Does anyone know if DJI can trace the owner of a lost phantom through any identification number on the aircraft ? a few have been spotted for sale on ebay and I reckon it would be better if the rightful owner could have his bird returned.

Interesting, as this came up in the last couple of days: http://forum.dji.com/thread-42953-1-2.html

The people putting it up for sale on eBay seem to be unaware that the correct procedure is to hand lost items into the nearest police station as Lost Property, not put them up on eBay. DJI can at least contact the owner, as each aircraft has a unqiue serial number and you are made to register the aircraft with DJI before you even fly it. So DHJI would have your email address at the least.

BTW, I have contacted the seller of that item and told him it is not his to sell and he should hand it in to the cops. If everyone does the same he might be shamed into doing the right thing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dji-ph ... %3A3jAAAOSwB4NWwG8x

Hope the owner spots this before its sold

Although it's often suggested in the forums, there's never been any indication that DJI can or does track owners or would pass on details.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-2-20 10:43
Although it's often suggested in the forums, there's never been any indication that DJI can or does  ...

That's true, would be interesting to hear what Ken has to say on the subject. Given the serial number, would DJI contact the owner and pass on the information? I am sure they would not publish the contact details here, but might pass on a message.

It is certainly the right thing to try and find the owner, but generally the law seems to be "finders, keepers."  

Different places will have different laws.  As mentioned in this article:  "In California, there is a law mandating that any found property valued over $100 be turned over to police. Authorities must then wait 90 days, advertise the lost property for a week, and finally release it to the person who found it if no one could prove ownership."  

It also depends on where you find the object, if you find it on someone else's property then they have a superior claim to the object.

No way to know if it even works, hell, maybe it landed in a pond and the seller just dried it out...if it is a prune it will never return to being a grape!...all the older folks on here can attest to that....(self included...LOL!)..
You would have to be one brave sob to put up that dough without knowing if it worked, or at least have a fresh battery with you and heaven forbid the person that lost it does not have a find my Phantom ap running or something that could track them to you...

Dr. Acula Posted at 2016-2-20 10:56
It is certainly the right thing to try and find the owner, but generally the law seems to be "finder ...

"Different places will have different laws.  As mentioned in this article:  "In California, there is a law mandating that any found property valued over $100 be turned over to police. Authorities must then wait 90 days, advertise the lost property for a week, and finally release it to the person who found it if no one could prove ownership."  

That law applies to everywhere within Australia too, and as our law is based on English law, I imagine it would be the same in England. Except we do not put a qualification in there regarding the value of the object. Anything you find of value is considered Lost Property and should be handed in.

Dr. Acula Posted at 2016-2-20 10:56
It is certainly the right thing to try and find the owner, but generally the law seems to be "finder ...

"Different places will have different laws.  As mentioned in this article:  "In California, there is a law mandating that any found property valued over $100 be turned over to police. Authorities must then wait 90 days, advertise the lost property for a week, and finally release it to the person who found it if no one could prove ownership."  

That law applies to everywhere within Australia too, and as our law is based on English law, I imagine it would be the same in England. Except we do not put a qualification in there regarding the value of the object. Anything you find of value is considered Lost Property and should be handed in.

Geebax Posted at 2016-2-20 07:52
That's true, would be interesting to hear what Ken has to say on the subject. Given the serial num ...

Honestly, if an aircraft were stolen I don't think DJI could do anything about it.
I agree, it would be nice if you could report a serial number and a system on the server that could notify employees with some info.
But with privacy laws I don't think that even if they could they would give out info unless there was a court order. Pursuing it may cost more than your aircraft is worth.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-20 13:06
Honestly, if an aircraft were stolen I don't think DJI could do anything about it.
I agree, it wou ...

I was not suggesting giving out any information, or publish it anywhere. But if someone was to come on here saying they found a Phantom with serial number XXXX, then perhaps DJI could match it up with a registration and send an email to the owner, giving them a link to the thread showing the number. I don't see how that would viotale anyone's privacy, any more than DJI sending promotional emails to us as they already do.

Geebax Posted at 2016-2-20 10:36
I was not suggesting giving out any information, or publish it anywhere. But if someone was to come ...

Sounds reasonable but I'm sure there's a reason why they don't do it.
I used to have a side business selling new portable GPS systems for full size aircraft . One was stolen during shipment. They had to be registered before you could use them. I called the manufacture and gave them the serial number and they said there was nothing they could do.

I don't get promotionals from DJI at all.  I suspect that all goes back to the questionable way the dealer initially registered my P3.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-20 13:48
Sounds reasonable but I'm sure there's a reason why they don't do it.
I used to have a side busine ...

