Hello guys,


So this is my second brand new P4 unit, which I have purchased today, from one of the local dealers.

When I opened the box, my P4 was missing some stickers, and upon closer insepction I have noticed a few smudges, inconsistencies, and scratches.
As well as I see some wear and tear in the battery compartment, very hard to take a picture witht the right angle.

Again, this is a completely brand new unit, that was sealed. Although has some smudges and scratched.

Quality control problem?

Another things I have noticed, the battery wobbles a little bit when it's fully inserted, not like my first unit, it was rock solid. And after a full P4 initialization, the camera gimbal twitches a little bit.

threethreethree Posted at 2016-7-21 23:34
Another things I have noticed, the battery wobbles a little bit when it's fully inserted, not like m ...

Can you please post a video of the startup.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-21 18:52
Can you please post a video of the startup.

It's all boxed up now and going back to the dealer. Can you please give me a comment on the pictures I attached above, is that normal?

i think dealer put used one in box

threethreethree Posted at 2016-7-21 23:59
It's all boxed up now and going back to the dealer. Can you please give me a comment on the pictur ...

There are hundreds of thousands of these being shipped out, if one has a tiny scrape mark that does not effect anything I would pass it through QC. As long as it didn't change the function of anything or a cosmetic flaw can barely be seen I'd think it would be fine.
And yes, sometimes the battery is not going to be perfectly flush with it's seam.

You should focus more on the flying characteristics of the aircraft and have some fun.
And where was it purchased from? I wouldn't think a dealer could or would package up a used aircraft and try to sell it as new.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-21 19:59
There are hundreds of thousands of these being shipped out, if one has a tiny scrape mark that does ...

I get your point. But I wouldn't be very happy if my Mercedes-Benz AMG 6.3s came with scratched rims, right from the dealer.
So when I'm paying €1500 for a quadcopter, why should I accept any cosmetical damage, right from the box, from a brand new unit?

Also, I assume that the scuff on the gimbal motor was from some kind of impact, thus causing it to twitch.

I remember the #SCUFFGATE issue with iPhone 5, back in the 2012, and then Apple offered a full replacement on all the affected units.

My p4 had protective stickers all motor ends on gimbal, sensors, cameras, Dji badge etc, no smudge marks or anything and from day dot I've had no problems at all. Best phantom yet, I'd say yours is a used/ returned unit!. Mine was one in the first ever batch and to be fair I think a lot now are returned stuff sent back out. Products are amazing but the company and sometimes after service is SHOCKING.

you know this reminds me when I received mine (not direct from DJI or Apple store) My P4 did not have any stickers on the arms like I have seen in YouTube videos. It did not have the protective stickers on the lenses including the motion sensors, there was a tiny scratches on the gimbal tiny cracks under the arms up to the motors ( I can post pics) and the polystyrene case did not have the black seal tape over it.

The only sticker on my P4 was the hard to reach one above the gimbal.

Bennyboy1983 Posted at 2016-7-21 20:31
My p4 had protective stickers all motor ends on gimbal, sensors, cameras, Dji badge etc, no smudge m ...

This is what I'm talking about, and you were the lucky one. It's already returned to the dealer, and they are going to replace it with a brand new unit.

I checked the S/N with the DJI support, and they actually told me that the unit was activated by me, so that means it was all brand new.

I really don't know what to expect now! Did you buy yours directly from DJI?

tiansimpson Posted at 2016-7-21 20:42
you know this reminds me when I received mine (not direct from DJI or Apple store) My P4 did not hav ...

Now this is really worrying! Did you return your unit?

Please do post some pics.

threethreethree Posted at 2016-7-22 01:20
I get your point. But I wouldn't be very happy if my Mercedes-Benz AMG 6.3s came with scratched rim ...

Where did you purchase from?
And I agree if I bought a new cart and one of the rims had a very heavy noticeable scratch I would ask for a new rim.
If it was something that I couldn't see unless I had to be a few inches from it I wouldn't worry about it.
I'm sure if you go look at any brand new car in a lot you will find some imperfection somewhere on it.
You Are free to contact support and have it sent in.
Yu did not mention any twitching, in that case please post a quick video and then see what customer support says about it.

I have purchased it from Baltic Mobile.

To be fair, the P4 is quite small and delicate a piece of equipment, especially if we are talking about gimbal, and it's tiny motors.
This is why I have noticed the scratches and smudges in the first place. Also I don't mind scratches and dings after some real use, because I know it was my tear and wear.

