Just Returned Pro 4+

[jim81]

I have been waiting several weeks for a back order on a Pro 4+. It arrived tonight and I refused delivery. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have done a lot more reading and looking since I placed the order and paid on the dotted line, and have come to the conclusion that I just can't risk $1800 on a piece of electronics that DJI is showing significant quality control issues with it's manufacture. Add to that there seemingly poor customer support and it finally added up to no DJI for me until I am convinced that they have attended to improving quality control.
There are another couple of issues that also swayed my acceptance of the quad. The government is going crazy about the restrictions they are placing on 'drones.' It doesn't help that idiot crashed into the Space Needle in Seattle,which is located in a park, the Seattle Center Park. It's still making the news here. How many realize the 'workers' on the deck were placing the fireworks explosives for the New Years extravaganza at the Needle? Imagine what would have been the result if the drone had actually triggered some of the explosives.
Several towns is Washington State have flat out banned drones in the entirety of their city limits. They are now banned in State Parks. We have the killer whales here, the Orcas, and a new regulation is being drafted to keep drones over 200' away from the whales as the noise may be interfering with them. Can't fly them in the Bahamas somebody reported. And on and on ad naseum.
Saw on a You Tube video where some clip popped up while researching drone videos that you can buy a single seat turbine helicopter in kit form for about $40K. According the the manufacturer you don't have to register it with the FAA and the pilot does not need a pilots license to fly it. Maybe if there was a camera under it, it would be come more of a problem.
I really like the forum and will continue watching and reading. I am impressed with the helpful nature of the forum. The moderators are doing a good job of keeping the trash talk out of here.

 

[sideburn]

Bummer. We're loving our P4Ps a ton. No complaints. We just need responsible pilots.

 

[smiller]

FWIW I've owned both a P4P+ and P4P and both were flawless out of the box.

It's important to remember that a very large percentage of the problem posts are the result of either lack of understanding or someone whining with an agenda, and if you take them all as gospel then you will never own a drone of any kind. That's not to say that none of the reported issues are real, just that the view one gets from reading the forums is likely to be slanted highly (and inaccurately) negative.

 

[Kman]

Absolutely love my P4P. Amazing camera.

 

[spirytus]

FWIW I've owned both a P4P+ and P4P and both were flawless out of the box.

It's important to remember that a very large percentage of the problem posts are the result of either lack of understanding or someone whining with an agenda, and if you take them all as gospel then you will never own a drone of any kind. That's not to say that none of the reported issues are real, just that the view one gets from reading the forums is likely to be slanted highly (and inaccurately) negative.

QFT.

I was in the same boat as you after researching the crap out of the P4, P4P and Mavic. I finally realized (as smiller pointed out) that there is no way to weigh an individual's negative experience without hard analytical data of all the units sold. Cars are very much the same - doesn't matter what brand, there is always a chance that you'll get a lemon, how do you pick then?

In the end I went on the basis of general consensus of the community at large (it being highly positive) and took a leap of faith in a brand that is 2~3 generations ahead of it's competitors. So far I'm happy with my decision and if **** hits the fan down the road, DJI's warranty claim process doesn't seem like a major PITA I had to deal with in the past on some of my other "big ticket" purchases (I.E. Car, home appliances, PC).

 

[baane]

FWIW I've owned both a P4P+ and P4P and both were flawless out of the box.

It's important to remember that a very large percentage of the problem posts are the result of either lack of understanding or someone whining with an agenda, and if you take them all as gospel then you will never own a drone of any kind. That's not to say that none of the reported issues are real, just that the view one gets from reading the forums is likely to be slanted highly (and inaccurately) negative.

For me the revelant part of the original post is that additional restrictions have been implemented not whether or not the operator was at fault. As there are fewer and fewer places one is allowed to fly a UAV/drone the less attractive it is to own one.

