Never buy DJI drones - A nightmare with Phantom products

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My experience with DJI products and Phantom technical support team was a nightmare,
they cheated me an approximate total of USD1150 with a BAD or FAKED product.

I purchased a Phantom 3 product in Oct of 2017. After some testing of the Phantom
product, I noticed that the RTH mode would return the drone about 2-3 meters away
from the "home" position, while other times 10-20 meters away. Even worse, the Phantom 3
drone did not come back with a battery of around 40%, and/or a distance of 150 meters.
So, I lost the Phantom product in Oct. of 2017, within a few weeks after purchasing.

Then, I talked to the DJI Phantom technical support team for help, however they argued it
was not their problem and promised to sell me another drone with a 15% discount. I paid another
the amount of money, which the new "Phantom 3" then took about 2 weeks for to
arrive my home in November of 2017. However, the new "Phantom 3" sent to me was a faulty - it does
not work at all!

Then, I wrote several emails to the email address that sold me that products to ask them why
this has happened. After 10 days, I did not get a single email back in response to my faulty
product that I recerved DUE to another faulty product. I was amazed that I received no email
after 10 days, consider I had paid about USD$1150 for a product that did not even work! Then,
I sent emails to the sales, marketing team, etc as well. In other words they received my emails,
but do not want to communicate with the client that spent USD$1150 to them!

In the end they contacted me, without saying even "sorry". And they did not want to reimburse
any money to me after a couple of emails. The reason seems "If we give you money back, how about
other customers?".

So sad, other customers are facing the similar situation as mine!

In your life, have you ever had experience that the money cannot be back if the products you
purchased could never work at all?

Until now, I have reason to believe that the Phantom product that I received is a faked one or a
bad one - the second Phantom 3 never worked/flew.

Probably some people may ask why there are some video/posts on internet stating the Phantom 3/4
is a good product. My experience told me that the DJI/Phantom team could have hired some people or
give some people some benefit/money to make some faked video/writings as marketing/media ads.
If anybody who made some video on the internet in favor of Phantom products does not state that s/he is
not supported/benefited from Phantom/DJI, you really cannot trust him/her for his/her Phantom
experience. E.g., one guy on the internet showed Phantom can return home position within a very
small cycled area - only one feet difference? However, my experience told me that Phantom Products
cannot fly back to home like this - best one is 2 meters away from HOME.

If you do not want to have that kind of nightmare, try to avoid buying DJI/Phantom
products. There are so many other drone products on the world. Why take risk to try DJI/Phantom
drone?

Choice is at your hands - try the nightmare or not?
 
You said the Phantom flew but not to your liking. Then you said it never worked. I am confused on this. The RTH issue may have been a bad compass calibration, did you try to calibrate it? UAV's require some understanding of how the aircraft and the software work. It is not something you just start flying the minute you get it unless you want to possibly have issues. Learn about the aircraft, read the manual and understand it. Learn the way the app works. It looks easy in videos, and it is, once you educate yourself on the nuances of flying an RC aircraft.
 
Consumer GPS is limited in accuracy, the current phantoms RTH can be very accurate as it is using actual images acquired when launched as a reference aid.

Which Phantom model do you have issues with?

Can you tell us more about what the circumstances were for the original loss and more detail concerning your current problems?

Few will argue DJI customer service can be challenging however I highly doubt you were provided with a fake product.
 
I'm assuming that $1150 is the cost for both of your phantom 3 quads including the one that never came back. I would have thought that with the second purchase being DOA, you could have simply returned it under some sort of warranty arrangement? Alternatively, if you can post the issues you are having with the replacement unit and a photo of the quad, someone on this forum will be able to guide you through the process to get it flying and confirm if you have somehow received a fake from DJI.
 
My current problem is that the Phantom 3 which DJI sent to me in the second time, could never work. I tried the connection/binding between the remote controller and phantom 3 model about 20 to 30 times. The remote controller and the Phantom 3 cannot be connected at all. Also, the the Phantom 3/Drone looks like an old product.

A video was sent to tech support team which also defined the connection problem. Please note that the tech team did not answer my 6 emails until 11th day. Before I bought the second Phantom 3, they replied my emails almost every day. Once I purchased the second one, 10 days without an single email! So, Phantom team lost my trust already.

And they even did not say "sorry" to you. With that kind of rude team, will you still trust them?

If they do not return your money, what will you do?
 
Thank you for responding back. There are a lot of experienced people here who may be able to help you out now that you have explained your issue better. No one will argue with you on the CS but as slow as they can be, I am sure they will sort you out if the people here can't get you going. What version of the Phantom 3 do you have?

I assume you are doing this to bind it (based on a P3S)...

Screen Shot 2017-12-17 at 10.31.15 PM✨.png
 
Noel lemmings have same policy,I get my phantoms from there,expensive but I like receipts,,no refund but will give store voucher of same value,no good if want the money cause I won't get it,sorry to read your bad experience,I had above issue with p34k which should have gone back,goes now but headache,nz not the place to send anything for repairs off shore,especially dji,I had to pay shipping,didn't sound right to me,defective product,store already replaced many to others and refuse to do again so they ship them off back to dji now,,yip their customer service lacking bad but I still like the phantoms,sorry again for your bad run
 
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First off welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your problems.