Makes you wonder though, what reason DJI has for the registration process.....

Geebax Posted at 2016-2-19 22:38
Makes you wonder though, what reason DJI has for the registration process.....

I agree with this.. I always assumed that the registration process was to help verify ownership of the bird.. If I were to find a Phantom quad out in the wild, and I want to contact DJI so I can provide the serial number, I assumed that DJI would help facilitate the return of the bird to its rightful owner.  It seems this could be done without violating anyone's privacy.  In my hypothetical scenario above, I would even provide MY contact information that I would allow DJI to forward on so the owner could contact ME, if DJI didn't want to get in the middle of it.

If this is not the case, and DJI would do nothing in this scenario, then why register the birds in the first place?

charlesrmc Posted at 2016-2-22 16:31
I agree with this.. I always assumed that the registration process was to help verify ownership of ...

The answer is that DJI most probably suffers from the problem common to a lot of Chinese companies in that they have not yet learned to do business in our polite world. I deal with several of them, and they just would not consider that helping people out in those circumstances is the 'nice' thing to do.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-19 21:48
Sounds reasonable but I'm sure there's a reason why they don't do it.
I used to have a side busine ...

Just a guess, but the reason is probably to avoid getting in the middle of a argument/civil action.

Just because you _claim_ your property was lost or stolen, doesn't mean it was.

What if someone gave or sold the item to another, then had misgivings (or was simply dishonest). They report it as "lost" and then involve the manufacturer to have it returned. Now the manufacturer is in the middle of a he said/she said argument. They have to provide statements, turn over records and possibly send someone to testify in a civil court proceeding. I think it would be rare to find a company that would invest the time and resources for something like this. It's just not worth it.

Geebax Posted at 2016-2-19 18:18
Interesting, as this came up in the last couple of days: http://forum.dji.com/thread-42953-1-2.html
...

"The people putting it up for sale on eBay seem to be unaware that the correct procedure is to hand lost items into the nearest police station as Lost Property, not put them up on eBay. "

I think they know exactly what they are doing.

jrm11 Posted at 2016-2-23 00:45
"The people putting it up for sale on eBay seem to be unaware that the correct procedure is to han ...

If there is a stolen item listed anywhere, please post the link here and the owner needs to post it.
I can see what can be done. I hate thieves and if I can offer any assistance I'm all in.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-23 04:27
If there is a stolen item listed anywhere, please post the link here and the owner needs to post i ...

Ken, the one that was being referenced is in the UK, and was on eBay. The person selling it found the aircraft and put it up on eBay without handing it in to the police as lost property.

Geebax Posted at 2016-2-23 05:49
Ken, the one that was being referenced is in the UK, and was on eBay. The person selling it found  ...

That, if the seller provided the serial number then the owner could be found.Perhaps, someone can him a message that DJI is aware of it and would like to notify the owner and refer the seller to this link and post I made.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-23 09:13
That, if the seller provided the serial number then the owner could be found.Perhaps, someone can h ...

I already sent a message to the seller suggesting he should hand it to his local police as lost property, but he did not bother to reply to me. In any event, he has now sold it.

All the more reason to put a sticker with your phone number on the drone.  Reminds me of a childhood story.  Friend found a baseball mitt at the neighborhood elementary school.  Nobody around so he took it home.  His father told him to return it to the field and place it where he found it.  The kid replied, "Well then somebody will steal it."  His father said "Precisely, but it won't be you.  It is not yours to take.  Consider how you would feel if it were your mitt and someone else took it.  Same as theft."

Geebax Posted at 2016-2-23 07:14
I already sent a message to the seller suggesting he should hand it to his local police as lost pr ...

I wonder if the owner ever found the seller and possibly could do something about it.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-23 14:18
I wonder if the owner ever found the seller and possibly could do something about it.

Well, He could, providing he could quote the serial number of the aircraft to the police. That would be pretty easy if he took the original packing box to the cops to show them the serial number printed on it.

Or.... He could take a letter from DJI showing the serial number and saying it was registered to a Mr. Joe XXXX.  Hint, hint!

Geebax Posted at 2016-2-23 11:28
Well, He could, providing he could quote the serial number of the aircraft to the police. That wou ...

You can make it a mission to find the owner, post and look for ads by where the seller lives.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-22 21:31
You can make it a mission to find the owner, post and look for ads by where the seller lives.

The Ebay seller took it off the bidding. I guess he had a change of heart

flormo2002@yaho Posted at 2016-2-23 12:39
The Ebay seller took it off the bidding. I guess he had a change of heart

Ya, I Hope so.