DJI is keeping my drone
- Thread starter DougAles
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Thanks for posting that, Doug. I never got anything on my phone even though I have send to mobile activated for the fora that I'm following. I looked on my twitter page on my computer and can see that response and that 53 followers retweeted your retweet. Impressive! I tweaked some filter settings on my account page and maybe more posts will come through on my phone. Thanks for your help on this.
I also ranted on the DJI forum yesterday and DJI-Thor, a forum administrator, responded there with apologies and said the case would be looked into and escalated. I got a call on my voice mail about noon today from a support person in New Jersey, according to the area code, apologizing and saying the case is escalated and shipping would be upgraded. A couple of hours later I got several emails from support, including one with a shipping number, so I think the saga is finally coming to an end. Now my worry will be whether or not everything functions properly on the replacement when I get it.
I must say, it sure melts the anger that was building up in me when I finally started getting some responses from DJI that were more that just automated excuses. Thanks again for your help.
Ed
Ed - thank you.
The last part of your reply rung extra-true to me.
I have clients. Often, solutions to my client needs are complex. Frequently I communicate with clients were we are at just so they know we are passionately working on their behalf.
I don't know if what you and I did resulted in faster shipping. However, simply knowing we were not forgotten was enought to satisfy me and give them time to resolve this issue.
My take away lesson form this is my effort to keep my clients informed is the correct approach. I'm going to share this story with my sales team during our Monday sales meeting.
Lets keep in touch Ed. I hope your drone is 100% great when you get it.
I experienced this same situation with a "repaired" drone at DJI-absolutely no one at the repair shop could tell me when my new drone
would ship back to me. What I finally realized was that they must get batches of fixed drones ready to ship, and at some point, someone
picks them all up to take to Fedex or UPS distribution points. The people at DJI actually don't know anything about shipping..they just
fix the bird and put it on a shelf for someone else to handle.
would ship back to me. What I finally realized was that they must get batches of fixed drones ready to ship, and at some point, someone
picks them all up to take to Fedex or UPS distribution points. The people at DJI actually don't know anything about shipping..they just
fix the bird and put it on a shelf for someone else to handle.
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I'm in the same situation with my P4. It was received by DJI on May 22 - due to multiple VPS errors - repaired on May 31, and now, it shows in a 'Shipping Preparation' status. What is frustrating is that it says, "It will take 1-2 working days for shipment confirmation after the repair is complete. Please wait patiently." Well, yesterday (6/2/2017) was two 'working days', and guess what? That's right, radio silence.....crickets even.... And now, the weekend is here, and they do not work until Monday. Also, it will take 5-6 days for the copter to reach me once shipped since I live on the East Coast.
I know, 'Cry Me a Fiddle' right... I realize they are a busy and growing company, but I just wish their communication was better. It's the unknown that I don't like. I've never used Twitter, so that is all a very fuzzy mystery to me. For now, I guess I am forced to 'Wait Patiently' as they suggest...
I know, 'Cry Me a Fiddle' right... I realize they are a busy and growing company, but I just wish their communication was better. It's the unknown that I don't like. I've never used Twitter, so that is all a very fuzzy mystery to me. For now, I guess I am forced to 'Wait Patiently' as they suggest...
You could try the online support chat feature, that's how I FINALLY got mine back. In my case it took six weeks from the date they received it to the date I got the shipped email! Several emails to support yielded a lot of sorry's but no visible action, phone calls where a huge waste of time as I was always in a large cue and when I did get through, more sorries with no visible action.
Good luck!
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Thanks Mocho, yeah, I did have good luck with their support chat to get this whole thing started. It was quick, and the individual with whom I chatted seemed very intelligent and knowledgeable about the system.
I will revisit their support chat on Monday, and I will also advocate for myself on their forum. I think the key - as always - it to be polite and respectful. I love DJI's products and fully understand and accept the fact that failures are probable with such a complex technology.
On the upside, I guess the concept of 'Delayed Gratification' would apply here, and when I finally do hear that familiar startup sound of the P4 again, it will sound oh so much sweeter...!
Interesting how DJI call center seems to be in New Jersey now and the repair facility is in Los Angles somewhere (I think they moved from Carson?). Sounds like a total service nightmare much like Nikon.
Nikon has an LA Service center, but they cannot do anything unless Nikon in New York approves it. So that takes a few days of back and forth action until LA gets an approval. Then the New York head service manager moved to Chicago and it got worse with some triangle affair for service. He also managed to kill off any independent repair shops by cutting off parts supplies with the claim "We are the only ones who can repair these complex devices" so an owner cannot even buy a battery door or screw from some shop for the thing.
