Dealing with DJI Support

[Geblo]

So here it is. The DJI web site lists a support number for Canadian clients, I call the number and they tell me to call DJI in USA, fair enough, but why the bogus information on the web site?

So I call support, tell them I have a fatigue stress crack. I ask if it is safe to fly, they say they cannot say. I suggest to email the images to them so they can review and get back to me. I email the images and they issue RMA. So far so good. Now I ask where is my shipping label. Their next step is to close the support ticket. I ask a few more times and don't receive any replies, but I do get the new tickets closed without any other response. The person closing the tickets is identified as "Odell C".

So I call their 818 number, wait 30 minutes on hold and eventually hang up.

My Phantom 3 Adv has 10 hours on it and it just over 1 month old.

I know I can pay the $100 CAD or so for the shipping and get this fixed in about a month, but I really feel it is their fault for knowingly providing a defective product. So they should provide an advanced RMA service, send the replacement part, or at the very least pay for shipping both ways. There are so many easy solutions to the problem, but no, they don't get customer support is important.

I am not really looking for a solution, but I thought I would share my experience if dealing with DJI.

This was day 1. I will post if anything changes.

 

[gfredrone]

Had the same cracks and had to send it back twice because they made things worse on the first attempt. Their customer service is the worst I've ever experienced.

 

[Az Wing]

Purchased a P3P in Dec of 2015. Returned it (under warranty) to DJI in June due to stress cracks in a motor mount screw hole. No crashes; no hard landings, and everything worked. To my surprise, DJI repaired and returned the P3P within two weeks, free of charge. Then the nightmare began. The RC that came with the Phantom no longer linked to the aircraft, the aircraft would not accept a firmware update and the heading indicator on the Go App was off by 90 to 180 degrees. I completed every troubleshooting option provided by DJI without resolution. In an attempt to move on with life, I purchased a second, new RC, at a local hobby shop. It linked immediately, but not consistently. Linking would fail about every other, or every third time requiring a shut down and restart of the system. DJI provided another RMA that even included the new RC. Prior to returning the system for the second time (including the two RCs), the DJI tech noted all equipment "repaired and tested". But the original RC still would not link and the new RC was still linking intermittently. DJI was able to load the latest firmware and for whatever reason, the heading indicator on the Go App was much more "accurate" than before (when the newer RC would link). Also, each time I unboxed the system returned by DJI, the gimbal lock was not properly installed leaving the gimbal and camera to bounce around during shipping. Upon starting the process for the third RMA I mentioned the gimbal lock issue to tech support and requested proper securing of the lock in the future. I was assured the gimbal lock would be installed properly. So while the system, including both RCs were once again at DJI, a tech noticed a crack around the metal stand on the bottom of the older RC; something that happened long ago but never effected the operation of the RC (the RC that was previously reported to have been repaired and tested). I received an invoice for $90+ but no indication that repairing cracks would correct the linking issue. The e-mail thread I had been using went dead leaving me no choice but to start a new one in order to keep everything in writing. I explained, in detail, that my system was already at DJI and I needed assistance. T first response was an apology and an invitation to send in my system for repair. So I explained the situation again and asked to communicate with someone in management. I received an e-mail stating my case had been escalated and someone would get back to me. Nobody did, so I started another thread and to my amazement got the same offer to send in my system for repair. I asked again to speak with someone higher up and got an e-mail from Reymarie. She asked for a detailed description of the issue in my reply. I did, and inquired about speaking with a supervisor via e-mail. She responded with the name of someone (I assumed a supervisor, as requested) who she would forward my e-mail to, but then again, asked me to describe the issue as previously requested. Furious by now, I asked her to read the previous response that included a very detailed description of the last two months. I also asked if she had passed on the description to the supervisor mentioned. She got back to me with an apology saying she had accidentally provided me with a customer's name; not a supervisor, and that I could only communicate with a supervisor over the phone. I then demanded the e-mail of supervisor stating the need to have communication in writing and never received a response. So I called, and was able to speak with a supervisor (Mark, if memory serves). He listened but only repeated what the techs had written about the system being repaired and tested. Regarding the cracks in the old RC, he said there was no way to know of they have anything to do with the linking issue and that some techs are more meticulous than others, which most likely lead to me hearing about the cracks during the time of the second RMA. He then implied that I was trying to operate two RCs simultaneously, and that's why the old RC was failing to link. Once he agreed to make sure all was really repaired and tested, this time, I felt confident the issue was solved. However, I received the system today and upon opening the box found an antenna on the new RC torn off its mount. Mysteriously, the old RC now connects as it did before the first return. The gimbal lock was not installed properly, as usual. I did get an e-mail response, even though it's Saturday, that stated the tech carefully packed the system before mailing. The message was supposed to include a photo taken prior to packing, by the DJI tech, showing no damage but it did not come though. My case is being sent to a higher level (I've heard that before), but I plan to call Monday morning; and if need be, seek legal advice. I'll follow up with the results.