Best Dealers for DJI Phantoms?

[Sac D]

I'm seriously considering buying a Phantom to replace the one that got away.

I'm definitely not going to buy it from the dealer I went through last time... all they provided me during all the problems I was having with it was a shoulder to cry on but never a solution to anything, and it never occurred to them to offer to exchange that POS for one that was working right. Had they told me to send it back and they would either fix or replace, it would have not had the opportunity to fly off to parts unknown. Thanks to them, I am out $800 or so.

So... who do you all recommend? I want to talk to someone that will not only provide answers instead of guesses... but will actually do something if problems pop up. That's not asking much, is it?

 

[Gizmo3000]

I've had an average experience with my dealer, dslrpros.com.
think it's sort of a guy running a shop out of his garage or something tho.
but he did help me out by selling me a used shell, and even sent me a few nuts to replace my lost motor nut.

I also recently discovered that another local shop, Filmtools is selling Phantoms.
I don't know what kind of service they'd actually offer,. but they're a HUGE company with dozens of employees with a very large physical store (they do big business).. they had nearly two dozen phantom boxes when i visited them.
I imagine if you bought a Phantom from them, and it didn't work out of the box, they'd take it back no prob.

But couldn't hurt to email any of the other vendors before you buy and ask them what their return/repair policy is with the Phantoms.

 

[auck]

I live south of San Francisco and was lucky enough to have http://www.heli-world.com/default.aspx as a local shop. They were great answering questions about multi-rotor crafts and was generally well versed with DJI crafts. In fact the guy I talked to when I picked up my Phantom was helping a guy before me trouble shoot his flame wheel craft. I think it also helps that they are helicopter based shop so they have greater knowledge and experience with crafts like this.

 

[tanasit]

DslrPro all the way.
After a month or so, my Phantom won't connect via usb, so I email them and they sent me a new one and pay for the shipping of the defective one back too.
Another buyer lost the prop nut, Don took the new ones out of the set and ship to the customer because there was no parts available yet.
They advertise free battery and free shipping for a limited time and even after the offer is expired, customers who purchased afterward email them and still got that honors.

 

[Gizmo3000]

DslrPro all the way.
After a month or so, my Phantom won't connect via usb, so I email them and they sent me a new one and pay for the shipping of the defective one back too.
Another buyer lost the prop nut, Don took the new ones out of the set and ship to the customer because there was no parts available yet.
They advertise free battery and free shipping for a limited time and even after the offer is expired, customers who purchased afterward email them and still got that honors.

Glad to hear he took care of you.
..did you receive your free Lipo yet? I'm still waiting for mine, but have a good feeling it should arrive by the end of the month.

 

[tanasit]

Not yet but I have 8 different packs that I am testing now.
Below are part of them only.

 

[Sac D]

How about Red Rocket Hobby Shop? Does anyone have any experience with them?

http://www.redrockethobbies.com

 

[Sac D]

And how about Pacific Coast Hobbies?

http://www.pchobbies.com/

 

[motobtn]

After my experience, I think I am going to try Atlanta next time. They are supposedly the largest DJI dealer in the world and were nothing but awesome in the times I have talked to them so far...but I haven't had a chance to use them as I still don't have mine back from the worthless ALL e RC repair dept...

It would be awesome to get a dealer or two that people trust and even let them know where they stand on here so they can have some extra motivation to meet and exceed customers expectations...

Thanks for the all input from everyone so far, very helpful IMO

 

[MRSpyder2U]

I've used Atlanta Hobby as well and found them to be knowledgeable, helpful and quick to respond.

 

[Sac D]

Atlanta does sound good... in fact, most of the ones that are actual hobby stores sound a lot better than camera shops or guys who just have a garage full of inventory and sell these in their spare time.

 

[Audaciter]

I live south of San Francisco and was lucky enough to have http://www.heli-world.com/default.aspx as a local shop. They were great answering questions about multi-rotor crafts and was generally well versed with DJI crafts. In fact the guy I talked to when I picked up my Phantom was helping a guy before me trouble shoot his flame wheel craft. I think it also helps that they are helicopter based shop so they have greater knowledge and experience with crafts like this.

I bought my Phantom from Heli_World also, and really appreciate their knowledge and friendliness. I also purchased a Futaba
T8J radio, and additional Phantom battery packs from them as well.
The guys are more than willing to help with any questions, and they actually programmed another customer's radio while I was
there.

 

[jdjeff]

How about Red Rocket Hobby Shop? Does anyone have any experience with them?

http://www.redrockethobbies.com

Yes...they are great. Matt is the guy to talk to over there. I was just posting in a different thread at how cooperative they were on a replacement Phantom. In my opinion, stick with the RC stores on this purchase.

