Best way to buy a P3A?

[Moose]

Hello,

First, let me say I appreciate all of the good advice and posts from the regulars here. I'm probably about 2-4 weeks away from buying my first Phantom. I have decided on the P3A after reading here, unless I can find a really good deal on a P3P. It would have to be within ~$100 of the P3A. Up to this point I have owned a few Symas and WLtoy models, just to get practice. I think I'm ready.

Anyway, I have seen there are several ways and sources to buy your Phantom, and I'm trying to educate myself on the pros and cons with them. The best deals seem to come from the third party sellers. I have seen that these claim to be new and are by far the cheapest (~$599) but I know that you get what you pay for. Are there differences between these models and the models you'd get from Best Buy, Apple, or DJI? I'm looking for the best deal but I don't want to be surprised when it gets to my door.

I like the idea of being able to check the model number/Motors/Gimbal and what not before I buy (they do allow this in the store, right?), but I'd like to hear from the board as to people's good and bad experiences from an online third party. Is it worth saving the money? Is there a better way to purchase that will give me peace of mind and a deal that I'm not aware of?

My worst fear is to buy one, have issues with it, and not have any recourse.

I'm an overly analytical guy, so naturally I'm going to do a lot of research before I buy. Any information you guys can give me would be much appreciated.

Thanks again.


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[TWP723]

Contrare to what some have said, I bought mine on Amazon from Sure RC. Newest model and brand new. Very happy.

You may also want to refer to www.phantomhelp.com for more vendors.

 

[GmanTerry]

I bought mine from Amazon. They have the best return policy I've ever seen. If you don't like it, you can return it.

Terry

 

[Moose]

I bought mine from Amazon. They have the best return policy I've ever seen. If you don't like it, you can return it.

Terry

That's awesome. I guess you just take your chances on which model/RC/motors you get? Is it even that big of a concern? I have read that there is very little consistency with DJI quality control.

I can understand it would probably be easy to return to Amazon if the gimbal is screaming or similar, but if it has a bad motor or something and flies off or crashes on its first flight, do I still have a way to go?

Thanks.


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[GmanTerry]

That's awesome. I guess you just take your chances on which model/RC/motors you get? Is it even that big of a concern? I have read that there is very little consistency with DJI quality control.

I can understand it would probably be easy to return to Amazon if the gimbal is screaming or similar, but if it has a bad motor or something and flies off or crashes on its first flight, do I still have a way to go?

Thanks.


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No Amazon will probably not accept products that have been damaged after they were delivered to you. For those problems you will have to go to DJI.

Terry

 

[Zeprider]

Whatever you do, avoid financing. Nothing worse than a damaged aircraft (and there is a chance you might damage it) while still owing on it. Buy reputable as you already seem keen on doing. Buy a service contract that will take care of you in the event of damage. That and good luck on your purchase and be sure to ask plenty of questions.

 

[Moose]

Whatever you do, avoid financing. Nothing worse than a damaged aircraft (and there is a chance you might damage it) while still owing on it. Buy reputable as you already seem keen on doing. Buy a service contract that will take care of you in the event of damage. That and good luck on your purchase and be sure to ask plenty of questions.

I definitely won't be financing it, but the contract is worth looking into.


More or less, I was just weighing the differences between knowing the models/motors/condition versus saving a few bucks and people's experiences. All of the controllers in the stores may be the new models anyways and could be a moot point.


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[Imabiggles]

Dont overthink it. It doesnt matter for hobby fliers (esp if it is your first quad) what version it is. Look to spend 599 for P3a or 699 for P3P. Buy new, not a used one. grab a bag of extra props and go fly. If you buy online, use a credit card so you have the CC protection in case you dont get what you ordered.

 

[D'sAdvanced]

Like others have said, don't overthink it. Myself, I'm very analytical but luckily I bought mine from Amazon prior to getting on these forums. Haven't had a problem with the bird, other than my own doing.
These forums are a 2 way sword - you learn a lot, but you also tend to extrapolate issues out of context since the sample size of users is so small on here.
Again, just buy it brand new and you'll be fine.

 

[msinger]

Are there differences between these models and the models you'd get from Best Buy, Apple, or DJI? I'm looking for the best deal but I don't want to be surprised when it gets to my door.

DJI hasn't recently made any changes to the P3 lineup. The latest changes were the reinforced shell around the arms and new motors. Those were made many months ago, so most dealers and big retailers most likely only have the newest stock.