 

[KingDad1985]

I'm really enjoying my P4P. I had issues with the first, sent back and had a perfect P4P at my doorstep in 7 days with xmas being on the 4th day, pretty impressive. I fly 3 batteries a day (weather permitting) over 8 hours flight time, I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope people smarten up and become more responsible, but that's wishful

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Barking Deer]

Sorry about all this. I happen to love the P4P, after a year with a 3DR Solo. Easily it is the king of the heap. As for quality control, just remember that very few people post a message when everything is going right. So, the board is preselected to make it seem like there are problems. No quality problems at all.

As for regulations, sure. This is just about where cars were when they were first appearing. Scared the horses, and I think one state required that a fellow walk in front of the "horseless carriage" with a lantern.

 

[cr6]

Absolutely love my P4P! No problems whatsoever. There's another thread on the forum with a comment that really nailed it: (in not so many words it said)
You're going to read, and more often than not focus on, comments that talk bad or show complaints about a particular product. The fact of the matter is, people are more likely to complain about a product when something goes wrong, than praise it when it goes right. Keep in mind that typically more than half of said complaints are due to pilot/operator error, (drone not calibrated properly, camera settings not set correctly for what's being filmed, etc) and not because there's a legitimate problem.
Do yourself a favor and stay away from mainstream media...they love to blow up drone stories because they know most people who aren't knowledgeable about them are afraid of them, and we all know fear sells when it comes to the news.

The fact is, NO product is perfect. Whether it's a particular model of car, smartphone, laptop, or even drone. The best we can do is make an educated buying decision and go for it. There's a reason DJI is the number 1 manufacturer of consumer/prosumer drones. Sure, they don't have the best customer service, but they do make some of the best drones.
I absolutely LOVE my P4P and wouldn't trade it for any other model. Regardless of where you are there are plenty of places to fly if your a hobbyist. If you're looking to get into the commercial aspect, it's going to make you a lot of money if you do it right.
As for the FAA, rules are put in place for a reason. If there weren't so many irresponsible people flying drones we wouldn't have this problem, but it is what it is....5 bucks is a small price to pay to be legal.

S7 Edge tap'n

 

[JimHarris]

My P4P+ is awesome.

Tighter drone restrictions are a concern. It isn't any fun if you can't fly it anywhere.

 

[jim81]

Thanks for all the insights. Thinking that I might reconsider. To demonstrate how much I wanted this I already have extra batteries, a charger that will charge all the batteries in the same amount of time the DJI will charge one, and I have a San Disk micro chip to boost its memory. Oh! Marco Polo is also on its way. So the question...Other than Best, what authorized seller of the Phantom will take me out of the loop dealing with DJI's customer service if I have a non pilot error, legitimate problem? I want this to be fun and don't want a hassle about returning a defective Phantom or waiting weeks for repair and then arguments about its repair. Frankly, it ought to be perfect out of the box...If not, it should be replaced at no expense to the purchaser.
Am I dreaming or is this possible? I actually see this forum as the customer service arm of DJI. I would think more problems are solved here than from DJI!

 

[KevMo Photog]

Thanks for all the insights. Thinking that I might reconsider. To demonstrate how much I wanted this I already have extra batteries, a charger that will charge all the batteries in the same amount of time the DJI will charge one, and I have a San Disk micro chip to boost its memory. Oh! Marco Polo is also on its way. So the question...Other than Best, what authorized seller of the Phantom will take me out of the loop dealing with DJI's customer service if I have a non pilot error, legitimate problem? I want this to be fun and don't want a hassle about returning a defective Phantom or waiting weeks for repair and then arguments about its repair. Frankly, it ought to be perfect out of the box...If not, it should be replaced at no expense to the purchaser.
Am I dreaming or is this possible? I actually see this forum as the customer service arm of DJI. I would think more problems are solved here than from DJI!

Bought my P4 last March direct from DJI. I did send it in to have the gimble fan checked out because it was not doing it's cycle test at start up. They replaced the camera and gimble assembly for free under warranty and had it back in just less than 2 weeks. Customer service was great! I did order this my new P4P through Aerial Media Pros in Cali in Nov. I wanted to be able to get it faster was the really the only reason that I did this btw. But they were awesome to deal with for sure. I've not had one issue with my P4P so far. I freaking love love it! Camera is super! I think the guys name is Shawn at Aerial Media Pro's btw. As for regulations, that is gonna be a continual thing for sure. But I have not heard of them being banned in all state parks. Maybe a couple here and there.

