If interested HERE is a little back history for my experience with DJI.

The latest… Even though I asked many times to be notified of the repairs made to my aircraft this was ignored again. After the fourth failed repair I was sent, without notification, a refurbished Phantom. I had repeatedly asked for a NEW replacement because my Phantom has never been safe to fly since I bought it. I do not feel it fair to of paid a full price for a used device…one I have no idea how much wear and tear it has received before being refurbished. This was refused…be warned they will never REPLACE a faulty aircraft with a new one. Even though my aircraft has been in the repair shop on and off for 5 months they also said they would not extend the warranty...even on the refurbished unit.

Now for the refurbished aircraft… It was missing an SD card. When I called to inquire they asked if I had a card in it when I sent it in… I said yes.  We are told in the RMA mail to return the bird exactly as it was received... to me this included the sd card. I was told  the SD cards belong to them not me and they will not replace it. I was mad… I said the SD came with the bird when I purchased it and I want it back… I was told will sorry…maybe in a couple of weeks…but no guarantee… we will see about finding it. I asked to speak with a supervisor… I was refused. I have been refused three times access to a supervisor during this repair fiasco.  I have asked for help here many times as well and also ignored.

Now again for the refurbished aircraft… The mother board ribbon to the gimbal was not folded  correctly and is hanging out over the sd card slot. I was told to just poke it in… just great.

I have made a complaint to the Better Business Bureau but I will not hold my breath because if you check the company on the BBB you will find they often do not even respond to complaints.

OK done I guess....Mr Fustrated

I would suggest maybe a new approach to getting your drone replaced with a new one.

microcyb Posted at 2016-3-15 12:12
I would suggest maybe a new approach to getting your drone replaced with a new one.

I am certainly open to suggestions. I have asked for a number to call and ignored here in the forum... Support in Carson will not let me speak to anyone with authority to replace it with a new device... I'm out of ideas.

Thanks Butch

daviskw2004 Posted at 2016-3-15 13:15
I am certainly open to suggestions. I have asked for a number to call and ignored here in the forum ...

Go to Best buy, buy a new drone, return with bad one.
{:3_59:}

microcyb Posted at 2016-3-15 12:21
Go to Best buy, buy a new drone, return with bad one.

lol... sad but so I am honest... unlike I'm afraid this company. I am coming off bitter I know but $1,250.00 for a faulty device is fustrating when you have no recourse.
Butch

daviskw2004 Posted at 2016-3-15 17:15
I am certainly open to suggestions. I have asked for a number to call and ignored here in the forum ...

Personally at this point, I'd cut my loses, sell it on ebay & buy new from a reputable dealer who will take responsibility.  Or wait & buy something else depending on your needs.

I'm already considering doing this & mine isn't even broken yet.

daviskw2004 Posted at 2016-3-15 13:25
lol... sad but so I am honest... unlike I'm afraid this company. I am coming off bitter I know but  ...

Best Buy, Apple, Etc. Issue an RMA and return to the manufacturer as defective.  So they do not take a loss.
It is a sad direction, but at least then you have a working new model and the defective goes back to be refurbished correctly.

Yeah, it is a last ditch attempt, as you will need to charge your card for a new bird and then wait 15-30 days to get your money back on your card, but unless you just sell it and give up, I think you are out of options.

I would buy defective drones, but I like to buy things in person.

nigelw Posted at 2016-3-15 12:31
Personally at this point, I'd cut my loses, sell it on ebay & buy new from a reputable dealer who  ...

I keep hoping they will come forward and honor their commitment to good customer service. If not then I will continue to warn potential buyers of the problems they may face.

There is always the chance that I've just had bad luck with a lemon device and the wrong support personnel. Maybe a rep from DJI will straighten this out... This product has great potential but so far the support on problems like mine and firmware updates etc... has been atrocious...and not just for me.

Butch

On the other hand, I had an experience that was totally opposite than you had.  I obliterated one of my Phantoms, a P3A.  It was my fault, but it was being flown on the early-release firmware.  I was issued an RMA.  I sent the totaled bird to DJI WITHOUT MY SD CARD and waited.  I did not bother them at all - no emails, no calls.  IMO the P3A that I received was not refurbished - even though they said that it was, you could not tell it from a new one.  So far, I have nothing but good things to say about DJI.

I bought a Phantom 3 early last summer from a reseller on Amazon.  Opened the box and went to upgrade the firmware.  The controller would not upgrade.  Called reseller and they said to send it back there was a 25% restocking fee even though the bird was new and never flew.  They suggested to call DJI.  6 hours later with multiple calls to DJI they said it was a faulty unit and they would repair it.  Just send it back.  Issued a return label.  They never told me it would take 7 weeks.  Once it arrived there and found out how long it would take I tried to just get it back to return it to the reseller and take a 25% hit.  They would not return it. Most of the time I couldn't even get through to customer service.  Finally drone was returned.  Still errors with app and by then there was new firmware that again would not upgrade..  Extremely frustrated.  Contacted the reseller again and told them the whole story.  They said sorry, I had had the drone too long it would now be a 50% restocking charge even though the bird had never been flown.  Took the huge financial hit.  I was so frustrated with the whole thing.   Still wanted a drone really badly so bought the Yunkee Typhoon 4k.  Worked right out of the box.  I had a few questions for customer service and they pick right up.  Actually the camera had a small malfunction and they replaced it.  Love Yunkee and my drone.  Still want the range of a Phantom and all the bells and whistles but with DJI lack of caring and support just can't buy the new Phantom 4.  DJI has the best, most advance product.  Why can't they just fix customer service?   They would increase sales so much.  Many people like me go to other manufactures because of this one issue.  I know DJI employees read these forums.  Just fix customer service and value your customers!   Once they do that I will own a Phantom too.  I just might have to wait for the Phantom 5 or Phantom 6!

boxerman Posted at 2016-3-15 12:58
On the other hand, I had an experience that was totally opposite than you had.  I obliterated one of ...

