DJI — Local services in Cerritos

On May 5, 2023, about an hour after my Mini 3 Pro drone crashed, I filed a “fly-a-way incident” report with DJI. Other than the date, approximate crash time, and similar data, my report stated, “After flying non-stop for about 30 minutes, a message said something like, ‘rotor stuck, prop will not turn.’"

As supplemental data, I reported I was flying the drone in a city park and had flown the drone in the same park for 10 months; the drone was flying at an altitude of between 90 and 95 feet, and that there were no trees or other obstacles close to that height.

On May 8, DJI’s representative, Charles, responded that the drone was flying at 27.8 meters (91.2 feet) when it crashed. "T=17:08, ‘H=27.8 m,’ D=138.8 m, the aircraft crashed with the obstacle when it was flying in the counter-clockwise direction at 7 m/s." Additionally, Charles stated, “the incident was caused by non-manufacturing factors. Therefore, it is concluded to no warranty service.”

The drone was not located. DJI did not identify the obstacle the drone supposedly crashed into, nor comment on the controller’s message that the rotor had “stuck.” When I pointed out those omissions, on May 19, Charles, said, “Regarding the incident, the reason why the prompt, ‘Motor stuck appears’ is that the aircraft crashed with obstacles.”

In a May 22 email, Charles attached an aerial diagram showing the “crash” altitude as 28.9 m (94.82 feet), now, 3.6 feet higher. Charles, asserted that the drone plunged 91.2 (or 94.8) feet, crashed, then messaged its “motor stuck.”

In his May 22 email, Charles, explained his previous statements. “Before the incident, there was no 'motor error' appear. After the crash happened, 'sensor error' appeared in the flight, however, after the crash happened, the performance of the aircraft can no longer be guaranteed."

At some point it became clear that it didn’t matter what I experienced or said, DJI would not honor its warranty. To “compensate” for my loss, however, DJI’s representative offered to sell me another Mini 3 Pro at a 15% discount, then upped the discount offer to 40%.

Since DJI refuses to honor their warranty, I had no choice but to accept the cost minus 40% offer. Perhaps I can sell the Mini 3 Pro and recoup some of my loss.

Whatever, I’m done with DJI. Epilogue: On May 30, 31, and June 1, I received an email from DJI Customer Care Manager, Shamy. Shamy offered me a free 128GB MicroSD card to express their “sincere goodwill and courtesy.” Then Shamy followed up with, “If you would accept this offer as a full settlement of your case, please make your confirmation here, and I will help you process it.”

On each of those days, my response was, “Thanks but no. Neither you nor any other DJI representative will ever get even close to convincing me that my drone crashed after falling from 90+ feet then broadcasting its rotor stuck. And do you seriously believe I wouldn't have noticed an obstacle of that height after flying there for almost an entire year? I don't think you do.”

On June 2 and 3, I received additional email from Shamy. Shamy re-sent an aerial photo showing the drone crashed at 28.9 meters, plus a final comment: "(W)e can only analyze the incident base on the flight records that you synced with DJI."

Recall that initially DJI representative Charles claimed the drone crashed at 27.8 meters. Neither Charles nor Shamy, ever explained how the controller recorded that the drone crashed at “H=27.8 m,” and at “H=28.9 m”; at 91.2 feet “and” at 94.8 feet.

As long as the outcome of the incident hinges on DJI’s controller’s recordings, notwithstanding the illogic of the drone supposedly crashing at two distinctly different altitudes, notwithstanding the fact that I’ve somehow failed to notice “an obstacle” almost 100 feet high after flying the drone for 10 months in the same area at the same or lower altitudes, and notwithstanding the illogic of the drone’s issuing a “rotor stuck” message “after” crashing, the least DJI could do is . .

. . . . get its...

Do NOT do business with this company!!! We bought the DJI OSMO ACTION and at first glance, it was awesome. The picture was beautiful, the device easy to work with and a totally unintrusive piece of equipment... WHILE IT WORKED which was exactly 5 days or so :( So I tell myself, "these things happen sometimes", I have a warranty plus additional insurance. Easy Peasy right? NOPE! Firstly I'm in Italy, which I needed the equipment for AND I can't send the malfunctioning device back til I return to the states IN TWO WEEKS! But I start the process of dealing with the issue online... I figure out quickly that thats not gonna work so I wait to get back home. I finally begin with what winds up being a barrage of phone calls only to finally connect to DJI's HORRENDOUS CUSTOMER SERVICE Representatives. Truly the worst I've ever experienced and that is saying a lot. The Customer Service Rep is asleep, uncaring and super slow and by now I am super frustrated because it has taken me many tries to get them on the phone. I'm talking MANY dropped calls disconnects, or the sound of someone answering and hanging up without saying hello. They simply don't care which in this day and age of Social Media and bad reviews equals to the death of a company! I finally put in a ticket for repair as per their instructions, send the camera back immediately and it takes forever to come back. When it does, ITS BROKEN but in a different way.. They fixed whatever bug it had before and then BROKE the camera speaker :O SOOOO since this equipment was bought for a work/vacation out of the country, where we were when it stopped working and with two more weeks to go, I was NOT happy!!! I call back, ask to speak to a Supervisor and I'm told by the very bored customer service rep that the Supervisor is not available and that I would receive a callback in 24 -48 hours. When I asked why it took them so long to respond to the customers keeping them n business, he responded that actual company "Protocol" was that supervisors "DO NOT" actually speak to customers. Wait... WHAT? When I repeated that back to him as a question he tried to back track. He repeated that he would put the request in and ask the supervisor to call me BUT that there were MANY others before me waiting for a call as well... Needless to say my camera is still broken and I am waiting for a phone call I do not have a lot of faith in getting. OH and did I mention this had been going on for 2 months now!!!?!! Buy yourself a GO PRO and skip the DJI Experience of not caring enough for the customers that keep...

I To whom it may concern,

I am taking a moment to publicly address a matter that has transcended what one might consider a mere service oversight, evolving into an outright display of negligence and questionable business ethics on the part of DJI.

In April, I placed my trust in DJI by using the UPS label they provided to ship two drones for repairs. Weeks turned into months with nothing but deafening silence. Each time I reached out, I was met with a simple response: "wait for the package to arrive." Only after a considerable period and immense personal effort did I come to understand that UPS had misplaced my package.

UPS, in recognition of their fault, agreed to compensate for the lost drones. This should have been the silver lining; a small consolation for the months of stress and communication battles. However, to my shock and deep dismay, DJI has expressed that they are neither willing nor able to compensate me for the drones - even after UPS has committed to reimbursing them.

This isn't merely a failure to deliver a service. It's a refusal to do right by a customer even when the means to do so are handed to them.

I strongly urge DJI to immediately address and resolve this matter. The funds from UPS should rightly be directed to me, the aggrieved party. It's not just about the drones or the monetary value; it's about trust, reputation, and ethical business practices.

If DJI does not take swift and appropriate action to rectify this situation, I am fully prepared to involve legal counsel. I sincerely hope it does not come to that. All I ask for is rightful compensation and a gesture of goodwill to restore the faith I once had in DJI.

DJI, I am waiting for an immediate and positive response. It's high time to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and rectify this...