 

[Audaciter]

I did not buy my Phantom from this dealer, but "Aerial Media Pros" owner "Patrick" is so dedicated to customer service.

When I ordered my FatShark FPV system from their website, he called me less than 5 minutes later, to say that his shipment
was delayed, and was not sure when they would arrive, so he offered to refund my money.

I emailed an inquiry about using the DJI OSD II in my Phantom, and immediately received a reply, saying to call him in 20 minutes.
I did so, and he told me it was only for WooKong.

I emailed another time regarding upgrading my motors to a heavy lift motor they sell, and again he called me right away to say
it wasn't a feasible proposition, not only were they too large, but the Phantom's ESC's are not rated for it.

Recently I ordered additional 9" carbon fiber props while he was away in Las Vegas at that convention, and not only did a girl from his shop leave a message asking if I needed spacers, she had shipped the props within 45 minutes of my order !
I wasn't expecting anything until he got back.

Then tonight, he called again to offer a refund for the FatShark FPV system that is now lost !
I would rather keep my order standing with a dealer I trust, than place an order with someone else. Nobody seems to have the Dominator FPV package in stock anyway, separately or together.

 

[Buk]

Based on discussions here, I placed two orders yesterday afternoon. Ordered a Phantom from Helicopter World and a case from GoProCases.

The case was an easy order, already having a GoProfessional Case for my GoPro Camera.

The Phantom order was a debate between Red Rocket Hobbies, Atlanta Hobby and Helicopter World. I was thinking of getting a Fat Shark system too, so a vendor with that was a factor. Pricing of Phantom batteries was key too.

I called Helicopter World to verify they had the Phantom and batteries in stock before placing the order on-line.

We'll see how this works out.

Thanks all for the discussion.

 

[Bart1]

How about Red Rocket Hobby Shop? Does anyone have any experience with them?

http://www.redrockethobbies.com

I bought my Phantom from Red Rock in February and since that time have encountered a problem connecting to my PC via the USB. The only suggestion they have offered is for me to bring my Phantom back to their shop (a 200 mile round trip for me) and then they would mail it back to DJI for repairs (all at my expense, of course.) Instead I ordered a replacement LED/MC board and installed them myself. Still no USB connectivity. I called and asked for technical assistance on a few occasions but in the end, I don't believe they have knowledgeable staff that can address any Phantom problems much beyond broken props. They sell the Phantom but not much else.

So I wrote to DJI explaining my problem with USB connectivity and received this in response:

Hello

Making sure you receive exceptional support and intuitive answers to your questions is extremely important to us. The technical support branch of DJI North America is set up to service our dealers all around the country. It is our responsibility to provide our dealers with the knowledge and tools to provide the best possible customer support/service. Since that is the case, all technical support questions should be sent directly to your dealer.

If you have any trouble getting in touch with a dealer or have any more questions, feel free to email me back!

Thanks,
DJI North America
U.S. Support

Needless to say, I was neither impressed nor very happy with this non answer. And I still have no USB connection.

Having said all this, I can't and don't reccomend Red Rocket Hobbies as a reliable "dealer" for Phantoms.

 

[windcharger]

And how about Pacific Coast Hobbies?

http://www.pchobbies.com/

I picked up my Phantom from PCH. Speak with Tony if you have any questions as he was very helpful, knowledgable and friendly.

 

[Buk]

Thanks all for this discussion.

I ordered a case from GoProfessional Cases and got an email notice of the order in a matter of minutes and the shipping information shortly thereafter. Delivery was on time and case in good condition.

Moments after after ordering the case, I ordered the Phantom from Helicopter World. The web site indicates waiting a day before checking the status of your order. I just waited a couple of days and the shipping information was sent. It arrive a few days after the case. The Phantom and five additional batteries arrived unharmed in shipping.


The only concern I have, although not a big one, the Phantom did not include a USB cable. Watching YouTube videos the USB cable just looks like a standard female to male cable.

Is this correct? Or is there a special pin-out on the DJI USB cable?

 

[Audaciter]

The only concern I have, although not a big one, the Phantom did not include a USB cable. Watching YouTube videos the USB cable just looks like a standard female to male cable.

Good catch, just like everything else, the usb cable is proprietary to DJI. You will have to get the correct cable or risk
damage to the IMU. "Just Kidding" It's standard male to female.

 

[Buk]

Good catch, just like everything else, the usb cable is proprietary to DJI. You will have to get the correct cable or risk
damage to the IMU. "Just Kidding" It's standard male to female.

Thanks for correcting me; I was going to use the female to male.