While this won't help your "problem at hand"... I can assure you the Phantom3 product line is a solid and robust one. I've got P3's with literally hundreds of hours on them and many Many MANY miles flown with no problems.

Just like any other product in the world bad units get out and unfortunately you're dealing with that right now. DJI is known for less than stellar Customer Service but more often than not they will come through in the end. Keep in mind you're sort of in the middle of a possible "language barrier" issue and this only makes the issue seem less personal and more "rude" than it's really intended by their CS Rep.

Good luck and I hope you get some resolution soon.
 
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Reactions: With The Birds
My experience with DJI products and Phantom technical support team was a nightmare,
they cheated me an approximate total of USD1150 with a BAD or FAKED product.
Phantom3 costs in EU 600€, I doubt in US it is 1150$. Maybe you should tell us what exactly you bought and where you bought it from.

I purchased a Phantom 3 product in Oct of 2017. After some testing of the Phantom
product, I noticed that the RTH mode would return the drone about 2-3 meters away
from the "home" position, while other times 10-20 meters away.
Have you ever read the documentation? Have you ever understood how RTH works? My drone returns max 30cm away.

Even worse, the Phantom 3
drone did not come back with a battery of around 40%, and/or a distance of 150 meters.
Not clear at all, having 40% battery and the drone landed? Or?

So, I lost the Phantom product in Oct. of 2017, within a few weeks after purchasing.
What does it mean lost?

Then, I talked to the DJI Phantom technical support team for help, however they argued it
was not their problem and promised to sell me another drone with a 15% discount. I paid another
the amount of money, which the new "Phantom 3" then took about 2 weeks for to
arrive my home in November of 2017. However, the new "Phantom 3" sent to me was a faulty - it does
not work at all!
Who was the seller of your drone? DJI sold you Phantom 3 for 1150$?

Then, I wrote several emails to the email address that sold me that products to ask them why
this has happened.
Can you provide the e-mail?

After 10 days, I did not get a single email back in response to my faulty
product that I recerved DUE to another faulty product. I was amazed that I received no email
after 10 days, consider I had paid about USD$1150 for a product that did not even work! Then,
I sent emails to the sales, marketing team, etc as well. In other words they received my emails,
but do not want to communicate with the client that spent USD$1150 to them!
So, you spent in total 2300$ for 2 Phantom 3 drones, is this correct?

In the end they contacted me, without saying even "sorry". And they did not want to reimburse
any money to me after a couple of emails. The reason seems "If we give you money back, how about
other customers?".

So sad, other customers are facing the similar situation as mine!

In your life, have you ever had experience that the money cannot be back if the products you
purchased could never work at all?

Until now, I have reason to believe that the Phantom product that I received is a faked one or a
bad one - the second Phantom 3 never worked/flew.

Probably some people may ask why there are some video/posts on internet stating the Phantom 3/4
is a good product. My experience told me that the DJI/Phantom team could have hired some people or
give some people some benefit/money to make some faked video/writings as marketing/media ads.
If anybody who made some video on the internet in favor of Phantom products does not state that s/he is
not supported/benefited from Phantom/DJI, you really cannot trust him/her for his/her Phantom
experience. E.g., one guy on the internet showed Phantom can return home position within a very
small cycled area - only one feet difference? However, my experience told me that Phantom Products
cannot fly back to home like this - best one is 2 meters away from HOME.
Well, would be great if I could get paid by DJI to spread positive words about their drones, but that is unfortunately not true. I love my P4P drone but I understand all the limits. I am not happy with the customer support, but this can be improved.

If you do not want to have that kind of nightmare, try to avoid buying DJI/Phantom
products. There are so many other drone products on the world. Why take risk to try DJI/Phantom
drone?

Choice is at your hands - try the nightmare or not?
Provide more information, maybe someone can help u.
 
First off welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your problems.

While this won't help your "problem at hand"... I can assure you the Phantom3 product line is a solid and robust one. I've got P3's with literally hundreds of hours on them and many Many MANY miles flown with no problems.

Just like any other product in the world bad units get out and unfortunately you're dealing with that right now. DJI is known for less than stellar Customer Service but more often than not they will come through in the end. Keep in mind you're sort of in the middle of a possible "language barrier" issue and this only makes the issue seem less personal and more "rude" than it's really intended by their CS Rep.

Good luck and I hope you get some resolution soon.
It 76jrj
 
I have had two P3Ps that have operated flawlessly with hundreds of hours and many hours. I was flying one 20' above a road, hit a powerline, did a forward flip, recovered 3' off the pavement, and my love video feed came back and I flew it home. Damage, a little grease from the line on the front landing gear. They're sturdy as hell. I had some workers at my house, and turned the remote off when it was over a mile away. I wasn't the least bit nervous. It came overhead ar it's RTH altitude, and decended vertically about 6" from take off point. I have had out 2 miles out to sea, no moon gale force winds at midnight. No problems. A great bird.
 