Sorry double post.

boxerman Posted at 2016-3-15 12:58
On the other hand, I had an experience that was totally opposite than you had.  I obliterated one of ...

I wish you continued good luck... but  this does not negate the many complaints that go unanswered and unresolved.

Did you follow the link to the Better Business Bureau I posted... if not take some time then tell me again what the ratio between good and bad service is at their repair facility. If not

HERE it is again...check it out.

Butch

wxeye Posted at 2016-3-15 11:02
I bought a Phantom 3 early last summer from a reseller on Amazon.  Opened the box and went to upgrad ...

Should have taken it up to amazon. If it is defected and not your fault you should not have to pay a restocking fee. Those are there if you want to return the item that has no problem.

wxeye Posted at 2016-3-15 13:02
I bought a Phantom 3 early last summer from a reseller on Amazon.  Opened the box and went to upgrad ...

Dang.  Your story falls square in the "Hall of Fame" - probably one of the worst I've heard and completely because of the "restocking fee" BS.  Reminds me of the cable companies and the cell phone providers charging that completely idiotic "activation fee" (for $49, somebody has to press a key somewhere).  "Restocking" in your case is mindless because they sold you a sick bird.  Couldn't you get Amazon involved?

Anyway, I hear you guys and I know there is some ill will between DJI and some of their customers.  I feel fortunate of the outcome I had - especially when I collided with a pine tree at 60 feet altitude and it fell onto a concrete boat ramp.  The camera broke off and skipped across the lake like a smooth rock.  I boxed up what I could find and they sent me another Phantom.  I buy my DJI stuff from DJI directly and will keep doing so.  I do understand and sympathize.

hej, sorry to hear about all this, and as a new i opted to go with yuneec because of all the horror stories about customer service....now get this.....i bought a typhoon k4, 4 x 10 min flights later just about to take off for flight number 5 it short circuited and died, the the screen went black and did the dreaded "I'm not playing anymore thing" and i went ballistic......thats was saturday morning, sunday i contacted by email their workshop boss in germany who fixed the thing to be picked up this coming friday and returned free of charge in about 3 weeks including travel time.....the mother board is fried and a number of esc,s, theres scorching on the battery and as said, the controller died too, probably from corrupted signal return and god knows what else.....the point being, thank god i went with the company who cares....jeez....i too think dji has a great product, but these companies ultimately will lose out to companies like yuneec....people are sick of getting screwed over these days and it will come back to bite them in the ass later....get your money back any which way you can and buy a drone from a different company, hell with em...cheers grip

grip Posted at 2016-3-16 09:20
hej, sorry to hear about all this, and as a new i opted to go with yuneec because of all the horror  ...

Buy Yuneec after what you just said? Not damn likely.

Geebax Posted at 2016-3-15 20:04
Buy Yuneec after what you just said? Not damn likely.

that's funny!

yes that list of faults sound enticing ....
and that was before any crash!

kirk2579@aol.co Posted at 2016-3-16 11:18
that's funny!

yes that list of faults sound enticing ....

Yeah, I just love the people who come on here and threaten to go and buy another company's product because they are pissed with DJI. Great idea, that's going to put the frighteners on DJI, especially when they can sell more drones than they can make.

So by buying a second rate product you will teach them a lesson?

Lots and lots and lots  and lots of Drone dollars headed to Chiner.    I wonder what they'll do with all dat CASH ?!?!
What "could" Chiner do with Billions and billions and billions of drone dollars?

Maybe just do a chargeback on your credit card?

Cessna172 Posted at 2016-3-16 13:02
Lots and lots and lots  and lots of Drone dollars headed to Chiner.    I wonder what they'll do with ...

I don't know what Chiner does with the money, but China uses it to make themselves great. Something 'You-Know-Who' is promising and will not deliver on.

My first purchse was a P3A, it had a defective camera out of the box. Bestbuy Canada does no returns or exchanges on open box drones but the manager felt sorry so he let me purchase a Phantom 3 Pro in exchange and pay the difference. The phantom 3 pro came DOA with esc errors that won't allow the motors to fire. Now my Phantom 3 has been in shipment with FedEx since march 10th for repair at dji LA which won't arrive till the 17th. So now I have to wait 2-3 weeks for them to repair my drone which should of been replaced with a new one as it has never flown, and another week to get back to me. So..... 3-5 weeks for a new DOA item which is ridiculous and unacceptable.  DJI Care DOES NOT make warranty repair faster, the least they could of done is gave me something better then cruddy FedEx ground international. My package has been "in transit" for 50 hours and its only 10 hours away, wtf FedEx did you go on casino holiday with the freight truck?

Very depressing.
I ended up purchasing a SYMA X5C-1 to hold me over till this ungodly wait is over. Sadly the syma has been more reliable and only cost me 50$.....