 

[Tom K]

I have been buying from B&H for years now. I continue to buy from them and purchased P4P there - no complaints. I was in Vegas a few weeks ago. Valley of Fire state park had sign at entrance "no drones" Too bad, that would be a great place to fly.

 

[KevMo Photog]

I have been buying from B&H for years now. I continue to buy from them and purchased P4P there - no complaints. I was in Vegas a few weeks ago. Valley of Fire state park had sign at entrance "no drones" Too bad, that would be a great place to fly.

Yeah that sucks man. Dead Horse State Park in Utah is same way. Flew just outside of it back in November btw. Super cool spots. but I don't think most state parks are this way that I know of.

 

[gmagana]

I have been buying from B&H for years now. I continue to buy from them and purchased P4P there - no complaints. I was in Vegas a few weeks ago. Valley of Fire state park had sign at entrance "no drones" Too bad, that would be a great place to fly.

Are those signs actually enforceable? (Let's assume USA-specific) I suppose if it's private property they can kick you out for any reason, including not obeying a badly-printed, arbitrary ""no drones" sign... But what about when they are on public property but there is no restriction of the area in the DJI database (for example)?

One specific example I'm thinking about is a "no drones" paper sign (the type anyone can print out of their home printer on standard letter size paper) that was on a visitor's center in a small scenic city (the scenic part was the mountains surrounding the city). Would a sign like that be enforceable? I'm not even sure that the visitor's center was government-owned since it really seemed like a place for tour operators to sell their packages...

I ended up respecting the sign, although I felt like I was following one person's made-up rule. Anyone know?

 

[Tom K]

Good point. Guessing those signs are 'policy' Like 'no videotaping' in public places. Can't be enforced by law, so one could challenge the park ranger on it.

 

[Frankc]

2 points. No video taping in public? What are they going to do? Ban Dash Cams and Camera Phones? I have a feeling that if anything like that happened around here those signs would 'disappear'.

I had a woman saying I was spying on her. I said ok lets play back the video, she was surprised it took video, and if you can spot yourself on there clearly I will donate £50 to the local charity. On the other hand you stood there at your door step watching ME. Is that not an intrusion into MY privacy? Imagine me standing at your gate watching you, then you could object. "I dont like drones", I replied "I dont like French cars but cant ban them from driving past" She said I was being awkward and went in quite angry. I was VERY polite to her though throughout.

The last point $1800 for your drone? You want to live in UK. £1850 thats about $2200.

 

[Wrice4]

My P4P has been amazing. No complaints. You have to remember this always: people will always hop on the Internet to complain, but rarely people hop on to take the time to say positive things.


I've had zero problems with mine, and this forum is filled with threads just like mine. I would reconsider. At least you could return it if you're not happy with it.

 

[smiller]

Thanks for all the insights. Thinking that I might reconsider.

If you are really concerned about getting a bad unit you could purchase from Best Buy. They have the P4P available and if there are any problems you can return within 14 days for a no-hassle refund or replacement. You will have to pay sales tax but sometimes that's a worthwhile fee for the easy return privilege should it be necessary, especially for DJI products which can really be a pain with most vendors.

 

[YachtsCF]

My P4P+ has been excellent so far, though I haven't flown it much. The camera is the sole reason I upgraded from a P3S and it's been worth it. I knew what I was getting into, DJI still has a long way to go as a company but they're the best option out there.

I feel the same about the banning of drones. Unfortunately most of our elected officials and legislators don't know what a drone is, they believe it's what they hear in the news: a noisy, spying, killing machine. A consumer drone like a Phantom or even an Inspire is just another photography or videography tool.

I'm tired of being told I can't use my drone at a public park or beach when I'm following FAA rules and not bothering anyone or anything.