DJI seems to be following the same mess. Calling doesn't help as no one can find your drone because it isn't there. No one to ask either, so some back and forth emails or calls are made. Whomever put this service idea together really needs to be enlightened. Most outfits who have the worst customer service following follow this around the world service policy instead of being centralized. Take a look at customerservicescoreboard.com feedback website sometime on repairs and comparisons. Example: Canon vs Sony
One reason to buy a DJI product from Best Buy as they can replace it on a local level and not the need to call corporate somewhere. Even their own forum mods suggest to exchange it from whomever now rather than send it in to their service if new and if the selling dealer will accept an exchange. I had to take two defective DJI drones back right out of the box. Their QC numbers must be horrible, but they don't seem to care and let service deal with it...whenever they get around to it.
Nikon has an LA Service center, but they cannot do anything unless Nikon in New York approves it. So that takes a few days of back and forth action until LA gets an approval. Then the New York head service manager moved to Chicago and it got worse with some triangle affair for service. He also managed to kill off any independent repair shops by cutting off parts supplies with the claim "We are the only ones who can repair these complex devices" so an owner cannot even buy a battery door or screw from some shop for the thing.
DJI seems to be following the same mess. Calling doesn't help as no one can find your drone because it isn't there. No one to ask either, so some back and forth emails or calls are made. Whomever put this service idea together really needs to be enlightened. Most outfits who have the worst customer service following follow this around the world service policy instead of being centralized. Take a look at customerservicescoreboard.com feedback website sometime on repairs and comparisons. Example: Canon vs Sony
One reason to buy a DJI product from Best Buy as they can replace it on a local level and not the need to call corporate somewhere. Even their own forum mods suggest to exchange it from whomever now rather than send it in to their service if new and if the selling dealer will accept an exchange. I had to take two defective DJI drones back right out of the box. Their QC numbers must be horrible, but they don't seem to care and let service deal with it...whenever they get around to it.
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Update: I just received a UPS tracking number from DJI Repair. This was a total of 3 business days following completion of repair. I can live with that...
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GadgetGuy
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Agree about the inefficiency of disconnecting the call center from the repair center, but DJI has always had them separate, even when they were in the same city. Internal email is the only official communication between the call center and the repair technicians, and that has to be initiated by the customer by calling the call center.
The only problem with the Best Buy exchanges is that the replacement aircraft is always from the exact same stock that was defective in the first place! Ask me how I know!
Only by sending the aircraft in for repair will defective new components be replaced with functional ones, assuming the communication about the problem is clear enough. It's a two edged sword. You can either play Best Buy roulette, or keep playing round robin with DJI repair until you have a fully functional aircraft that meets your needs. Both are time consuming and a PIA, but finally worth it, when everything works! 
Agree about the inefficiency of disconnecting the call center from the repair center, but DJI has always had them separate, even when they were in the same city. Internal email is the only official communication between the call center and the repair technicians, and that has to be initiated by the customer by calling the call center.
The only problem with the Best Buy exchanges is that the replacement aircraft is always from the exact same stock that was defective in the first place! Ask me how I know!
I took two P4's back to Best Buy and the third one worked good enough. I wouldn't at all be surprised if DJI bats a 50-50 good to bad or questionable quality ratio right out of the box. First had a stripped filter sitting sideways on the camera with a piece of aluminum thread hanging off it, second had a slanted camera sensor with a blurry picture on one side, and third had neither of those but a questionable barometer which is off by 50 feet. Each had some different issue, and each flew differently too. I doubt if any two are alike if one looks for their quality tolerance flaws. Likely they were all the same BB batch, but their quality check is poor overall and they miss things at the factory.
Bad part of DJI Service is you will probably get a refurb which is again questionable and maybe worse for wear than the one you sent in, plus the weeks involved to deal with their service. I took mine back to BB within a couple of days for an exchange of a newly boxed one which was maybe a 10 minute process with them. I had a RMA from them on the first bad unit, but seeing how it might take 4-6 weeks I passed and took it back for another one. When you read of the DJI mods on the DJI forum saying "Take it back and exchange it (if new)," it isn't a rally call for their service, imho. I'd rather get a new box than get a used refurb personally which is DJI's service model.
They are very slow. I sent my P3P in and they show received on May 4th. Assessed on the 10th, payment received on 19th, repaired the 25th, and showed shipping on 3rd. Took until today for tracking number to show up in UPS system (waiting to be picked up and scanned) and should have here in Wyoming on Thursday. Luckily didn't have to do anything crazy to get attention to my case, just slow.
GadgetGuy
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Getting a Refurb back from a defective new aircraft is unacceptable. Still waiting to see what is in the box after my warranty repair/replacement of the main camera board arrives back! If it isn't my original aircraft, I'm going to be PO'd! I specifically gave instructions to repair the original aircraft (just swap out the bad main camera board) after they diagnosed the issue, rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water, and sending me yet another worse aircraft, whether refurb or new! Everything was perfect for 25 flights on that aircraft, until it developed a gimbal shudder/jitter. It was my fifth P4P! Four others since have all been worse!
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