About to order a DJI Mavic and not sure if the DJI Care is worth it.
My primary concern is the 1 year length of the coverage. Seems like a bare minimum.
Like most people, I am buying the Mavic with the intention to use it for longer than a single year.
If the coverage was for 3 years, I wouldn't hesistate... but for a single year....

What happens if there is a crash more than a year from now?
IF there is a crash, how difficult would it be to do repairs by myself?
Instead of paying $179 for the first crash ($99 original + $79 deductible) what about just buying a used Mavic off eBay for replacement parts?
I am sure used Mavics on eBay will become much cheaper and more common in the future.

I previously had a DJI Inspire without any coverage and never crashed.
It had no redudancy (e.g. single IMU) so it was probably more prone to crashing than the Mavic with its dual redundancy.
I never flew indoors and don't expect to ever do so.

Any opinions based on experience would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

I already had a personal articles policy (rings, watches, etc) as part of my homeowners/car insurenace with State Farm. Called the agent and asked to add the Mavic. Scanned/email the receipt for $1088 cost.
They added coverage for $1088 replacement cost. Increased my premium by $13 per 6 months of coverage.  If its lost/stolen/destroyed in accident, I get reimbursed the full amount.Im guessing if you JUST get a personal articles policy for the mavic, premium may be higher. But I have multiple policies with State Farm.

"Worth it" is always tough because the term is subjective, but a lot of people -- including me -- have decided that it is.

"What happens if there is a crash more than a year from now?"

After Care Refresh expires, I'm going to seriously consider either a State Farm policy or something like what's available from Neary Aerial. I've also seen "insurance" products available through Amazon, but I haven't been too impressed with the stories I've heard about them.

IF there is a crash, how difficult would it be to do repairs by myself?

I imagine it would depend greatly upon the nature of the damage, but I'd guess it could be pretty difficult.

What about just buying a used Mavic off eBay for replacement parts? I am sure used Mavics on eBay will become much cheaper and more common in the future.

By the time that becomes feasible you probably won't be very interested in flying a (first generation) Mavic any more.

I previously had a DJI Inspire without any coverage and never crashed.

Then you probably have an above-average chance of keeping your Mavic in one piece. But $99 for a year's peace of mind was a reasonable deal for me.

fans90d4f438 Posted at 2017-2-14 10:42
I already had a personal articles policy (rings, watches, etc) as part of my homeowners/car insurenace with State Farm. Called the agent and asked to add the Mavic. Scanned/email the receipt for $1088 cost.
They added coverage for $1088 replacement cost. Increased my premium by $13 per 6 months of coverage.  If its lost/stolen/destroyed in accident, I get reimbursed the full amount.Im guessing if you JUST get a personal articles policy for the mavic, premium may be higher. But I have multiple policies with State Farm.

Interesting. It sounds almost a bit too good to be true. I'm a bit skeptical.
So for $26 a year - they will replace your Mavic speedily with little or no questions asked?
Has anyone actually submitted a claim to State Farm for a destroyed or lost Mavic?
Also seems like such a cheap policy would be abused by many.

I bought it because it was my first drone and I didn't trust myself to not put it into a tree. Really just piece of mind when you first start flying.
I had a friend crash a Phantom 3 Standard and the repair bill from a private repair company was $350.

daBKLYNdoorman Posted at 2017-2-14 10:48
Interesting. It sounds almost a bit too good to be true. I'm a bit skeptical.
So for $26 a year - they will replace your Mavic speedily with little or no questions asked?
Has anyone actually submitted a claim to State Farm for a destroyed or lost Mavic?

If you read other threads, most people are paying $60 annually, which is still a good price, especially since you can probably have that amount cover additional property (other drones, firearms, etc.). The only caveat is that there's a possibility that a drone claim could impact your other policies' premiums, even if the policies are through different insurance companies. But yes, the coverage is broad (you don't even have to recover the aircraft) and I have seen people who've said that State Farm delivered when they had a claim.

I did State Farm to keep it 3rd party - simple.

fans90d4f438 Posted at 2017-2-14 10:42
I already had a personal articles policy (rings, watches, etc) as part of my homeowners/car insurenace with State Farm. Called the agent and asked to add the Mavic. Scanned/email the receipt for $1088 cost.
They added coverage for $1088 replacement cost. Increased my premium by $13 per 6 months of coverage.  If its lost/stolen/destroyed in accident, I get reimbursed the full amount.Im guessing if you JUST get a personal articles policy for the mavic, premium may be higher. But I have multiple policies with State Farm.