As for where to buy, here are the best places to buy (in no particular order):

• Buy a Phantom on Amazon that is being shipped by Amazon (it doesn't matter who is selling it). Those products are commonly listed as "Amazon Prime" products. The most important thing to check is that the Phantom is shipped/fulfilled by Amazon. That will allow you to take advantage of their 30-day money back guarantee if the Phantom does not arrive as expected for some reason. You can find a list of Phantoms being shipped by Amazon here.
  
  
• Buy a Phantom on Amazon that is being sold by an authorized DJI dealer. Keep in mind that you will have to work with the dealer directly if you need to return your Phantom for some reason. You can find a list of authorized DJI dealers selling on Amazon here.
  
  
• Buy directly from DJI. DJI has incredibly fast international shipping and they are also now shipping from multiple locations within the US.
  
  
• Buy in person at a major retailer like Apple, Best Buy, or Target.
  
  
• Buy in person from an authorized DJI dealer (if they have a brick & mortar store near you).

You might find a slightly better deal if you shop elsewhere. However, if you run into a problem with your purchase, it might not be as easy to resolve. And, if you paid via Western Union, then you might end up empty handed

 

[Moose]

DJI hasn't recently made any changes to the P3 lineup. The latest changes were the reinforced shell around the arms and new motors. Those were made many months ago, so most dealers and big retailers most likely only have the newest stock.

As for where to buy, here are the best places to buy (in no particular order):

• Buy a Phantom on Amazon that is being shipped by Amazon (it doesn't matter who is selling it). Those products are commonly listed as "Amazon Prime" products. The most important thing to check is that the Phantom is shipped/fulfilled by Amazon. That will allow you to take advantage of their 30-day money back guarantee if the Phantom does not arrive as expected for some reason. You can find a list of Phantoms being shipped by Amazon here.
  
  
• Buy a Phantom on Amazon that is being sold by an authorized DJI dealer. Keep in mind that you will have to work with the dealer directly if you need to return your Phantom for some reason. You can find a list of authorized DJI dealers selling on Amazon here.
  
  
• Buy directly from DJI. DJI has incredibly fast international shipping and they are also now shipping from multiple locations within the US.
  
  
• Buy in person at a major retailer like Apple, Best Buy, or Target.
  
  
• Buy in person from an authorized DJI dealer (if they have a brick & mortar store near you).

You might find a slightly better deal if you shop elsewhere. However, if you run into a problem with your purchase, it might not be as easy to resolve. And, if you paid via Western Union, then you might end up empty handed

Thank you. Very much.

That Amazon link is very helpful. It almost looks like the P3P is the best deal on there.

There is a tab for the P3 4K then another for the P3A (which is more). What is the difference there? I thought you had a standard, an advanced, an advanced with 4K (which I assumed would be more), then the pro. Didn't know they had a 3-4K that is cheaper than the P3A. What does it not have?


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[msinger]

Didn't know they had a 3-4K that is cheaper than the P3A. What does it not have?

You can compare all Phantom 3 models here.

 

[D'sAdvanced]

Thank you. Very much.

That Amazon link is very helpful. It almost looks like the P3P is the best deal on there.

There is a tab for the P3 4K then another for the P3A (which is more). What is the difference there? I thought you had a standard, an advanced, an advanced with 4K (which I assumed would be more), then the pro. Didn't know they had a 3-4K that is cheaper than the P3A. What does it not have?


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There is a Standard and 4K that is wi-fi based. The Advanced and Pro 4K are lightbridge based.

 

[Moose]

I assumed that all of the models besides the standard had Light Bridge (which is very important to me).


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[msinger]

You'll definitely want to get a P3A or P3P then.

 

[Moose]

You'll definitely want to get a P3A or P3P then.

Thanks. I just found a link in another thread describing every difference in the four models for newbs like me. I was on the right track, just didn't know all the details about the P3 4K. The P3A is the bird for me, unless I see a crazy deal on the P3P.

Looks like I'll be most likely purchasing from Best Buy or Amazon. I'd still like to hear about people's experiences when locking in on one of those really good deals that aren't shipped from Amazon. I wouldn't be able to sleep while waiting on the shipping.

Differences Between All Four DJI Phantom 3 Models?

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[msinger]

I'd still like to hear about people's experiences when locking in on one of those really good deals that aren't shipped from Amazon.

Ask this guy.

 

[L X]

If you're a student (or if you work in education), then DJI may give you a hefty education discount.

 

[Moose]

Ask this guy.

Jeez... Brutal.


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