"With The Birds" - seemly you understood the problem.

However, I do not agree with you, "With The Birds", about "the current phantoms RTH can be very accurate". Logically, your statement is okay. Of course, "it can be". But my first Phantom 3 could be "very inaccurate", right? Plus, you did not see my drone, how could you know?

"Few will argue DJI customer service can be challenging" - that is obviously not what I have been observing. I am not sure how you can draw that kind of conclusion UNLESS you have or had been working for DJI/Phantom team.

LuvMyTJ: thanks for your instructions. However, I have already tried the link between remote controller and the drone MANY TIMES before even talking with the Phantom Technical Support Team. Please see my above messages. Also, there is another way to link the two together. No use at all.

pporozin: two phantom products with total of approximately USD1150.

Well, guess some of you might be from DJI/Phantom team, please kindly forward my messages to them.

Thanks!
 
Well, guess some of you might be from DJI/Phantom team, please kindly forward my messages to them.

No one here on this forum works for DJI. We are all trying to collectively offer advice to the best of our ability.
 
"With The Birds" - seemly you understood the problem.

However, I do not agree with you, "With The Birds", about "the current phantoms RTH can be very accurate". Logically, your statement is okay. Of course, "it can be". But my first Phantom 3 could be "very inaccurate", right? Plus, you did not see my drone, how could you know?

"Few will argue DJI customer service can be challenging" - that is obviously not what I have been observing. I am not sure how you can draw that kind of conclusion UNLESS you have or had been working for DJI/Phantom team.

LuvMyTJ: thanks for your instructions. However, I have already tried the link between remote controller and the drone MANY TIMES before even talking with the Phantom Technical Support Team. Please see my above messages. Also, there is another way to link the two together. No use at all.

pporozin: two phantom products with total of approximately USD1150.

Well, guess some of you might be from DJI/Phantom team, please kindly forward my messages to them.

Thanks!
Allow me to clarify, I was referring to the Phantom 4 Pro Advanced with respect to current AC and in particular stating that the RTH is significantly more accurate in landing at the home point than the P3’s. That is factually correct. You can’t blame DJI for the accuracy variations inherent in consumer grade GPS.

While I might have worded my comment better read in context it should be evident I am in agreement that DJI can prove difficult to deal with.

Looking forward to you perhaps providing some more detailed explanation of your issues.
 
Thanks a lot, 'With The Birds', for your clarification. You were talking about Phantom 4 Pro Advanced which costs roughly USD1,500 per drone right now on the market.

Therefore, you and I were talking two different kind of drones with huge price difference. I have never played Phantom 4 Pro. So, I really do not have right to say anything about Phantom 4. But, I have my own experience with TWO Phantom 3.

Does anyone here purchase two Phantom 3 previously? I really like to get other's experience in Phantom 3 product though I saw many internet posts saying that Phantom 3 is really a bad product with terrible services as well.

Thanks!
 
Does anyone here purchase two Phantom 3 previously? I really like to get other's experience in Phantom 3 product though I saw many internet posts saying that Phantom 3 is really a bad product with terrible services as well.

Thanks!

I've got 3 different Phantom3 aircraft and all of them are rock solid with dozens of hours of service. One of them hundreds.
 
BigA107: thanks for your nice words! I know everybody/firm can produce some bad products on this world. As long as most of them, say 99%?, are solid, it is real good already. If you unluckily purchased that 1% of bad or unqualified products, the customer service will take care of it. But, the problem is that I met the bad customer services as well in DJI. That is why I have reason to believe the bad products and services provided by DJI.

If you got a bad product, that is probably unlucky. But if you next get bad services, still unlucky?

Still do not make sense to you?


tevek: Thanks for your advice, which are really good to me. In fact, for the second product, they seemly liked to return the money back to me. But the next day, they changed mind. They said unless, they first receive the product and then decide what to do. You know what? An internet friend told me that he got the same situation, and DJI asked him to return the Phantom product to have a look first. He then mailed by UPS paid by DJI. Thereafter, DJI told him that DJI never received the drone back! That made him crazy.

What will you do, tevek, after you heard of above story?

Thanks!
 
Thanks a lot, 'With The Birds', for your clarification. You were talking about Phantom 4 Pro Advanced which costs roughly USD1,500 per drone right now on the market.

Therefore, you and I were talking two different kind of drones with huge price difference. I have never played Phantom 4 Pro. So, I really do not have right to say anything about Phantom 4. But, I have my own experience with TWO Phantom 3.

Does anyone here purchase two Phantom 3 previously? I really like to get other's experience in Phantom 3 product though I saw many internet posts saying that Phantom 3 is really a bad product with terrible services as well.

Thanks!
I have two phantom 3 that get a lot of flight time. Both have been flawless.

I was on the right page with you, I’m still saying the phantom 3 can’t return and land consistently on the launch position, it is GPS limitation.

Tell us more about the issues you have had.

If your sense is that the phantom 3 is a bad product then that is certainly not my experience and there are a good many others that are happily flying them also.
 

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