So my point, if I'm buying something new, for a hefty price tag, it should feel and look new. Because now it really does feel like a second hand unit, although I have confirmed that it was brand new, and activated only by me.
I'm that type of person that is willing to pay more, just to get that sweet spot.

Actually I did mention the twitching in my second post, I can't record the video now, because the unit is already packed and sent back to the dealer.

Thanks!

threethreethree Posted at 2016-7-22 03:36
I have purchased it from Baltic Mobile.

To be fair, the P4 is quite small and delicate a piece of e ...

Ok, no problem.

I'm with you 100%... I want that factory fresh smell when I open the box, I want to pull off the safety stickers, and see a product that has not been handled by humans outside of the factory.  You are absolutely within your rights to expect a new product when you buy a new product.

Yep, if you wanted refurbished/used then get discounted price... Buying new should mean new, not new to you

Mine also had scratches on the gimbal motor. Everything else checked out fine

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-21 17:59
There are hundreds of thousands of these being shipped out, if one has a tiny scrape mark that does ...

I'm being honest here, that's not a great excuse at all.

Funny that someone mentioned it already, but I actually work at Mercedes-Benz. Try telling a customer that it's fine there's a scratch on their brand new car, because you have to be close to actually see it. They won't accept it, and neither should a DJI customer.

More so, that's not really the point. If it doesn't look new, then you start questioning where it's actually been. Is it a refurb? Has it been damaged? Why are those marks there.

You said it wouldn't fuss you, which is fine, but then you may be out of touch with your client base.

Moan over, off to fly some more!

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-21 12:59
There are hundreds of thousands of these being shipped out, if one has a tiny scrape mark that does ...

DJI-KEN Lets say you bought a brand new car, lets say a 370Z, and when you brought it home you noticed small, almost unnoticable scratches and smudged paint where the undercoat is visible....granted it will not effect the powerful performance of that 370Z, and it will drive like no other,...but, would you be happy about it and live with it, or, take it back to the dealership?

mjlstudios Posted at 2016-7-23 15:38
DJI-KEN Lets say you bought a brand new car, lets say a 370Z, and when you brought it home you not ...

a 370z really???

Vincent D Posted at 2016-7-23 20:19
a 370z really???

Why not a 370Z? I have a 370Z Roadster convertible and love it!

mjlstudios Posted at 2016-7-24 03:38
DJI-KEN Lets say you bought a brand new car, lets say a 370Z, and when you brought it home you not ...

If I saw a tiny scratch in a spot where I probably wouldn't notice it, I wouldn't worry about.

brickard Posted at 2016-7-25 21:46
You must live in the city.  
I don't know anyone else that would buy a brand new sports ca ...

Not hardly, one tiny barely unnoticeable scratch I'm fine with. Something large and several of them then I am not.

Not all dealers are the same, period.  Holds true for any kind of merchandise.  That's why Sears has a scratch and dent sale, noting at all wrong with that washer I bought and the scratch was in a place that you would never notice.  It's the feel of buying something rather expensive and wanting it to be right or at least virgin new.  Never owned a beamer but I do own a 30K chopper and yes it applies just the same.

Hopefully you'll get a better experience on the next unit.  Funny that these days you can buy so many of these (maybe not this particular caliber) from places as simple as hardware stores.  As a manufacturer I'd be a little more discrete on who I allow to be a dealer rather than try to completely flood the market with any dick and jane just making a buck.

So I guess you know my attitude towards dealers in general  lol.

And the story continues...


Hair under the lense!

Chewed up propeller mount!

Brand new replacement unit, right out of the box, not even activated.

On top of that, the battery wiggles a lot, I can almost pull it out when it's inside.
The camera is making a squeaking noise when I turn on the unit.

Another disappointment.

Sorry you are having trouble with another new in box DJI product again.  

It appears someone is selling you remanufactured units or units that shouldn't have passed QC during manufacturing and passing them off as new in sealed box.

I wonder who the culprit is.

My local Best Buy stopped stocking the P4 because they said most of them were coming back and being replaced repeatidly.

fred.higton@gma Posted at 2016-7-26 18:54
Sorry you are having trouble with another new in box DJI product again.
It appears someone is selli ...

Well the dealer is selling them as brand new, unactivated, so I really want to know what is going on there?

DJI please comment on this!

Please do note this is a 3RD unit...

MMMCCCXXXIII Posted at 2016-7-26 23:49
And the story continues...

