and seeing what happens.