There's no minimum deductible that would be paid?

daBKLYNdoorman Posted at 2017-2-14 10:48
Interesting. It sounds almost a bit too good to be true. I'm a bit skeptical.
So for $26 a year - they will replace your Mavic speedily with little or no questions asked?
Has anyone actually submitted a claim to State Farm for a destroyed or lost Mavic?

Im just sharing my specific experience, in my specific case.  Im sure the variables matter (I've been with State Farm for over a decade, can't recall a single claim in at least 10 years, and have had multiple policies for multiple cars, motorcycle, real estate and personal articles over that time frame with zero claims. $26 per year for $1088 of coverage in the overall grand scheme of things, is actually rather high premium if you compare say a car annual premium to the total amount of coverage is provided.  

Petroboy Posted at 2017-2-14 11:17
There's no minimum deductible that would be paid?

im pretty positive there is not. BUT...I'll double check when I get home. The addendum to the PA policy came in the mail last week. I'll check it

I don't want to dump over non-DJI Care insurance but insurance companies can easily play a cat and mouse game regarding any drone claims.

For example:
Personal Property or Aircraft (if the later, your personal property coverage will not do anything - and good luck arguing with them or in court)
Appraisal after crash (how much damage was inflicted, perhaps you might only get a few bucks than what you really should get - again, good luck arguing with them)
Circumstances of crash (whose word matters more and what evidence could you possibly have to back up your side of the argument)
Anything else that might cause them to delay or refuse to honor your claim (which give you only one way to get it resolved - go to court - what a headache!)

People don't realize it's the small text and its interpretation that counts. Just because the insurance agent told you your drone will be covered doesn't mean it will if the small text in your policy coverage statement states otherwise.

As I recall, State Farm requires you to fill out a police report, and filing a false report is likely to be a pretty strong fraud deterrent for most people; I know it would be for me.

just called my agent. No deductible. Pointed me to this:

https://www.statefarm.com/insura ... nal-articles-policy

Worldwide Coverage

Coverage applies anywhere in the world. When you go on vacation, items such as jewelry and cameras are covered (fine art items are only covered within the United States and Canada).

Replacement Cost Coverage

We'll pay the cost to repair or replace your property, without deduction for depreciation. The personal articles policy insures against theft and accidental direct physical damage to covered property with only a few limitations and exclusions.

Deductible

Generally there is no deductible for a personal articles policy, although deductibles are available if desired.

fans90d4f438 Posted at 2017-2-14 12:50
just called my agent. No deductible. Pointed me to this:

https://www.statefarm.com/insura ... nal-articles-policy

Again, your agent is just an agent. Their primary goal is to get sales.
To find out exactly what is covered and how, you need to read your policy document in full.

daBKLYNdoorman Posted at 2017-2-14 12:53
Again, your agent is just an agent. Their primary goal is to get sales.
To find out exactly what is covered and how, you need to read your policy document in full.

"Their primary goal is to get sales."

That's true, but I've seen the same thing posted by a number of other people on multiple forums, so I'm pretty sure what he wrote is correct.

i mean, when the CLEARLY written text from a MAJOR insurance provider above CLEARLY states "no deduction for depreciation", "no deductible (unless you desire one"), and the coverage is worldwide. I mean, it seems pretty damn clearcut to me. LOL.  DOUBTFUL that the details in the policy go AGAINST whats clearly written on their public website.
And last time I filed a claim with State Farm (many many years ago..12 or 13 at least), they pretty much asked NO questions.  Paid the claim in full without any hassle at all.

So um, Im going to believe they wouldnt hassle me much over a measly $1088 claim. (Thats NOTHING to them..costs them more to try to fight it)

If the Mavic crashes due to a harware or software problem the warranty should apply. But DJI are really clever analysing the cause to be pilot error , bird attack or whatever. I dont think they even know what warranty means. I've learned this the hard way. It cost me 800 euro incl shiping and tax. So DJI care refresh or a privat insurance is  absolutely recommended..

I'm pretty sure DJI will release some other DJI care program for the Mavic after 12 months.

I just forgot to mention in the posting above that if you are flying in populated and urban eareas it is  advisable to get an insurance that cover third party damage. If the drone crashes and injure people  animals or property it can be very expesive for the pilot.