New out of the box does not look like that. If you upgrade the firmware the start up squeak should stop.
BUT, honestly I would contact the dealer, the camera lens should have nothing inside and props should not have been installed. If the mounts are chewed up then it looks like the unit has been flown several times.
Can you post a video clip of the battery wiggle.
You need to contact the dealer.I will forward this to management as this should not be happening.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-26 19:20
New out of the box does not look like that. If you upgrade the firmware the start up squeak should  ...

This is exactly my point, the box was sealed, and I have just activated the unit. Here is the S/N: 07DDD4P0A10772, you can check that for yourself.

I have just upgraded the firmware, and camera squeaking is gone!
Also, only one of the propeller mounts has the chewed up locking mechanism.

Please find the video here:


It's still being processed, and will be in horizontal pretty soon.

DJI-Ken, I'm definitely going to visit the dealer tomorrow. Asking for a full refund, and then ordering the Phantom 4 directly from DJI website!

MMMCCCXXXIII Posted at 2016-7-27 01:16
This is exactly my point, the box was sealed, and I have just activated the unit. Here is the S/N:  ...

The battery does not clip in? I did not hear it.

Purchasing from a 3rd party retailer allows a little more flexibility than direct purchases...

Also, I would make it a habit of filming and photographing future unboxing experiences.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-26 20:54
The battery does not clip in? I did not hear it.

No, it doesn't, and it feels a bit sluggish when it's inside. And if I shake the Phantom 4, I can hear the battery wobble.

Is it possible that this is a re-manufactured unit or a unit that shouldn't have passed the QC during manufacturing, and they are selling them off as brand new sealed box?

There have been others on this forum and related forums experiencing these issues from different approved 3rd party vendors.

MMMCCCXXXIII Posted at 2016-7-27 02:01
No, it doesn't, and it feels a bit sluggish when it's inside. And if I shake the Phantom 4, I can  ...

Use both thumbs and press on rear of the battery, if you do not hear the click then see if the battery will pull out without having to press the tabs. If it comes out then DO NOT fly the aircraft as the battery is not locked in.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-26 21:16
Use both thumbs and press on rear of the battery, if you do not hear the click then see if the bat ...

I did try that, and it doesn't click in, just makes a slight cracking sound.

At the moment I feel like I'm done with 3rd party dealers. I bet 100% that I will have more luck with buying from DJI website directly.

DJI-Ken, I would kindly ask you, if you can confirm that everything I mentioned above is not acceptable? Especially from a brand new unit, out of the box. So that I can use this forum information, and show this to the dealer when I'm returning this unit for a full refund.

It would be also very nice of you if you can pass this on to the management, as you said above.

Much appreciated!

multikopteri Posted at 2016-7-27 02:28
I did try that, and it doesn't click in, just makes a slight cracking sound.

At the moment I feel ...

Hello, I've passed your question to our manufacturing manager and he says,
1.this battery fit is normal. When the battery is inserted correctly in the tray, if you wiggle it, it will behave like shown in you video because there is a little gap inside (between the tray and battery itself)
2.Problem with plastic prop mount is not normal since it is a new unit without any crash or physical damage. As for the refund issue, I think you can discuss with your dealer.Sorry to say that I'm not so sure about this.
3.I can see the hair on the edge of the fliter.But since the center zone of the len is clean, it is not a big issue. To clean the edge of the filter you can unscrew the ring that holds UV filter and clean it with the lens cleaning cloth.

DJI-Paladin Posted at 2016-7-27 06:12
Hello, I've passed your question to our manufacturing manager and he says,
1.this battery fit is no ...

Hello,

Thank you for the reply.

1. The battery wiggles extensively right after I put it in, without even me forcing it. My other Phantom 4 unit doesn't do that, and battery is a very snug fit. I can probably wiggle it with some force.

2. I really don't want to spend time on searching for the parts to replace them on my brand new out of the box unit. I believe it should not have any signs of usage, damage, in the first place.

3. I've searched for DJI Online Tutorials, and couldn't find any information on how to do this. As a former computer engineer, I can surely say that this should be done in a dust free environment.

The bottom line is, if I'm buying a new unit, I should not be opening camera lenses myself to clean it from hair debrees, nor I should be accepting any sign of usage on the unit.

I think people will agree.

multikopteri Posted at 2016-7-27 14:48
Hello,

Thank you for the reply.

I can understand your feeling.So you may need to contact your dealer for a replacement again. Sorry for the inconvenience.